Once we begin learning T’ai Chi Ch’uan, we look about and wonder to ourselves “ Am I doing this right”. We all strive to replicate what we are shown and some of us reach for nothing less than perfection. How do we reach perfection, or something remotely close to that, in a system of movements that is so variable from style to style, and from instructor to instructor? We place judgments on our form and ask, what makes the difference between good T’ai Chi, mediocre T’ai Chi, or no T’ai Chi? These are questions that all of us struggle with at some point in our encounter with this movement art.
At first, we all rely on input from our teachers and peers, but at some point, we must make the dive into the deeper realm of understanding and not just imitating. In my journey, it became quite clear early on, that the more I learned the less I knew and understood about the art. Yet, as an instructor, I needed to see beyond the form that I was given and find the roots of the form. It doesn’t help in the least that I do not speak or read the Chinese language, classical or modern, and I must rely upon the translation of others. Not just translation from one language to another, but also translation from one culture to another. As Benjamin Lo put it in his book The Essence of T’ai Chi Ch’uan; when translating classical Chinese literature, “Many characters have both concrete and abstract meanings, so even simple sentences resound with allusions and imagery.” I asked questions whenever possible, some of which seemed vague and philosophical to many, and I tried to look beyond the answers in order to discover the basis of the answers. I was fortunate that Master David Leung not only indulged me but also appreciated my questions, enough to give sometimes long and in-depth answers, that included cultural references.
In the posts that follow I will write about some of my insights and reflections on our art. Please understand that it is not my intent to set into stone my own beliefs, rather I would hope that the reader will pause and give long consideration to some of the foundational messages that have been handed down to us.