Are They Really a Mah Jongg Teacher?

I recently had a student who took a class at a local spot. According to the student, the “teacher” had only recently learned to play mah Jongg herself and decided to open a mah Jongg business. I just love how much mah Jongg has taken off. I love that people love it so much they want to share it with others. What I don’t love is that people who don’t really know everything about the game are charging others to “teach” them.

The new-to-me student told me how frustrating it was in her other class because the “teacher” didn’t teach her, or the other members of the class. Instead they just dealt the tiles out and started playing. When asked about rules, the explanations were haphazard and the teacher told then,”she doesn’t want people to be too bothered by rules, but just have fun.”

If you come to a class you should be taught in an organized way all the rules as well as the strategy. Someone who is more interested in selling you things or has only been playing mah Jongg less than a few years may not really be a teacher.

It frustrates me that these disorganized teachers ruin the Mah Jongg well, because so many people go to the “class” and give up because the game is too complicated to not be taught in a precise way.

If you “learned” mah Jongg by sitting next to someone who was playing or from a class that felt disorganized I am happy to take you on a more deliberate journey to really love and understand this game.

I have a beyond beginner class at Home for Entertaining in Cary in July that can help you learn how to “think” like a mah Jongg pro and fill in your missing knowledge you might not even know is missing.

Before you sign up for a mah Jongg class find out how long and how many other students your teacher has taught. I have been doing it 27 years to over 25,000 students. I can tell you the way I teach mah Jongg has greatly evolved over the years. Understanding all the different ways people learn is key to being able to make sure every student goes away knowing how to play.

You just can’t go around a table and tell people what tile to play. You have to explain the why so people can learn. I know mah Jongg is at a craze point right now. Many retailers find holding mah Jongg events at their stores is a great way to get customers in. An event is not always a class and the person running it may not be anything close to a teacher. Go in knowing the difference.

If you want to take classes with me visit my website www.learnmahjongg.com. to find where I will be teaching. If I am not teaching near you, contact me about setting up a class. Beginner classes are for people who want to learn the rules and how to play the game. If you think you know how to play the Beyond Beginner class is the most fun way to get to be a better player. Mah Jongg is a great lifetime game. Learn responsibly. You will love it so much more if you are taught correctly from the start.