Four Tips for Learning Tai Chi

There are a few things you should keep in mind when you start to learn tai chi.

1. It starts with you. You can't control what the teacher does. You can't control the venue. You can't control other external events. You can only control yourself. Your teacher can guide you, but it's your efforts that determine your success. Have fun playing tai chi.

2. Respect your teacher. Your teacher has spent years learning a difficult skill. Your teacher probably earns only a pittance and is teaching because he/she wants to help you improve your life.

3. Do what your teacher says. Assume that your teacher knows best. If your teacher says to step a certain way, do your best to step that way. If your teacher says to practice every day, do your best to practice every day.

4. Don't do what your teacher doesn't tell you to do. You pay your teacher for the expertise in tai chi and teaching. Don't add your own interpretations. Chances are pretty good that you don't know more than your teacher. If you do, why are you in class?

There is one other thing to keep in mind, though. Use common sense. If your teacher wants you to do something dangerous or is acting unethically, just leave. If you have knee problems, you shouldn't be asked to stomp on the floor. There is no reputable tai chi studio in the world that asks you to have sex with your teacher. Don't argue or debate, just leave. Be safe out there, folks.

What do you think? Leave a comment.

© 2012 Eric Borreson

Comparing Your Tai Chi to Others

We often want to compare our tai chi practice to that of others. How do my forms look (compared to hers)? How is my flow developing (compared to his)? What is she talking about when she mentions feeling her energy? What does he mean by being rooted?

When I first started studying tai chi seriously, I worried about other people all the time. I considered my tai chi to be pretty average, at best. Everyone else was doing so well. I remember my first hour at a week-long workshop. Everyone looked so smooth and graceful. I worried.

What I really needed was someone to say, "Stop it!". Don't compare yourself to others. Pay attention to your goals, not someone else. The only sensible comparison is with yourself. Are you doing better than you were before? Have your movements smoothed out? Are you starting to understand what your instructor is talking about?

This taught me a lesson. I am what I am. My skills are what they are. I try to avoid comparing my practice with others. I watch others and work with them to improve my skills, not to see who is better. If I can, I try to help others. Work hard, have fun, and don't worry about others.

What do you think? Leave a comment.

© 2012 Eric Borreson

Hidden Depths of Tai Chi

Tai chi looks simple, but it has hidden depths that can only be discovered through practice, study, and more practice. Everyone, from a beginner to a Master, continues to learn new things as they practice tai chi. On one of his Tai Chi for Arthritis teaching videos, Dr. Paul Lam said,

"One of the most fascinating things about tai chi is that it looks like we are repeating the same thing. But each time we do that, there is something else that is deep and meaningful to it. So, I invite you, when you do your practice, to approach it with a fresh feeling each time and look at the movement from different aspects and to see if you feel that you have learned something fresh and gained some extra depth in the movements."

In order to find these hidden depths of tai chi, we need to learn about the basic principles of tai chi. When we know what these principles are, we can look for them in our tai chi practice. These principles have been written about and taught for generations. There are many variations that have been published over the years, but I think Dr. Lam's are the simplest to understand.

He describes the principles like this:

Movement:

1. Make the movements slow and continuous, developing control of your muscles. Read more here. 

2. Move as though there is a gentle resistance, as if you have to move through water. This helps cultivate internal force (intention). Read more here.

Body:

3. Be aware of weight transfers. Control your balance, alignment, and posture. Read more here.

4. Be aware of body alignment. Keeping your body in an upright posture. Read more here.

Internal:

5. Song – loosen the joints. Stretch and loosen the joints. Be aware of this as you practice. Read more here.

6. Mental focus – try to keep your mind from wandering. This helps to integrate the internal and external. Read more here.

One way to discover these hidden depths is to study one form at a time. Learn what one of these principles means for that form. Practice it dozens of times. Then move on to another form. Continue on and work with each form. Put them together into the entire set. Then return to the principles and start over with another principle. 

After you have worked through all the principles, go back to the beginning again and start over. You will be amazed at the new things you continue to learn after you think you understand what you are doing.

What do you think? Leave a comment.

© 2012 Eric Borreson

PS: you can read about Yang Chen Fu's 10 principles here and here.