When someone spends ages telling us what taiji/qi/neigong/qigong isn’t, I’m waiting for them to tell me what it is.

When they’re telling us that we’re all ignorant and don’t understand and only they do, my spidey senses are alerted.

When we’re told that you have to spend years to understand and train it I can definitely smell snake oil.

Whatever art or system you train in after your first session you’ll be better than you were before it. Then you build your skills as the days, weeks, months and years go by, exactly the same as if you were learning to play a musical instrument, ballet dancing, gymnastics, painting or any other worthwhile skill.

Every session is a penny in the study bank and your inexperience whilst you learn certainly doesn’t make you worthless or inferior to any other person.

We all study for our own reasons and end purposes and luckily these arts are a broad church. Theres something wrong with anyone who thinks that their way is the only way.

Don’t judge by clothing, location, a superior manner or confusing and mystical terminology, look for the bottom line, are they explaining in a clear and unambiguous way and trying to put good information across without belittling you or anybody else, or are they laying smoke and deliberately clouding the issue.

Never be afraid to ask questions and challenge information, maintain your own locus of power and never give it anyone else.