In the Web 2.0 world, drtaichi.com is what is known as a “niche community website.”  What’s another name for  ”niche community?” Sub-culture.

I first started thinking about the phenomenon of sub-cultures when I discovered the underground ballroom dancing world… in Omaha, Nebraska of all places.  Well, that was just where I was introduced to it.  It turns out that this underground world, this sub-culture — this niche community — can be found everywhere! But I’m digressing… Anyway, I started thinking about the common characteristics of sub-cultures:  a unique language used by its members; folkloric heroes and epic stories;  shared dress codes; and -most important – favorite toys!  For example, one of the most important toys for ballroom dancers are their shoes.

Then it dawned on me that I’ve been a part of a sub-culture for 30 years:   the T’ai Chi sub-culture, which is actually a sub-set of the martial arts sub-culture.  A niche within a niche, if you will.  We have our own special language – even in China regular people don’t talk about jing or compare how relaxed their kwas are.  T’ai Chi aficionados compete most of all – not in the ring – but with who has the best story about the fighting skill of some obscure master in their school’s past.   And like dancers, we do love our shoes.  I myself have four different pairs of shoes made in China specifically for T’ai Chi.

The funniest thing about subcultures is that all their stuff is so totally cool and fascinating – when you’re one of the INSIDERS.  The rest of the world looks at  you as either a freak (like Bruce Lee) or a geek (like the kid who wears his karate gi to the pizza parlor).  It’s often better not to say too much about your particular sub-culture’s inner idiosyncrasies when you’re talking to infidel non-believers.  Let there be some mystery.

On the other hand, every member of a sub-culture can be an ambassador about the beauty of their underground community to the rest of the world.  Every niche is an incubator for unique expressions of art, science and philosophy.  The creations of these sub-cultures slip out into the larger world and enrich every one of us.  And let us not forget that one of the characteristics of most sub-cultures is that they connect people who would be otherwise impossibly separated by language, geography or politics.  Even Arabs and Israelis may put aside their differences and find peace as long as they’re both part of the antique car restoration sub-culture.

I’m kind of one of the freaks of the T’ai Chi world – The T’ai Chi Guy; the white guy on all those videos; America’s T’ai Chi Champion.  But I prefer to think of myself as an ambassador.  I want to share those aspects of T’ai Chi that can unite rather than divide people – like the fact that Qi can keep you healthier, stay younger and live longer – and most of all, that practicing T’ai Chi can be so much FUN!

(I just won’t mention the shoes, OK?)

I recently started listening to some podcasts and reading blogs about “Web 2.0″ – the new evolution in the way that we use the World Wide Web. For all my friends and students over the age of (ahem…) who may be unfamiliar with the term Web 2.0, I have three words for you: Twitter, Flickr and Facebook. Ring a bell now? Even John McCain knows Twitter (apparently).

But as I am beginning to learn, Web 2.0 is a whole lot more than social networking and Google maps. It is about the open (as opposed to “secret”) sharing of information, communication and ideas across all platforms of technology. That last part really has me intrigued. It means that you can get all kinds of media – text, images, video and audio (both spoken and music) on any kind of device – your computer, your t.v., your ipod and even your cell phone.

So how does the Web 2.0 relate to T’ai Chi? Well, here’s an example: the other day one of my students sent me an article by a pretty well-known (caucasian) T’ai Chi teacher. In the article, he was talking about his claim that the style he teaches was only taught to a small inner circle of disciples of the second son of the original master of all masters… OK, about this time I just tuned out.

I kept wondering, “What good is information if it is impossible to find? What good is knowledge if it is never shared?” One the other hand, what would it be like to live in a world in which we could freely access the wisdom of the ages (particularly in the moments of great stress when we need it most of all)?

Ever since I found my first Flip video camera, I’ve been more or less obsessed with the idea that we are living in an age in which T’ai Chi instruction could meet the 21st century. Instruction could follow you anywhere, and it could be completely interactive. For example, since more and more cell phones have video cameras built right in; almost anyone could fire off a short video clip to a T’ai Chi teacher for a quick Q&A during practice! Or you could take a lesson online – while waiting in line at the DMV! Or you could tweet about a particular move with a group of fellow students – all of whom live in different parts of the world.

It’s what I call T’ai Chi 2.0… and so we decided to make drtaichi.com the first example of combining T’ai Chi with Web 2.0 technology to become (what we hope will be) the largest resource for interactive T’ai Chi learning on the internet! You may have noticed the changes on our site lately. We are creating a rich forum for T’ai Chi. We envision an Academy for the study, research and development of T’ai Chi; a marketplace for ideas; and a virtual community for the exchange and exploration of thoughts and questions.

It’s starting tomorrow (assuming that all our techno stuff goes well). It’s going to be HUGE! But that’s all I can say about it – until tomorrow. See you then!