How much experience should your teacher have?

[renato]

I've been studying Tai Chi for just over 2 years now. For the first 7 months I studied Yang at 2 hours a week (with someone from the Beijing Institute) and later for just under a year I studied Chen at 2 hours a week (with someone from Dengfeng). Now I'm in China and study Chen for 5 hours a day, 6 days a week with Master Fu Neng Bin (one of Chen Zhenglie's 4 most favoured students). By the end of November I'll have amassed over 600 hours of tuition time since I started studying.

When I return to South Africa I'm considering teaching Tai Chi. Chen style of course because Yang's for girls. ;-)

Basically I'm wondering what you all think about that idea? I feel that I'm only just beginning to get a grasp of Tai Chi but of course I know far more than the man on the street.

I'd heard it somewhere, don't ask where, that a beginner should only consider a teacher with at least 600 hours of tuition time.

Now obviously you don't know me. You've never seen my Tai Chi. But give me a guess. What do you think? BAd idea or god idea?

[onesp1ng]

i once heard a story about two students speaking with their new taiji master. it went a little something like this:

student A said he would practice taiji two hours a day for ten years. student B said he would practice five hours a day for five years.

then, they asked who'd be better.

----------------

but i like the way you just asked the question like that, so candidly. i'll give you my feeling..

I've been studying Tai Chi for just over 2 years now.

you're still a baby.

For the first 7 months I studied Yang at 2 hours a week (with someone from the Beijing Institute)

like throwing pebbles in a well...

and later for just under a year I studied Chen at 2 hours a week (with someone from Dengfeng).

different location.

Now I'm in China and study Chen for 5 hours a day, 6 days a week with Master Fu Neng Bin (one of Chen Zhenglie's 4 most favoured students).

Sounds like a good experience.

When I return to South Africa I'm considering teaching Tai Chi.

why?

I feel that I'm only just beginning to get a grasp of Tai Chi but of course I know far more than the man on the street.

You said it yourself. So, does that make you an appropriate person to instruct others in taiji? what would you teach? chen taiji, right? sounds simple enough.

I'd heard it somewhere, don't ask where, that a beginner should only consider a teacher with at least 600 hours of tuition time.

never heard that.

Now obviously you don't know me. You've never seen my Tai Chi. But give me a guess. What do you think? BAd idea or god idea?

couldn't say, really. if you're going to the park/ rec center/ nursing home/ etc.. and helping to better the condition of someone's life, i personally don't see anything wrong with something like that. it's good for people's health. period. i think that's a cool idea. but, start a school and say you're such and such with 600 hours? no, probably a bad choice in judgment. why do you think someone should learn from you? are you that "sick," while admitting to yourself to just breaking the ice?

got to question your motivations. care to elaborate?

[renato]

dude, you know you can come across a bit strong?

just checking...

in spite of that, you have some fair questions.

I've been in the advertising industry for over 13 years now, a morally corrupt industry that robs the soul. So I'd like to do something positive. I feel I've learnt something that is positive. It has had a great effect on my life and I believe I could pass on some of that experience.

I'll elaborate.

There's one opportunity that I have which is to tutor drug addicts for 1 hour every day over a 30 day period. Of course they can learn every little in that time but even if i could show them some of the benefit to be found in standing pole... Well i feel I could lighten their load.

Another is to tutor "problem children" and yet another to to teach woman from impoverished South African townships.

I plan on leaving the advertising industry and going freelance so if I can I'd also like to supplement my income by teaching rich whites at private gyms. I have no illsuons bout getting rich and opening the McDonalds of Tai Chi in SA.

Now about saying I'm "such and such"... I have no idea what you imagined "such and such" would be. I'd be claiming nothing less than my true experience.

"start a school"??? i don't believe I mentioned starting a school... I would never do such a thing without first getting your permission.

Why do I think students should study with me? Essentially I believe I could show students a lot. I've had three different teachers and have seen weak points and strong in their teaching styles. Also I speak English. I'm able to communicate concepts that past teachers of mine never even bothered to express. Basically I think I have something to offer that isn't available in South Africa.

With regard to "are you that 'sick', while admitting..." I'm not even sure what you're trying to say.

But if I thought i was the shit, like some people on this board seem to think they are, I wouldn't have bothered asking the question.

[onesp1ng]

well, when you need my permission, just ask. LOL..

like i said, if you're doing it for others in that spirit...i think it's a good idea. you asked.

it sounds funny to me, wrong, in fact, hearing a person actually wants to be the lineage holder and complete representation of a school's system/ lineage, (a single teacher's, whatever) with the hopes of passing down skills that represent a combat tradition such as your learning. it's one thing to have a teacher and say, here i am -- an "open book!" -- and leave it up to the masses, but, personally, i don't think you would know enough, be that good, or be that sought after. i'm not sure why you would think otherwise, if indeed you do.

we're talking two different situations... first one: physical fitness/ life enhancement. the other: indicates you'll be a "shifu" teaching others to fight who can't entirely know what he's doing. what does your current shifu say to this? has he asked you to teach?

sorry if i came on a bit strong. i thought you asked a solid question which deserved a direct answer. and, it's only my opinion.. you can take it or leave it..

[onesp1ng]

btw, what would you say if asked a similar question?

anyhow, i might just be sensitive to the "teaching thing" at this point, cause of all the crap i see on youtube. like you said, we don't know you. i'm not familiar with the situation in south africa regarding taiji either. perhaps you could help introduce it to more people there. it's just genuinely difficult for me to identify why a person with 2.5 years experience would assume they are qualified to teach. a person might protect themselves as a result of your training, but, he or she could also get killed.

[Fa Hui]

Can you fight with it?

I wouldn't teach a martial art, if I didn't think I could defend myself.

[zachsan]

I don't practice any MA right now at all. But what I'm saying is (in my own opinion of course) universal for any skill at all:

It has nothing to do with how good you are at it. It has to do with how much you know about it. You could be the most talented guy in the universe, but you can't impart talent to a student, only knowledge. Also, it has to do with how good you are at imparting that knowledge, which has to do with perceiving the student's needs, which is a talent in itself but also has to do with interacting and training with lots of different kinds of people.

Now, it could be that after two years of Tai Chi training you've picked up on all sorts of nuances that other two-year students have missed, and that you have a natural knack for teaching. So let's say you're at the theoretical level of a three or four year student. What happens when you've been training your own student for four years? Or, what if you come across someone even more talented than yourself, and they pick up on everything you have to offer in one year. What do you do then?

If you feel that you're only just beginning to get a grasp of Tai Chi, that's probably your answer right there. When you know enough about it to be confident in that knowledge - beyond just knowing more than a lay person - you'll be ready to teach.

[renato]

Onespring1, i think you really bringing some preconceived ideas about what i'm trying to do. At no point do I intend to claim myself as an all knowing master (or any kind of master...) and shield bearer of the Chen style. I definitely won't be telling my students they can pull out their Mr Tai Chi suit and attack muggers after a few lessons.

My master is pretty much the king of push hands for his generation, having won a number of internationals consecutively. Even he is of the opinion that a student of two years can only expect some success when applying techniques on an unsuspecting opponent. His feeling is that a student of five years would be better placed to defend himself with tai chi. having said that, he believes, as many experienced students on this board, the best thing to do is avoid fighting altogether...

so, Fa Hui, while i do believe i could use some tai chi in a fight, i'm not going to claim i could fight purely using jin.

Should i decided to teach i will be very clear with my students regarding how far they will be able to go with me. If a student seems as if they will surpass me i will have to be honest and tell them they'd best find a more experienced teacher. That's more than i can say for some very established schools in South Africa...

Of course as my students developed so would i. I intend returning to china on a regular basis to continue my tution under Master Fu and of course continue training religiously by myself.

Onespring1, you asked would I say if asked a similar question? i think zachsan, wise old bastard that he is, has put it best.

So moving to responding to zachsan...

I do believe i'm a good teacher. I've taught adults english and computer skills. I also assisted my past teacher in south africa with new Shaolin students. I've had many people comment that i explain things exceptionally clearly and have insurmountable patience. This actually is an idea inspired by others.

So all in all i think you lot have raised some interesting points. I was unsure if i could teacher before posting this question. As i said it was suggested to me by others. basically i'm in china for a while yet so i think i'm just going to let the idea brew a bit. thanks for your input!

[michabusch]

I was just curious, why do you study in dengfeng, while Chenjiagou is so close?

[renato]

I don't study in Dengfeng, I study in Yangshuo, Guangxi.

[doc]

Yangshuo. I remember it well. Nice little town on the end of the river from Guilin. Great little place. Wish I were back there.

[michabusch]

sorry man, i`ll try to read better next time

[ok bet]

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