The State of the Community

After our first 25 years, T’ai Chi Chih continues to grow and provide a positive influence in many areas of our society. Following our celebration of this milestone at last years’ conference, I want to review areas of recent progress, and outline some directions for our growth into the future.

Certification

New teacher certification has been the area of greatest improvement in the last few years, and I’m grateful to all teachers who communicate and impose the rigorous preparation standards necessary for their candidates to be successful during their accreditation course. We’ve seen significant improvements in the level of maturity many new teachers exhibit when they first begin teaching, and it is a pleasure to see so many demonstrate a great depth of sincerity to improve their practice and assist in efforts to help spread T’ai Chi Chih.

Last year 75 candidates attended teacher training courses to become accredited to teach T’ai Chi Chih. Of these, 90% were successful in receiving their teaching certificates during the accreditation course. The others were given a “deferred” accreditation and have been working with another qualified teacher to help them complete their training. At the time of writing this article, three of the seven deferred teachers have completed their training and received their certificates to teach T’ai Chi Chih. I would like to thank the following teachers who have been asked in the last year to assist deferred candidates in completing their training: Marlene Brown, Sr. Antonia Cooper, Carla Grant, Judy George and Kathy (Vieth) Albers. Their dedication and willingness to help others has been extremely necessary and greatly appreciated.

Obviously, we would like all course attendees to receive their accreditation certificate with their classmates, but this can only be accomplished if teachers who are sending candidates make sure they understand, communicate and enforce the appropriate standards for candidate preparation. It is very difficult for everyone when someone receives a deferred accreditation, and this situation is entirely preventable! If you are planning to prepare a candidate and have any questions or concerns about the accreditation process please contact other teachers with more experience in this matter, or get in touch with recent teacher training course hosts.

Another suggestion is for local teachers to work together as a group to prepare their candidates. This has been very effective in many areas because the limitations of any individual teacher are usually overcome by working as a group. Some teachers may choose to become a subject coach in areas such as “movements,” “leading a group” or “presentations.” This helps ensure all candidates in the group receive consistent instruction, and makes it easier to overcome the “myopia” we sometimes have when it comes to evaluating our own students.

Expansion

T’ai Chi Chih has expanded into many new areas throughout North America and abroad in recent years. In the last year, I have given workshops in key areas of growth such as Victoria (British Columbia, Canada), San Antonio (Texas), and Portland (Oregon) to help promote T’ai Chi Chih and generate enthusiasm within the local community.

The workshop in Victoria has led to a teacher training course which will be held in Edmonton (Alberta, Canada) later this year. This will be the first teacher training offered in Canada since 1990, and I’m very excited about this event. The San Antonio workshop has also led to our scheduling a first-ever training there this Summer. In addition to these “new” cities, T’ai Chi Chih teacher training courses have been taught for the first time in Florida, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia in recent years.

One area which has shown consistent expansion over the last five years is New Jersey / New York, and we’re very excited that 2000 will bring the Annual T’ai Chi Chih Teachers’ Conference to the East Coast for the first time! I look forward to seeing all T’ai Chi Chih teachers at the “main event” of the year.

Our teaching community now includes active T’ai Chi Chih teachers in 7 countries outside of North America, and we’re also seeing a consistent increase in the number of T’ai Chi Chih teachers in Canada! Within the U.S., the areas of noteworthy growth include the South (Florida, Louisiana), Midwest (Missouri, Illinois, Ohio, Minnesota), Northeast (New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania), West Coast (California, Oregon), and of course, the birthplace of T’ai Chi Chih, New Mexico.

Significant Programs

In California, FOLSOM STATE PRISON continues to offer the largest T’ai Chi Chih program within a correctional setting. According to James Hecker, the T’ai Chi Chih teacher/inmate who is leading the program, the number of inmates who have been taught T’ai Chi Chih is approximately 500. He also notes that nearly all of the inmates at the prison are aware of what T’ai Chi Chih is and that courses are available. James continues to receive considerable outside assistance from fellow teachers Judy Tretheway and Steve Wornoff, and is working to promote and expand the T’ai Chi Chih program in new directions at Folsom.

THE SHEPHERD’S CENTER OF AMERICA (SCA) is a non-denominational aging advocacy group that encourages local communities to develop programs where seniors can help other seniors. In 1998, SCA was provided with a list of accredited T’ai Chi Chih teachers in areas near their 90 centers around the country. At that time, they also began offering Justin Stone’s T’ai Chi Chih text and videotape for sale through their local centers.

SCA now reports that approximately 1/3 of these centers offer T’ai Chi Chih courses or have purchased T’ai Chi Chih materials. Last year, SCA sent one of its own staff members, Lucy Ann Fleischman, to become accredited to teach T’ai Chi Chih. Since that time, SCA has presented T’ai Chi Chih at two of their three regional meetings, and includes an overview of the T’ai Chi Chih program in their training seminars. In addition, SCA publishes information to all members about T’ai Chi Chih Teacher / Student workshops taught by the Head of T’ai Chi Chih, and encourages them to improve their practice by attending these events.

Publicity

In 1999, T’ai Chi Chih was featured on a nationwide radio program (“The David Essel Show”) thanks to the efforts of Marjie Bassler and Carmen Brocklehurst. An in-depth interview was also aired on National Public Radio in North Dakota in conjunction with the teacher training course hosted by Christeen McLain in October.

Justin Stone has received two significant acknowledgements as a result of our collective efforts to help him spread T’ai Chi Chih. The AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION (AMA), included T’ai Chi Chih in their 460-page “Cultural Competence Compendium.” Hannah Hedrick, an accredited T’ai Chi Chih teacher who works at the AMA, edited the compendium and worked to get T’ai Chi Chih included within it as a “complementary practice” for the health profession.

Justin was also asked by the UNITED NATIONS to speak about T’ai Chi Chih! Thanks to Carolyn Perkins in New York for helping to make this international body aware of the significant benefits of T’ai Chi Chih practice. This type of work does a great deal to help get our message out!

The national office of the ARTHRITIS FOUNDATION released a statement that T’ai Chi Chih “would be beneficial for people with arthritis.” T’ai Chi Chih teacher Karen Schneider is to be thanked for her work at local, regional, and national levels within the Foundation to persuade them to make this announcement.

In New Mexico, the T’AI CHI CHIH CENTER led a write-in campaign to their local Public Television Station (PBS) which resulted in the PBS T’ai Chi Chih program being shown again. This is a great example of the valuable work being performed by Dora Derzon, Uly Messier, Robert Montes de Oca and Ann Rutherford as the Center’s Board of Directors. I hope other areas will lead similar efforts to get the program back on the air to help familiarize people with the many benefits of T’ai Chi Chih practice. Carmen Brocklehurst, who was featured in the program and worked for many years to make it a reality, continues to expand T’ai Chi Chih in new areas within the state. In 1999, she and a group of fellow teachers presented T’ai Chi Chih at the New Mexico Governor’s Conference!

The Vital Force

THE VITAL FORCE, Journal of T’ai Chi Chih, has undergone a significant transformation under the guidance of the new Editor – Noel Altman. Her vision and hard work, and that of her volunteer staff (Victor Berg, Doug Harned, and myself) have improved its ability to provide an invaluable communication link for the entire T’ai Chi Chih community. Students now represent nearly 20% of total membership, and T’ai Chi Chih teachers are encouraged to share The Vital Force with their students to help keep them motivated in their personal practice.

Recent efforts at The Vital Force have led to a vastly improved T’ai Chi Chih community website (www.taichichih.org), and the integration of the website with the teacher database. This has helped improve data consistency and reduced the amount of effort required to maintain the website. Approximately 60% of the teacher-members of The Vital Force Association now have their contact information appearing on the site for referral purposes! In addition, an extensive outreach mailing was also completed last year inviting over 500 non-subscribing accredited teachers to receive a free issue of The Vital Force to encourage them to become members.

What’s Coming Next?

The last few years have been spent improving how teacher candidates are prepared and taught to become accredited T’ai Chi Chih teachers. Thankfully, this work, started by Justin Stone, continues to grow and expand due to the efforts of teachers throughout our worldwide community. Next to our personal practice, this is our greatest responsibility, and these efforts have a great impact on the future integrity of the T’ai Chi Chih teaching community.

One exciting new direction for the community will be an annual DAY OF “JOY THRU MOVEMENT” / CELEBRATING T’AI CHI CHIH on Justin’s birthday (November 20th). This idea, including the date, was suggested by both Aida Wilks and Sr. Antonia Cooper, and Justin has given his consent to it. I hope accredited teachers throughout the world will use this day to promote T’ai Chi Chih by giving presentations, demonstrations and conducting outreach efforts. It will be one day each year when we will turn our attention outward and express our gratitude for T’ai Chi Chih, and share it with our surrounding communities.

The future direction of growth for T’ai Chi Chih will be in offering teacher training courses outside of North America when those communities are large enough to support such an event. Our list of active teachers continues to grow in these areas, and they all benefit from your continued focus and communication with them. If you’re planning a trip abroad, why not make the connection with another accredited teacher and practice together?

The T’ai Chi Chih community is still waiting for that great “breakthrough” article or interview to appear in the national media. An in-depth discussion of T’ai Chi Chih in a major magazine or news coverage on an interesting (and perhaps controversial) topic such as Folsom Prison will open many doors for T’ai Chi Chih. For example, even if we ignore the fact that teaching T’ai Chi Chih to inmates helps them improve their lives, there is a significant financial motivation for taxpayers to have them learn and practice T’ai Chi Chih. It costs about $45,000 to house and feed a prisoner each year. When it is realized that inmates who practice T’ai Chi Chih are far less likely to return to prison, it will be seen as a viable way to free up millions of our tax dollars each year for use in more productive projects. It isn’t hard to see how this might be of interest to the mainstream media! Perhaps you, or your students, have a personal or professional contact who would be of great assistance to T’ai Chi Chih. If so, please let me know!

In the meantime, I will continue to work with and rely on the assistance of qualified and dedicated T’ai Chi Chih teachers and students who volunteer to take on a larger role within the community. My focus will be on generating enthusiasm for T’ai Chi Chih, directing our growth, and building the minimal structures required to support the needs of our community.

In the last 25 years the world has gained a great deal by our teaching and practicing T’ai Chi Chih. Great things can be accomplished when we are willing to work together in a selfless manner. In order to prepare for the extensive challenges ahead, I encourage every accredited teacher to join me in renewing our commitment to learning and teaching T’ai Chi Chih with humility and the utmost integrity. I hope to be with you to practice together soon!