Tai Chi For Beginners - Tai Chi Teacher Training

Tai Chi Teacher Training Programme

East - West Taoist Association

New Course Starting 2nd June 2012 email Howard

I constantly receive requests from organizations, sports centres and the adult education service, to name just a few, for tai chi teachers. And I can’t help them because the qualified tai chi teachers we have in the East - West Taoist Association are already taking as many classes as they wish to.

This means there are thousands of people wanting to learn tai chi who have no local teacher. My promise to myself to pass on the benefits of this wonderful tai chi art to others certainly needed a rethink. So, with the help of my wife Gisela, we developed a tai chi course together to train students to be tai chi teachers of the short form of Tai Chi and a selection of K’ai Men and Dao Yin exercises.

See what some of the present teacher trainees have to say about the course

The East - West Taoist Association tai chi teacher training course has been operating since Nov 2003 and produced many excellent tai chi teachers who have gone on to open successful tai chi classes, others just wish to benefit from the focused indepth training and get qualified to teach tai chi at a later date, when their job is less demanding or they retire. Whatever their reason for wishing to become a tai chi teacher we welcome them all.

We now want to make it more accessible to our existing members who feel they would like to qualify as tai chi teachers. To be eligible you must have been practising our tai chi style for at least two years/or come with a personal recommendation from your present lee style tai chi Instructor.

However, if you don't fall into either of these categories and are still keen to teach by all means telephone Howard 01723 354072 to talk about your options. If you would like to discuss the teacher training programme or have any questions you would like answered please email Howard with your membership number, instructors name and a suitable time for Howard to ring

you to discuss it.

The next tai chi teacher training course starts in April 2012. Attendance at Howard's Advanced Courses will form the basis of your tai chi training and where Howard will give you personal instruction to improve your own standard. Most tai chi teacher trainees are astounded by how much they learn about what they thought they already knew. Understanding is the key to becoming a good tai chi teacher, if you understand your subject you do not fear questions and are confident in your ability to teach others tai chi.

After passing the final exam, which includes a practical and written element, a teaching certificate will be issued. But before you can be selected as a teacher trainee you must confirm your enrolment directly to Howard after your personal conversation with him and then pay the deposit for the course modules and the final exam fees. You will be expected to attend the advanced tai chi training dates at Scarborough, North Yorkshire. Attending a Summer course this year or next and any other course attendances in the various areas will be credited towards your minimum 60 hours of instruction on courses taken by our Chief Instructor Howard Gibbon, of which 30 hours must be by attending courses in Scarborough. This shows Howard you are prepared to make the commitment to learn and may be suitable for further training should you wish to extend your knowledge of our unique tai chi art later. If a place becomes available at other - invitation only - courses run by Howardwhere he teaches selected people to pass on the depth of the arts to, these courses are only open to people who have successfully completed the tai chi teacher training course.

How long would it take you to qualify? That depends on the effort you put into your practice, you will need to practise half an hour per day five days a week between courses to reach the required standard. If you do that, we envisage most students with two years previous experience will reach exam standard in around 12 to 15 months. Of course if you don't attend the courses in that time it may take longer, but this is okay and takes care of any unforeseen family, health and work problems that may mean you miss the odd course.

A word of warning: People thinking this is a forgone conclusion i.e. turn up and pay my money and in 12 months I will have a teaching certificate. Please don't waste your time and money, it won't happen. Only genuine people expecting to put in the effort to learn to understand the arts properly will make it. If you are in this category - then please do apply - because you are exactly what we are looking for.

If you would like to know more about our teacher training program, please send your name, address and telephone number to me by email (link at the bottom of this page) stating a convenient time for me to call i.e. Daytime, Evening, Weekends. I will then contact you with further details.

I only accept people I have spoken to over the phone. This way we can both ask any relevant questions we may have and also see if we feel we can work together to bring you to the standard requires of our tai chi teachers.

Yours sincerely

Howard's signature

Testimonial

This course is accredited by Prof. Sir STEVEN L RUSSELL MD(MA)

K St J, DSc(HC), FFHom(MA), DrAr, Dhom, Dphyt, DHM, DAA, FAHP(I), MMA, RMHIS, VP. Founder and Dean of the INTEGRATIVE COLLEGE OF HOLISTIC MEDICINES:"

Now, at the start of the 21st century, we are living in an age of greater personal awareness and spirituality. The Training Course, taught by MASTER HOWARD GIBBON provides the most concise guide to Holistic Health available, and also addresses the very issues that are central to the movement.

The Training Course lays great emphasis on the fact that although the majority of people are still hoping for the ‘quick fix’ to health that the last century promised, increasingly more people are aware that they are responsible for their own health and not others. The Training Course shows in very simple terms how to achieve optimum health with least effort.

The T’ai Chi Teacher Training Course illustrates the benefits from a holistic point of view on the following practices:

T’ai Chi Ch’uan

K’ai Men (Chi Gung)

Dao Yin (Respiratory Therapy)　

During my many years in practice in Holistic Medicine covering the whole spectrum of therapies I have had the honour to meet a few practitioners of unquestionable ability and dedication to their art. MASTER HOWARD GIBBON ranks highly with any of them. This becomes immediately obvious when one watches this modest man in action. He has a unique empathetic way of teaching where even in a class of a number of students one feels they are the only ones being taught. MASTER HOWARD GIBBON’S many filled classes throughout the North - East of England are a true testimony to this man who has dedicated his life to the cause. Howard is supported by his wife Gisela.

Howard Gibbon is a holder of the highest grade issued by Grandmaster Chee Soo

and is the Chief Instructor for The East - West Taoist Association.

Howard also has a Diploma in: Advanced Tai Chi, Chi Kung and Taoist Practices from the

‘Integrative College of Holistic Medicines’

The ‘Integrative College of Holistic Medicines’ is affiliated to and accredited by:

Association of Holistic Practitioners (International)

The Open International University of Complementary Medicines

The East - West Taoist Association is registered as an International School with: The Association of Holistic Practitioners International to teach: T’ai Chi, Chi Kung, Dao Yin, K’ai Men and other Practices.

email Howard