We are all very fortunate that there are still some tai chi lineage holders. Many styles have been lost for lack of a standard bearer. However… I sometimes feel sorry for lineage holders. They cannot be regular martial artists like other people. They have to be curators of their lineage and protectors of their school's reputation. They cannot have a friendly match, or appear to be anything but the most respected person in the room. They cannot deviate from tradition. They cannot appear to learn from other schools.Some lineage holders are is such an important position that they cannot attend a friendly match. They can only attend as the leading authority. Inviting them to a friendly match is like inviting a medieval pope to discuss the merits and inconsistencies of their religion. It instantly ceases to be a dialogue and, instead, becomes a debate that they cannot afford to lose. Any demonstration they are part of must be a demonstration of their superiority. It is not just that they cannot afford to lose. They cannot afford to be seen as having any vulnerability. They cannot afford to be seen as human.Etiquette is not as important to them as the survival of their school's reputation. This is the way that authoritarianism becomes a constant threat to every culture. It infects men in particular. We get a testosterone high every time we win. It is like an addictive drug, with all the negative side effects.Some martial artists become this way because they are pressured by their obligation to their school. Some become this way because of the chemical high they get from winning.This is why, whether in tuishou, sparring, or in debate, there are some people to whom I will alway lose. Sometimes I lose to their superior skill. Sometimes I lose out of respect. Sometimes out of pity. They will never know if their victory was because of their skill or because of their reputation. They will also never know the joy that comes from not needing to be the best all the time.I'm sure it eats away at them, and has a negative effect on their personal health.A functional society is one in which leaders surround themselves with smart people who disagree with them. They welcome discussion. They tolerate debate and dissent.Authoritarianism is a weakness, that masquerades as strength.I know some lineage holders who seem to have avoided the trap of authoritarianism. They remain humble, and don't mind appearing to lose to their students. Perhaps, some lineage holders find a way to be human behind closed doors, and are able to mix it up honestly with other "royalty." I don't know. I hope they do, and that they are able to get the help they need.I am grateful that I have no reputation to squander but my own, and that my role as a teacher is not dependent on me being able to defeat my students. Many of my students are better than I am at most things. I have taught seminars where most of the students could probably beat me in a fight. I have never needed to find out.

I sometimes feel sorry for lineage holders. They cannot be regular martial artists like other people. They have to be curators of their lineage and protectors of their school's reputation. 

A Problem with Traditional Tai chi Lineages - The Perils of Authority and Power

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A Problem with Traditional Tai chi Lineages - The Perils of Authority and Power

A Problem with Traditional Tai chi Lineages - The Perils of Authority and Power

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