Finding the Right Teacher,  part 1

by John Chow

Perhaps the most important step in your Tai Chi Chuan journey is finding the right and authentic teacher.

There are no official world governing body, belts, rank or standards in Tai Chi Chuan as there are in other martial arts such as Karate, Judo, Tae Kwon Do, boxing etc.  As a result,  there are numerous unqualified instructors teaching incorrect Tai Chi Chuan to their unwitting students.

In addition,  Most qualified teachers are very poor business people,  and many ‘good’ business people are not very good martial artists.  Good martial artists seldom make ‘good’ business people.  ‘Good’ business people will find it irresistible to make money out of martial arts  -  teaching martial arts and providing similar services after only a short period of learning martial arts.  

This not only leads to a waste of the students' time,  but it can also result in injury.

It takes years to learn the Tai Chi Chuan forms and a lifetime to master them,  and yet some people take a 6 or 8 week course in Tai Chi and then begin a (very successful) teaching career.

I learnt martial arts for 12 years before I first taught out of necessity because the teacher I introduced to teach at the Tai chi club I founded opted out.  If not,  I would probably have remained a student to this day after 40 years of study! 

Understanding of Tai Chi Chuan arise only from long practice and experience.  10 years of study is certainly not enough to make an instructor.  You will be doing your students a great disfavour if you, in your vanity, think that you are qualified after a mere 10 years of study. 

Written by John chow,  a TCM practitioner, martial arts instructor, healer, masseur and spiritual teacher. 

@2000

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