Written theory test

[Bob Ashmore]

I've been working toward ranking and looking over the ranking requirements I see there is a written theory test involved.
I was just wondering if anyone could let me know what specific areas of theory were involved?
Also, what would be a good reference for studying the theory required for the testing?
Thanks for any help.

Bob

[JerryKarin]

Bob, I believe there is some material which your instructor will make available to you.

[Bob Ashmore]

Jerry,
He has mentioned a hand out. I was just hoping to get a jump on things.
Thanks.

Bob

[Anderzander]

I wondered what this forum was for!

[Bob Ashmore]

Anderzander,
So, now you know.
Are you going to go for ranking sometime?

[tccstudent]

Excuse me for not understanding, but what is the point of ranking in TCC?

[Wu Chang-Chi]

Hi TCCStudent.

Bill Walsh, of the NYC Yang Family Tai Chi Center, posted a write-up addressing that question.

http://www.nycyangfamilytaichi.com

Respectfully,
Wu

[Bob Ashmore]

TCCstudent,
I have been asking that same question for a long time now.
My final decision to rank came from many factors, some personal, some more esoteric.
The deciding factor is my respect for my Center Director, Bill Wojasinski, and my respect for Master Yang Jun. In the end I decided that if they feel it would be good for me to rank, than I will trust their judgement and so will work conscientously (I know, I can't spell) to rank. I may not understand all the reasons why at this time, but I feel that neither of them would steer me in a direction that was detrimental to me.
There are more personal reasons, as I mentioned, but they are not as important as the one I've mentioned here.
I feel certain that I will learn from just the endeavor, that is yet another reason. I like to learn things and if this will help me along the way then that can't help but be a good thing.
These are only some of my reasons. I don't know that I could give you a panacea of all the reasons to rank in a TCC system.
All I can tell you is why I decided to do so, or at least some of those reasons.
It is entirely voluntary, so rank or don't rank. Up to you.

Bob

[tccstudent]

Yes, I read the articles and thank you for your viewpoints. My concern over ranking is that, while for now, the ranking process may be very official and technically challenging to take, but I wonder if over time it may lax and you know what happens next? 9 year old Tai Chi Chuan black belts (or rank 10's or whatever)! I'm afraid this might lead TCC more into a competitive environment in which it's all about attaining the next rank and not about internal development. It would be kind of like the sad state of TKD and Karate these days, where every single city/town has a "black-belt club" and in the end it becomes all about the $$$$$. Just my two cents.

[This message has been edited by tccstudent (edited 10-14-2005).]

[Bob Ashmore]

TCCstudent,
You hardly need ranking to find TCC schools that are simply in it for the money. You can find those without even looking, and almost none of them have a "ranking system". It would be detrimental to them to "rank" because then they'd actually have to learn their art instead of just peddling emptiness. I've attended a couple of this type of school myself, before I knew better.
I certainly don't begrudge anyone making a living, that's for sure. I hardly ever just go out and fix peoples computers for free, after all, I get paid when I do that. So if a skilled TCC teacher gets paid well for his abilities, I have no problem with that.
Now, when a person takes money to train others in TCC and they don't have the requisity skill to do so, then that's a problem. It hurts the art in general, not to mention the poor unknowing students.
So to that end, I see ranking as a good thing. As long as it's done by professionals who maintain the standards of their art, then ranking, especially when applied to those who wish to teach, seems to be the best idea yet. It allows an Association of this kind to be confident in the skills of their teachers, while at the same time allowing the teachers to feel more confident in their ability to teach.
If you have thoroughly tested those who wish to teach in your Associations name, and they have passed those tests, then you can feel at least semi-confident in their ability to correctly convey the principles of the art to their students because they have demonstrated their ability to understand those principles to your satisfaction.
By itself that is one very good reason to have "rank" in an Association like this. If your teachers are all "ranked", then you will almost certainly have a higher quality of teacher.
If, as you fear, the ranking itself turns into yet another way to pad the pockets of those at the top, then that too will pretty quickly get around and people will seek their instruction elsewhere.
Caveat Emptor applies in all professional endeavors, and certainly with bells on in TCC training, but if you've got a group of teachers who have shown their ablities by acquiring the proper level of "rank" in an established system overseen by professionals who have an interest in maintaining the quality of their art, then you've got a pretty good basis for stating that your Association has better qualified teachers than others and so people can feel much better about paying your teachers for their services in the expectation of receiving a good, high quality education in TCC.
Just another two cents on the subject.

Bob

[Anderzander]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Bob Ashmore:
<B>Anderzander,
So, now you know.
Are you going to go for ranking sometime?

</B></font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Hi Bob,

I only just noticed your post. Rankings aren't used with any of the people I learn from.

I have only actually ever done one grading in fact. My Wing Chun teacher asked me to demonstrate the system - afterwards he gave me a grade and asked me to start teaching classess.

If I ran another WIng Chun club I would give gradings, though I'm not sure if I will. I think the Taiji has become a more demanding wife and is now insisting on no mistressess....

In the group I lead for Taiji it would be inappropraite to grade them.

Best of luck with yours and I'd love to hear how you get on.

Stephen

[tccstudent]

Bob, you make some good points. I'm still not 100% on board with it, but I can understand what you're saying. Best of luck in your endeavors.