Honoring TCC: Teaching With Certification

It is my experience that the full power and blessings of T’ai Chi Chih really can’t be transmitted from teacher to student until the teacher has taken the Teacher’s Training Course. This Course is far more than refining movements and becoming Certified. There’s a profound transfer of energy that takes place!

In the past year I’ve come across several people who have been teaching T’ai Chi Chih without being certified. Not only is their form “way off”, but they don’t carry or communicate the essence of T’ai Chi Chih. Some of these people have subsequently completed the Training Course and their practice and entire being have been transformed.

Recently, I was informed of another person who, after taking lessons from a NON-Certified Teacher, was now teaching a class themselves.

T’ai Chi Chih is very powerful when honored. Teaching without Certification is not honoring the Chi.

As Certified Teachers I feel we should constantly remind our students that there is a “process” to follow if they want to teach. This includes “not teaching under any circumstance” until one is Certified. It’s kind of like the resting pose. Resting in “not teaching” until the Chi, the life force, moves us into “teaching with Certification”. We can even share with them that Chi, if not stimulated properly, can cause pain and injury. Most people who have the desire to teach don’t want to cause injury to others! Also, if you know of people teaching T’ai Chi Chih without being Certified, talk to them about the nature of Chi and encourage them to take the Training. If they refuse, it may be very appropriate to talk to the establishment where they are teaching.