Note From Justin (December 1989)

When I was in Canada recently I was very impressed by the sincerity of those studying and those teaching T’ai Chi Chih. A good beginning has been made, and capable people there are presiding in the expansion that is taking place. One young man came down from the edge of the Arctic Circle to take part in my “Heightened Awareness” Seminar in Edmonton. He has been faithfully practicing T’ai Chi Chih daily, by himself, for four years, and hopes to eventually become a teacher.

Now T’ai Chi Chih has begun to spread in Montana, just as it has in North Dakota, Minnesota, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona. Little pockets of enthusiasm have begun to form in isolated places, and these tend to grow rather rapidly. It is exciting to see this. No amount of planning can cause this result; T’ai Chi Chih is spreading and proliferating because of what it is and because of the TEH (Inner Sincerity) of those teaching it.

From the beginning I have felt that the future of T’ai Chi Chih lay, not in Madison Avenue nor Hollywood, but in the quality and dedication of the teachers. Early on teachers found how rewarding it is to teach T’ai Chi Chih, to see the joyous, energetic look of students’ faces, and to feel the excitement of the group energy. My trust has not been misplaced. The quality of people who have been led to become T’ai Chi Chih teachers is very high. When people come to the annual Teachers’ Conferences they find others such as themselves, and the atmosphere is a very positive one.

I believe the workman is worthy of his hire, and feel that active teachers should make a good living from teaching T’ai Chi Chih, providing they stick to it and do not expect instant rewards. Some momentum has to be built, and giving presentations regularly, not just in the beginning, is one of the best ways to build it.

So I salute the teachers, who are the ones responsible for the growth of T’ai Chi Chih. One request: forward your experiences to the Vital Force, which will now come out six times a year. More material is needed, obviously, for the expanded version. We all look forward to reading new issues as they come out; why not help by contributing material? It is very useful to other teachers.