I was wondering, is TCM an art that must be learned from a teacher, or can it be learned from textbooks and other references? Can somone learn TCM without a proper teacher/instructor?
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I was wondering, is TCM an art that must be learned from a teacher, or can it be learned from textbooks and other references? Can somone learn TCM without a proper teacher/instructor?
For years I tried to learn TCM on my own by reading books and hanging out with an acupuncturist. I did manage to get a decent foundation in TCM as a result. Unfortunately, the body of knowledge required for TCM practice is so vast, some sort of 'formal' instruction (I use the term loosely) is really needed to gain the subtleties and proper methods of diagnosis, etc. Fact of the matter is, popular media books often don't give enough information, and it's tough to find out about all the resources available (texts, etc).
However, that should not discourage you from learning on your own anyways.... but to unlock the deeper stuff in TCM you really need to find someone to guide you on your way. I got my butt back in school... TCM school, in fact, and now I'm learning much more than I ever imagined. But I learned much from my Sifu years before, and from a friend who was going to TCM school, so it's possible to learn quite a bit about TCM just by reading and talking with TCM people. Like us.:p
peace,
herb ox
Thanks! I will be sure to learn from you guys and ask you many questions, as well as try learn on my own. Also, would you know if any TCM schools are located in Maryland? Or are they hard to find?
Check out The TAI Sophia Institute in Laurel, MD. I'm not sure what else there is in your neck of the woods, but I believe the Maryland Acupuncture Institute closed a few years back....
good luck! And, should you decide to attend, I'd say it's definately worth your while!
peace
herb ox
There is a former taoist priest in NC that is also a OMD in Chinese Medicine. He offers an apprenticeship that teaches everything about the taoist internal system, including TCM, acupuncture, massage therapy, over 500 herbs and formulas, hundred year old dit da formulas, and chi gung remote healing. He basically teaches everything there is to know about chinese martial arts including several high level styles. It is an expensive apprenticeship but you inherit all of his titles, knowledge, and genealogies. It is a three year master course. He is very well qualified. I study Southern Shao Lin Kung Fu from him and believe me he is the real thing. I have seen it.
If you want to dive a little into Dit Da, defenitally get Tom Bisio's book "A Tooth from the Tigers Mouth". Its more sport medics rather then TCM where you also dive more into deseases and so. Tom's book more goes into sports (read: martial arts) related injuries and effects which I think is generally the type of TCM martial artists are interested in.
Do you recommend any books on TCM?Quote:
Originally Posted by Asmo
:o
I'm not into TCM myself (I only have an interest in Dit Da), so do not see myself qualified or able at all to recommend you anything else. Sites like http://www.tcmstudent.com/ and http://www.acuxo.com/ offer a lot of pointers in the direction you are searching for however.
Whenever this topic comes up, as it does from time to time, the ol' standby read is "The web that has no weaver" by Ted Kaptchuk - if you can find an older used copy of this text, it is certainly a good read that'll get you going in the right direction. The newer edition of the book has been greatly expanded with more detail, but even some TCM students find the newer edition to be a bit 'dense' with information, so the older edition may be an easier read.
Personally, I have not read the new edition, as I have an old copy of the book that I picked up for 2 bucks at the local used bookstore. Check it out...
Good luck
herb ox
If anyone needs a good book its this one:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...books&n=507846
Ahh thanks IronMonkey! Ever since I went through Tom Bisio's book I have been going through books that dive more into each individual topic he covers (such as acupressure) to build up from the knowledge gained from Bisio's book, and this book seems like an excellent startoff into the theories of TCM.
So much to learn, so little time!