In the spring of 1977, I began studying a Southern Praying Mantis Kung Fu style; it was my first exposure to Chinese martial arts. The class was held on the second floor of a bar in St. Paul in a well-worn party room that had a thick and stale atmosphere when you entered, as if the party had happened about an hour before class.
The friend who had brought me to the school introduced me to his teacher, who assigned me to work with a senior student. In the first class, I was introduced to new ways of moving and thinking about martial arts. The volume of information was a little overwhelming. Yet at the same time, I felt comfortable there, like I had found something deep, valuable, and worth investing my time in.
Before I left that first class, the head Instructor, Sifu Doug Anderson said, “Get a notebook. You’ll learn faster and remember more.”
It wasn’t a suggestion; there was a “just do it” tone in how he said it.
I did exactly that and began writing and taking notes after my classes. The writing triggered remembering, and the remembering exposed what I had learned and understood— and what I hadn’t. Once I developed the habit of taking notes, this practice would continue for the next 47 years.
Research concludes that writing by hand deepens brain connectivity patterns crucial for memory formation and encoding new information. Although I’ve always loved the feel of handwriting my notes, I’ve begun using technology for convenience, expediency, and storage.
I’ve never stopped writing and taking notes throughout all my studies in the martial arts and related disciplines, so I have filled and amassed quite a few notebooks and journals over the years. They are an archive of information and also a kind of biography of different teachers, styles, time periods…and of myself.
I recommend keeping a notebook—in whatever format you prefer—of your T’ai Chi lessons and practice. The technology that currently exists makes it simple to do. You will understand the art at a deeper level and progress more quickly.
First in the mind, then in the body. All you need to do is begin.
