Talking Tai Chi with the Teapotmonk

Yes, its a chameleon moment once more when the teapotmonk says goodbye to one format and embraces another. Follow the new adventures of the mOnk over at the all new www.teapotmonk.com and subscribe to the all new podcast on itunes and stitcher called: Empty Your Cup with the mOnk. It's all new, its all shiny, 100% guru free, freshly brewed and served in an empty cup

This week we are going to focus on weapons, because if one element appears anachronistic to a 21st century urban warrior, then it surely is the training in sword that Tai Chi practitioners still love to promote.

And the Tai Chi martial agenda is certainly broad : broad sword, sabre, staff, fan, ruler, compass, ball, poppadom, tortilla, fish-finger…the list of tai chi weapons is as endless as the debates and interpretations of the spelling of Tai Chi, or Tai ji, or Taijiquan or...

Do you practice full contact sparring for self defense or as part of a calorie controlled diet?

Do you wear steel capped Dr Martins for aesthetics or for devastating rib attacks?

And are exponents of health tai chi perverting the fundamentals of the style or are they riding the waves of a new historical tide? Find out today on the teaptomonks guide to Tai Chi as a Martial Art

It's easy to remain content when you do not have to adapt and evolve, so every now and then, it's a good idea to step outside the temple and see what's happening in the world. The teapomonk presents 3 good reasons to step outside and let things happen.

How long does it take to learn the form? Why are there different length forms and what does the elusive notion of time tell us about supermarket shopping, radioactive apples and the legacy of Steve Jobs?

Sometimes, when I'm in the supermarket, pondering the short shelf life of vegetables, wondering what they may have Been sprayed to make them glow from such a distance - someone will come up to me and say: Hey Teapotmonk, Id like to learn Tai Chi, but ive heard that it takes forever and a day to learn. Tell me, they say, How long does the Form take to learn? And Is it true that you remain a beginner for the first twenty years of your practice ?

So I usually push my trolley to one side, return the radioactively bright red apples back into their lead containers and nonchalantly throw the question back.... Iisten to the podcast...

IN the last episode we looked at the structure of the form, it's roots, it's history and the way it is taught. IN this episode, I want to focus on something else...and that is one of my favorite themes: Teaching and Learning, because its all well and good saying to students, you must learn the Form, or... I will teach you the Form...when students have major difficulties not just with the techniques - but with the process of learning too.

How can I teach what I need to teach more effectively? How can I learn what I need to learn more efficiently? Ways of Learning is the book that will show you how, and in this sample audio chapter, you will hear the author speak on "The Illusion of Certainty". Don't expect anything other than the unexpected in this quirky, and eccentric take on 21st century education by the teapotmonk.

For more visit teapotmonk.com and find out about the whole 18 chapters now available as an audiobook.

Why do Forms differ from style to style, class to class and even instructor to instructor. And is it the postures or the spaces between them that define the tai chi form? This most symbolic and synonymous representation of tai chi.

And what did Bruce Lee mean when he said…When one has reached maturity in the art, one will have a formless form?

What do we mean by authentic Tai Chi? What does traditional Tai Chi mean? And why are Tai Chi practitioners so obsessed in claiming exclusive access to these very elusive terms?

Many people say:

"Hey Teapotmonk, answer me this, if you're really an authentic teacher you must have trained in China, or learnt from a Chinese practioner of recognised lineage. How come you don't speak Cantonese like a local, and how come you don't you wear your silk pyjamas when teaching?"

The truth is, I have had teachers from many different countries and I can only say that nationality by itself does not convey good teaching skills. One of the best tai chi teachers I ever had was from Chile. I don't think Chile can be credited for that. It was simply she knew how to relate to people and convey complex issues in simple ways.

So when someone says, I'm looking for the best teacher- I say, forget tradition and forget nationality - and this week I'm going to tell you why.......

Why do some teachers teach a hybrid form of Tai Chi?

Does this amount to sacrilege or is this the way of the world given the origins of the art and how it's developed over the years?

And what should a student look for in a class, if not purity and the all-important surname?

Find out in this weeks episode of TCC.