Tag: Coaching

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Receiving Feedback

Steve Rowe

Receiving Feedback I need constant feedback from my students to improve my coaching. Not flattery, but constructive feedback as to what is good or bad. It’s the only way to validate what works and what doesn’t. Sometimes in class when I ask for feedback no one speaks up and when anyone does it tends to be the same people. Some don’t like to speak in front of others and will message me afterwards. What at first appears to be a silly question or feedback often creates the best teachings and discussion, stimulating more questions, so everything is welcome in these … Continue reading Receiving Feedback

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The Martial Yellow Brick Road

Steve Rowe

I seem to have rattled a few cages with recent posts, and they are never aimed at any particular individuals, but if it gets people to look inward instead of trying to copy others, it’s not a bad thing. We all have our own individual skill set and power, but we need to find it, understand it, train it and internalise it to give us that internal locus of power that makes us different and that will bring the right people to our door and keep them. It’s not just a numbers game, it’s not just how many new students … Continue reading The Martial Yellow Brick Road

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Your Body Talks To You

Steve Rowe

Your body is constantly talking to you. The problem is that if you only think and hear in words, you can’t hear it. It talks to in the same way that your dog, pet or baby does, you know what they want by their ‘body language’ and if your senses are only transmitting outwards, you can’t hear your own. When you turn your senses inward in meditation or training and learn to feel your body from the inside, it talks to you. This is important for your physical, emotional and mental health. Normally we don’t listen until it shouts in … Continue reading Your Body Talks To You

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Don’t Stop Because Of Stress

Steve Rowe

What’s the most stupid statement you repeatedly hear as a martial arts teacher? “I’m not training because I’m under a lot of stress at work or at home” or “Johnny has to stop training because he has to study for his exams at school”. It makes about as much sense as “I’m going to stop paying my house insurance because it’s at more risk of catching fire at the moment”. When you’re working or studying hard is the most important time to reduce stress by training, it keeps both mind and body fresh. Taking breaks and training is the most … Continue reading Don’t Stop Because Of Stress

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Making It Work

Steve Rowe

We can naturally tell what’s good or bad without having to be told. We know a good dancer, musician, gymnast or fighter even if we’ve never trained in any of those skills by just watching them perform. It’s important to rely on that ‘inner knowing’ so that we’re not scammed by others trying to sell us something else. I watch martial art teachers with carefully cultivated looks and teaching manners explaining techniques and then demonstrating them to nodding heads when even my granny (if she were still alive) would be able to see that they wouldn’t work. To make any … Continue reading Making It Work

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Highly Driven People

Steve Rowe

High energy and highly driven people need discipline and guidance. They are unable to understand people with low drives who find their energy obnoxious and you can see it everywhere in relationships generally and on social media. High energy and highly driven people need an incredible amount of constant discipline to channel themselves to do positive things and to hide and temper their energy levels. On the negative side when their drives are left unattended they are subject to fiery emotions including anger, addictions and attractions, these put an unreal veil over everything they think see and feel, their desires … Continue reading Highly Driven People

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Were The Ancients That Good?

Steve Rowe

Were the ancients that good? No internet, travel was really difficult, most couldn’t read or write, what little video is available was made when they were old and most didn’t move that well. Of course we respect them as they were the founders of what we practise today and some obviously were really good, but how many? The lineage carriers were often bloodline and to be honest that doesn’t mean the talent of the originator was passed down, often, non family students were better. I’ve often heard people say that the masters ‘hide’ techniques from students but in my experience … Continue reading Were The Ancients That Good?

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2026 Shi Kon Tai Chi Coaching Programme

Steve Rowe

No Previous Experience Necessary.This one day a month for 10 months programme will be taught personally by Steve Rowe 9th Dan and his team of assistants, Steve is an internationally renowned Tai Chi teacher, Chairman and founder of Shi Kon Martial Arts International.  The programme has been running for 9 years and has qualified over a 100 coaches, it is designed to certificate and give Tai Chi Students the ability to teach Tai Chi and run and administer a club to a basic level standard. Participants will be registered with Shi Kon Martial Arts International Association and the British Council … Continue reading 2026 Shi Kon Tai Chi Coaching Programme

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Tai Chi Teachers

Steve Rowe

When someone spends ages telling us what taiji/qi/neigong/qigong isn’t, I’m waiting for them to tell me what it is. When they’re telling us that we’re all ignorant and don’t understand and only they do, my spidey senses are alerted. When we’re told that you have to spend years to understand and train it I can definitely smell snake oil. Whatever art or system you train in after your first session you’ll be better than you were before it. Then you build your skills as the days, weeks, months and years go by, exactly the same as if you were learning … Continue reading Tai Chi Teachers

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Respect Is A 2 Way Street

Steve Rowe

Many martial artists learning capacity has an expiry date. They get what they want or need from a teacher or system and some stop progressing at that point or move on to someone or something else. It’s a hard pill for some teachers to swallow as they feel discarded and that the work they put into that person was wasted but that’s not true. If the student stops learning at that point they’ve reached capacity, but the teacher’s contribution still have added value to their life. Others have got what they wanted or needed from one teacher and now need … Continue reading Respect Is A 2 Way Street