Sifu Posted June 18, 2009 (edited) Howdy, from the conservative heart of Texas! I was looking for a lively tai chi / qigong forum and managed to find the Tao Bums. This place looks like fun! I have been doing tai chi for a fairly short period of time, when my sifu told me that I was going to teach it seemed a bit early. Like maybe four or five years or so too early. I am deriving a great deal of joy from teaching tai chi so it is working out for me. Hard to describe how delightful it is for a student to sidle up and confess, 'You know that ball we are shaping? I can feel it!' My knowledge of the Tao is fairly thin so if my comments seem a bit confused please feel free to slap me around when I say something that ain't quite right. I would much rather look stupid today than to be stupid tomorrow. I also do gardening, hand tool woodwork, tool making and art. Bob Edited June 18, 2009 by Sifu Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
boyshood Posted June 20, 2009 (edited) Welcome Bob Bob are you Christian? Do you know Tai Chi Master Stier from Texas? Regards Edited June 20, 2009 by Guest Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
boyshood Posted June 22, 2009 ok i understand thanks man Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
三江源 Posted June 24, 2009 Howdy Bob. Welcome to TaoBums. I cant help but wonder what prompted you to call yourself "Sifu"...? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sifu Posted June 24, 2009 I took the title sifu, out of respect for my tai chi Sifu. Sifu told me that I was going to teach. I balked and figured someday, not any time soon, years from now. A month later Sifu signed me up to teach at a couple of conferences. I really enjoyed both opportunities yet had little faith that I was anywhere near ready to teach. Sifu graduated me and left the country for a bit. I taught students that had been learning since well before I started. Students who had seen me start, crippled unable to come close to even posing in most of the forms. It is amazing how tai chi can quickly heal and give flexibility back without any pain in the process. I have gotten great joy out of teaching them and seen great progress in their forms. So out of respect for my Sifu, and out of faith in my Sifu, I use the title Sifu. If you feel I am grabbing a name well above my achievements, I will be the last one to argue with you over that. My grounding is horrible, my posture pathetic. I bounce, and I have to give away energy since I can barely manage what is generated by the simplest of qigong. My balance is inconsistent. I constantly need help from those around me. I get distracted by the joy of doing it. Apart from moving with decent grace and breathing fairly well, I am a total basket case. The joy, healing and connection that I feel when practicing are great rewards, so I cannot even claim to suffer for my art. I am nervous to teach qigong although my master in that art has given me permission to and encouraged me to do a small bit of teaching. I feel great remorse and dread over the consequences of my teaching in past years. What I was teaching was something that I was quite familiar with and considered quite safe. So it is not without trepidation that I call myself Sifu. Bob Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Aetherous Posted June 25, 2009 You seem great...welcome to the forum. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sifu Posted June 27, 2009 You seem great...welcome to the forum. You are too kind, Scotty! Thanks for the welcome! Bob Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
