Lineage

Why lineage is important:

When we buy something we like to know the brand, what it is made from and where it comes from or maybe if it is organic. In other words we can check the label to get some idea of the quality. With traditional Chinese skill, if you know the lineage then you can have some idea of the quality, whereas if someone turns up and says they are a Qigong or Tai Chi teacher but they are vague about their background and qualifications, then should we trust them? 

If we are not familiar with Chinese martial arts, it is hard for us to judge the quality of the teacher's skill. But we can see if they look healthy, and if their senior students who have been training for a long time look healthy. Of course the atmosphere in the class is also important. Beyond this it can be hard to tell how good the teacher is, but we can ask about the lineage and how long the teacher has been training that skill, and if they still have regular contact with their Sifu (teacher). This information will all give some indication of the quality of the skill being taught. That is why, in the world of Chinese martial arts and health skills, who your teacher is, is all important.

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Photo shows Grandmaster Chen Xiao Wang, Master Michael Tse & Sifu Peter Andersen