Sifu Larry Loofbourrow (certified)
Sisook Laurie Johnson (certified)
Sifu Lauren V Jessup (certified)
Tum Pai Instructor Certification
Tum Pai has its own Tai Chi certification program (initiated in 1975)as a separate art, as well as being a structural part of Tum Pai.
In order for one in Tum Pai to certify a student as a separate Tai Chi teacher, they must have our Tai Chi certification themselves.
Here are the ones who are legitimately certified under Northern Tai Chi Tum Pai :
Professor Jay Burkey (certified)
Sifu Larry Loofbourrow (certified)
Sisook Laurie Johnson (certified)
Sifu Lauren V Jessup (certified)
The following are requirements that need to be met in order for one to gain certification as a Tum Pai Tai Chi instructor:
--- Minimum of 4 1/2 years of training time
(Minimum of 10 lessons per month)
(Minimum of 15 minutes of personal practice --- 7 days a week)
Acceptable Completion (Viewed by Board) of:
--- Short and Long Yang style Form
--- Yang style Sword Long Form
--- Yang style Sum Quay Sword Form
--- Ng style Long Form
--- Single and Double Push (Yang & Ng Form)
--- Yang style Da lu
--- Chi gua concepts and exercise practice
--- Tai Chi physiology, energy alignment, structural alignment and breath concepts
--- Tai Chi thesis (thesis on any subject related to Tai Chi -- approved by Teacher -- 7 typed pages minimum)
--- Three day Tai Chi solo campout: Requirements given at time
--- Final Tai Chi test (must achieve 2 out of 4 tests)
Tai Chi Description
(A Separate Art)
Tai Chi is known as the 'Grand Ultimate Exercise' or is sometimes referred to as Tai Chi Ch'uan (The Grand Ultimate Fist) in China, and is the basic structure of all internal Gung-fu. It is based on the Yin-Yang Principle of negative/positive universal harmony. This, in effect, means that the exercise produces the balancing of your nerves, organs, respiratory system (breathing), circulating system (blood), muscles, and tendons in overall harmony of daily movement. Overall, it balances your mind with your body, producing one whole (state of being) instead of two parts. The exercise produces Chi (your electrical vital energy), brought on by being totally relaxed through union of movement, proper breathing, and attentive-meditative thought, creating a state of calmness throughout the whole being. This, in turn, energizes the person, allows the person to think more clearly and quickly, react equally and, finally, to focus unhindered their internal electrical energy force to accomplish daily living without the use of external muscular movement.
Tai Chi is reputed for stopping the progression of and alleviating the following illnesses: chronic headaches, stress-associated problems, arthritis, rheumatism, high blood pressure, and tuberculosis. It is also a natural remedy for weight control. A person will naturally lose weight if overweight, or gain weight if underweight, regulating to the natural body weight of each particular person. Tai Chi is especially noted for alleviating lower back and knee problems common in most people.
There is no competition in Tai Chi, and it is sometimes called the personal art, for you can practice it alone and at any time. Lastly, Tai Chi is an art of longevity through 'healthful ways' that create the Grand Ultimate 'Union of Being' used in everyday life.
Northern Tai Chi
(Classical Combined Tai Chi & Paqua)
Northern Tai Chi is taught as a complete art, which includes its original martial aspect. It is also taught as the basic structure and theory for Northern Tum Pai, but it is taught first and foremost as the health path of live long and feel good. Its secondary goal is the use of its application theories in practical street self-defense. It is to be noted that if a person starts out in Tai Chi they would spend a minimum of five years before they would begin applying this art's self-defense applications. Tai Chi traditional application structure (push hands, Da lu, two-man application forms, etc.), though, are taught along with the short and long forms, and the sword and staff forms (all forms are health-oriented).
The following Tai Chi Ch'uan Classical styles are taught under Northern Tai Chi Tum Pai Gung-fu: Yang Style, Ng Style, Chen Style, and the Internal art of Paqua. Two styles of Paqua are taught. The Yam Foon Jeet Sow Fut (Night Wind Forms -- Tai Chi application forms) -- Tum Pai style.
These styles are usually taught in a progressive order with each style offering the basic theory common to all Tai Chi and Paqua, but with various technological paths reaching the same goal. These are shown by each style's expressed methods of their short and long forms, sword and staff forms, internal breathing exercises, Chi Kung, Silk Cocoon Chen, Chi Gua's, Paqua's spiraling techniques, their various traditional applications, and healing practices.
There is no ranking, grades or belts in Tai Chi or Paqua to show one's achievement other than being a student, senior student (3 years or more), teacher (4 1/2 years minimum time to be eligible to try for certification), or senior teacher (15 years or more as a certified teacher). An internationally recognized certificate for having the authority to teach under this particular association is given after a minimum training period of 4 1/2 years or longer, depending upon the teacher evaluation of the student's comprehension of the arts and the successful completion of all the necessary requirements for teacher certification.