Ultimately, you must forget about technique.
The further you progress, the fewer teachings there are.

 (Ueshiba)

Advanced syllabus

The advanced syllabus covers almost 70% of the overall curriculum. This includes the trainee teacher component.

The advanced syllabus is split into 13 parts:

1. The art

2. Form

3. Meditation

4. Neigong

5. Principles

6. Self defence

7. Sensitivity

8. Simplicity

9. Softness

10. Strategy

11. Study

12. Tao

13. Zen

Each part addresses a topic in significant detail.

Teacher training is additional and separate.
Teacher training is split into a further 5 parts in order to address different levels of the curriculum and the logistics of running a class.


Masterless

The student now moves into the higher levels of Dynamic Balancing Tai Chi. At this level, individual study should far exceed tuition. 

Dependence on any teacher or master must diminish and the student must learn tai chi by themselves.
In this third and final stage of the syllabus, the student must find out what it means to walk alone.

Revision and refinement

The advanced syllabus offers the most formidable challenge in terms of revision and refinement.
It is one thing to possess a basic understanding.
Mastery is another thing entirely. The gap between a basic grasp and expert skill is wide indeed.
Much of the advanced syllabus is spent studying existing material.

If you really want to understand the tai chi, the level of subtlety and intricacy must be very acute.
A considerable amount of time is spent on every aspect of the curriculum.
Even the most insignificant-seeming exercise contains vast layers of detail.

The study of tai chi is like peeling an onion. There is always another layer.


Train everything

The advanced syllabus means training new material in addition to the beginners, intermediate and experienced exercises.
All of the skills you have learned will continue to be relevant, and your understanding of them should change as your tai chi matures.


What comes next?

Students who are seeking to open their own school and teach tai chi begin to learn the syllabus from an instructor's perspective.
Attention is paid to the cultivation of specific teaching skills.
The ability to teach extends far beyond tai chi competence and needs to be studied separately.

There is more to teaching than standing at the front.


Clothing

Advanced level students must wear the class T-shirt, kung fu trousers and a black sash displaying their grade.

Individuals who complete the teacher training course are welcome to wear whatever they want to.

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Page created 11 October 2000