tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8701793858378117295.post1485839352089962842..comments2022-11-30T07:46:57.148+00:00Comments on Spiralwise - Tai chi from a scientific perspective: How to calculate your tai chi skill levelSpiralWisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10619983850219828834noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8701793858378117295.post-85490265466816922402017-04-08T22:47:15.372+01:002017-04-08T22:47:15.372+01:00Hi
lets not forget that the level/quality of your...Hi<br /><br />lets not forget that the level/quality of your instruction has to be of a pretty high standard - a less than excellent teacher is not going to 'help' you get anywhere fast...Martinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17039201919573662115noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8701793858378117295.post-15820812404497962762012-05-22T14:22:35.501+01:002012-05-22T14:22:35.501+01:00Excellent comment Matt, thank you very much, I agr...Excellent comment Matt, thank you very much, I agree with everything you say. I fully accept this is a very naive formula, and so was deliberately upfront about the assumptions I was making. My aim was simply to do a quick "translation" and see what it looked like.<br /><br />The assumption of learning in a continuous and cumulative process almost certainly need to change, perhaps in line with the Bloom layers as you indicated. I also agree that the process is somewhat lumpy, and possibly non-linear (for example I have frequently seen discussions about plateauing). The question of course is whether it is lumpy in the same places for everyone, or whether it smooths out on average?<br /><br />I would be interested in trying to develop this formula further as a research project and better model the tai chi learning process. The first step however would be to define some scientific measures of "goodness", "ability", or "proficiency" in tai chi, which I don't think currently exist. Without this step, it would be impossible to measure how good people actually are to refine the formula, or use the formula to make testable predictions. Without an ability to compare model with the real world, there would seem to be limited benefit in developing the model!<br /><br />Thought provoking stuff - thanks!SpiralWisehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10619983850219828834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8701793858378117295.post-32162660899299134382012-05-21T18:05:11.353+01:002012-05-21T18:05:11.353+01:00Hi. I know that description of the Chen Xiaowan l...Hi. I know that description of the Chen Xiaowan levels/qualities of qi, and I've got no problem with that or your subsequent maths, but your premise in defining the level as a continuous number. i.e. you substantially lose me from " I extend this concept from these discrete levels" and in particular "The other thing I am going to define is that it is exponentially more difficult". You seem to be making expertise a pseudo-physical quantity like orbital height, whereas it's an emergent property of a much more complicated set of systems, i.e. the human body and its user.<br /><br />How about starting from a mapping between the well-known Bloom's taxonomy of the psycho-motor domain and the Chen Xiaowang qualities? <br /><br />http://www.businessballs.com/bloomstaxonomyoflearningdomains.htm<br /><br />It seems to be as if CXW's Level 1 looks like the boundary of Bloom 3 (1 and 2 being slavish copying), CXW 2 = Bloom 3-4, CXW 3 = Bloom 4, etc. Though whereas Bloom's layers are generally applicable to all learners, from beginner to expert in 6 steps, the CXW levels are about the varying qualities within a substantially practiced person. The mapping is highly non-linear in other words.<br /><br />That might then give a theory on how much understanding and practice is needed to go between the levels. I would also like to know whether TJQ has particular qualities that mean that constant practice is needed, or if that merely makes it common to other arts, like piano playing or graphic art.<br /><br />A more lumpy model of what the expertise consists of (e.g. perception of posture, memory of movements, understanding of centres of gravity) and how these are acquired/retained/forgotten as a function of time, and how these unit skills relate to each other, might then eventually yield the practice plan recommendations you are after. More work than the above I know!<br /><br />Cheers, MattMatthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16111587855413517626noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8701793858378117295.post-55047625850907861842012-05-21T17:01:46.813+01:002012-05-21T17:01:46.813+01:00Hi Matt, For a description about what the levels m...Hi Matt, For a description about what the levels mean I direct you to <a href="http://blog.spiralwise.co.uk/2012/05/review-five-levels-of-taijiquan-by.html" rel="nofollow">Master Jan Silberstorff's book</a>. That link also has onward links to the original essay by Grandmaster Chen Xiaowang.SpiralWisehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10619983850219828834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8701793858378117295.post-68495062713903633772012-05-21T15:28:10.301+01:002012-05-21T15:28:10.301+01:00Yes, but what do the levels mean? e.g. what's ...Yes, but what do the levels mean? e.g. what's the qualitative difference between 3 and 4? or is it just a number?Matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16111587855413517626noreply@blogger.com