johnwang wrote:I truly don't believe Taiji is suitable for kids. Kids need to jump, run, flip, ...
Of course you're right, John. Kids need to jump, run, flip, fall, roll, wrestle (in a playful and nice way), turn into animals, go crazy, let off steam, discover their own strength and agility with themselves and in a playful way against others, both with partners and in groups. And at the same time they can, in an age-appropriate way, find their center and their structure, discover stillness and also warmth and light within themselves, go on journeys of awareness through their own body, explore some basics of breathing and meditation and energy work, learn some basics of massage and bodywork with a partner, etc.
This book is absolutely not about putting kids into a run-of-the-mill adult Tai Chi class with a little circling of the hips and then straight into an hour of 'abstract' form practice. (Although some 'adult' classes aren't like this either; mine certainly aren't). It's also not about traditional Wushu training for children. It
is about a wide range of fun, physical, imaginative and sometimes challenging training (drawing on Tai Chi, Qigong and several other martial arts) that will also help them develop personal, emotional and social skills beyond the purely physical.
The book also gives a lot of information and food for thought about what it actually means to teach children physical arts/martial arts in a way that respects them, challenges them, nurtures them, helps them to develop their own potential and allows them to find their own way (within necessary boundaries, of course). This in an age-appropriate manner, ranging from pre-school through to teenagers. In this area it references both 'Eastern' and 'Western' sources and approaches, including neurobiological development, essentials of pedagogy, TCM, theory of yin/yang and 5 Phases/5 Elements.
Maybe take a few minutes to follow the link I provided above, which will give you a description of what the book actually does offer and also a few sample lessons.
I wasn't originally planning to say more about the book in this thread, just to draw attention to its publication and provide a link. But your comment, John, gives me the impression you haven't looked further to see what this book is about. That you're making an incorrect assumption. So before a false (negative) impression of the book and its approach to teaching kids gets disseminated, I'd prefer to set a few facts straight.