Tai Chi checklist 2
Advice on Choosing a Tai Chi Teacher (for long term benefit)
When looking for a Tai Chi school or teacher, you need to know what you want, what you definitely want based on what investigations as to what Tai Chi really is so that you get the right instructor, and also what you want out of it.
There are hundreds of Tai Chi instructors in Melbourne, and their skill level and understanding is very very very big difference.
First you need to decide whether you want genuine Tai Chi or jazzed Tai Chi or Tai Chi for health and fun. If you want genuine stuff, you should go for an instructor who teaches traditional Tai Chi Chuan. What is that? It is not merely a form exercise that has the 108 or 88 postures. Traditional Tai Chi Chuan has at least 8 sections or skillsets:-
1) Slow exercise form (this is what
the general public know as 'Tai Chi'.
This is what poorly trained instructors (or worse still -
charlatans) sell the groovy loovey stuff to the public.
2) Push-Hands (Tui Shou) exercises to put into safe practice the theories of
Tai Chi Chuan.
These include both single and double hands as well as
fixed and moving footwork.
Tui Shou is the generic name for empty hand exercises
of Tai Chi Chuan that involve partner work,
with the exception of Boxing. It comprises about
10 aspects.
3) Da Lu exercise are an extension of Tui Shou, and emphasise footwork and
alternating between right and left. 4) Mo Shou or Chi Shao exercises are also an
extension of Tui Shou.
They are similar to the Chi Sau of Wing Chun Kung Fu, but
fist strikes not prominent and almost absent.
Features not included in Wing Chun's Chi Sau are trips,
throws, grasping, locking etc.
5) Chin Na exercises are the wrestling equivalent of Tai Chi Chuan.
Entails grasping, locking. Chin Na is applied in advanced
Tui Shou, Da Lu and Chi Shou.
6) Boxing. This is the way of combat of Tai Chi Chuan. (Remember 'Chuan'
means 'fis' or 'boxing'.
Very very few practitioners posses this skillset now,
because Tai Chi mas been bandied about
so much as a peaceful and gentle martial art,
and violent moves are frowned upon.
Consequently, most practitioners avoid this and do not
train in this skillset.
However, Tai Chi Boxing is a most beautiful art to
watch and practise.
7) Nei Gong: This is the internal power of Tai Chi Chuan, for which Tai
Chi Chuan is most famous for,
and which has been responsible for the meteorite rise of the
art.
However, it is sad to say that this skillset is no
longer pursued by most practitioners, or even masters.
Genuine Tai Chi Chuan? The very aspects that are
responsible for the fame of Tai Chi Chuan - namely
Nei Gong and Boxing - are now the most
neglected. What an irony.
8) Tai Chi weapon sets: In the Yang and Wu styles, there are a very
limited set of weapons, namely, sabre,
sword, and spear/pole. In Chen Style, there is
the halberd as well.
Contrary to what is taught by ignorant
charlatans, there is no such weapon as Tai Chi Fan in
Tai Chi Chuan. The so-called 'Tai Chi Fan' is not a
weapon set from Tai Chi Chuan, but is a separate art
called by that name sake. It is all in the
name! It was never a part of any style of Tai Chi Chuan.
To really know and appreciate what the old masters wrote about Tai Chi Chuan principles, eg. relaxation, sinking, rising, turning, neutralising, leading, following, adhering, lifting, issuing, double-weighting, and the different energies (jing), you must learn, practise and master all aspects of Tai Chi Chuan. The interpretation and understanding is very different from one who has not gone through and practised a complete curriculum.
Of the genuine teachers or pracitioners, there are only a handful. Those "know a lot" ones are plentiful. Very often, those "know a lot" ones have secretly learnt or are still secretly learning from those genuine ones.
If you want me to recommend,
these are the good ones:-
1) Chen Style: Master Peter Wu and his chief student Low Keng Hean.
Low can be contacted by email at:-
HeanL@bountylimited.com
2) Yang Style: students of the late Master Chen Fui
I have lost touch with them, but the best ones are called Les and Malcolm 3) Wu Style: Wu Style Tai Chi Association? Don't know what they call
themselves now. This is the oldest group in Melbourne, and therefore,
genuine - before all this fad and hippy yippy stuff came in. I would
estimate about 35 years old. You may identify them if they say their
master is "Rocky Kwong". The head of this group was Brian McGregor.
Their old practice venue was the Hotham Community Centre in North Melbourne
30 years ago. 4) Hao and Li styles:- refer to Peter Wu and Low Keng Hean.
The above are all traditionalists. I believe some of the Wu Style instructors were a bit macho in the old days, but I think they have cooled down somewhat. Below are the recommended modernists. Altough I shy away from modern Tai Chi forms, they are recommended because they have practised to a particular level I find acceptable for a martial artist.
5) Tang Lai Wei of "Tai Chi for Life" near corner of Springvale and
Canterbury roads in Foresthill (?). 6) Master Liu of Zan Ren academy (?) 7) Master Shao (Elstenwick?)
There are 2 or 3 others who have perhaps bigger schools or student membership, but do not qualify for my recommendation. I will not make further remarks. You will know when you see the various masters perform.
And then there are a few hundred instructors. Some of whom are students of the above. Some are even students of students of the above. I certainly have no idea why they think they know enough to teach. When I started teaching in 1977, I was an unwilling teacher. I formed the Tai Chi club at the university, and arranged for Rocky Kwong to teach, but it was not worth his while, and I was forced to teach. I already learn martial arts for 11 years already. But you will find that many of those peaceniks started teaching within 1 year of starting Tai Chi, and then slowly learn more as they progressed. That is why they have to constantly upgrade themselves secretly.
Another piece of advice:- The greater the jazz, the great the PR and promotion. Therefore, becareful of being sucked into such pyschological traps.
I have a website, but not only it is unprofessional and perhap clumsy, but it is not a true reflection because I created it as a 'vision' of my future organisation, and I have not updated it. But you are welcome to view it. It is:- http://home.netvigator.com/~kimfung1/
By the way, the cost of Tai Chi lessons is usually in the range $6 to $8 per session. Each session is usually 1 hour. They usually charge by term basis. eg. $80 per 8 weeks.
I have a vague suspicion you know more than meets the surface, and may know more than most instructors around here. A martial artist smells others other pretty quickly, even without meeting.
Warmest regards,
John Chow