TEACHING TIPS FOR TEACHERS (Also Valuable For Students) (May 2015)

© Good Karma Publishing 2009

Reprinted with permission from Good Karma Publishing

From the booklet “Teaching Tips For Teachers”, excerpted and available for free download from Good Karma Publishing () and in print form for a small fee from the New Mexico T’ai Chi Chih Center (taichichihassociation.org).

The purpose of this material [i.e. the entire booklet with tips on individual movements] is to help T’ai Chi Chih teachers spot what mistakes pupils are making and to offer ideas as to how these faults might be corrected. It is absolutely essential that teachers be aware of what is wrong and know how to make corrections – otherwise the students will never get the full benefit of their practice. Moreover, it is entirely possible that the teachers, unknowingly, are making some of these mistakes in their own practice.

The material will probably be useful to students as well, enabling them to note their own errors and consider the hints as to how these might be corrected. Once the student is doing T’ai Chi Chih correctly, and practicing regularly, it is only a question of time before the student begins to realize the deeper aspects of T’ai Chi Chih and accord with the essence of the discipline. Then, it is hoped, he or she might be enabled to enter and accord with the great Cosmic Rhythm. What could be more important – or beneficial?

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

General Comments:

Two things must be realized at the beginning of study, and must be stressed by teachers:

(1) T’ai Chi Chih is not to be thought of as exercise, even though I believe it is the most beneficial of all types of movement, exercising the internal organs and circulating and balancing the great Life Force we know as Chi, or Vital Force. Exercise brings perspiration and fatigue, while T’ai Chi Chih practice seems to add to energy. It certainly does not cover one with sweat! If one runs a mile or two, the perspiration that ensues will probably bring weight loss. The runner steps on the scale and smiles, because he or she has dropped three pounds. Then a glass of water is consumed (and, later, a meal) and it will be found that the weight has returned.

Weight loss through T’ai Chi Chih practice is accomplished through the drying activity of the Chi circulation, not through a Turkish bath procedure. If the weight is excessive, it tends to be reduced gradually through the flowing of the Chi and this without effort. Most experienced T’ai Chi Chih teachers have seen many examples of this effect, sometimes with decisive benefits to the students.

Also, T’ai Chi Chih is not a martial art, with the strenuous effort of throwing someone through the air or delivering a harmful chop with the hand. The teacher should stress that T’ai Chi Chih is an inner discipline, with great outer effects, and tends to bring about relaxation, lessening of stress, and a growing feeling of serenity. If a student wants violent action, T’ai Chi Chih is not the discipline for him or her. Most people, however, seem to want a lessening of the stress of modern life and a growing feeling of physical wellbeing. The effects of T’ai Chi Chih practice are very compatible with a loving, not a combative, nature.

(2) It is all-important that the student be taught how to move correctly. From the very beginning teachers note whether the student is doing the movements softly (with “the effort of no effort”) and with continuity – no stopping and starting, or hesitation, during the movements.

Beyond this there is the delicate matter of balance. As the emphasis goes from the back leg to the front leg – from the substantial (yang) back leg to the front leg, which gradually becomes substantial (yang) – the body weight must shift gradually at the same speed as the arms move. Many students shift their weight quickly and suddenly and then move the arms to catch up. This is a serious mistake. It is particularly noticeable in the different forms of Pulling Taffy. If the weight has switched rapidly to the front or side foot, and the hands lag behind, it very often results in both knees being bent, so both legs are yang (substantial) at the same time and there is no yin leg. (Then how can we balance the Chi?)

The same is true in moving from front to back, or returning to the original side. Teachers, particularly new teachers, seldom give thought to this shift of weight before they begin to teach. It is necessary, in one’s own practice, to understand the fundamentals of this shift and then look for mistakes on the part of pupils. It is assumed that an accredited teacher does the movements correctly; students will tend to imitate what the teacher does in the way that he or she does them.

More experienced teachers realize these matters, but they, too, can be subject to carelessness in their own movements, and also overlook such faults on the part of their students. In some cases a demanding teacher can be better than a “kind” one (one who overlooks errors), and the student will usually appreciate special attention from the teacher. T’ai Chi Chih students tend to be sincere aspirants, and they usually expect teachers to correct them.

The teacher might want to explain why T’ai Chi Chih is done softly, without effort. The meridian channels in the body are the passages through which the Chi (Vital Force or Intrinsic Energy) flows. The importance of these channels can easily be understood from this example: Chinese physicians now routinely perform painless operations without anesthesia. They know that the various meridian channels connect in the ear, and Chinese “anesthetists,” using needles, can reach any part of the body, external or internal, through a simple twist of the needle in the patient’s ear. This is not theory; it is being done every day, and it shows the importance of the meridian channels. Tension causes them to contract, and the Chi cannot flow freely when the channels are constricted.

With T’ai Chi Chih practice the Chi does flow freely, and the movements of T’ai Chi Chih are designed to balance the yin and yang (negative and positive energies) while helping the Chi to flow. This is the essential purpose of T’ai Chi Chih practice, and represents one of the great secrets of life. It is very well known in Indian Yogic circles, where the Chi is referred to as Prana. In many of my books I refer to the all-importance of the Chi, which is the force through which we are created and sustained, and, through T’ai Chi Chih, we have the power to balance and greatly enhance this Life Force. The Indian sage, Sri Aurobindo, said, “If the Universe was abolished, this Chi (Prana) would have the power to create a new universe!”

I want to stress to the teacher the importance of the wrists, the knees, and the waist. When a student walks through the door I can tell the degree of tension he or she is carrying by looking at the wrists and the waist. If they are free and easily pliable, there is little internal stress. But stiff wrists and waist mean internal problems, and both wrists and waists must be loose and pliable in order to do T’ai Chi Chih correctly.

Watch to see that the student does not use her shoulders to get out of turning from the waist. And be sure the knees bend as much going back as they do going forward. Also, most movements are done primarily with the wrists, not the arms, with elbows sometimes remaining close to the sides, as in Passing Clouds. When doing Carry the Ball to the Side, many students keep their wrists locked and do the movements with arms and shoulders, with considerable effort. Watch for this, and see that the wrists are loose and that the waist turns readily.

Of course, it is necessary to stress that the torso – the top of the body – does little, remaining straight (and not leaning forward or back), as though suspended from the ceiling by wires, much in the manner of a puppet. T’ai Chi Chih is done primarily below the waist, not with the upper body. The breathing is natural, not contrived.

And don’t let the student ask intellectual questions as to “why?” this is done in this manner – there is no end to such questions – and the benefits of T’ai Chi Chih come from doing it, not questioning it or trying to understand “why?” To practice is all-important, to discuss aimlessly is a waste of time. Be firm about this.

The soles of the feet are very important in the study of T’ai Chi Chih. They are called the Hsueh (Bubbling Spring); I think of them as the “Fountain of Youth.”

It is important that the teacher emphasize the advisability of putting one’s attention in the soles of the feet while performing T’ai Chi Chih. The soles of the feet are connected to the tan t’ien, two inches below the navel, by a central meridian channel. Concentrating on the tan t’ien is difficult, whereas concentration on the soles of the feet is easy and tends to focus the student’s mind while moving; it is not good to have the mind wandering around aimlessly while doing T’ai Chi Chih. Of course, there are more important reasons for this focus, having to do with the circulation of the Chi, and such concentration has real healing powers.

So, from time to time, the teacher must remember to remind the students of such concentration, and to remember to use it himself or herself. Just saying it once will have no effect at all. Actually, repetition is an important part of good teaching.

Movements are usually done in sequences of nine – such as 9, 18, 36, etc. It is not necessary to do them this way, however; some students might want to allot a certain time to each movement. The Chinese believe that “9” is a lucky number, but I often use “12” or “6,” depending on the situation.

Seldom, if ever, are the arms fully extended. In doing such movements as Daughter on the Mountain Top, it will be noted that the arms are bent at the elbows, and the crossing of hands does not take place far from the face. If the student is seen to extend the arms too much, explain it is not necessary, and might lead to the student bending forward or to the side, instead of keeping the torso straight up and down as explained above.

T’ai Chi Chih is “Joy Thru Movement” not drudgery. Attitude is all-important. If a student is having great difficulty with a movement, tell him or her, “No sweat. Just skip that movement and do the others.” (This doesn’t apply if he or she intends to eventually take Teacher Training.) There is great room for laughter and joy in T’ai Chi Chih practice, and the power of group Chi is felt by almost everybody in group T’ai Chi Chih practice.

All these points are necessary in preparing students for T’ai Chi Chih lessons and in guiding him or her as classes progress. There is more to teaching T’ai Chi Chih than simply teaching where to place the hands and feet!

An extremely important point to emphasize is “swimming through very heavy air” (without effort), a seeming contradiction. If the student feels that he or she is “exercising,” the movements may be rushed, particularly on the back swing. The true feeling is one of swimming through heavy air, and, if this is done slowly and evenly, the maximum benefits can be attained. This is part of teaching the student how to move correctly, and the teacher should repeat this instruction from time to time during the course of the lessons.