Accreditation

Become a TCAA Accredited Tai Chi Instructor

Set the Standard for Excellence in Australia.

The Tai Chi industry in Australia is rapidly growing — but it remains largely unregulated. Short courses and generic programs are crowding the market, often delivering substandard training that treats Tai Chi more as light exercise than the profound martial art and health practice it truly is.

The Tai Chi Association of Australia (TCAA) is changing that.

Recognised in the Federal Government’s 2025 Natural Therapies Review as the leading national industry body for Tai Chi in Australia, the Tai Chi Association of Australia (TCAA) brings more than 25 years of experience and Australia-wide representation to its members. Building on this foundation, TCAA is proud to launch a rigorous, nationally consistent Instructor Accreditation Program, designed by dedicated Tai Chi instructors for dedicated Tai Chi instructors. The program respects traditional lineages and diverse training backgrounds while establishing clear standards for practical skill, teaching competence, safety, ethics, and professionalism.

Why Pursue TCAA Instructor Accreditation?

Professional Recognition & Credibility

Stand out as a TCAA Accredited Instructor. Join an elite group of instructors committed to upholding the highest standards of Tai Chi instruction in Australia.

Health Fund Compliant

Our accreditation has been recognised and accepted by the Australian Regional Health Group (ARHG), representing more than 30 private health fund providers. Only TCAA Accredited Instructors will be eligible to apply for private health fund provider status for Tai Chi services (subject to the policies of each individual fund).

Access to other Health Fund Provider opportunities will come online as Funds implement their programs.

Insurance Benefits

Gain access to potentially discounted Public Liability and Professional Indemnity insurance through TCAA partnerships.

Expanded Career Opportunities

Position yourself as the preferred choice for government organisations, local councils, corporate wellness programs, aged care facilities, and community groups. As TCAA accreditation becomes the recognised industry benchmark, accredited instructors will be at the forefront of these opportunities.

Flexible Ways to Qualify

The program recognises real-world experience and diversity:

• Minimum 5 years (or 200 hours) of continuous Tai Chi practice
• Minimum 100 hours of independent teaching experience
• Multiple pathways including mentorship, video assessment (unedited, no AI), competition results, formal training, and Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)
• Special consideration for experienced instructors and lineage holders

Ongoing Professional Development

Maintain currency through Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and benefit from TCAA resources, networking, workshops, and a supportive national Tai Chi community.

Upholding the Integrity of Tai Chi

Help protect the reputation and quality of Tai Chi by ensuring only competent, ethical, and well-trained instructors teach the art. All accredited instructors must adhere to a comprehensive Code of Conduct and Ethics.

Who Should Apply?

• Experienced Tai Chi instructors seeking formal national recognition
• Lineage holders and long-term practitioners with considerable teaching experience
• Tai Chi Instructors who want to gain the associated benefits of accreditation including the ability to become a Health Fund Provider
• Anyone committed to excellence who wants to counter the flood of low-quality instructors

The accreditation process is straightforward with an online application via the new TCAA website, supported by clear guidelines, templates, and expert assessment.

Take the Next Step in Your Tai Chi Journey

Professional Recognition. Protect the integrity of the art. Expand your opportunities.

KWA’s National Coaching Accreditation Scheme (NCAS)

The Australian Coaching Council introduced the National Coaching Accreditation Scheme (NCAS) to regulate instructors /coaches of sporting bodies. The Kung Fu Wushu Australia (KWA) is a provider of Instructor Accreditation courses under the NCAS for Kung Fu, of which Tai Chi is a part.

The NCAS is a regulatory program which provides regulated instructors, to ensure professional updating, client -safe environments and ‘classes’ that were conducted ethically, lawfully and with respect to best business practice.

The Accreditation Course covers coaching/teaching /instructing (all interchangeable) methods, business considerations and risk management processes with a Chinese WuShu (martial Arts- including Tai Chi) emphasis. The Course includes satisfactory completion of a workbook on coaching methods/processes and also requires submission of a video of your class in progress.

The pre-requisite for course entry is 5 years of Tai Chi study under suitably qualified instructor/s who vouch/s that you have obtained the necessary skill for teaching purposes. Where there is no teacher to sign off the Sports Specific (Tai Chi ) component for you, you would need to submit that you were the most senior (experienced) in your group with support evidence of the forms you’ve learned, the amount of training you have had and the teachers who have provided this. A minimum of 1 year teaching experience as an assistant is also necessary and can be undertaken within the 5 year period or after the accreditation course, but the certificate would be withheld until both requirements are finalised.

NCAS Accreditation needs updating every 4 years and insurance is increasingly dependant on currency of accreditation, which is invalidated if membership with KWA lapses. ALL TCAA members are associate members of KWA and do not need to take out separate memberships in order to undertake NCAS accreditation. Updating consists of attending the workshop as previously, to pick up any newly available information.

Risk minimisation strategies are the current focus. You can access KWA website for further info.