FAQ About Tai Chi

How do we start ?

Rely on the teacher, not his personality.

Rely on the meaning, not just on the words.

Rely on the real meaning, not just on the provisional one.

Rely on your wisdom mind, not on your ordinary judge mental mind.

In my experience, there are three levels of instruction--teaching, coaching and training. All are valuable but I think you need all three to learn good Tai  Chi.

Teaching is where things are explained to a whole class at a time, and each person goes off alone or works with others (in the case of push-hands) to incorporate the instructions into their form, their bodies, the art.

Coaching is where the instructor works with you specifically and says something like "Go home and practice this week, this is what you are trying to do, this is how it will feel, and come back and show me what you learned and tell me how it felt."

Training is where the instructor is with you and says something like: "This is what is going on here, try it...What does it feel like? No, try this...... Look for this feeling.........Try it again......That is closer...... That's right......Now go home and practice and we will build on it next week."

When I teach, it is individual instruction in a group setting. There is some general instruction, but I get around to every person in every class to take them to the next step in their training. Each person hears differently, has a different body and needs to be dealt with individually as they learn. Obviously, my classes are small--not usually over 6 people. The classes are 3 hours long and we work on stretching, fundamental training exercises, Form instruction, meditation, and push-hands from the beginning. Many teachers will traditionally wait to teach push-hands until after somebody learns the form, but I have been getting good results with my students by starting them with push-hands in the beginning. This is not the only way to teach, but this is the way I was trained and the way I prefer to teach right now--I really want somebody to learn good quality Tai  Chi and I think the training aspect is essential. One more thing occurs to me as important. And that is the personality of the instructor. The transmission of Tai  Chi is from teacher to student and is a fairly intimate activity. It is like raising a child or being raised by a parent. You need your own boundaries as a person and you need to distinguish what is Tai  Chi and what is the personality of the teacher--in the transmission of Tai  Chi they often get mixed together (this is one reason for the different Tai  Chi styles). So it is important that you are able to accept the personality of the teacher, even though you might not see the world in the same way as he does. You will be absorbing their influence so it is important to pay attention to who they are as people and keep distinguishing them as separate from the art they teach or the philosophy they espouse. There may be some personalities from which you will choose not to learn As I write this, it occurs to me that all this seems like a lot to take on. And it is a lot to take on. It is really worth it though. Tai  Chi is incredibly rich, magical, healthy, powerful and fulfilling. I look on it as one of God's gifts to the planet, without it being in existence we would be much poorer. To me it is like the medicinal plants in the rain forest--full of hidden treasure and value from which we can learn so much to enrich our lives and health.

What Experts Suggest

•     Set aside time for recharging batteries, something calm and restful, like meditation

•     Daily exercise that is readily available and needs little preparation can help with the "blahs" that occur and with overall outlook.

•     Observe mood swings; learn to accept them by realizing they will pass. Learn strategies that might help bad moods pass.

•     Use "time-outs" when you are upset or over-stimulated (e.g., take a time-out, go away, calm down).

•     Let go of the urgency to always finish things quickly by learning to enjoy the process.

 What T'ai Chi Offers

•     T'ai Chi is a mini-vacation from the daily "rat race."

•      T'ai Chi is easy, requires no preparation, and is a daily mood elevator.

•     'Tai Chi is a tool for self-observation of feelings and for letting those feelings go.

•     T'ai Chi can be performed at school or work (e.g., in the bathroom), giving you a break from stress.

•     T'ai Chi's slow-flowing routine is about "letting go" of outcome and learning to love process.

•     T'ai Chi teaches the practice of "letting go" on a mental, emotional and physical level with each exhale.

Tai Chi or Not Tai Chi

You cannot go to one Chinese restaurant and know Chinese cuisine. In the same way, you cannot attend one class and know Tai Chi.

Here are some things to keep in mind when choosing:

Budget

Make sure you can afford it. It seems simple but you would be surprised at how many people overspend thinking they will learn faster. A fancy studio and free uniform does not mean anything if you  learn nothing.

Instruction

No matter if the teacher is fit or fat, good looking or ugly, a certified Tai Chi Master or an old Chinese man with a white beard, it does not mean they are going to teach better or worse than the next instructor.

The only way to choose your teacher is to experience their teaching style. Chances are that you are on the right track if you leave class energized, excited, and wanting more. If you leave drained, depressed, and confused keep looking. (Or start asking a lot of questions.)

Reputations

Word-of-mouth is a good way to find a lead but reputations can be misleading. Rumors are just that until you experience things for yourself. Visit the school or meet the teacher and form your own opinion.

 What style?

Tai Chi has many practitioners and, like music, there are many ways to play. Yang style Tai Chi is the most popular but Chen, Wu, Sun, and Li (named from the families which they originate) styles are worth pursuing. Sample them and find what becomes you. All that said, many people start with Yang style.

 What is tai chi? Why was it started?

Tai chi chuan was developed as a martial art and longevity exercise. It still is taught as both a martial art and longevity art. Today it is primarily practiced as a "Mind-body" and Health Promotion exercise. It is one of the best stress reduction methods. It is a low intensity exercise, low impact, suitable to people of all ages and fitness levels. If you can walk, you can practice tai chi.

What is the purpose of learning tai chi?

People take our tai chi classes to Improve their Health, Reduce Stress, Improve their Balance and just feel better about themselves. tai chi is shown to help some people lower their high blood pressure. Many of our students have told us that their blood pressure is now under control after their first series of tai chi and our chi kung classes. Very importantly increased balance is reported, even in people of advanced age. This better balance provides better mobility, self-assurance and will prevent serious injury to the oldest participants.

Is tai chi a martial art? How can the slow motion movements be used that way?

Some students study it as a Classical Martial Art. Some use it to help improve performance in other activities such as equestrian, tennis or golf. When done as a martial art the students move at very fast speed just like in other martial arts. We usually refer people wanting to just learn self-defense to specialized classes taught just for that purpose. We have had many black belts taking our classes and they claim it helped their other martial art skills.

I have arthritis, will tai chi help me?

Tai chi has been shown to help reduce symptoms of some people who suffer arthritis. It has also been shown to help those with Fibromyalgia.

Do you teach Qigong?

Yes, we teach qigong (ch'i kung) "Energy work"  Ch'i Kung (qi gong) is a form of mind-body exercise that takes many forms ranging from calisthenics to meditation. Tai chi chuan (taji quan) is considered a form of ch'i kung as are hundreds of other exercises developed over the years.  tai chi chuan is only a ch'i kung if done correctly. We teach the safe methods as some forms of ch'i kung may be dangerous.

Does Tai Chi give you a longer and healthier life?

Hundreds of years ago the Chinese developed tai chi for this reason.  Dr.Rajnish Jawas added particular exercises to improve the health to his curriculum. It has been shown to help balance, agility, and well being. Tai chi reduces stress and has aerobic benefits that are good for your heart. Combined with a good diet and not smoking & alcohol drinks, these benefits add up to a better, fuller and longer life, maximizing your genetic potential.

How long will it take me to learn tai chi?

Usually you should give yourself at least 20 lessons, not days, but actual formal classes, to get the feel of it. Usually the first 10 lessons are relearning how to move and getting familiar with the techniques. You are expected to practice in between classes as well. After 20 lessons you will have the feel for it and will know if it fits your or not. You should be able to do it by yourself at this point. That is our goal for students, being able to practice on their own. Most important thing is to keep practicing on a regular basis. 

Beware of the Three Faults

The first fault is the lack of perseverance. The second is greediness. The third is haste. All three lead to mindless and sloppy learning of tai chi chuan

The idea is to focus on the basic principles when doing the form. More is not necessarily better. Some people are trying to learn every form or style they come in contact with, that is an expression of greed. Some people call them "Form collectors." They are in a rush to learn, haste. But this can cause confusion and not give them time to learn the forms correctly. It is better to take your time, learn step by step and not be in a big rush. That gives you time to digest what you learn. The haste combined with greed makes a mishmash out of forms and they all start looking alike. I have seen some teachers doing the Tai chi form that looked just likeTai Chi Kata or Taekwondo  form.  This is an example of being greedy and learning in haste.

Let your knowledge sink in. Learn one to two new movements per week. Unless you already have the basic exercises mastered, it is best to take your time. If you are more concerned about getting "through the form", than being in the form, then you need to go back and practice the basics.