Thoughts On TCC Movement

We all bring our “instruments” to the music we know as T’ai Chi Chih practice. The symphony came through Justin Stone as composer and conductor emeritus. While the sheet music is defined, how we play our individual instrument is under our control. While violinists play differently, they do produce similar sounds that result in a pleasing rendition of the composition. As TCC teachers and practitioners we, too, “play” differently. My concern is, when do we feel the need to “solo” and change the music?

In my time with Justin Stone I came away with a few foundational principles. He was concerned about the integrity of the movements – that they be taught and practiced in the manner he shared them. He didn’t want TCC movements done carelessly. When leading, simply state the (proper) name of the movement, the number of repetitions and then call out the last one so everyone can finish at the same time. He felt that TCC practice, in itself, by itself, was a complete package. He placed his faith in the integrity of accredited teachers to follow these principles.

Justin was flexible. When he felt Circles within Circles was too difficult to teach/learn, he dropped it from the practice. When his experimentation with toning, the jing and fast-track yielded benefits, he enthusiastically shared these “additions” with students through Seijaku, leaving TCC practice intact. At the Tuesday teacher practice at the Albuquerque TCC Center, he included the jing as part of the practice but that was the only modification to the “19 movements and one pose” that I witnessed.

Sure, Justin may have agreed when asked about describing a “hip swivel” on the side-to-side movements or said it was okay to count to six on the mixing portion of “the lights,” but he never really deviated from letting TCC do (his) TCC. He didn’t want one to get bound by words and descriptions.

This brings me back to my orchestra analogy. Do you know how to perform TCC better than Justin Stone? Are you entitled to change how the movements are performed? Yes, play your best rendition of the movement, but don’t change the song. Let TCC do (your) TCC. Let us hold Justin’s ideals such that when teachers gather three generations from now, there is one TCC symphony being played.