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| Amateurs | ||
| Written by Rachel | ||
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E-mails
Every week we receive an e-mail from a well-meaning individual asking for a
few tai chi "tips & pointers"...
They are usually a physiotherapist, Alexander Technique teacher, nurse, school
PE teacher or a care home worker.
The person explains that they use tai chi in their professional duties but would
like a bit more detail. Could they borrow some material?
Self-delusion
When people send an e-mail asking for tips & pointers, they are usually
surprised when we ask whether or not they are seeking
teacher training.
They quickly point out that they are not a tai chi teacher and do not wish to
become one. At this stage, a conundrum is evident.
The person isn't a tai chi teacher, doesn't want to become one, and claims not
to be teaching tai chi. Yet... they are teaching tai chi albeit in an amateurish
manner.
No
We decline to share tai chi material with amateurs. And discourage them from
continuing their bad practice. We invite them to leave tai chi tuition to
professionally qualified instructors.
What's the big deal?
Apologists argue that learning tai chi from an amateur is better than not doing
tai chi at all. How so?
Would you entrust an amateur dentist with your teeth? A partially trained
optician with your eyes? An unqualified physiotherapist?
Injury
There are a lot of tai chi practitioners in the world with bad knees. This is
the outcome of major misconceptions and shabby teaching. Other risks include
shoulder joint problems and lower back pain.
Naive
With the widespread appeal of tai chi there has emerged a growing trend towards
amateurism. Some groups actually train without a tutor...
Others are led by an unskilled amateur who is not qualified to teach.
The danger of amateurism
Imagine that you have a serious illness and seek the reputed health benefits of
tai chi... Who would you rather study with: A) a skilled, experienced
instructor? or B) a well-meaning amateur?
Training any exercise system or martial art under the guidance of an
amateur/charlatan is dangerous. It can lead to injury, and will inevitably cause
mistakes and misconceptions.
Simplistic mentality
When learning any in-depth skill or art, a teacher is needed.
There are very few people in the world who can learn to play the piano by
themselves, cook like a French chef, become a doctor, speak Spanish or perform
tai chi properly without professional help.
If you imagine that learning tai chi is any different to learning how to play
the piano... your understanding of tai chi is woefully simplistic.
What is commonly being taught
in a tai chi class
According to
The Journal of Asian Martial Arts, most tai chi
classes in the world offer solo form (a sequence of moves), and a bit of qigong.
Not many classes actually do pushing hands.
Some do sword form. Occasionally,
teachers speak of self defence applications. Things like 'san sau' are very,
very rare, and rarer still are classes that teach anything approaching an actual
martial art.
Tai chi is more than form
With the advent of performance art tai chi people have begun to think of
tai chi
purely in terms of 'form'. This again is simplistic. Form is just one facet of
the art.
Stages of skill
Within form practice there are 8 distinct skill levels. Most tai chi people
never get past stage 1.
Form collecting
Rather than progress through all 8 stages with one form, the tai chi amateur
learns a new form - again at the most fundamental, simplistic level.
Form collecting is a sign of limited understanding and boredom.
No instructor?
Training in unsupervised groups or being self-taught is essentially the blind
leading the blind. No one has a clue what the 'big picture' is because no one
possesses the necessary knowledge or skill.
Wild misinterpretations and misconceptions hinder any credible hope of progress.
We're all students...
Amateurs who possess limited knowledge will tell the doubting student that
everyone is a student, that we are all on this journey together... OK. So,
why am I paying you money?
In my opinion
Amateurs have opinions about tai chi based upon their ideas/notions. The martial
arts have no need for opinions.
An opinion will not help you to deal effectively with an assault... only
knowledge, experience and real skill will prevail.
A theoretical grasp of combat will not prepare you for the reality, any more
than some sense of tai chi biomechanics will enable you to use the body in an
optimal way.
Real knowledge is not based on opinion.
The instructor
The role of the instructor is to guide the student.
They are responsible for implementing the syllabus, correcting mistakes,
suggesting new considerations and generally moving the student in a forwards
direction.
There are no plateaus in tai chi; you can always look deeper into the art.
Qigong & tai chi teacher
Expect a teacher to have:
• At least 5 years experience
• A professional teaching qualification/long-term extensive teaching
experience under the guidance of a reputable instructor
• At least 10,000 hours of practice behind them
• 10,000 hours of continued improvement, insight and development
Tai chi fighting method
An instructor will take significantly longer than a tai chi for
health teacher to gain the necessary skill and experience. Once skilled, they
can commence teacher training.
Beware of amateurs...
Tai chi is great providing it is taught with skill and integrity.
It is a sad truth that most tai chi for health teachers are not professionals.
They are often well-meaning amateurs potentially doing more harm than good. Be
cautious.
Find out more about the art for yourself. Gain some measure of understanding
before attending a class. Ask the teacher about the style being taught, the
methodology behind their teaching.
Ask to see their syllabus.
Don't take our word for it
Find out for yourself.
We strongly encourage you to read:
•
The Essence of Tai Chi Chuan - The Literary Tradition by Lo et al
• The Sword Polisher's Record by Adam Hsu
•
Tai Chi Theory & Martial Power by Yang Jwing-Ming
•
The Power of Internal Martial Arts by Bruce Frantzis
•
Chinese Boxing by Robert Smith
•
There Are No Secrets by Wolfe Lowenthal
Tai chi is a
recognisable fighting style
If you watch wing chun applied in combat, it looks distinctly like wing
chun. The same could be said of judo, aikido, ju jitsu, pencat silat etc.
By the same reasoning, the martial art of tai chi must look like tai chi.
What does tai chi look like in combat? Tai chi looks like tai chi. The
form, pushing hands, you know... tai chi.
If the martial expression of tai chi does not look like tai chi, it is
probably not tai chi.
10 questions to ask a tai chi teacher
Try asking these 10
metacognition
questions:
1. Which treatise(s) would you consider to be The Tai Chi Classics?
Which author is most accessible to you? And which parts do you struggle to
put into your practice?
2. What role does 'shen' play in tai chi?
3. Explain the significance of 'folding'.
4. The name of the art refers to the 'yin/yang' diagram... So, how
does tai chi use yin/yang?
5. Illustrate the difference between 'jing' and 'li'. What bearing
does this have on 'peng'?
6. What does the expression 'invest in loss' refer to?
7. Explain the difference between the first 4 powers and the second 4
powers.
8. Which of the Taoist Classics do you find most relevant/pertinent
to tai chi? And why?
9. What is 'mutual arising'?
10. How does '4 ounces of pressure' operate in practice? What are the
active/passive manifestations? And how do they differ?
If a tai chi teacher cannot answer every question comprehensively -
verbally & physically - they are not skilled enough to be an instructor. Look
for somebody who can provide good answers.
13 adult learning amateurs assistants authenticity fit to teach? levels syllabus teacher training course teaching tai chi
Page created
18 March 1997
Last updated
06 September 2023
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