This article is designed to help students know what to look for and what kind of questions to ask a prospective Tai Chi instructor. It explains the bare minimum amount of knowledge that any beginning Tai Chi teacher, style, school or method of Tai Chi should know and be able to convey in order to teach Tai Chi. Most of what is detailed here is normally taught within the first year or two of Tai Chi training and can easily be learned within the first 3 years of training.

Obviously any beginning teacher will know at least a form or two of 24 Moves or more. Look for endorsements and talk to students who have gained real benefits from practicing Tai Chi with the instructor whose class you are considering. Do your homework. Visit several schools or facilities and try out some free classes.

Ask the instructors specific questions about their training and level of knowledge about Tai Chi. If the instructor is both open with you and gives educated answers to your questions then realize that individual answers will vary and often will be situation dependent but there is an obvious difference between an educated opinion and someone who does not have a clue about the subject matter and specific terms that are related to the subject matter. Listen carefully and you should be able to get an idea of an instructor’s knowledge or lack thereof particularly if you are armed with some of the terms I am referring to in this article.

Many Western medical doctors, specialists and therapist have different opinions about causes and treatments of various medical conditions but the basics of anatomy and physiology and the medical terms for them are going to be pretty much the same from one human being to another. The same is true with Tai Chi. Even though approaches may be different, words like Chi, Jing, Peng, Sung, Tao, Yi, Shen and Li will be known by any real teacher. Anyone offering Tai Chi classes who does not have at least a working understanding of these terms simply does not have enough knowledge to properly teach Tai Chi.

The instructor should have at least a basic working knowledge and ability with most of the following,

• Basics of Chinese Medicine including Yin and Yang theory
• Chi Kung including an understanding of what Chi is and what it is not. -Chi is very explainable in Western medical and physics terms and the actual meaning and application of Chi Energy would make complete sense to any Western medical doctor, physicist, biologist, chemist, engineer etc etc.. Unfortunately, Chi is often explained in some sort of metaphysical mumbo jumbo way by teachers who either do not understand it or who feel they have something to gain by making and keeping it mysterious and elusive.
• Knowledge of sources of Chi
• An understanding of Chi Blockages and how to remove them using Tai Chi. This includes understanding the difference between Excess and Stagnant Chi and knowing how to restore proper balance and flow in the body using Tai Chi.
• The Meridians and pressure points as used in Acupuncture and how Tai Chi stimulates proper flow of Chi through them
• The 3 Treasures Li, Chi and Jing
• The 3 Powers Heaven, Earth and Man
• Sung – A Chinese term that refers to Relaxation Techniques and Methods.
• Breathing methods including how to breathe to beneficially lower the heart rate and blood pressure in order to get the stress reduction and circulatory benefits that Tai Chi is famous for.
• Body Mechanics and body positioning that is truly based in knowledge of skeletal alignment and structure. This includes how to properly align the spine and how the midsection should be positioned and how the knees should be aligned to the feet and the foot placement for good knee health that utilizes the musculature of the leg and protects the tendons and ligaments.
• Natural body responses, actions and movement.
• Push Hands –This is a practice method of Tai Chi that is usually played as a physical game(s) but can also be utilized by students to simply learn better internal sensitivity to their own body and structure and internal skill of rooting and Sung relaxing.
• Internal Principles that begin with understanding how to drop excess tension in order to develop deep relaxation while moving and very powerful physical alignments that involve moving in ways that easily engage whole body power to whatever task you would desire to apply it to. These eventually go as far as one can imagine in the direction of being able to feel inside yourself and others to manipulate the internal organs, body structure and energy.
• Mind Intent including a real understanding of the difference between Yi and Shen
• Jing – Energetic Expressions for health and for self defense including:
  • Peng, Lu, Ji, Ahn
  • Jan Si Jing
  • Rooting
  • Fa Jing
  • Pulling Silk
  • Coiling
  • Expanding and Contracting
  • Condensing and Releasing
  • Listening – Ting Jing
  • Central Equilibrium – Dong Jing
  • And many many others
• Wu Chi and How to help students actually feel the energy within the first several weeks of study. Our students are usually able to feel the electrical energy within the first 2-3 classes. This is critical to getting the famous Tai Chi results for arthritis as seen in studies.
• Tai Chi body frame training - Large, medium and small frame. This includes being able to perform the entire Tai Chi set in a very limited space of several feet as well as being able to utilize the great deal of space that is most commonly seen being utilized by Tai Chi practitioners.
• 4 ounces moves 1,000 pounds principles and concepts applied
• How to perform the Tai Chi moves in a weight bearing manner in order to get the bone density results as seen in studies performed at Emory University.
• How to utilize and practice Tai Chi in a manner that will rehabilitate injuries and physical conditions such as back problems. This is person and injury specific and is not just practicing the form moves the same way that everyone else in class does. Real Tai Chi for rehabilitation purposes is specific to the individual and any real Tai Chi instructor knows how to teach it this way. It also includes how to intelligently modify Tai Chi moves so that a person who is elderly or disabled can still get the full benefits of practice. This includes such things as being able to perform the Tai Chi while sitting down.
• Various and different ways to practice the Tai Chi moves in order to work with different personalities and mental states to develop different attributes and abilities including the ability to become more grounded and mentally focused and to how to mentally relax and get rid of body tensions including headaches depending on what is needed. Part of this refers to the idea that everyone should not be doing the same thing the same way. From a medical standpoint Tai Chi is very individualized. So, if the teacher claims they only practice or/and teach Tai Chi for health then they should be quite knowledgeable in this area and if they are not then not only do they not know the self defense aspects of Tai Chi but they don’t understand much about the health aspect of practicing Tai Chi either and you would do better to keep searching.
• Self Defense Applications - A Tai Chi teacher does not have to teach self defense to students who do not want it but any real teacher of Tai Chi who can impart the real knowledge of Tai Chi to others must have at least a basic understanding of how the movements are really applied and be able to demonstrate it. This is a necessity as the moves can only be truly understood if the practitioner knows the basic fundamental applications for the move. Without this knowledge the Tai Chi instruction really is a case of the blind leading the blind. Any basic Tai Chi instructor knows a minimum of 9 - 10 different applications for each and every move and the applications range from very simple to very sophisticated. An advanced teacher will often know a minimum of several dozen or more applications for each move that will include but is not limited to throwing, grappling, striking, seizing, controlling, pressure point strikes, take downs and slipping/warding off (soft blocking). Tai Chi began as a martial art and is still practiced as such by the Chinese and any real teacher of the art is going to have been exposed to this part of the discipline.

This article only covers a small fraction of what the art of Tai Chi really has to offer.

Fortunately there are plenty of skilled and experienced Tai Chi teachers in America and there are even a few Tai Chi masters here in the US as well but you may have to do a little homework to find one of them.

The good news is that you don’t have to study from a Tai Chi master to get benefits. Any basically skilled teacher as described in this article will suffice. The bad news is that if you study from some one who does not have at least a basic understanding of Tai Chi skills, some of which are listed in this article, then you are learning something from someone who may do you more harm than good and at best is teaching nothing more than fancy choreography.

Good luck in your search and research. Please contact us and let us know if we can be of any help or guidance.

Sincerely,

Sigung/Sifu

Richard Clear

Follow in order to lead. One of the methods and practices for applying the idea and principle of “invest in loss”. If you will allow the other person to push you into a position without any offering any resistance of your own you will tend to find yourself in an excellent position to continue their motion and take advantage of what ever they have given you.

At first this is easier said than done. Everyone wants to resist and often at first will think (and even argue) that they are not resisting the advances of their partner and will often accuse their partner of being tense. In part this can be due to continually getting pushed and moved by the partner and not being able to figure out how to flow into the space that the partner is pushing them into without falling or being moved or uprooted.

Drop root, go softer and let go of the need to resist. At first this can be easier said than done. You really have to be willing to let go. The upper body should be like a sponge and if you feel any tension then it is probably your own. Think about it. Your partner pushes you from the start and continues pushing. They use force to start with and while you flow with their push you do not feel resistance. When you resist you feel tension. Life is much like this.

You may have to go slow at first but with a little time and practice you will be able to do it much faster and against a much bigger and stronger partner / opponent. Let them move you while you let your body flow into the natural position where it wants to go in response to their push. Really feel it first and then as you get better at it learn to observe how and what they are doing so that you can actually see them struggle to move you or uproot you.

Any overextension by your partner/opponent becomes the handle by which you can easily move them. Their smart choice (when they are working on being sensitive to the position) is to not over extend themselves and give themselves to you. The Tai Chi postures are, at least in part, as varied as they are to help practitioners learn how to flow in many different directions so that the practitioner has a method to utilize to go in the direction the energy is going instead of fighting the flow of power. Work the postures with this in mind and you will find that your physical understanding of direction and force will vastly improve. This to is learning how to use “investing in loss”.

Also, by paying attention to the force and direction that your partner or opponent produces you will get better and better at finding unnecessary tension and over commitment, drawing off inappropriate tension and force from others and you will also learn to feel when they withdraw and change direction or become confused or indecisive while trying to decide in what direction to push and what to do next. This will improve your sensitivity to the point that eventually you will push, move or uproot them while they think they are getting you. The partner / opponent will not even feel you negate and/or counter their movement. In other words you will really develop refined skill and higher Kung Fu. You will be getting excellent return on your investment.

Please let us know how this goes.

Sincerely,

Sifu Clear

“The Opponent initiates an attack first and I respond second but hit first.”
-Tai Chi Classics

Position your body according to the Tai Chi principles of Sung “relaxation” and Wu Chi so that if you raise an arm it is unhindered and flows upward easily without any unnecessary physical strength. When this is truly correct you will be able to think it and the action of doing it will immediately begin. When you practice the Tai Chi set do the moves with this in mind. Also, the movements will generate from your body, up from your feet, through the Ming Men and waist area and then will express out into your hands.

If I generate movement from my hands and arms then several feet of movement is a lot. If I shift my feet, sway my body a little, move my torso position and move my arms a little all at the same time then several feet of movement is almost effortless. With time and practice my internal response becomes much more automatic as a whole body movement instead of just a hand and arm movement response.

Internal responsiveness and positioning is every bit as important as external movement and positioning. In fact, internal responsiveness, movement and positioning can be utilized for your short and long term health. If I become aware of my body becoming tense due to mental stress and I work to make it less and less affected by stress then eventually my body will not tense as much, as often or for as long and this will eventually make a difference in stress hence wear and tear on the body which as a result will improve my longer term health. This can delay or altogether stop illnesses and maladies that range from headaches, chronic fatigue and hypertension to heart disease. So, the stress strikes at me first but I hit first by sensing the tension and stress wanting to gain a foothold. I do not allow the stress to take hold and take corrective action hence hitting first.

Proper internal positioning will even allow you to take stress off of your back and joints and move it to areas more equipped to handle the load and help you to let the tension and stress out of your body. A lot of the time people hold in stress and tension with their breath and simply becoming aware of it allows you to easily breathe in a manner that will dispel the problem. Stress is often called the silent killer because the stress gets in under people’s radar and does the damage without them being aware of it. By getting this body feel and response then you also get a better understanding of how your mind is responding to various stimuli and you can begin directing your thoughts better and learn to deal with stressors that you may not realize have been affecting you. Often, once you are consciously aware of these stressors then they are easy to deal with and eventually you recognize them before your body gets hit and then your mind deals with the problem or issue so that in the long term you are unaffected by the problem essentially preemptively striking it before it hits you.

Sincerely,
Sifu Clear