Tai Chi/Qigong Certification

The Tai Chi/Qigong Certification from American Tai Chi and Qigong Association independently accredits Tai Chi teachers, schools and practitioners of any style, program, lineage or application.

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Templates for Recommendation Letters:

Letter from a client

Letter from a peer

Letter from a student

Certified Tai Chi (or Qigong) Practitioner

• 1. At least 150 documented hours in formal Tai Chi or Qigong training
• 2. Two or more reference letters.

Certification Renewal: Receive continuing education (in the form of self-study, workshops, seminars and/or classes) in Tai Chi for at least 10 hours a year.

Certified Associate Tai Chi (or Qigong) Instructor

• 1. At least 200 hours of experience in teaching Tai Chi and/or Qigong
• 2. Three reference letters from other Tai Chi instructors, students, your trainers, etc. At least one of them should come from Tai Chi instructors (can be your trainers and/or peers).

 Certified Tai Chi (or Qigong) Instructor (Level I)

• 1. At least 500 hours of experience in teaching Tai Chi and/or Qigong
• 2. Three reference letters from other Tai Chi instructors, students, your trainers, etc. At least one of them should come from Tai Chi instructors (can be your trainers and/or peers).
• 3. Optional: Awards, publications, etc.

 Certified Tai Chi (or Qigong) Instructor (Level II)

• 1. All the criteria from Level I
• 2. At least 1000 hours of experience in teaching Tai Chi and/or Qigong

 Certified Tai Chi (or Qigong) Instructor (Level III)

• 1. All the criteria from Level I
• 2. At least 2000 hours of experience in teaching Tai Chi and/or Qigong

 Certified Tai Chi (or Qigong) Master Instructor

• 1. At least 5000 hours of experience in teaching Tai Chi and/or Qigong
• 2. Manifestation of Leadership: promoting Tai Chi to the public through such channels as social events, writing articles for the media, and so on. Demonstrated influence in the industry.
• 3. Five or more reference letters from other Tai Chi instructors, students, clients, etc. At least three of the letters should comment on your teaching performance. At least two of the reference letters provide proof for your leadership.
• 4. Other supporting documents: certificates, publications, etc.

Certification Renewal :

• 1. Receive continuing education (in the form of self-study, workshops, seminars and/or classes) in Tai Chi for at least 10 hours a year.
• 2. Maintain at least 100 hours in teaching Tai Chi every year.

Meeting the above criteria does not automatically qualify you for the ATCQA Tai Chi/Qigong Certification. The decision will also depend on the credential of the organization(s) from which you received Tai Chi training, the significance of the reference letters, etc. ATCQA reserves the right to make these assessments on a case-by-case basis.

Tai Chi Certification Fees

• Application fee: None – the application is free
• Certification fee (after the application is approved): $110/term(2-year) for Practitioners, $130/term(2-year) for Instructors, $150/term(2-year) for Master Instructors.

ATCQA Professional members receive 50% discount on the above fees.

Renewal fee (after the first 2 years of certification): $65/term(2-year)

Click here to apply for the certification.