Rather than the usual where one interviewer asks all the questions, these are questions from WTBA members to Eli.
If you have any good questions for Eli that you’d like answered publicly, please send an email to info@taijiworld.com

 

1. With regard to how you run the WTBA, would you say you are more or less strict than Erle?

Strict? Well let’s see. I run things with more structure than he did, but I’m less strict.
For example, we now have a proper grading system people can follow, where is Dad use to just hand out instructors certificates when he thought that person was ready. We now have members on file and keep records of everything; membership is still free to join unless you want to get the special offers on videos and workshops.
Dad never kept records of anything! No mailing list, no record of what grades instructors were etc.
So I am more structured…But strict? Dad was far stricter than me.

There are many instructors in the WTBA now who Dad would have kicked out for sure! I’ve seen him do it for far lesser reasons. I tend to be a lot more lenient, so I will only kick someone out if they really step over the line, and even then I will give them the option to correct what they’re doing or leave, so it’s on them should they leave or not. I’m very easy going, but I won’t let someone walk over me.

​

2. Do instructors have to attend a minimum amount of training each year to remain an instructor?
No, this is something that Dad wanted to bring in, he actually was just about to enforce it before he died, it was going to be come and see him once a year or you’re out! It really upset him when instructors couldn’t be bothered to attend a workshop, when he made it really quite easy for people by travelling around a lot. I also thought about it many times, but in the end, seen as the WTBA is small, I think we would lose too many instructors, because a lot of people are simply slack!
So I’d rather have someone to send a student to, rather than kick them out.
The way I would like it to be is that an instructor who is teaching for the wtba has to be seen once a year by me, that could be a workshop, a private class, or even a video correction lesson, not much to ask I know. (This would not apply to those who have already paid their dues like Wally Simpson and some other seniors for example)

3. Apart from teaching, who runs the business? Website, video orders etc?
When Dad died, Ben took care of the website, he also helped Mum with any business banking etc, changing everything over into her name. Mum took all the DVD orders, made the DVDs and shipped them out; Kathleen would help with this as well.
Now though, since I built the new website which I finished in 2015, it’s pretty much a one man show, I do all the website management, answering of emails, video orders are now all automated with the MP4 downloads, but should there be any problem then you’ll deal with me. Mum still does any DVD orders, I take the order in, but she will make the DVDs and send them out, though we only get about 5% of orders in DVD format now. Mum also sends out your Membership T shirts when you sign up.

All MTG video sales profit goes to Mum, both Dad’s videos and mine, I figure I have been given enough from Dad with the amazing job I have teaching, so the videos I make are to support Mum.

​

4. Have you had many problems running  the WTBA since Erle died?
Well Dad made me head of the WTBA a few years before he died, but I guess it wasn’t really official in my mind till he was gone, as I always had him to fall back on when in doubt.  I’ve certainly had my ups and downs, but I have a great council of wtba senior instructors to help me out! If ever there is a question with no definite answer, we have a special Facebook page dedicated to working these things out, so we get on there and chat together posting our thoughts on the matter at hand, we all have different strong points, so we put them together.

I rest assured knowing that even Dad didn’t have all the answers, often I would ask him questions and we would work them out together, just like I do now with the other instructors.

There have not been any specific things that have caused me real trouble in how things are running, apart from maybe just being way to busy! Now I know how Dad use to feel when I would see him at his computer all stressed out.

​

5. Have you changed much of what Erle taught?
No, a lot of people think I have, this is because their information is out of date, so for example I have people saying that I have changed the way something is taught, only because they are basing it on how Dad did it back in the 80’s, they haven’t kept up to date with Dad’s teaching, so they have not seen that it was in fact he who made these changes. I of course show video proof that Dad did the changing, most people accept this, how could you not when seeing it with your own eyes.

Some people don’t like to admit they were wrong, so they make some excuse and then keep saying I’m the one changing things.

Having said that, I am totally open to change, I don’t like this idea that something is perfect and should stay the same forever, after all, the system we all know and love would not exist if it were not for change.
The only thing I have changed so far is two movements from the wudang hand weapons where I added a little something, and in the Bagua circular form there’s one small change that I explain on my video, but nothing major.

​

6. Did you have any problems from other instructors wanting to take your place as head of the wtba after Erle died?
Yeah just from two people, they never gave a reason why they turned on me the way they did, but it seems pretty obvious they didn’t like someone younger than them being in charge, even though I never treated them like I was above them, always treated them as equals, but equal was not enough it seems, they wanted to be at the top. It’s quite sad really, not because they betrayed me, but they betrayed Dad, they told him they would always be there to look out for me should anything ever happen to him, then turned their back the minute they saw a possibility for themselves to get ahead.

It was the same when Dad was still alive though, when Dad made me head of the WTBA, one of his senior students who had been with him for about 20 years, basically said that he should have been given this position as he had been training longer. Dad explained to him that although he had been training for twice the years, I had trained with Dad for 300 times the hours, he said the same to all instructors who had a bit of ego coming up.
After this the instructor posted some nasty things about me on his website and facebook etc.

Dad’s response? He destroyed him...... Completely and utterly. Makes me wonder what Dad would do if he came back and saw what these new ones are doing, as it makes the other guys actions seem like petty school ground behaviour in comparison. Anyone who knew Dad knew never to mess with his family!

7. Why do you take so much longer to bring out new videos compared to Erle?

Basically because I plan them out.

Dad would just hit record at a workshop and that would be the video, he had a rough idea of what that video would be about, but did not plan it out.

Meaning that very often you’ll have another video come out after to add more info or correct something he taught in a previous video. Not to knock Dad’s videos, I’m glad he did it the way he did, if he had done it my way he would have never put down as much info as he did.

The difference is, Dad was putting out videos as he was figuring it all out himself, where is I have everything there, it’s all on video apart from a few things here and there.

So my job with my videos is to consolidate everything Dad taught into an easier to follow format.
So you don’t get to a workshop and then have your teacher say “oh no we don’t do it like that anymore”
I want to have a structured format of videos to learn from, with no overlapping info, no outdated info, and made so that the student knows exactly what they should be doing.

For example, my new Bagua Basics videos you might have seen, I spent one whole month on a little island off Greece, did the form for about 6 hours every day, both practicing and working out the best possible way to put it across to beginners, then I started filming.

I’m currently working on Large San Sau, every day going over and over it figuring out the best way to get it across.

8. Did Erle ever teach things to instructors in person that he did not put on video?
Not intentionally no, maybe back in the 80’s he may have done this, but since I’ve been involved it was always his aim to get everything he knew down on video. So of course there are things me and some other instructors know that are not on video, but this is not because they are secret, it’s simply because he never got around to putting them down.

No information was intentionally kept out of videos, Dad was all about openness, no closed door students, no secret methods, even his so called “instructors only workshops” were not really that at all, he had started with that thought, not because he was giving out secret info, but just because he was aiming the classes at advanced students, but then seen as they were the only classes he was running on a regular basis, he opened to classes to anyone who wanted to attend, even a total stranger to the system.

9. Unlike most instructors in your position, you still offer one to one training for anyone, even those who do offer it charge far more than you, did Erle offer one to one training? And will you always offer it?
I’m not sure about when Dad used to run his full time school in Sydney if he gave one to ones there, but at least since the mid 90s or so he only gave private classes by invitation only.

these were for his top students, those who he might have been staying with overseas while giving a workshop, or if a special student came out to Australia from America or Europe. He also would give corrections classes to small groups of instructors in Australia.

Once we moved to the UK in 2003, he then only gave very small doses of one to one, usually it was if someone was training with me, Dad would come in and give some insight. I can only remember one time where he actually had a couple of students over together to have their form and push hands corrected. So by then he basically did not give one to one and to my knowledge he never offered it to a normal paying student, only to the people he wanted to teach.
 I on the other hand offer one to one to anyone, have done now for 15 years, I don’t yet have a family you see, meaning no kids yet.

One to one training takes a huge amount of time to benefit only one person, so I can take a weekend and train someone for 5 hours each day, or I can do a workshop with 40 people.
For now I will keep offering one to one for everyone, I may always offer it, I don’t really know, but most likely once I have kids I will want more time free to spend with them, as I remember such a wonderful upbringing myself having Mum and Dad around so much.

So I will probably have a rule as to who I will teach one to one, I will only teach those who are passing it on with their own classes, that way even though I’m only teaching one person, my time spent with that person will be helping many more people.

10. What would you say is the most annoying thing people say to you?
I’d say probably when people tell me that they knew my Dad better than me or my family did.
It seems like a crazy joke I know, but there are many people out there who think that because they use to email him all the time, or attended a workshop once a month that they knew him so well.
I think it’s because he came across so open to everyone, they felt like they knew the real Erle, but the only people who truly knew him were his immediate family.

I once had a guy tell me that I’m teaching everything wrong, saying all this stuff about how Erle use to do things, explaining to me how he use to run workshops etc, this guy had never even met Dad, he had only learnt from the videos.
Another funny one was a guy tried to convince me that Dad had secretly left him in charge, along with 5 other senior instructors, they were instructed to continue my training should anything happen to him, he said how Erle had wanted this to be a secret, so he didn’t even tell my Mum.
When I said ok great I’ll ask the other 5 senior instructors, he said no you can’t ever speak of this! Erle did not want you to know, the others cannot know I told you!

So of course I asked the others to which they all confirmed this guy was off his head and trying to undermine me.
I find it annoying yet also quite funny that people actually think they knew Dad better than me and my family and try to use it against me.

Oh and when people ask where do I get my protein from…

 

​

Should you train in Bagua or Taiji....
This is something I (Eli) get asked a lot, here you will find the FAQ that should help you to decided which one is right for you, if you need further information or have any questions then please get in touch. 

Please Note that the following is based only on the Bagua and Taiji styles taught by the WTBA.
Also, we are talking the Circular Bagua form vs the Old Yang Taiji form, since in the WTBA we train a mix of partner drills from both, it's only the form which you make a chose on.

Bagua or Taiji FAQ

 

1. Which one is better for health
   That depends on what other things you do with your body already, since health is about balance.
   As far as internal Qi development is concerned, balancing of the Qi, the mind and all other things regarded as internal training, the two systems are in my opinion equal, but different.
   
   Taiji is an easier doorway into the calm side of things, while Bagua is the easier doorway into the dynamic. Also, even at the higher levels, once you've been practicing for 20+ years, in my experience the Taiji form has a tendency to want to be done slowly, where is the Bagua form wants me to go faster and more dynamically. 
   Even if both "can" be done soft and calm, or faster and more dynamically, in my experience there do have their own preferred flow.
   
   If you choose to train the full WTBA system, you'll be doing a lot of dynamic martial drills from both styles,  therefore you may get a better overall balance by choosing the Taiji form to start with. 
   
   Good health is not just about the internal, your external physical system is just as important. 
   For this area of training Bagua offers some things that Taiji doesn't, this is due mainly to the factor in Taiji which has us 99% of the time in an upright body position, we almost never lean over in any direction, we twist the spine but not that often, we also keep the spine straight, not rounding or arching the back for the most part.
   
   These principles are why Taiji will help you into the calm Qigong state sooner than Bagua, even if it means losing some of the physical aspects.
   Less physical movement usually means it's easier to tap into the internal. Taiji can also help more in the beginning with good posture, since it's keeping it simple by always having you upright.
   
   In Bagua however, the form gets us to lean over in every direction, we round and arch the back, we twist bend and undulate, this is not only great for your spine health but also brings more activation to things like your Gluts and Hamstrings, your lower back, your whole core, as these areas are put to work more when we start to move away from a vertical position.
   
   The Bagua form also has a far greater variety of movements, putting your body into more shapes, both in the upper body and in the low squatting moves. All of this means that it will take a lot longer to find the internal connection.
   So...If for example you feel you need softening and calming, then you might want to choose Taiji, if however you feel already too soft and think that a yang boost is what you need, with more work on your physical body, then Bagua.
   
   If you already do a lot of other physical exercise, Taiji might be the better choice.
   If you are weak and unfit, thinking you need physical strengthening, then Bagua might be the better choice. 
   You can also factor in the partner training, which in the WTBA we always do a mix. 
   If you are doing lots of partner work, this is very physical and dynamic, building a lot of Yang, so you might want to choose Taiji to calm down. 

​

1. What if I'm physically unable to perform these bending twisting moves in Bagua
   Well in that case Taiji would be the better choice. Bagua can be performed in a more "Taiji" like way, where you lessen or completely remove these bending moves,
   however, since Taiji was designed this way, where is Bagua was not, imo Taiji would be the better choice.

2. Is Taiji better for Qigong/Meditation
   No, well yes, in the beginning.
   A lot of people think this because they see one small part of Bagua, just like how most people think that Taiji is all slow, they think Bagua is all fast.
   However, both systems have both elements within them. This is like I have already said in question 1.
   
   The only thing that could be seen as "better" in Taiji for Qigong purposes, is that Taiji is more two dimensional and repetitive, with it's common back and forth weight shifting, where you are essentially doing the same thing over and over in the lower body, then adding different moves on the top, but even these moves on the top are not so different from one another.
   
   Bagua on the other hand is all about changing, both in the upper and lower body. 
   The more simple and repetitive movements are, the easier it is to feel something happening internally, so most people will typically feel this sooner in Taiji than in Bagua. 
   
   After some time training however the Bagua form can give you just as much of a Qigong as the Taiji form, different though, not better or worse, just different, the only way to know which one you like in this case is to try them.
   As in question one, it's about what you need in the beginning. 

​

1. Can I learn both

2. Yes you absolutely should, but not right away.
   For most people it's better to stick to one thing at least till you reach grade 1 instructor. Splitting your focus can end up with you learning neither correctly. 

3. ​

4. If you're unsure, the best thing you can do is try both for a few weeks and see which one you like more.

5. ​

6. Which one is better if I want to learn about Self Defence 
   Forms don't teach you how to fight, they only teach you how to move, both style teach you all the stuff you need from your body in a fight, like grounding, balance, looseness, centre connection etc etc. It's the partner drills and sparring that teach you how to fight, in the WTBA we do a mix of both, so which form you choose as no affect on your fighting skills.

​

1. Which one takes up the most space
   In your first few years of training up to grade one instructor, Bagua takes more space. Bagua is done around a circle and needs a space of around 3m x 3m. Taiji needs around 1.8m x 2.7m. You can make adjustments to your body placement throughout the form if you have a small space, this is easier with Taiji, since in Bagua you do it on a circle painted on the ground. 
   
   However, once you pass instructor grade 1 and you start learning the second part of the Taiji form, this takes up around 2m x 4.2m, then the third part takes around 2.5m x 9m. This might seem like a lot, but remember it's not an issue once you're at a higher level like grade 2 instructor, to stop and move back to fit into your training space without losing the flow of the form.  

2. ​

3. I've heard Bagua is bad for your knees
   Only if it's done incorrectly, but the same can be said for Taiji and any other form of movement. 
   The only reason more people complain of knee pain in Bagua vs Taiji, is because they try to do it fast right at the start, if you do it slowly like you should be, then you won't have any problems. 

4. ​

5. Which form is more physically difficult

6. There are some things in Bagua that are more difficult, and some things more difficult in Taiji, depending on your abilities.  At the very beginning of your training, up to student grade 2, Bagua is a little easier, only on a few points though, there's not a lot in it. As you move into student grade 3 and up to Instructor grade 1, Bagua becomes more difficult, by quite a bit, as it has some spinning moves, as well as low squatting stretches, these don't come till a later stage in Taiji. 
   
   As you move into instructor grade 2 and higher, they even out, it really comes down to what your body can already do as to which one you will find more difficult.

7. ​

8. Which one takes more time to practice 
   The Taiji form has around 280 moves in total including repeats, or about 120 individual moves.
   The Bagua form has around 220 moves in total including repeats, or about 65 individual moves, but then you have the circle walking between each section, so you walk the circle 16 times during the form.
   
   Usually Bagua would take less time, because most people do it at a faster pace, however, if done at around the same speed they take about the same time to complete. However, keep in mind that when you finish the Bagua form you have done all the moves, bar two, on both sides, so the form is physically balanced left and right. 
   
   Where is the Taiji form is not, (no matter how many people try to tell you it is) although many moves are done both sides, there are also a lot which are not, so the whole form needs to be done on the other side, therefore taking twice as long as the Bagua form.
   
   You can of course do the different sides on alternating days, the form is balanced left and right enough that you don't need to do both sides one after the other. 
   
    

9. To sum up
   In my 23 years of practice and 19 years of teaching both styles, (as of 2023) I have found the best choice is to do both. They are both such amazing forms, offering different feelings and experiences, developing your mind and body in different ways. 
   
   I have been back and fourth several times throughout the years as to which is better, or my preferred form, I don't seem to be able to make my mind up, therefore I make my mind up that there is no better or preferred option. I have also practiced over the years all the other forms, they have all taught me something and it's always nice to have something different to practice for a change. 

10. 
    Less is more when you're starting out though, so pick one and stick to it, all these other forms should only come after you have a solid foundation.
    
    My advice to most people these days is to start with Taiji, then start Bagua after instructor grade 1 at the earliest, or after instructor grade 3 at the latest. 
    This is general advice though, you might have a specific reason to start with Bagua, or to choose one and never do the other, if that works for you then it's the best path for you.
    
    Anything I haven't covered? Write to me and ask
    
    Or for more info on Baguazhang you can go here
    
    For more info on Taijiquan you can go here