Note: ‘Tai chi’ and ‘tai chi chuan’ are romanizations of Chinese terms using the older but still popular Wade-Giles system. ‘Taiji’ and ‘taijiquan’ are the equivalent terms of the now universally recognized Pinyin system.

Myth #1 ‘There is only one real Taiji style, the rest are impostors’. This is the way the cultists propagate their own schools. Over a period of almost 30 years I have come across many styles of taiji and although the emphasis varies from style to style, most of them agree on fundamental principles and most of them produce real health benefits if followed. they practice regularly.

Myth #2 ‘To be good for your health, what you practice must be exactly right.’

There are two things wrong with this proposition:

First, that somehow practicing incorrectly is inherently harmful. If you never allow yourself to “get it wrong,” you’ll certainly never “get it right.” The most dramatic health benefits I got from practicing taiji actually occurred during the first 4 months, when my “form” was still a complete mess. I got over my chronic asthma; my posture, body mechanics and energy levels improved tremendously and I began to control my usual anxiety. (Of course, at least he was trying to get it right!)

Second, that at some point your practice will be exactly right. Anyone who has been practicing for many years will tell you that there are always new challenges, higher levels to strive for. Practice and research regularly and patiently without greed for results, and progress will come naturally.

Myth #3 ‘It is better to learn from a Master.’ People who call themselves Masters should be viewed with skepticism. If you study and practice something for many years, it’s reasonable to assume that a master’s degree will follow, but the highest level practitioner I’ve ever met never called himself a Master. He, too, was never publicly humiliated by a challenger.

On the other hand, it is sometimes difficult for a high level practitioner to remember or understand the difficulties beginners face. Experienced teachers often assign intermediate students to teach beginners while they focus on more advanced students. There is something to be said about this method.

Myth #4 ‘It is better to learn from a Chinese teacher.’ This depends on the individual teacher. Some Chinese instructors are ill-equipped to deal with language and cultural differences when teaching Westerners. Some Western teachers do a very good job of communicating concepts that come from a very different cultural context.

Myth #5 ‘Taiji is a Martial Art, so your teacher must be able to use it to fight, or else they are no good.’ While it is true that taiji quan’s origins lie in a sophisticated system of armed and unarmed combat, the widespread use of firearms permanently transformed the meaning of “combat,” making the legendary feats and superhuman abilities of the ancients teachers have probably been lost. forever. Taiji survives as a cultural practice in the modern world efficiently due to its known benefits for the mind and body as a form of meditation in motion.

Myth #6 ‘Taiji is not good for self defense.’ While it is true that it takes more study, practice and training to develop taiji sparring skills than most of us are able or willing to compromise on, it is also true that probably 90% of self defense ability has no nothing to do directly with combat skills; Keen awareness, good posture and use of the body, a relaxed but determined manner, and alertness of mind, along with the body language these attributes give rise to, are known deterrents to would-be muggers and stalkers.

Myth #7 ‘Because Taijiquan means “ultimate ultimate fist”, once you learn it you can beat all other styles.’ If you really want to learn how to fight, you will have to study and be exposed to many fighting styles. It is naive to think that any “style” of combat can prevail over all others. A person not trained with a firearm can “defeat” a highly skilled martial artist. The ultimate solution to violent confrontation is not to be there in the first place.