After so many years there are a few things that Master L said on the learning and training of the 22 form that I still keep in mind.

These advice from Master L are priceless because they have proven to work for me. I will mention them below in no particular order.

The first thing to bear in mind is that if you want to master Tai Chi then you should focus on training it solely.

Many of us in the past and probably in the future would want to learn a few styles at the same time since there are so many great styles out there.

However, if you really want to master Tai Chi then putting all your time into practicing just Tai Chi would serve you the best. More so, if you are learning the 22 form which contains a lot of intricacies that demands 100% of your time and attention to practice and pick up correctly.

The second thing is that training Tai Chi can be a lonely journey. It is certainly not a social activity where you gather together with a few friends, go through the form together and then engage in chit chat.

If you really want to master the 22 form you have to practice for at least 2 hours or more daily, for as long as it takes to get you there. Master L used to practice the entire day. I used to practice for 4 hours for at least 6 days a week, eventually going up to 7 days for a few years, just to reach that point where a breakthrough is achieved.

Thirdly, Tai Chi learning and practice is not a monkey see, monkey do thing. You have to learn it mentally and physically do it.

In the beginning you will have more questions on how to move than what the principles are. After some years, your questions would be more on how to do the principles properly.

In the early stage the teacher can see if your physical movements are correct or not. In the intermediate stage, your physical movements would require less corrections, so your questions would indicate your level of understanding.

Once you have made a breakthrough your outer movements would require little correction. You will also find that your questions of the way are becoming lesser. You are coming to the stage where the journey onwards is yours alone, with the principles and fortunately for us, GM Wei’s books as maps to guide us as we move forward.

The fourth thing, and I have mentioned this before, is to never discard the principles. Sometimes when you practice Tai Chi and some other style what you do in the other style may go against what you do in Tai Chi.

For example, if I were to practice Pok Khek Kuen the way we extend our arms goes against how we hold our arms in the 22 form. So if I were to keep on with my Pok Khek Kuen practice I may end up throwing away the principles of the 22 form. So proceed with caution and decide what works best for you should you ever find yourself in this place.

The fifth thing is that the ending of a learning cycle is the beginning of the next learning cycle. So your learning never ends.

Lastly, when you think you have learned everything go back to the start and relearn everything again but this time with an eye on making them all work together as one. You will find that advanced skills are just basic skills working together as a refined unit.