On Learning TCM (and other things)

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I shy away from links to ads or sites with ads UNLESS there also is a

great deal of free, useful, and accurate info on the site (and the ads

clearly are presented as ads instead of being say presented as a

discussion or testimonial). This is one of those times when all

criteria are met. In addition to there being information in the intro

to the book Statements of Fact in Traditional (by Bob

Flaws) that I haven't seen presented elsewhere in a succinct way, this

info applies to a great many learning situations, not just TCM.

 

" Statements of fact " are the basic building blocks of TCM (and other

subjects). They are key bits of information that enable a person to

analyze in a logical, step-by-step manner and understand what is

happening and why. Examples in the intro of " statements of fact " are

the functions of Qi, the three Organs which generate the Blood, the

three Organs which control the Blood, etc.

 

However, this style of teaching is not limited to TCM in China. As I

was reading the intro I realized that this is exactly the way I was

taught in a public school system in the US in regards to English,

history, math, etc. (There's a great deal of variation among schools

in the US according not just to states but also to districts. I was

fortunate in that I was in one of the better districts in one of the

better states for education.)

 

Furthermore, what the intro describes is exactly the approach I take

on here with my posts. And I'm not the only poster doing this. There

are a number of posters on here who automatically use it, and not all

are TCM professionals. Many of the TCM students and even posters who

were new to TCM before joining this list automatically are approaching

TCM in this manner. Giovanni Maciocia - like Flaws - uses this

approach in his texts. (Which is why Maciocia and Flaws get quoted a

lot on this list.)

 

It's also the reason for the repetition on this list. The repetition

of basic key facts that will enable students and others to analyze in

a logical, step-by-step manner. Some readers may have spotted some of

this repetition in an earlier paragraph in this post. It's where I

talk about examples of " statements of fact " given in the info and one

of them is the three Organs most responsible for the generation of

Blood. This particular statement of fact has been mentioned in several

recent posts on Blood Deficiency. Repetition isn't always obvious.

(The three are the Spleen, the Kidneys, and the Heart. It's why

students in clinic eventually will run across cases of Blood

Deficiency where the problem is not in the Spleen but in the Kidneys

or Heart.)

 

Recognizing and remembering statements of fact becomes easier and

easier the broader the overall view of the subject. I compare this to

many people needing to see the overall forest before they can start

picking out the individual trees.

 

Anyway, here's the link to the site:

 

http://www.bluepoppy.com/cfwebstorefb/index.cfm?

fuseaction=product.display & Product_ID=951

 

Down at the bottom click on Intro.

 

Here's a link to the Intro itself:

 

http://www.bluepoppy.com/pdf_book/statementsoffact_intro.pdf

 

Since direct links to pdf files sometimes do not work, I thought it

best to give both links.

 

Interested readers also may want to read the review of the book in

order to gain a better understanding of what the book does not present.

 

For the readers who are unfamiliar with TCM who recently joined the

list, the reason TCM Organs are capitalized is because they are not

equivalent to anatomical organs. They are collections of functions.