A few years ago I attended Tai Chi / Qigong day at a local park. During the course of demonstrations and such, the MC, whom I know, was introducing local instructors and
pointed me out to the assembled crowd. A bit later I was approached by an obese man
who wanted a word with me. He asked me if I might be able to help him as his Chi was
"all messed up". I told him no I couldn't because I didn't believe in Chi. We chatted a while
with him telling me all about his aches, pains, and malady's. In the end I told him his problems
were almost certainly linked to his obesity and not "messed up Chi". I got the feeling that he didn't or couldn't accept my explanation. During the course of our talk I had noticed another instructor, whom I knew, sort of listening in. A little later I noticed that she had taken this man aside and had him sitting on the ground. She then proceeded to back off from him about 10 feet, assume a sort of Tai Chi stance, focus her palms toward him, and then sidestepped, slowly, in a circle around him. When she was finished she announced that, indeed, his Chi was "all messed up", and yes, she could help him with it. Now I'm not a violent man but the urge to walk up and slap the CHI right out of her almost got the best of me. Then I realized that the two of them really did deserve each other. Both might learn something from it.
Why tell this story you ask??? Because it happened and continues to happen and that's sad, very sad, for Tai Chi. The dishonesty of this little "event" was appalling to an art that has so much to offer.