Canadian Tai Chi Teacher Offers a Modern Approach to an Ancient Art
– article by Shen Guoxiang (English translation by Shen Guoxiang and Xin Yan)
Ian Sinclair knows that his students could go to China to learn from famous masters there, and he insists that he is no great master himself. Yet students have come to him from every continent except Antarctica. I ask him why he thinks they come to him.
He says,“Not every student is right for every school, and not every teacher is right for every student. Some student do very well with me, while others just aren’t a good fit for this school. Fortunately, there are many great teachers for them to train with.” Some people, for whatever reason, have said they actually prefer my teaching over that of some very famous masters, even though I don’t have their skill, knowledge, pedigree, or experience.
Sinclair laughs to himself and then says, “There is a proverb which points out that a good student can learn from even the worst teacher, while a bad student will be unable to learn from even the best teacher.” He laughs. “Maybe that’s why I get so many good students.”
Sinclair has, over the past few decades, developed an international reputation for a unique understanding and a special way of teaching. His approach seems to be more scientific than many others. He tries to stay away from the archaic terminology that is commonly used in tai chi classes. He has an open mindedness that enables him to go where others fear to tread. This seems to allow him to transcend the boundaries of standard styles and family lineages. He talks about “Making the pedagogy serve the student and not just the teacher.”
Experts and Beginners
Many of his students are instructors themselves, or black belts from other martial arts like karate or jiujitsu. But others are absolute beginners.
Some students are referred by their doctors for help with specific medical problems. Some are professional athletes, musicians, and health care professionals. Police and military personnel also come for their own personal and professional development. Military veterans and trauma survivors come for health and relaxation. Clearly, the principles that he teaches seem to have broad applications in a wide variety of disciplines.
It is also clear that this is not your typical tai chi school, or a typical martial arts school.
Few Children
For one thing, Sinclair does not have children’s classes like most martial arts schools do. He also does not have special senior citizen classes like most tai chi schools do. But he does teach all ages, and sometimes accepts children for private lessons when there is a particular need to deal with bullying or other issues.
Sinclair is an avid proponent of tai chi as a healing exercise. But he is also one of the few teachers who is thoroughly committed to the martial aspect. He is a player in a broader martial arts community and enjoys training with martial artists of other styles. Even in his 50’s, he is known to mix it up with fighters at other schools. This may come as a surprise to people who share the common misconception about tai chi as a martial art, and about martial arts in general.
“People think tai chi is either a martial art or a healing exercise. But these are really two sides of the same coin. I think people somehow assume that martial artists train to be violent. But that is the exact opposite of what a martial art is about. Violence is what happens when you DO NOT practise a martial art, just as illness is what happens if you do not exercise. To assume that martial artists are training to become violent, is like assuming that doctors are training to promote illness. A martial art is the perpetual search for peace, balance, health, empowerment, and understanding. Violence is the result of NOT practising a martial art.
“To quote Leo Rosten, ‘I learned that it is the weak who are cruel, and that gentleness is to be expected only from the strong.’
“The arts I teach are, first and foremost, about cultivating self-awareness and compassion.”
Globally, Locally, and in Transit
Sinclair teaches online lessons to students around the world. Sometimes he gets invited to travel to other countries. More often his students come to Orillia.
He can also meet his students part way, though. He has been known to drive to Toronto to teach a busy travelling client in their hotel between meetings or performances. He has even taught a couple of private lesson in waiting areas of airports.
Sinclair’s reputation has been growing over the past several years, mostly by word of mouth. There have been celebrity clients visiting his school. I press him to talk about some of his celebrity clients. But he refuses, and insists that I not “drop names.”
“I have a strict policy of confidentiality which applies to all of my students. It is not just for the sake of my students. It is also for the good of the school. It would be a very bad thing for me if people started coming to me because they are fans of a particular celebrity, instead of having a genuine desire to learn from me.
A Misunderstood Art
The real celebrity in his school is the art itself. Tai chi has become quite famous in recent years as a healing exercise. But few people have any idea how deep and profound the art really is.
“Of course, tai chi has been watered down. That is what happens to any popular art. It is what happens when people try too hard to preserve the superficial characteristics of a style and lose the essence. Also, the more famous a thing is, the more people presume a level of understanding that they don’t really have. There is so much to the art that people don’t see. And the deeper you go, the deeper it gets.
Sometimes, half of a teacher’s knowledge gets lost when they pass away, because their are not enough truly dedicated students to absorb the art. Many teachers are only able to teach about five percent of the art. But there are other reasons why tai chi has been watered down.
“Tai chi is very accessible and it can be modified to suit just about anyone. It suits beginners of all ages and fitness levels. Anyone who can move, or imagine moving, can do tai chi. You may have heard the expression, ‘Anyone who can talk can sing, and anyone who can walk can dance’. Tai chi is like that. You don’t have to master the art in order to enjoy it and benefit from it. Since tai chi is very accessible for beginners, it is easy for people to become teachers, and there is little or no regulation over who can be qualified to teach. Some people start teaching as soon as they can remember the basic routine. I don’t actually mind that. I am okay with people sharing what knowledge they have. Get the people dancing and singing, so-to-speak. But we should not forget that there is more to the art.
“It is fine for a second-grade or third-grade student to teach some addition and subtraction to their younger friends. But nowadays we expect a professional teacher have twenty more years of education, and to continue to study throughout their career. Tai chi has a lot of teachers with elementary qualifications, and only a few teachers with Master’s Degrees or a Doctoral Degrees.”
Standardization is a Two-Edged Sword
There has been a movement over the past several decades to standardize the teaching of tai chi. Sinclair thinks the result has been generally positive. Having a standard curriculum and a standard way of practising has helped to raise the general skill level across the board. Standardization, however, can cut both ways.
“One part of standardization is making sure that students are aware of the existence of a curriculum, and that there are certain requirements of regular practice. Within a particular school, style, or lineage, it is good for everyone to be doing the same thing in the same way and in the same order. It helps the teacher to see where the students are, and it helps the students to stay on track.”
But Sinclair points out that there is a another side to standardization, which can be found in many arts and sciences, not just tai chi. He says, “Student are just learning by rote. This can ensure that students learn the basic facts and structures. But it can be very limiting, and can prevent them from developing deeper understanding. It can even give students a completely inaccurate impression of the art.
“When bureaucracy gets involved, and it almost always does, then it can be an impediment to meaningful learning.”
Sinclair teaches the standard forms, and has developed his own pedagogy, which sets a standard for his school, and shares elements with traditional schools. But he is devoted, at least in principle, to ensuring that his students experience meaningful learning. This must be tailored for each student. It focuses on the outcome, encourages deeper understanding, and lets the student become active learners who can relate the lessons to other training that they have already done.
“It is fun when an athlete, musician, or engineer can take a