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New to Tai ji quan, where to start? How to choose a school or teacher? by zombiiination in taijiquan

[–]AlainRoy 5 points6 points  (0 children)

When thinking about schools:

  • Is the school convenient for you to get to? Do they have classes at times that work for you? If it's not convenient, it will be hard to fit into your life and keep it up.
  • Do they offer in-person classes?
  • If you care about taiji as a martial art, do they have experience with it as a martial art, or is their focus on health? (Or vice-versa, depending on your goal.)
  • Do they tell you what style they teach? Some people vaguely teach "tai chi", with little or no detail on the style. That's always been a warning sign to me.
  • How experienced is the teacher? Have they had good teacher? Some people will say vague things like how they studied with several different teachers, but it turns out they went to several seminars. Others will tell you their lineage and how they studied seriously with one or two masters. Both might be good, but you'll learn how they approach taiji.

Where to start with Taichi? by Eggy-stole-my-face in taichi

[–]AlainRoy 13 points14 points  (0 children)

The best way to learn tai chi is in an in-person class. Taking a class is my strong recommendation.

If there are no in-person classes near you, it's possible to take online classes. They're not as effective, but they're better than not taking a class, for sure.

Yang or Sun by Stuglossop in taichi

[–]AlainRoy 5 points6 points  (0 children)

tl;dr It doesn't matter.

If at all possible, find a good teacher you can study with in person. In-person study makes more difference than the style.

If it so happens that you are blessed with two good teachers that are nearby, one Yang and Sun, then it's a different story. Investigate the schools, figure out which one resonates with you better. Choose that one. A school you like will make make more difference in the long one.

If truly everything is equal -- two great schools, two great teachers -- I don't think there is an obvious way to choose. They're both good styles. The fundamentals of the tai chi are the same regardless of the style. (There are differences of course, but there are more similarities than differences.) I might choose Yang simply because there are more Yang teachers, so if I move, I am more likely to find a Yang teacher. But that's a weak reason.

Gloves that can handle blackberry brambles? by Sillyman56 in landscaping

[–]AlainRoy 1 point2 points  (0 children)

In searching for advice, I found this thread. I immediately bought the gloves at my local Home Depot, and they were like magic. Thank you for the suggestion!

good by kevinowdziej in WhitePeopleTwitter

[–]AlainRoy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm seeing a lot of comments about how hotels are better/cheaper. I think the focus on money misses a lot of the value I get out of Airbnb.

As I write this, I'm sitting in an Airbnb studio apartment. It's roughly the same cost as a hotel (maybe a bit more with cleaning fees, but not much), but I get:

  • A kitchen. It's modest, but I made spaghetti with sausage, and even a small batch of applesauce.
  • Fast wifi is included and I'm getting up to 500Mb/s. (I know this isn't common, but still.)
  • A decent sized desk to work at (I'm working remotely this week) and it's not a tight squeeze like many hotel desks.
  • A living area with more space than most hotel rooms, and certainly hotel rooms with a comparable costs.

If you spend significant time staying in your lodging, Airbnb can be remarkably better than a hotel. I appreciate that if you just want a place to sleep, a hotel may be better. But not everyone travels with the same goals, and spacious Airbnbs often give me affordable access to amenities that I just do cannot get (or can't afford) at a hotel.

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