By: Richard Clear
Submitted: 2011-10-17 22:33:57 | Word Count: 497
Recently American awareness of Tai Chi has been growing by leaps and bounds. Many people have heard about how it can have enormous health benefits and how it can also be a powerful martial art. However, there are many different Tai Chi organizations, styles, schools and methods. America has not yet developed a way of certifying Tai Chi instructors in the same way that it certifies medical doctors or accountants. How can a student decide on a teacher? In this article, I'm going to give you some basic knowledge and attitudes to look for in a good Tai Chi instructor. In the next two I'm going to delve more deeply into the background a good Tai Chi instructor should have.
When selecting a Tai Chi instructor, it is important to do your homework. Visit a number of different schools and teachers. Many teachers and/or facilities offer open houses or sample classes. Go to these. If the website or flyer you see doesn't specifically offer a trial, you might call or briefly visit the class to check on when or where these classes might occur. When you are visiting the school, look for endorsements by Tai Chi organizations. Talk the students there. Find out about the benefits that they have gained from studying with the teacher. All of these things will help you assess the credibility of the instructor.
[ advertisement ]
One of the most important things you can do is to ask potential instructors specific questions. Good teachers should be open with you. They should be willing to answer the questions that you have for them. They should also be capable of giving specific answers. As you evaluate the answers teachers give you, be aware that their answers may vary. Some teachers may have educated opinions which are legitimately different from those of other instructors. However, although answers may not always be the same, teachers should be aware of the basic vocabulary of Tai Chi practice. In western medicine, one good doctor may disagree with the opinion of another, but both doctors will have a grasp of basic anatomy and physiology terms. In the same way, instructors should know and be able to use the vocabulary of the discipline. They should be aware of terms such as Chi, Jing, Sung, Yi and Shen. In the next two articles, we'll discuss more specifically the concepts instructors should be aware of.
Instructors should of course know specific forms. A beginning teacher should know at least 24 specific forms. In addition, instructors should also know combat applications of the forms. You may be going to a class only for the health benefits. However, instructors with sufficient knowledge should know not only the forms and the health benefits of the discipline but also its martial arts applications. A good teacher will know at least 9 or 10 different martial arts applications for each form. Since Tai Chi began as a martial art, any teacher with real depth will have knowledge of this aspect of the
Author Resource:-
Sigung Richard Clear has over 30 years of continuous study in Tai Chi and Chi Kung both in the U.S. and China. http://www.clearstaichi.com
