There is a difference between knowing the path and walking the path.

(The Matrix)

Making progress

The danger with learning tai chi is that to a large extent you are walking in the dark.
Lacking the benefit of hindsight, you cannot possibly know what is valuable or useful.
You may feel to be 'getting ahead' but are actually missing so much.
Tai chi is unlike other martial arts or sports.

With its roots firmly placed in taoism, the skill of tai chi often springs from unexpected ground.
The physical training is usually the focus for a beginner and the mind is neglected entirely.
Progress starts internally.

Awareness

Tai chi is in the subtleties, the spaces, the pauses, the stillness, the silence - not the activity.
Value what matters in your training: the detail
Accumulating postures and drills is not as important as awareness.


Form

The tai chi form is the perfect exercise in patience.
With very slow movements, small shifts of weight and intricate hand positions - you are required to be present.
Every physical nuance must be felt throughout the length of your frame.
Be conscious of where it begins, how it develops and where it ultimately manifests.
Feel.

Try doing the very first movement non-stop for 10 minutes; as slowly as you can.
You may come to find the training very difficult, as if wearing weights or deep under water.

This is good; it will help to sustain your attention and centre you in the moment.

If you were to spend one year training just one movement in this way, your progress would be greater than if you had studied the entire 20 minute form.


Resources

A significant danger in watching videos or reading tai chi books or websites is that words cannot convey the actual, and visual images only show the appearance, not the internal.
Resources are useful but need to be considered with care.
Even this site does not claim to be teaching tai chi.

10 minutes spent reading Krishnamurti will advance your training more than an hour reading the web.
Do not waste your time looking for answers in the wrong places.
 

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Page created 9 September 2002