Can I learn Tai Chi/Chi Kung from books and videos?
The answer you will get to this question from Mr J. Blogs (see what I did there ;-)) on whatever forum, review, comments section etc is an emphatic NO, you must have a teacher. But it is a much more nuanced discussion than that.
The working assumption from them is that you want to learn for martial purposes and you will be training alone and therefore ending up in a deluded state as to your fighting capability which will get you in to trouble. But what if you’re not training alone, what if your goal is not related to combat. If your goal is related to combat then it’s worth considering that some of the most effective brawlers have zero formal training. They also appear to be assuming that you have a tendency towards laziness and navel gazing (and we’re no fans of the overly dantien-centric model here) when you could be practicing more diligently than many instructors out there.
It’s also somewhat offensive to suggest that the reader of such a comment from Mr Blogs doesn’t have the learning skills required. Read, watch, test, cross reference, adjust, repeat……it’s not difficult. The main supplementary advice needed is be clear about your goals and honest about your achievements.
It is also worth noting that we have come across enough teachers in our time to observe that some will deliberately slow their teaching, have practices that may injure their students and much worse things that are only for private discussion. Lineage doesn’t guarantee anything but it should be mentioned that there are some fantastic teachers out there who will not only provide bespoke teaching but also inspiration and a profound initiation, especially with energy work.
Long term students and readers will know that there is an occult slant to our teachings and it is interesting to note that for the most part in the occult community people start their journey with something informal unless they inherit a family line. They may see something in the media that piques their interest and go on to buy some books then maybe take a course, a familiar story. There is less pressure to be a joiner.
There is an interesting phenomenon that we have observed around arts that are “made up” i.e. they have been invented or synthesised recently and don’t have any antiquity. All arts were made up at some point, though it is possible that some practices were achieved through gnosis and an instant cosmic download during sleep or mediation. The phenomenon referred to is that it appears to be easier to tap in to the current of these “made up” arts where as something that is lineage heavy is fairly impenetrable from a distance and it’s often in people’s interest to keep it that way.
And here it is, the inevitable upsell, always a bitter after taste here! If you are working through an internal martial arts or energy based practice solo then we do offer consultation alongside the usual online teaching and subscription services. This may help guide you along the meandering path and maybe avoid a few dead ends and landmines.
Whatever your approach train well and stay true to yourself.