| The
following questions were answered by Calvin Chin in response to a survey
sent out by T’ai Chi Magazine in preparation for its Millennium issue.
The text appeared as the leading essay in "T’ai Chi 2000
Perspectives", however, here we have reformatted the content as
answers to the original questions for easier reference.
Q. Who
do you feel have been the most important people in the past century and
in fact the history of T’ai Chi Ch’uan? What were their main
achievements?
A. The
most important people of the past century were the inheritors of the T’ai
Chi systems. They were able to bring forth the teaching of the founding
fathers. Without naming styles or systems in particular, all the masters
of the prevalent Tai chi systems have to be credited for their
accomplishment in preserving the art of Tai Chi.
In those days, they already realized they
possessed a living treasure. And they nurtured this art and passed it on
to their family and their disciples. These were people willing to devote
their lives to learning and they became obligated to their teachers to
pass on the tradition. Through this obligation they were able to
preserve their teaching method and the insights they gained through
research and development. Secrecy and closed-door teaching allowed Tai
Chi to be preserved in its purest form.
Q. What
do you feel were the most important developments in T’ai Chi Ch’uan?
This could include the proliferation of T’ai Chi Ch’uan and the
development of skills, its use for health fitness, etc.
A. The
most important development of Tai Chi is that we now know through modern
scientific evidence that Tai Chi is beneficial for health. While the
Chinese have known this all along, without the support of the Western
scientific community, it remained an obscure form of exercise for the
elderly in China. There is still much to research, and more will be told
of the virtues of Tai Chi. We need to stop thinking of Tai Chi in terms
of an exercise for just the elderly or the retired senior, but an
exercise that will help all contributing members of society to balance
the stresses of modern life. While the world takes a quantum leap ahead
in this new millennium, it’s nice to know that an ancient discipline
is what we need to practice in order to stay centered. Tai Chi will
someday be the preferred mind-body exercise because anyone can do it and
the benefits are immediate and greater than any other form of exercise.
Q.
What were some of the most difficult obstacles that were overcome during
the past century and before?
A. The
most obvious obstacle in the past was the fact that Tai Chi was kept
within the family, and oral and written transmission were reserved to
those of direct lineage. Tai Chi was passed to family members and those
who diligently practiced, who were loyal to the system and to their
teacher, and who were ready to receive the transmission. The
practitioners were few and contained so that an outsider was not able to
penetrate that circle unless there was a recommendation, as well as
financial means. It wasn’t until Yang Lu-Chan, an outsider, began
teaching to the masses that the art proliferated into what we have now.
Obstacles
in learning remain the same throughout the centuries. People can’t
wait for the transmission to occur. Becoming skilled at anything takes
time, but generally there is not enough time allotted to gain the
knowledge. Lack of patience leads to shortcuts, which inevitably leads
to a dilution of the art.
Commercialism
also became a double-edge sword because money became the driving force
in teaching the art, whereas before it was preservation of a family art.
On the other hand, commercialism allowed more people to learn and for
the art to spread.
The
biggest setback for T'ai Chi and all martial arts was during the
Cultural Revolution when people were not able to practice freely and
martial arts became outlawed. While tai chi and other martial arts
diminished in China, it spread to the rest of the world as immigrants
fled to safer havens, originally to other parts of Asia and eventually
to the Western world. When
China opened its gates again to the rest of the world, its rich culture
was promoted and martial arts became standardized and simplified in the
process. This had its pros and cons too, allowing more people to learn,
but this ultimately diluted and changed the virtues of the traditional
form.
Q. What
do you feel are the key problems to be face in the growth of T’ai Chi
Ch’uan in a new century? How do you think they will be handled or
should be handled?
A.
The problems now are the same as in the previous century. With more T’ai
Chi practitioner, the less quality control there is, and T’ai Chi
begins to lose its integrity. What will happen this century is that this
will become more widespread as T’ai Chi becomes increasingly popular
and mainstream.
The
problem is that whenever there is money to be made, someone without
qualifications or the necessary credentials will take advantage of the
trend and offer their take on T’ai Chi. This is already happening with
T’ai Chi, but more so in the case of qigong, where imitation is easier
to pass on. The public does not know the complexities of T’ai Chi or
that it is even a martial art. It is the martial arts principles and
concepts that give T’ai Chi its substance and the depth that is
essential for it to be classified as an art. But not everyone can teach
it as an art.
What
will occur in the new century is that there will be lots of imitation T’ai
Chi out there and the public won’t know the difference. These eclectic
styles will be passed on as authentic, and there will be fewer
traditionalists amongst T’ai Chi practitioners. I do not, however,
foresee long-term practitioners in these eclectic systems since the
depth won’t be there to hold the interest.
Traditional
teachers need to be more organized and systematic in their teaching to
produce qualified instructors who can preserve the art. The
traditionalists will have to teach openly and encourage those qualified
to pass it to the next generation.
Today,
most martial artists remain selfish about their art, as if it’s their
special thing that others cannot relate to. Worse yet, some want to keep
the art as a treasure, as if it were the last vestige of the previous
millennium. All this impedes progress. Most never reach mastery because
they are without proper guidance and lack the patience to stick with it.
Q.
Who do you think will be the key figures in the development of T’ai
Chi Ch’uan in the near future? Why? What do you think are the
accomplishments of such figures as Yang Lu Ch’an, Chen Fake, Yang
Cheng-fu, Wu Chien-chuan, Ma Yueh-liang, Chen Zhaoping, Sun Lu-tang,
Chen Man-ch-ing? Are there any others that you feel made notable
contributions?
A.
All who teach have a part in shaping the development of T’ai Chi.
While it is inevitable that there will be new styles and teaching method
developed, it is up to the traditionalists to preserve the art of T’ai
Chi. Traditional systems are the hardest to learn and teachers must be
able to be more informative about the benefits of T’ai Chi and provide
the guidance necessary for individuals to learn the complex theories and
concepts.
New
students need to be motivated and their interest constantly stimulated.
Today is a different time. Students need to know where they can go with
T’ai Chi, so teachers have to be open and flexible in their approach.
The responsibility of a teacher is to put time in to develop a
successful teaching method, and to persevere when obstacles are faced.
It
is the beginning experience that makes the difference in capturing the
long-term practitioner. All individuals should have a positive
experience learning T’ai Chi, and teachers have a responsibility to
adapt their methods so everyone can learn and gain. The responsibility
of all teaches of this century is to be more sensitive, more aware, and
to listen to their students’ needs by responding or answering.
These
traits found in T’ai Chi should not only be practice in the form, but
also in our way of teaching. In fact, all the lessons in T’ai Chi can
be cultivated in our daily activities. The key figures are the teachers
who will be able to put themselves into their student’s shoes and
reflect on the past and the obstacles overcome. They will not only have
the technical knowledge, but the creativity to adapt methods that will
be successful for different learners.
Q.
What do you think is the outlook for the growth of T’ai Chi Ch’uan
in the new century? How might it grow? Any roadblocks? Are there changes
that will have to be made to attract a greater interest? Are there
things that should not be changed?
A. The
advent of technology lends itself in various ways. On the one hand, it
broadens the audience for T’ai Chi. On the other hand, T’ai Chi
loses its dimensions. However there is definitely room for technology to
assist in the education process. A single teacher cannot compete with
technology in reaching a vast audience, but an infinite amount of
technology cannot produce a skilled practitioner in the same way that a
qualified teacher is able to. Throughout history, T’ai Chi has been
passed from one teacher to a student. Learning needs to be interactive
and there has to be an interchange between student and teacher. A
teacher wants a student to become better, and a student performs so as
not to disappoint a teacher. Technology cannot duplicate the human side
of learning.
Q. What
do you feel might be T’ai Chi Ch’uan’s contribution to society in
the new century?
A. T’ai
Chi’s growth will be tremendous in this century as people will find
that in a fast-moving society, and an aging society, that there is a
definite need for a form of exercise that will allow peace of mind.
T’ai
Chi will fill this void and will become the prescribed cure-all. Today
we have captured the elderly population, as T’ai Chi becomes an
acceptable means of hedging against the aging process and ailments
generated by a fast-moving society. My forecast is extremely positive
for T’ai Chi. T'ai Chi is a classic, and it will endure. |
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