A Perspective on Moving

As Justin Stone reminds us in the T’ai Chi Chih Photo Text, when moving “… energy appears to be flowing and, we are just shaping it.” We can also similarly shape time, a luxury that can vex or energize us. From a movement analysis/description perspective, I’ve been shaping time to play with the concepts of effort and flow in order to clarify instruction language and enhance the practice and teaching of TCC (especially with beginners). Some thoughts follow about the art and science of teaching, movement analysis/description and folding those into TCC instruction.

Through the work of Rudolf Laban, Irmgard Bartenieff and others, a method for the systematic description of movement and movement patterns known as the Effort/Shape Method was developed in the 1940s. Flow, weight, time and space are known as Effort Factors. Qualitative change in each factor occurs in a range between two extremes. It looks like this:

Flow / Free ———- Bound

Weight / Light ———- Strong

Time / Sustained ———- Quick

Space / Indirect ———- Direct

Movement at any point on these continua is neither good nor bad. Simply, these are descriptors to help us understand how we move and what characteristics of movement are a part of our profile and our students’. People are often characterized as having a soft or loud voice, but we frequently pay no attention to individual characteristic movements.

Being aware of these factors may help us in teaching the movement aspect of TCC. And while this understanding may assist in clarification and enhance instruction with students, it by no means takes away from the richness of metaphors that most teachers already use when teaching, e.g., moving is like the effort of no effort, moving through heavy air, luxuriate in the movement.

A few examples:

Free flow reminds us of relaxation; bound flow engenders tension – but not tense muscles as with gripping. Quality of flow is determined by the relationship of the muscles that are tensed. With all movement there is some muscular tension. Free flow is frantically waving hands trying to get a friend’s attention; bound flow is carrying a hot cup of coffee across a room to that friend.

Lightness within the weight factor may look like gently guiding a toddler by the hand to a seat, a strong movement stopping that toddler from running into the street.

Sustained movement is taking your time walking down a street smelling the roses; quick is running to catch the bus.

When considering space, indirect is like driving a car when you need to be aware of many points of focus at once, what is behind you and on the side of you as well as having eyes on the road. Direct movement is pure focus, putting the finishing touches on an elaborate cake decoration.

In terms of movement, the Basic Effort Actions of weight, time, and space will suffice for this discussion. TCC is more light than strong, more sustained than quick and more direct than indirect. This in Basic Effort Action is known as a glide: light, sustained and direct.

When students enter the TCC safe learning zone, we meet them where they are and along with the practice of TCC take them where they need to be. For instance, by understanding that a student’s movement profile is more characteristic of quick, strong and direct movements, an “aha” moment is revealed. This student will need time to learn how to moderate quickness and strength so that those movements become more sustained and light. Less work will be necessary with regard to space. This approach to movement may be most applicable with beginning learners; it also may be better used when assessing who among students may need the most assistance. Simply having an awareness of what students bring to us regarding their personal movement style may guide us to consider a different perspective in our teaching efforts. In addition, you may want to consider your everyday movement style within the paradigm of Basic Effort Actions.

Movement is fascinating in all its aspects. Teaching TCC as meditation through movement is indeed a treasure. Hopefully the above provides a consideration of where individual students may be on the continua of weight, time and space – and may then clarify where students need more of our instructional guidance.