Most people would love to find a Tai Chi instructor so they can learn the basics of an excellent holistic martial art. Yet, despite the fact that Tai Chi is one of the most popular martial arts in the world, instructors can sometimes be hard to locate. The main reason for this is that the art is holistic in nature and most martial arts schools will revolve around self-defense and combat sports. That said, there are qualified Tai Chi instructors out there. You just need to know how to go about finding them. Don’t worry – the process is a lot easier than you think. Here are a few steps of how to go about finding a solid Tai Chi instructor.
The first stop should be the Yellow Pages directory. Most people will skim the listings looking for a Tai Chi school. There is nothing wrong with this approach. The problem is that if they do not find a Tai Chi school, they will close the book and assume no instructors live in their area. This may not always be the right assumption. There may not be a Tai Chi school but their might be a Tai Chi instructor offering classes at a martial arts academy that deals with other arts. In other words, you need to look through all the ads for MMA, karate, and kung fu schools and see if a supplementary Tai Chi program is offered once or twice a week. Upon doing this, you might be surprised at the number of Tai Chi instructors and classes you discover.
It also may be helpful to look outside of the martial arts section of the Yellow Pages. Turning your attention towards Yoga and meditation schools could prove quite helpful. Many Tai Chi instructors will offer their holistic programs at health and wellness oriented establishments. Interested students that only look through the martial arts school listings may miss out on some really great classes offered at other venues. Don’t make that mistake! Look at what the Yoga and Zen meditation schools are offering as well.
Have you considered looking over the catalogue of your local community center for a Tai Chi class? Frequently, the health and fitness department of these facilities offer Tai Chi programs. Why not look into your local community center and see what it has to offer?
Of course, the internet can always be considered a viable source of locating a Tai Chi instructor. One problem that is inherent with traditional advertising sources such as the Yellow Pages of local newspapers is cost. Certain Tai Chi instructors may not have the funds available to pay for such advertising. In the past, the only way these instructors could be discovered would be through word of mouth. The internet has opened the doors for these instructors to advertise in the most cost efficient manner possible – they can advertise for free!
Commercial Tai Chi instructors may have an entire website devoted to promoting their skills on the net. In some instances, schools that offer such a program may include the info on their website but not in their print advertising. As such, a scan of the internet may locate a Tai Chi instructor in your area far quicker than you thought possible.
And yes, instructors will frequently take advantage of social networking sites as a means of effectively promoting their classes. Myspace, Facebook, Meetup, and the like are all excellent resources for finding an instructor and classes. Searching through these many valuable sites is highly recommended.
Really, it is not that tough at all to find quality Tai Chi instructors and classes. All you need to do is be a little thorough in your search and you might come across a truly excellent program. In some scenarios, the classes may even be free. Why wait? Look into Tai Chi classes in your area today.