TaiChi and You: What to do if there are no teachers of Tai Chi in your area

What to do if there are no teachers of Tai Chi in your area

It is quite possible to confront a situation wherein a school or teacher of Tai Chi cannot be found sometimes within 100 or more miles of where your live. If you are in such a situation and yet you really want to learn Tai Chi, then there are number of things you can do.

In the first place, the worst situation is that you sit around and do nothing, allowing time and opportunity to pass you by. If there are any martial arts schools in your area, then join one. Regardless of whether it is a hard or soft martial style, or whether the teacher isn’t of the highest level, the knowledge you receive from your training will carry over into Tai Chi. The basic principles for physical training in the martial arts tend to be the same. You need to develop a limber, stable body, and be able to strike effectively. Furthermore, the more you learn, the easier it will be to learn more. Hence, advanced students who train in a new martial style, will often learn more quickly than someone without any previous martial arts experience at all. When learning a martial art, your mind gets accustomed to performing strikes and kicks, forms and kata, and your body becomes stronger and more flexible. This will all carry over into Tai Chi practice when the opportunity to learn arises.

Second, do a bit of research on the internet into Tai Chi seminars occurring around your country or even internationally. It is always nice to take a vacation, and 3 or 4 days or more devoted entirely to practice will help to jumpstart your practice of Tai Chi. Keep your eyes open and whenever you see a good seminar you think you can attend, don’t hesitate to sign up. The more you learn, the more your skills will increase.

Third, make sure that you make a daily practice of what you learn in the seminars. In ancient times, not all martial arts practitioners had the convenience of a teacher living in their neighborhood. Some had to travel thousands of miles for the sake of a short meeting and a few wise points for practice. Diligent practice and deep reflection helped them to reach their goal. What matters most is not really how much you learn, but how you use what you learn. The best martial arts practitioners today generally have a few strikes they use with effectiveness.

Fourth and finally, from there, pick up a book or videos on Tai Chi and try to fill in the gaps that are missing. On their own, such material is far from satisfactory – one simply cannot learn Tai Chi from a book. However, in conjunction with seminars and daily practice, books and videos can be inspiring and can also help to remind us of and correct common mistakes that we make. In the end success and failure depend upon oneself. Make the choice to learn, and with effort, you’ll find the way.