Working with Teacher Candidates

I recently audited T’ai Chi Chih teacher accreditation courses and an intensive on Zoom. After the intensive, while working with a candidate who was undecided about accreditation, I heard an interesting clue in her phrasing: “I’m not sure if I’m going to go for the test.”

Although I wasn’t one of her primary teachers, I hadn’t seen anything when I worked with her that indicated she wasn’t ready. I suggested she give weight to whether or not her signing teachers felt she was ready.

Sometimes the most prepared candidates are the ones most concerned about not being ready. You may never feel 100% ready. That’s the nature of the beast.

Personal transformation often happens in accreditation. Somehow, nervous candidates, focused on doing everything “correctly” and with all our human insecurities and judgments, come to a profound somatic understanding of the inner strength and wisdom of TCC, and the profound power it can have on our lives.

This appears to be a dichotomy, reflecting a powerful truth in this practice. The subtleties of the movements are important, and the principles take dedication to understand and embody. Without them, we don’t receive the full benefit of balancing and circulating the intrinsic energy. On the other hand, we are asked to let go, relax, allow, and follow the tan t’ien rather than shape the movements from what our mind thinks they should be. This shift from the thinking mind to our wisdom centers isn’t something we figure out logically. It requires approaching the practice continually with an empty cup.

Of course, it’s important that candidates are prepared. If they are moving mechanically, they may struggle to make the jump to teaching. If they are focusing on the basics, they won’t be ready for this level of transformation. Working with candidates, I don’t just focus on the mechanics. I want them to viscerally feel the profound depth available.

Accreditation is more of a class to master than a test. Seeing it as a test implies that we will be proving what we already know. Thinking of it as a class implies being there with an empty cup to learn at a deeper level. From the teacher trainer to the auditing teachers to the candidates, everyone wants candidates to succeed and does their best to help.