The Vital Principle of How to Move

When a student is having difficulty learning the simple TCC movements, it is often because he or she is not moving correctly and has no clear concept of “how” to move. It is necessary for the teacher to then focus on “how” the student moves, bringing him or her to the point where he or she is flowing in the TCC manner, not just moving hands and legs.

I was rather disappointed, as were others, at the Summer Conference to note that very few teachers do not flow at all, not yinning and yanging much with legs, hips, and waist in a soft and easy flowing manner–but standing rigidly with feet anchored to the ground. Naturally, students would take their cue from this.

Rather, it is necessary to instruct students that it is “how” you move, not “what” you move that is important. Effortless flow from the Substantial to the Insubstantial and back, is what causes the arms to move softly.

The example the teacher sets for the student is all-important, and, naturally, all teachers are sincere in their efforts to do the best job possible. There are a few excellent teachers, such as Suni in Albuquerque, who do not immediately begin to teach movements to their students but spend the initial time in inculcating the students with the “feel” of TCC and the vital principle of “how to move”.

So, if you as teacher, find difficulty with a particular student, you might want to first concentrate on “how” that student moves–always being tolerant and allowing for physical handicaps and advanced age.