Name-dropping

Some tai chi people love to 'name-drop'. They travel to see all manner of visiting masters and add them to their tai chi curriculum vitae.

Collecting forms and snippets of information is a popular pastime in tai chi.
What can you really learn from one workshop or a weekend seminar? Is a visiting expert really going to bare his secrets to a room of total strangers?

Be honest about this. Training with a renowned expert in no way translates to mean that you have been given that person's skill. Do not be naive.

The only proof of skill lies with the individual. What can you personally do? Your master may be brilliant at tai chi but you might be lousy.

Similarly, your instructor may be mediocre yet your skills are excellent.