Every week, I receive emails and phone calls from people asking me to recommend a teacher in their area. I’m passionate about helping people, and I wish that there was a qualified teacher in every town. Unfortunately, that’s not the case.
Good News & Bad News
The bad news is that most people will need to travel anywhere from 50 to 5000 miles in order to find a great teacher. The good news is that it’s still worth it!
Finding a great teacher is like finding a treasure map. If you spend $300 for a map that leads you to a treasure worth $3 Million, isn’t that worth it? Honestly, I feel that the “map” that my teacher gave me is worth more than $3 Million.
The skills described by me and my teacher are rare. We’re talking about skills that dramatically transform lives, even when other methods have failed. If you have read my testimonials page, then you know that we’re not talking about mediocre results.
Do You Want Mediocre Results?
If I am going to recommend a teacher to someone, then I must be absolutely sure that the teacher can offer good results. There are a lot of teachers out there. Unfortunately, most of them get mediocre results. Many of them even make their students sick!
If you are looking for mediocre results, then you don’t need my help finding a teacher. Just look in the Yellow Pages or use Google to find the closest teacher. Or even worse, take an online Tai Chi or Qigong course!
My story may help to put things in perspective. I lived and studied these arts in New York City for over 10 years. New York is home to countless teachers, many of them famous. Nevertheless, after searching diligently for years, I could not find a teacher offering results like those described in Grandmaster Wong’s books.
Despite the costs and difficulties, I chose to travel all the way to Malaysia to learn from Grandmaster Wong. I did this because it was more cost-effective. “Why would you spend thousands of dollars to travel to Malaysia when there are famous Tai Chi teachers in New York?” a friend once asked. “Because it’s a better value,” I responded. I honestly believe that I saved time and money by traveling to Malaysia to learn from Grandmaster Wong.
Which has more value, a $10 tool that doesn’t work and breaks easily, or a $100 tool that works well and lasts a lifetime? Obviously, the $100 tool has a greater value even though it costs more much initially. This idea of value is very important with arts like Tai Chi, Qigong, Kung Fu, and Meditation.
Never underestimate the value of a great teacher. Here’s a little secret: 3 hours with a great teacher is worth 3 years with a mediocre teacher. This fact is difficult for beginners to grasp, but it’s still true.
The Heart-to-Heart Transmission
Arts like Tai Chi, Qigong, Kung Fu, and Meditation involve a transmission of energy, not just a transmission of information. In Chinese culture, this is known as a Heart-to-Heart Transmission. The teacher literally transmits skills to the student.
I’ve taught dozens of students who had previously studied with other teachers for 10, 20, even 30 years. One of them privately told me that he accomplished more in 3 weeks with me than in 20 years of practicing Tai Chi. How is that possible? Because I don’t just teach; I transmit from heart to heart.
If you think that I am just tooting my own horn, then you have misunderstood me. My mission is to help as many people as I can, and in order to do that, I need to highlight the importance of finding a great teacher. I hope that you can feel the sincerity of this statement.
My Ethical Dilemma
My best and strongest recommendation to those contacting me is simple: come learn from me. I recognize that it sounds self serving, but it’s not. Here’s why.
For years, I advised people on how to find a local teacher. And many people followed that advice. Years later, the same people came to learn from me.
After learning from me, they told me that they had wasted the past few years. “It’s a totally different experience!” one student said to me. It so happens that this student also had a potentially fatal health issue. Would the issue have been less serious if he had come to learn from me sooner?
It was at that moment that I ran into an ethical dilemma. I suddenly realized that, by NOT encouraging students to come learn from me, I was actually doing them a disservice. These people had trusted me, but I let them down.
So now, I’m determined not to let people down. I am completely honest with them, even though I know that it’s probably not what they want to hear. But I have to be honest, and I cannot deny the truth: 3 days with a great teacher is worth 3 years with a mediocre teacher.
Students kindly tell me that I was born to teach. Perhaps that’s true. Certainly, I have very high standards, and I take teaching very seriously. If I have a talent for then, then I’m grateful because that helps me to fulfill my mission.
My Healing Tour
I teach all over the country with my Flowing Zen Healing Tour. These workshops are designed specifically so that you can continue to practice on your own after the workshop. You can also practice with friends that you meet at the workshop. For details about my Healing Tour, please click here.
Another option is to bring the Healing Tour to your area. It’s more involved, but a conscientious person can organize a workshop without too much work. If you are interested in this option, then please click here.
We’d all love to have a master in our home town. But since that’s about as likely as winning the lottery, we have to find another option. If you are interested in my workshops, then make sure you join my mailing list to stay updated.
Warmly,
Sifu Anthony
Related articles:
Find a good teacher. Check.
This article is so very true. Its authenticity is especially evident after Sigung’s seminars this past weekend. I’m shocked that I could experience so much qi flow and internal force after just those few hours of training with him!