teach without being taught to teach?

[mewtwo]

When i first got into the martial arts i had some good teachers but my last couple of teachers have not been certieifed to teach, but now it looks like i am in the same boat. I would like to teach taichi but i dont have a certificate or teachers permision. My one question in this post is does one need a certification to teach meditation?

 

 

thanks for being there when i needed you everyone, i am just feeling depressed right now. cause i have lived in the same town my whole life and i have not been able to do the things i wanted to do i have always had to settle fro dvds or such when it came to stuff i wanted to do like the martial arts cause we dont have instructors in my town who teach xingyi or bagua. We had one instructor he was very good he taught me tai chi but he moved away. and his student he said could teach did not keep up the tai chi. and we had another tai chi teacher in town but he was not certified to teach and in my oppinion not ready to teach.

 

I guess i am just sayiong thanks. I hope the second paragraph makes scence.

[11:33]

Hi mewtwo,

 

Please ignore the below if I am off-base, they are just suggestions based on the very very very little I know about you.

 

I am from the old school, where I wouldn't even consider teaching without my teacher asking me to.

 

I know, however, that you seem to be in a different position.

 

The question is: do you REALLY think you can give students the best?

 

It debases the arts if someone who isn't ready to teach starts teaching.

 

What does any of this have to do with certificates?

 

All the Best,

11:33

[Walker]

I hope you find a way through your depression soon!

 

Just from the sounds of your story, your training in taiji has been spotty and you lack a connection with a master. In that case it seems to me best not to teach; how could you deal with the vast variety of questions and problems that might arise? Who will help you if trouble arises in a student that you cannot address? Who will guide your continual practice while you teach?

 

You also mention teaching meditation, but in the same breath speak of being depressed because of your physical location and your unfulfilled desires. Speaking for myself, it seems clear that a prerequisite for taking responsibility for others' mind training is mastering your own mind. Speaking of depression as you do suggests a lack of mastery which could be dangerous for you and for your students both.

 

I've heard teachers from more than one tradition emphasize very sternly that one takes on karmic responsibility for one's students. I heard a geshe tell a story of a lama who, for making one mistake in teaching the Dharma, had to reincarnate as a fox for 1,000 years. Whether or not one takes this tale literally, the point was that it is really no light matter to assume responsibility for others' spiritual development. Please be kind to yourself and do not sow the seeds of future suffering!

 

Also, "it debases the arts if someone who isn't ready to teach starts teaching," rings true.

 

Some questions that come to mind...

 

If potential students saw your post here, would they sign up for your class? At least if you decide to start teaching, I hope you tell them everything you just told us before you let them start coming to your class.

 

Why don't you move, find a good teacher, and continue training? Sounds like you and whoever you may one day teach would all benefit.

 

Why do you want to teach?

Edited May 23, 2009 by Walker

[WhiteTiger]

In a sad attempt to help you out.

 

I hope you don't mind me pointing out but there is more than just one internal martial art. Please let me name a whole bunch of widely spread internal like nature martial arts. (I'll also give other spellings of some of the names so you could possibly look them up under other searches in the internet)

 

Taijiquan (also Tai Chi Chuan)

Xing Yi (Xing can be spelled Hsing and Yi can be spelled capitol I interchangably)

Bai Gua Zhang (Pa = Ba = Bai and Gua = Kua and Chang = Zhang and sometimes seens as Quan)

Yi Quan also I Chuan (You could say this is extremely Internal... or at least often taught that way)

LuHeBaFa or LiuHe BaFa also called Water Boxing (don't know the many different ways to spell it)

Bajiquan (or Baijiquan or Ba Chi Chuan)

 

There are many more internal martial arts but that's basically naming some of the more popularized ones that can be found in America.

 

Side note: Arguably there should be Yi Chuan found in the internal martial arts.

 

I hope that you would be opened to try and search for any internal martial art around your area, if you can not move away from where you live.

[trailmaker]

When i first got into the martial arts i had some good teachers but my last couple of teachers have not been certieifed to teach, but now it looks like i am in the same boat. I would like to teach taichi but i dont have a certificate or teachers permision. My one question in this post is does one need a certification to teach meditation?

thanks for being there when i needed you everyone, i am just feeling depressed right now. cause i have lived in the same town my whole life and i have not been able to do the things i wanted to do i have always had to settle fro dvds or such when it came to stuff i wanted to do like the martial arts cause we dont have instructors in my town who teach xingyi or bagua. We had one instructor he was very good he taught me tai chi but he moved away. and his student he said could teach did not keep up the tai chi. and we had another tai chi teacher in town but he was not certified to teach and in my oppinion not ready to teach.

 

I guess i am just sayiong thanks. I hope the second paragraph makes scence.

 

 

hi mewtwo - the teacher who introduced me to still meditation was in no way certified, and he was good.

 

on the other hand, he wasn't charging tuition, just traveling the world - teaching fundamental philosophical

taoism. (he stayed 4 months learning spanish from me and paid his tuition in mutually beneficial

discussions, in spanish, on tao.)

 

so, in what capacity do you wish to teach? is there a certification requirement?