Prerequisites for Membership of Special Interest Groups

These societies are private special interest groups formed by Sifu John Chow, and are under his specific directions. They are PRIVATE and are a fraternity of practitioners bonded by deep interest in the art. They are not incorporated societies. They are formed for members to get together to progress in their study and skills by practising and experimenting with each other under Sifu John Chow’s direct supervision. If you do not like the idea, please do not join. If you have joined, and do not agree with our rules, please feel welcome to leave. If you wish to form your own group with your own rules, please leave and create your own group.

Each group (we prefer to call it ‘society’ because it is a community or association of practitioners) will endeavour to present workshops in order to enable the public to attain the membership prerequisites.

The membership prerequisites have been set at a very low standard at the moment as these special interest groups will only be inaugurated soon. In future, the requirements will be tightened.

The societies are not schools or clubs for teaching the art. They are practitioner special interest groups. Each society must maintain a certain minimum standard of knowledge and skill, and, thus, an entry requirement must be set.

A candidate must complete a Bachelor degree in accounting, and a mandatory CPA course before being admitted to the society of accountants in order to practise as an accountant. Similarly, a medical student must complete the basic medical degree and one year of internship before being allowed to practise as a doctor in a public hospital and obtain membership of a medical association. Similarly, a Tai Chi student must obtain certain qualifications in the form of knowledge and skill before being admitted to a practitioner special interest group.

Those who wish to join a school or club for learning Tai Chi Chuan should just do that, and not quibble about membership requirements to bona fide practitioner special interest groups.

Two additional condition for membership of these groups:-

• the candidate must be sponsored by an existing member who will act as the candidate’s induction into the group.
• The application for membership must be discussed amongst the existing members of the group and should not receive and serious objections. The group operates on harmony, co-operation, mutual trust and friendship. Candidates are screened to avert possible disharmony, disruption or ill-feelings amongst the members.

Note:-  Sifu John Chow’s personal elite group, whose membership will be drawn from these societies,  has more stringent requirements.

Tai Chi Push Hands Practitioners Society

Prerequisites:

• Tai Chi Chuan exercise form
• Tai Chi Push Hands workshop 1 (Novice/Introduction)
• Tai Chi Push Hands workshop 2 (Beginner 1)
• Tai Chi Push Hands workshop 3 (Beginner 2)
• Tai Chi Push Hands workshop 4 (Beginner 3)

The candidate must be able to demonstrate proficiency in the Tai Chi Chuan exercise form (whichever style, but 8 Steps, 10 Steps, 12 Steps,18 Steps Tai Chi or Tai Chi for Arthritis are not acceptable because they are drastically cut down versions of Tai Chi Chuan and are not ever near reasonably complete) in order to ensure that the candidate is a Tai Chi Chuan practitioner! Practitioners from other styles of martial arts will turn the society’s practices into non-Tai Chi practices. Our Push Hands is in accordance with the Tai Chi Chuan classics and the advice of the old masters. This is a ‘Tai Chi Push Hands Practitioner’s Society’! This is not a Shuai Chiao or Wing Chun society – they have very different practice and methods and should form their own societies.

The Push Hands prerequisites are to ensure the candidate has sufficient foundations and skills in Tai Chi Push Hands in order to be admitted into the practitioner’s society.  The society is a society of practitioners – not a society for learning Push Hands! This is the same as professional organisations for doctors, chiropractors, accountants which require certain skills and qualifications for entry.

The above prerequisite workshops are mere beginner levels workshop. The society must maintain a certain minimum standard of knowledge and skill, and the lowest standard is BEGINNER. We should, but have not, require candidate members to complete all the 10 workshops which places them in the ‘proficient’ or ‘advanced’ category as a condition of entry.

Click here to read more of the concept and rules of the Tai Chi Push Hands Practitioners Society.

Tai Chi Fighting Staff Practitioner’s Society

Prerequisites:-

• Introduction to the Quarter Staff
• Lu Tong Bao’s Tai Chi Staff workshop

The above 2 workshops are introductory level workshops to staff fighting and candidate members should not winge or complain that that such basic prerequisites have been ‘needlessly’ imposed upon them.

Staff, in this context, refers to quarter staff as well as the long staff.  The length of the weapon would vary from about 3 feet to 8 feet.

Tai Chi San Shou Society

Prerequisites:-

• Member of Tai Chi Push Hands Practitioner’s Society
• ‘Basic’ proficiency in San Shou Form A
• ‘Basic’ proficiency in San Shou Form B
• ‘Basic’ proficiency in San Shou duet form

The candidate is required to have a basic knowledge and skill in Yang Style Tai Chi San Shou, and the only way to ascertain this is by demonstrating the 3 sets in their entirety.

The society will endeavour to assist candidate s who express genuine interest in joining the society.

For enquiries, please contact:-

John Chow

Email: vajra_master@yahoo.com

URL: http://www.yellowbamboohk.com

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