CAN YOU LEARN TAI CHI FROM A BOOK OR VIDEO?
Tips & advice for beginners from the teapotmOnk on the best way to learn Tai Chi
What are the advantages and disadvantages of learning Tai Chi from a book or video?
WHY USE A BOOK OR VIDEO TO LEARN TAI CHI?
Offering Tai Chi and Qigong in local classes and workshops has been the standard practice for many generations. But for over a century these classes have been supplemented by extra written materials. Today, with work-timetables, pandemics, family commitments, travel times or simply the cost of classes those materials have expanded to include videos and online classes.
For even if there is a class nearby, the teacher, the style or the class focus may not be what every student is searching for. Perhaps a class has a strong martial emphasis or another has no philosophical or spiritual foundation. For all these reasons, more and more people are looking for Tai Chi and Qigong classes that are more flexible, customisable and can be adapted to their needs.
CAN YOU LEARN TAI CHI FROM A BOOK?
Tai Chi is a movement practice, so it is very difficult to show how exercises or movements are done from static drawings or photos. Yet, books on Tai Chi have been with us for some time and have traditionally presented step-by-step instructions. But these were often accompanied by complicated diagrams and arrows and numbered steps that made little sense.
In the absence of a moving image, every stage of every posture needs to be described and illustrated, which lends itself to books that describe floor angles, weight distributions and joint alignment. Details are of course essential, but not when the result is to overwhelm the student with too much data.
If you want to get a book on Tai Chi or Qigong, try to find one that conveys an essence of the art and not just the technical moves. Apart from being very dull, technical manuals vary according to style, school and teacher - so expect to find a wide range of rules as to what to do and how to do it.
Check out this list of the best Tai Chi books for some great suggestions.
WHAT BOOKS CAN TEACH US ABOUT TAI CHI
I tell students that it is more important to read about the essence of the art, in order to discover the value of Tai Chi and what it can offer, than to simply learn a technique. Techniques by themselves are of limited value and are easily picked up on YouTube. But ideas and flavour, reasons and insights are far more valuable.
If you love books and would like to hear reviews in audio form. take a look at the audiobook reviews over on the training site.
For avid book readers, here is a popular list of the best books on Tai Chi that will help you discover the essence of Tai Chi.
Finally, a book list for aficionados of the teapotmonk style and approach to 21st century practices can be found here
Techniques by themselves are of limited value.
A TAI CHI LEARNERS KIT
If however, you prefer to learn from a book. I recommend visiting the new Teapotmonk book store and browse titles like:
Paperback: The Beginners Guide to the Tai Chi Form
CAN YOU LEARN TAI CHI FROM A VIDEO?
If you have ever attended a Tai Chi class or workshop with more than a dozen people present, you will remember the difficulty in seeing close-up, the complex and intricate hand and foot postures, waist moves and coordinated weight shifting from foot to foot.
Even if you managed to see clearly from one angle, you may have missed them from another. Now imagine being in a workshop of 25 people, 50 people or more! What would you see? What could you reasonably learn? How often will the teacher demonstrate a move to everyones satisfaction? How likely is the class going to be progressing at your precise pace? How confident will each person feel to speak up in a large class and ask: "Excuse me, but I didn't see a thing, couldn't hear a thing and I've no idea why I’m doing what I’m doing."
ADVANTAGES TO LEARNING TAI CHI FROM A VIDEO
For these reasons lessons online - especially self-paced courses - have become more popular over the last few years, for it is possible to take your time. To go into the depths of the art and to view each move from all angles again and again (using gifs or short video snippets). 360 degree or overhead shots for purposes of direction can really aid in the learning and are all part of my Online curriculum. Watch the video here 8 Reasons You’ll love this course.
Videos enable you to zoom in for close details and not have to peer over the heads of the 10 people in front of you. Videos also enable you to move on to the next posture, or spend a month on a single move. The choice is yours. Finally, online learning means choosing the instructor of your choice from anywhere in the world.
What about for the teacher? Well, most of our time in a class is spent showing moves, repeating these move again and agains, and correcting postures with very little time for anything else. Online classes, give us the opportunity to teach a much broader, more interesting and often much more profound level of study.
LEARNING THE HISTORY AND THE CULTURE OF TAI CHI
When I began to compile my 12 month Complete Online Course, the time I saved from repeating moves (as students can replay the videos as often as necessary) freed-up space to offer background studies on the history of the art, the culture, the myths and legends, the music, as well as how we apply the moves to our work, health and community. Learning Tai Chi shifted away from just copying the teachers moves to exploring concepts of balance and yielding in a 21st century world.
DISADVANTAGES TO LEARNING BY VIDEO
Nothing is perfect. There are unquestionably some disadvantages to leaning online, as we saw there are to learning in a local class. One criticism of Online learning is lack of feedback. But these days, online platforms can offer a range of feedback options:
These can take the form of:
Questions and answers on classes or comments
Webinars
Forums and text messaging
Personal Video feedback
LOOKING FOR SOMETHING
VERY DIFFERENT?
THE ALL NEW TAI CHI ILLUSTRATED WORKBOOK
200 Pages of Interactive content on learning and practising Tai Chi
All the Basic Exercises. Plus: how to learn grounding, abdominal breathing, finding flow, mindfulness and Tai Chi, developing peripheral vision, exploring the power of the waist and lots more.
Exercises, quizzes, comparisons, charts, articles, FAQ, big quotes and inspiring graphics.
The Illustrated Guide is an incredible journey of self-discovery and exploration
WHAT SORT OF TAI CHI CLASSES CAN I LEARN ONLINE?
You can choose between the different styles of Tai Chi, the different lengths of Tai Chi forms (from a dozen moves to over 200), Qigong and breathing courses, as well as weapons and weapon forms. I have students that are learning breathing, applied Tai Chi, the 10 Step and the 37 Step Tai Chi Form and the Tai Chi Sword. Some are complete beginners, others intermediate, and some are teachers making the most of training with individuals or schools from all over the world and using online classes and the Tai Chi Academy as supplementary training and library resources.
TECHNOLOGY AND TAI CHI
A short while back I wrote another post called 5 reasons why people today are leaning online. But I want now to add a 6th reason - and that is Technology. It is moving at a speed that leaves many of us behind, but those that have kept a finger on the pulse now offer 360 degree photography, slow motion gifs, close-ups from all angles, overhead shots, ebook training workshop manuals, audio walk-throughs, and a range of services that didn’t exist a couple of years ago.
As many people today have access to a smart phone or a tablet, they can receive the lessons and play them back wherever they are: in their yard or spare room, kitchen or bedroom. They can practice where they want, when they want and for how long they want. It’s a fascinating and changing world out there, and one in which an outward looking and modern Tai Chi has a bright and positive future.
WHAT TO DO NEXT?
3 more things to do to further your tai chi:
Starter: Get a copy of the Illustrated Tai Chi Workbook
Free: Take the 3-Day Course that shows how you can learn Tai Chi Online
Browse all the courses and workouts over on the training site