Chen Tai Chi and "Talking"

Many years ago, I studied with William CC Chen, his tai chi form. I chose him as an instructor because I respected his history as a teacher and promoter of Tai Chi as a fighting art. His explanations were based on biomechanics and he could demonstrate power, practicality and application. My current teacher, Master Yu Guo Shun, also is a great teacher and able to demonstrate practical application, and explains things in simple and concise terms. More importantly, he demystifies and demonstrates with ease and in such a way, that the student can apply motion from the form quickly with a minimum of fuss.

In over 30 years of personal study and examination into teaching media going over Tai Chi principles, one thing becomes abundantly clear, some people will just show and do, and other teachers will talk, and talk. In my own opinion, those people that talk and talk do so to confuse and misguide, as opposed to actually passing on anything of practical use. Why the need to say so much and show yet so little?

Shifu will always tell us, that every motion we need to have ward off. Hence, we understand that whatever motion we are doing, we need to be aware of how our elbow is positioned relative to our own bodies. Then Shifu will say something like, in this move, we can circle around an arm, or we are coming under an arm to do "this" or "that." Now the students have an understanding of what we are trying to do with a given motion. Compare that to a vid clip I was just looking at, where a fellow is describing a pivot point about the middle of the forearm, and how if the elbow goes down, the hand comes up... and that as the elbow moves inward, the energy goes out towards the fingertips... uh, okay....are you guys getting the picture?

Shifu is a very humble man and he truly wants all of his students to learn properly. I say, don't be fooled by a big name or someone who just talks a lot. Instead find a teacher that will spend his time TEACHING, instead of passing on some nonsense.

I do believe there are some amazing practitioners out there, but I seriously wonder how many of them really are about passing on the art, or are they dangling something in front of an audience to make them feel they need to pay and pay and pay, and not understand what they are receiving.