HOW TO TEACH AMERICAN MAH JONGG (Article 201)

Mah jongg is a centuries-old game that originated in China and has spread throughout the world with over 40 ways to play. American mah jongg is one of the hardest versions to learn but once a player understands the fundamentals, it is one of the easiest to play. Because of the complexities, a progressive approach to teaching the game has the best results. Below is the basic training lesson plan from the Mahj Life Lesson Kit. The methods used in this kit have been designed to teach the game steadily, allowing most players to absorb the information without feeling overwhelmed. The lesson kit includes eight mock American mah jongg cards that can be used if your students don’t have the NMJL card. Since mah jongg lessons fall under continuing education, you can make copies of the NMJL card for lessons because fair use permits using copyrighted works without permission in certain cases, including teaching. Typically, instructors who use this exception allow students to use a copy of the NMJL card during lessons, collect the copies afterward, and encourage students to purchase their own cards directly from the NMJL. https://copyright.universityofcalifornia.edu/use/fair-use.html

Since the exercises build from one component to the next, you should follow the lesson plan in order – do not skip steps. The process can typically be completed in an hour if everyone is on task.  Following is an outline of the recommended lesson plan:

• Step 1 Instructor Background
• Step 2 Brief Game History (i.e., origins, imported to the United States, NMJL established)
• Step 3 Tile Symbolization and Object of the Game (i.e., be the first to complete a hand on the card, one pick at a time)       
• Step 4-5 Modeling Exercises I
  • Step 4 Block Modeling (introduce concepts of singles, pairs, pungs, and kongs – use the terminology)
  • Step 5 Suit Modeling (introduce working with suits in varying combinations)
    • One Suit
    • Mixed Suits
    • One Suit with Corresponding Dragons
    • Mixed Suits with Opposite Dragons
    • NEWS, Year, and Pairs
• Step 6 Player Reference (walk-through of the NMJL card)
• Step 7-8 Modeling Exercises II
• • Step 7 Random Pulls (introduce how to pick a category based on the strength of the hand)
  Step 8 Category Modeling (practice building hands)
  Step 9 Charleston (focus on basic decision making; introduce strategies as opportunities arise to minimize overwhelm)
• Step 10 Game Set Up (i.e., build the walls, break the wall, deal the tiles)
• Step 11 Play (open hands with coaching as time permits and focus on basic decision making; introduce strategies as opportunities arise to minimize overwhelm)
• Step 12 Strategy (introduce strategies followed by closed hands as time permits)

Here are links to videos that can give you ideas on how this methodology works:

• Teaching the Game
• American Mah Jongg Lesson for Teachers
• American Mah Jongg Lesson for Players

1 4-Hour Session BOOT CAMP
Hours 1-2	Fundamentals (Steps 1-9)
Hours 3-4	Open play with coaching (Steps 10-11); read Core Strategy and mention that video demonstrations are available on YouTube.

4 3-Hour Sessions Basic Training
Session 1	Basic Training I
Hour 1	Fundamentals (Steps 1-5)
Hour 2	Fundamentals (Steps 6-9)
Hour 3	Random Pulls and Charleston Modeling
Session 2	Basic Training II
Hour 1	Fundamentals (Step 10)
Hour 2	Fundamentals (Step 11)
Hour 3	Closed play with coaching
Session 3	Basic Training III
Hour 1	Charleston Modeling
Hour 2	Core Strategy (Step 12)
Hour 3	Open play with coaching
Session 4	Basic Training IV
Hour 1	Charleston Modeling
Hours 2-3	Closed play with coaching

6 2-Hour Sessions Basic Training
Session 1	Basic Training I
Hour 1	Fundamentals (Steps 1-5)
Hour 2	Fundamentals (Steps 6-9)
Session 2	Basic Training II
Hour 1	Random Pulls
Hour 2	Charleston Modeling
Session 3	Basic Training III
Hours 1-2	Fundamentals (Steps 10-11)
Session 4	Basic Training IV
Hour 1	Core Strategy (Step 12)
Hour 2	Open play with coaching
Session 5	Basic Training V
Hour 1	Skill Builders (Charleston Modeling, Chain Reaction, Sprints)
Hour 2	Closed play with coaching
Session 6	Basic Training VI
Hours 1-2	Closed play with coaching

American mah jongg is one of the most difficult versions to learn because of the complexities of the annual card. Here are why some new players feel overwhelmed while learning the game:

• Sensory overload (i.e., learning style, personality)
• Diminished capacity (i.e., dementia)
• Limited attention span (i.e., tweens, teens)

Consider using methods in Jump-Starters (Article 212)

Teaching as a New Player

You can teach others how to play even as a beginner if you are confident about these mah jongg fundamentals.

• Preliminaries (Article 200)
• How to pick a hand (Article 212)
• The Charleston (Article 218)
• Picking. discarding, and making exposures (Articles)
• Using jokers (Articles)
• Scoring (Article 208)

Also, you should use a proven methodology and provide next-step resources so players know where to go to continue learning more about the game.

1. Start lessons with a disclaimer that you are new to the game and will only be teaching the fundamentals.
2. Use an existing methodology (this article) or create your own.
3. Share rules precisely as printed on the back of the card.
4. Provide a handout or send an email with next-step resources.
   • Direct links to NMJL YouTube videos (Article 192)
5. Follow up with players to check their progress and remind them to continue their learning using provided next-step resources.

Please consider joining the Mahj Life Instructor Guild for ongoing education, resources, and group coaching.