Tai Chi, also called tai chi chuan, combines deep breathing and relaxation with slow and gentle movements, making it a wonderful low impact form of exercise. Originally developed as a martial art in 13th-century China, tai chi is today practised by a wide variety of participants in health clubs, gyms and parks across the world. Due to its low level of impact on muscles and joints, Tai Chi is an ideal form of exercise for older people and pregnant women.
Who are Tai Chi Instructor training courses aimed at?
Most traditional long form Tai Chi Teacher Certification and Tai Chi Instructor training courses take months, if not years to complete. This means that prospective Tai Chi students should be totally committed to the cause of becoming a Tai Chi instructor and choose this career because of their passion to help people, motivate people and change people's lives whilst making a good living from teaching Tai Chi classes. It is also essential the people considering undertaking a Tai Chi Instructor training course have vast experience of attending a wide variety of Tai Chi group exercise classes, firstly to gain invaluable experience and secondly to make sure that this is the career for them.
It may also help if people considering enrolling into a Tai Chi Instructor training course speak to their class instructor as they will have experience of going through the process of becoming a Tai Chi instructor themselves.
Tai Chi Instructor training course content
The Tai Chi Instructor training course is typically made up of a number of core elements, including:
- The benefits and essential of Tai Chi and Qigong
- Benefits and well-being
- Tai Chi warm ups
- Tai Chi teaching
- Tai Chi form and partner work
- How to teach Tai Chi to various groups with various needs
- Health and safety
Tai Chi courses vary somewhat with some Tai Chi Teacher and Instructor training courses offer such modules, including sword work, sensitivity training and 16 Step Yang Taijiquan form techniques.
Learning to become a qualified Tai Chi instructor is available via weekend workshops, Tai Chi retreats, online learning or home study. Of course any recognised Tai Chi Instructor home study course will also require a student to attend at the very least a face-to-face practical assessment to be deemed competent in the delivery of Tai Chi to others.
Graduating the Tai Chi Instructor training course
There is a large market for teaching Tai Chi. Therefore, once students have graduated their Tai Chi Instructor training course they are free to offer beginner level Tai Chi group exercise classes in local authority facilities, private health clubs and leisure centres. After initial training many Tai Chi graduates many also feel that they want to participant in more advanced forms of Tai Chi training courses, gaining more experience and knowledge to further their health and fitness career.
