Master

To become a Master, the journeyman needs to have put in the hours and have acquired a level of understanding and competence concordant with mastery.
This entails an immense personal sacrifice in terms of time and effort.
Serving the art may sometimes feel like a thankless task; seldom offering financial reward, frequently being second-guessed and taken for granted.

Advanced-level tai chi chuan is not a matter of new forms and material.
It is to be found in the comprehensive nature of the practice.
The thoroughness of the understanding. The simplicity, sensitivity, softness and ease of ability.
Every action should contain the tai chi chuan principles.

All of the exercises, forms and drills are dismantled so that the exponent can examine how and why they operate.
This is a crucial stage of learning; enabling the individual to truly comprehend the art.

Mastery is versatile and complex - demonstrating a broad degree of insight.
It is also remarkably understated.
The exponent becomes lost in the art; yielding to its intricacies, methods, ways and patterns rather than seeking to dominate it.

In-depth concerns must be explored thoroughly: biomechanics, consciousness, consolidation, Eastern philosophy, form, kinaesthetic awareness, martial theory & practice, meditation, proprioception, syllabus design, spiritual inquiry, tai chi principles and teaching methods.