Your instructor needs to see how you respond to a variety of challenges.
 Can you handle difficult students?
 Do you work well under pressure?
 Are you organised?
 Can you articulate well?
 Are you capable of conveying complex information in a differentiated fashion?

 The instructor needs a good measure of your character before committing to training you.
 If you are not suitable, then instructing is not for you.
  

Long-distance tai chi instructor courses are absurd.
How can anybody learn the necessary teaching qualities from long-distance learning?
It is simply ridiculous.

Only the most desperate and naive individual would seek to undertake such a course.
The qualification is not worth the paper it is written on.
Any insurance company that provides personal liability cover based on such a course is negligent.

A student must reach a certain standard within a structured syllabus and prove their skill.
They demonstrate the discipline and the knowledge necessary to become an instructor.
Martial arts schools around the world ask the student to be of 3rd dan black belt level.

Not all tai chi schools have grades and belts. But they should at least have standards.

Do you have what it takes?

A student may decide that they can be an instructor.
This sounds reasonable.
However, can a student assess this for themselves?

It is like a person deciding that they want to climb a mountain.
Have they researched the criteria?
Do they meet with the necessary fitness standards?
Is their skill level adequate?
Can they be trusted to do what they are required to do?

You may think that you are good enough...
So what?
You are not an instructor.
You have not climbed the mountain.
From your perspective you cannot even see how high the mountain is or understand what is involved.

Only the most arrogant person decides for themselves that they are instructor calibre.

Your instructor will assess whether or not you are fit to be a teacher.
It is not for you to decide.

What qualities does your instructor seek?
You need to be:

1. Caring
2. Reliable
3. Earnest
4. Genuine
5. Punctual
6. Motivated
7. Committed
8. Trustworthy
9. Friendly and personable
10. Interested in other people

Beyond this, you need to have actual talent.
You cannot be lazy, indifferent or emotionally unbalanced.

It is difficult to learn both tai chi and bagua - but absolutely worth the effort!! With time, I expect to be able to fully differentiate one art from the other without having to think about it and also not mix them up in practice. They are both so completely different, one teaching to yield, empty the centre and act - the other teaching to move your centre and act. Baguazhang is sneaky, like moving in a shadow. Tai chi teaches to yield to the incoming force as a tactic.

 It can be a lot to take in at times, however, when you 'get it', the feeling is fantastic. Applying an application on an opponent correctly is both exciting and surprising. The effect from so little work and being relaxed [or trying to be relaxed] is incredible. It is absolutely worth it, but it obviously requires more practice than learning one art alone. Reading, relaxing and practice are the key elements to be able to learn both in my opinion.
 
 (Barnaby Baron)

Becoming an instructor takes a lot of time: literally years...
You need to be closely guided by a skilled and knowledgeable instructor.
It is easy to mistakes.

Your instructor will set you many tasks to determine your attitude.
Laziness is your worst enemy.

An instructor works far harder than a student.
If you lack the motivation to do what is necessary, you would make a very shabby instructor.

 Sifu shows that the use of bagua in self defence is very effective and formidable. It is unpredictable for the attacker and extremely disorientating due to the movements and stepping of the defender. It is sneaky in its use of angles and finding openings. It offers many possibilities for the defender to counter attack. Bagua encourages lightness and mobility. It gets you out of the way fast and helps you deal with the potential chaos of multiple attackers. Good for people with smaller stature.

 (Rachel Waller)

I am really enjoying learning baguazhang. Learning two different concepts of internal art really gives you a lot to think about and take in. The teaching method is exactly how I would want it to be. Focusing on one aspect of bagua one week, and then another aspect the next, never combining. You are clear and concise with your ideas, teachings and requests. I feel that this is vital to a student being able to learn. The student must be able to listen though or the teachings are pointless.

 Within the baguazhang class, I like the fact that there are no belts. Everyone has equal status, although different levels of capability. The class has a clear path; each class seems to have a message or a lesson to be learned. Not just learning 'something', but a specific lesson. I will always leave a bagua session with something new in my head. Again, I feel this is vital to keeping interest levels up without overdosing on information. I guess that this comes down to only teaching someone what they are capable of understanding.

 (Barnaby Baron)

Most of your combat training in our school will not involve sets.
We prefer our students to experience a wide range of spontaneous attacks from solo and multiple attackers, armed and unarmed.

Sets are a learning tool and can be very useful, but they are not random enough for self defence.
Melee combat tests the individual's ability to respond under pressure.

Expert students learn to take the sets apart and gain a comprehensive understanding of the biomechanics involved.
They can also make connections and associations between patterns, themes and form movements.
Hidden applications become apparent.

Every combat set contains countless chin na, shuai jiao and variations on a movement.
A skilled student can easily recognise viable follow-ups and explore these.

At this stage, the combat set pervades the student's consciousness and can be used readily in self defence.

How do you know if you are doing it correctly?

It works.
It feels easy.
It is very effective.
The attacker should be incapable of mounting an effective counter-attack.

Combat sets require the student to apply tai chi skills effectively.
You cannot simply use force and expect success.

The sets are ruthless in their ability to expose faults in your practice.
Only by adhering to their lessons and requirements can the student apply tai chi correctly in combat.

We believe that self defence should be taught in an environment of fun and mutual respect.
People are more likely to be laughing than wincing in pain. They are too busy enjoying the cleverness of taoism and kung fu.

Nobody is paying to get beaten up. 

Why does somebody undertake a long-distance instructor course?

This is a hard one to answer because none of the answers really make any sense.
The most obvious answers are not very flattering:

1. Lazy
2. Stupid
3. Ignorant
4. Arrogant
5. No discipline
6. No credibility
7. No self-respect
8. Lacks the necessary competence
9. Likes the idea of being a tai chi instructor
10. Incapable of completing a genuine 'real world' instructor course in a known school

The sad part is that there are organisations out there profiteering from tai chi deadbeats.
This is why tai chi has no credibility in the 21st Century martial arts world.