Outline for training

[J HepworthYoung]

I am working on a personalized training routine, not being able to afford more than Laoshi's Book right now.

I lack the requisite 3 years experience of Taiji quan. Despite my perception that I can still work on taiji jian, I do have my doubts, ergo this sharing of my notions for review as it were.



I have been pondering conditioning and training methods for jian use.

This is the training routine I have come up with thus far, largely elucidated from Laoshi's book and biology. (I have over 5 years of college in biology and philosophy)



The first or introductory emphasis is upon sword etiquette, the following stages are themselves built of weeks or 5 hours of practice in 3-5 sessions. It is assumed that 5 hours of practice can be had in a week and if not then I will not move to the next phase of the routine until those 5 hours have been completed with satisfactory progress.



As with many gungfu type training routings, there are several exercises designed to develop power for the techniques that do not actually involve practicing the techniques. I realize this may confuse some, but it does make a lot of sense to me. One of these is the cursive alphabet exercise, another is the use of baoiding balls and finger training methods. One thing I have been considering is practicing the forms with both hands so as to be able to perfom them with either hand.



After the introductory and obligatory practice of sword etiquette, the next emphasis is upon the grip.



Week one: Introduction and etiquette.



Week two: Grip

The practice of this week consists of learning how to grip the jian and practicing the grip. Supplemental exercises can consist of baoding ball use (this exercise has many benefits that I will not go into here other than to say it works both internally and externally) and various grip and finger strengthening exercises. One of my favorites being to rapidly make a fist and open it, 3 sets of 200 repetitions.



Week three: Stance and grip

The practice of this week continues previous exercises for grip but adds standing in the Michuan stance while holding the jian with the proper grip as per page 39. At first this is done for one minute, each subsequent practice adding another minute to that until 5 minutes is maintained easily.



Week four: Cursive English alphabet

This weeks training is a continuation of the former exercises, however a modification to the standing stance and grip exercise is to make letters of the English alphabet in cursive, in the air, the letters are to be about 18 inches tall and wide or so and the entire body is used for the movements. This exercise includes keeping the swords talisman in the position found on page 39. This exercise is not designed to be martial, but rather trains grip and stance while conditioning the wrist and body.



Week five: Introduction to basic cuts

This introduction will actually be gradual and focus upon learning one cut at a time. The alphabet and finger exercises are conserved and a new exercise is added, 3 sets of 200 cuts at a time. The first form focused upon will be Michuan so the next weeks will progress according to the cuts of the form and last about 8 weeks or so.



Week 13: Cut placement

This weeks exercise will focus on increasing precision and the use of the cuts as extensions of the body. The brick methods for training cuts will be used. 3 sets of each of the 8 cuts, 200 cuts per set (the last several weeks should gradually condition for this exercise, doing 4800 cuts per session is not practical to attempt at once)



Week 14: Forms and Postures

In the Michuan form, several postures can be found which can be held, jian in hand, with as little movement as possible, to practice stability and condition the body to be able to be strong and relaxed in such postures. Likewise the introduction to the first movement of the form takes place here. The first postures being the transitional stances or positions of the first movement. Likewise the cut practices are conserved and least thrice weekly.



From this point on the practice is very similar, postures and movements being added weekly until the form is learned and practiced in it's entirety, at this point the practice will have been undertaken for around a year. All of this is solo so free play/sparring isn't part of the training. Visualization and meditation exercises can easily be incorporated into the baoding ball exercises and facilitate the perception of the duifang during form and posture exercises.



While the routine is not likely historically accurate, it is designed to facilitate the practice of the Michuan form, and can be extended to the yang public form as well. I am quite open to revision, criticism and feedback. I value honesty and speaking ones mind.

[Linda Heenan]

I also had to train from a distance and it was 14 months before I actually got to spend face to face time with Rodell Laoshi, so I understand the dilemma of trying to work out a training routine for yourself. If you read back through this forum, you'll find my earliest attempts are recorded as well. I can tell you are serious about studying this because you are doing your best to make it happen.



I didn't do anything like what you are planning. I had no martial arts experience other than some swordsmanship from whatever source I could get it. I really think your best plan might be to make friends online with one of the older students and get them to help you as you train.



I started learning the sword form first, then discovered that GRTC students do 10,000 practises of each of the 8 basic cuts, so I stopped learning the form and did that instead. I also did a lot of zhanzhuang and found that was probably the best training I could've done.



After basic cuts training, I learnt the sword form from the book and DVD. I found a European style swordsman who was willing to learn the applications from the other DVD and train them with me. There were no training partners of my style.



Following that, I learn 1st section Michuan Empty Hand form, from one of Master Wang's DVD's and his book. This all sounds easy, but it wasn't. I often had to put about 10 hours into working out just one new movement from one of the forms. You have to really want to do it, or you would just give up.



Finally, after 14 months of training solo, my teacher came and there was a Taijiquan Seminar, followed by a sword camp. I had the 1st section form wrong in quite a few places but the sword form was fairly accurate. Everything got tuned up and I ended up with some training partners. It's still not easy, but I've got people to help now. I have some Estonian students who are like brothers - always there to go over details in applications or just be encouraging when I feel too far away and like I've got too much responsibility for someone who hasn't even been doing it quite two years yet.



My advice is to try your training program and see if it works for you but don't set it in concrete. Be willing to toss the whole thing out and do something else if you see a better way. Write to a few of the people you find on this forum and build relationships. Find some people who have both time and willingness to talk with you and help with the training. You will need them when it all seems too hard.



Don't get discouraged at not having the earlier training. If you can't move to attend the school and there is no one local to teach you, you have to train in the best way you can, as I do. It would be nice to attend a weekly class with an experienced teacher and build everything step by step with someone to correct things that start to go wrong. Those who have such luxury are very fortunate but there are students of this style all over the world who have had to do it other ways. Never give up.



Linda

[J HepworthYoung]

I also had to train from a distance and it was 14 months before I actually got to spend face to face time with Laoshi, so I understand the dilemma of trying to work out a training routine for yourself.

I anticipate being able to faciliate a seminar in the future, but it may be some time. I am familiar with some training methods of various martial arts and other practices, so luckily I am not starting from scratch.

My advice is to try your training program and see if it works for you but don't set it in concrete. Be willing to toss the whole thing out and do something else if you see a better way.

I am at heart a pragmatist and through trial and error have no qualms about rejecting what isn't working, however I am not one to reject what I have not tried or researched. I believe your advice is sound.

Write to a few of the people you find on this forum and build relationships. Find some people who have both time and willingness to talk with you and help with the training. You will need them when it all seems too hard.

I am rather shy and all too honest, I am hesitant to contact people and have been a loner most of my life. I have few doubts that such contact would be good but it is difficult for me and I fear I may be a bit of a square peg so to speak. I do not lack people interested in practicing swordsmanship with me, but I have a lack of people who are willing to dedicate the time and effort involved, as well as a lack of people whom share my martial philosophies. I have, for example, a friend who wants to train with me (empty hand combat), but wants to do so with rather aggresive intent, this will not do. I also want to balance the internal and the external, few people willing to practice with me have any desire to focus on more than external.



I began some body and motion conditioning routines alone a while ago in the realization that if I don't have the drive to bring myself to do it, nobody else will. I sort of want to proceed alone for the time being but would love feedback and a relationship with other students that can assist me in my studies and practices. I also plan on being corrected and accepting such correction should errors occur.

Don't get discouraged at not having the earlier training.

Ok then I won't.

If you can't move to attend the school and there is no one local to teach you, you have to train in the best way you can, as I do...



Never give up.

I won't.

Thank you.

[J HepworthYoung]

In experimenting the alphabet thing seems ok only with very small like 2 inch or 5 centimeter sized letters or letters nearly a meter in size, both with focus on moving the arms little at all.

Standing in stances and in postures seems practical but it seems important to know how to move and flow through postures so as not to pause in them.

I am right handed and the left handed exercises are more challenging for me, including just grip and stance. I am exploring the exercises thus far and have not schedualed a morning and or evening routine yet.

[Linda Heenan]

I've never heard of the alphabet thing. Does anyone else do that. If so why? If not, where does the idea come from?

[J HepworthYoung]

I have heard of it, but not for Taijijian. I believe some western fencing systems have used it or similar exercises. I have never read any specifics and the notion that I could benefit from such practice was and is largely from my own mind.



I practiced it with right and then left hands yesterday and found it was a good exercise for me to get more familiar with the sword as an extension of my body.



By no means is it a required exercise nor will it make or break training. It helps with control and hand eye coordination, in other systems it helps train for circular parries that can use torque to throw the sword out of the Dui fangs hand. I am using it more to condition my wrists than anything else.



It seems to be important to use the sword talisman and use the whole body to move the sword, not just the arm.

It is not a practice of martial technique for jian use nor am I suggesting it for anyone.