A Niche By Any Other Name…
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?)
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OH dear!!!
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Well I just look forward to being Freakyier and Geekier all the time.
I don’t know about shoes(I practice barefoot most of the time)but as far as “sub-culture” Well it could be worse–we could be ‘gamers”
All kidding aside, I am just so thrilled, If a little lonely, to be part of the Tai Chi gang. I belong to a yoga class too(another “subculture” as far as this town is conserned).
Practiceing Tai Chi is fun. The only other “game” in town takes it so seriously that it mainly scares people away.
Some times I get to be an ambassador myself. I go down by the river in the local nature preserve and practice there a couple times a week. I always end up talking to someone who stops to watch and giving them the Drtaichi website.
My only sadness in this is that I run into so many of the FORMER students of Mr.serious.
They talk about how mean(yes. mean) he was and how he was constantly forcing them to do things. This is the dark side of the subculture.
I am just glad that I can steer people that I meet to a place where TC is a positive experence.
oh and by the way, the stepping drills are really starting to bring some positive changes to the way I practice.