How to Become a Certified Instructor

Bruce’s mission is to certify as many qualified instructors as possible. There is an ongoing need for more teachers to combat the looming health crisis in the West. We would like the Energy Arts program to become a realistic and natural option for people of any age group who wish to enhance their health and vitality for life.

Teacher Training and Certification Programs

Many instructor training courses have prerequisites to be eligible for testing and certification. Most instructors trainees study the material for at least three years before attending an instructor training.

No prerequisites are necessary for Dragon and Tiger Qigong teacher trainings although it’s highly encouraged.

It is recommended that you study the course in workshop, evening class or retreat format beforehand, either with Bruce Frantzis or with one of his Senior Instructors, and practice that material for a while before taking a teacher training program for that course. You will get far more out of the experience and be much better prepared to teach.

Ideally, you should come into any Energy Arts Instructor Training knowing all the movement of whatever qigong, internal martial art (bagua, tai chi and hsing-i) that you plan on studying. By doing so, you will gain far more from the course, which often focuses on the internal energy work rather than the movements since Bruce assumes instructor trainees come in knowing the physical movements.

Dragon & Tiger, Energy Gates, Heaven & Earth, and Foundational Qigong Certification

Bruce is not the only one who can certify instructors! As of 2018, three of our Senior Instructors can certify new instructors. After their diligent hard work, Bill Ryan, Craig Barnes, and Paul Cavel can now conduct their own instructor training courses in Dragon and Tiger Qigong, Energy Gates Qigong, Heaven and Earth Qigong, and Foundational Qigong. With at least 35 years of experience each, there are now more possibilities to become certified in this graceful yet powerful practice. You can click on their names above to find out more about these Senior Instructors and their teaching schedule.

Some Students Only Want to Learn

Some people with a little experience in qigong, tai chi and other energy arts attend a training program because they just want to learn the material better and upgrade their practice. They do not necessarily want to receive a teacher certification.

Students with no previous experience in the material will most likely have a teacher trainee assigned to them as a personal tutor to help them understand the course and learn faster.

Best Learning Sequence for Teachers

The ideal training sequence would be:

1. Foundational Qigong
2. Dragon and Tiger Medical Qigong–primarily for those only interested in qigong
3. Energy Gates Qigong–to develop the fundamentals and background required to learn tai chi.

However, at the present time there is often only one teacher training available each year, so most serious students simply take the training programs in the sequence available.

Taoist studies are presented in a circle. Accordingly, you may attain provisinal certifications out of order that would become active as soon as you complete the prerequisite course.

Both Energy Gates Qigong and Heaven and Earth Qigong certifications will be required to be eligible for Level Two certification in some Tai Chi and Bagua Instructor Training programs. If you are committed to becoming an instructor, the most important thing is to start by taking courses and practicing in any sequence offered.

Practical Qigong Training

As of 2010, Energy Arts requires that after instructors receive provision certification that they submit a specific number of case studies. This is to ensure highest quality teaching standards. It also helps new instructors start teaching, whether it be just a few people or an entire class.

Each course we offer is accompanied by training materials and learning guides that you can use to start your own classes. In the future, Energy Arts will also release more live DVD products that will be useful for both instructors and the students.