Our next induction course is Monday 6th July.

New starters are welcome!

Using qi

Qi alone is not going to defeat anyone. If it could, why bother to learn the system? Why not just hit people with your qi?

To apply tai chi effectively in combat you have to learn pretty much all the same skills you would learn in any martial art, but with a twist.

Unlike the external arts, your focus will be upon whole-body movement, softness, gravity, sensitivity and going with the flow. There is no holding, blocking, bracing or forcing of any kind.

Commitment

Some people think that 'a bit of tai chi' will lead to some drastic improvement in fitness. Sorry, it won't. You may feel good after one lesson but nothing significant or fundamental has changed.

If you want meaningful results you will need to make an investment in tuition, time and effort.

Losing weight

Weight loss usually involves balancing your food intake and activity. Undertaking a daily qigong and tai chi regime will most certainly help your body exercise.

This must be paired with a diet that best suits the individual.

Stanford medicine tai chi study

 https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2008/05/tai-chi-master-studied-for-power-to-control-body.html

Healing

Tai chi was developed as a martial art. Healing was first promoted by Yang Cheng Fu in the early part of the 20th Century.

The health benefits of tai chi are an off-shoot of good body use, relaxation and healthy attitudes.

Fix me up

Tai chi is not going to fix you up. It was never intended (or designed) to be something employed for repair. At best, it may be seen as a tonic.

A tonic is a medicine taken daily in order to maintain and invigorate the body. It may significantly improve your fitness.

However, you should take note of the small print, the conditions of use:

1. It must be administered every day 

2. When you stop taking it, the fitness benefits go away

This is something to really think about. Re-read the paragraph if you need to.

Learning from a book or DVD?

Books and DVDs may serve to supplement lessons but they are no substitute for actual tuition. The number of mistakes and misconceptions that will arise are astronomical in number.

Imagine trying to learn how to drive a car by watching a DVD or reading a book... No driving instructor. Just you.

Trying to study a physical art with no guidance is an equivalent folly.

The danger with seeking to learn qigong from a DVD is that you are guaranteed to make many, many mistakes but lack the wherewithal to recognise what those mistakes are and how to remedy them.

I strongly believe that students should limit themselves to learning and fully developing in just one style only. By learning many styles and collecting many forms we simply cannot have sufficient time to practice.

Few have the resources or talent to be the master of more than one style. The really good teachers focus on one style.

(Adam Hsu)

Stretching

Mild stretching occurs throughout the training but strong stretching is not advisable.

A stretched muscle can reduce the mobility of the joints, affect range, upset balance and inhibit correct skeletal alignment.

Form requires the student to move freely and easily. The limbs should have already been stretched when you warmed-up. There is no need to stretch further than 70% of your reach.

Over-stretching means needlessly burning energy like crazy; since stretching costs effort. This is not the tai chi way.

Postures

When tai chi is shown in books or photographs, the conclusion of the movement is shown. This is regarded as being a static 'posture' akin to a yoga posture e.g. warrior.

To see tai chi in this way is erroneous and will lead to a great misunderstanding of the art. The only static posture encountered in a tai chi class is standing qigong (and this is not tai chi).

Postures are static. Tai chi is about movement. Chang San-feng said: Tai chi is like a great river rolling on unceasingly.

Slow & boring

Modern people are highly stimulated. They want to be entertained, occupied and pandered to. Like spoiled children.

The highly agitated mind of the modern person - caffeinated, restless and emotive - is not at ease. There is no tranquillity, no calm, no peace. Of course tai chi will seem slow and boring. A settled, quiet, strong mind is still. It is at rest. It finds the world to be filled with wonder and curiosity.

Tai chi and yoga

Tai chi first came to the widespread attention of Western students in the 1960's. A popular Eastern discipline at that time was yoga.

People saw tai chi as being 'moving yoga' - an erroneous and woefully simplistic comparison. This was an error.

Confusing tai chi and qigong

Taijiquan is a martial art. Tai chi for health is a non-martial health exercise adapted from taijiquan. 

Qigong is a series of standing and moving exercises designed to encourage healthy body use.

There are no static postures in tai chi.

 What does qi have to do with fighting? Absolutely nothing. If you want to talk about qi in the martial arts, I'd say that it doesn't have anything to do with the martial arts. They're talking about intention mostly, and they're calling it qi because it sounds more mysterious.

(Tim Cartmell)

Just form?

With the advent of performance art tai chi people have begun to think of tai chi purely in terms of 'form'. This is simplistic. Form is just one facet of the art.

 To bear that which you think you cannot bear is really to bear.

 (Nitobe)

In condition

Being in condition means that your can train for hours and not feel worn out. Your body is filled with energy and you can perform your art with strength and ease.

If you ignore the importance of condition, you will remain mediocre. Your body must be familiar with the Way of moving we associate with tai chi.

In time, the movements feel to almost happen by themselves. It is hard enough learning the sophisticated skills of the art. Do not make it harder by being lazy.

Everyday fitness

Becoming fit is a journey that brings considerable joy. Tai chi training will not stress your joints or damage your body. You will become notably stronger.

In your everyday life you will feel the benefits.

Fitness

In order to use a martial art, you need to be fit. The required degree of fitness will not occur if you simply attend classes once a week. It is not necessary to do the splits, break boards or fight people.

But you do need to train frequently.

Lazy?

It is not easy to commit to daily training. Your mind will resist. There are many pleasant alternatives.

Yet, over time, the habit of training takes hold and your body begins to experience unexpected strength and mobility.

Eventually, you reach a point where you could not imagine ever missing your daily training.

Conditioning

Being in condition entails:

• Increasing your strength

• Improving your ability to last (endurance)

• Overcoming fatigue 

• Being fitter

• Being more efficient in your body use

• Being more capable

• Overcoming stress

• Improving circulation

Getting stronger

You can undertake the hardship of the walk without undue difficulty. You need to use just as much energy to complete it.

Yet, your body has grown stronger. More efficient. Compared to somebody who does not undertake daily training you will be far more capable of sustained exercise.

What is condition?

Consider this example:

You decide that you are unfit and you commit to a 3 mile daily walk every morning. On the first day when you complete the walk, you are out of breath and your limbs are shaky.

After two weeks you can finish the walk without losing your breath and you feel pleasantly energised.

Eventually the walk feels too easy and you look to try a more challenging route. What has changed?

 Our energy is more precious than all the gold in the world. It is a more powerful anti-aging tool than anything else. 

Energy regenerates our liver and other tissue cells, flushes toxic waste from the body, helps maintain our ideal weight, keeps our skin smooth and our hair healthy. 

The more energy we have, the better we feel and the more beautiful we become.

(Kimberly Snyder)

Taking responsibility

School children are required to study 5 days a week in school and then go home and do the homework. Their performance, progress and competence is directly contingent upon these factors.

At college a student is more self-sufficient. There is less classroom time and more self-directed study.

At university the student must attend the required number of lectures and then flesh out the study all by themselves.

Steel isn't strong, boy. Flesh is stronger.

What is steel compared to the hand that wields it?

Look at the strength of your body, the desire in your heart.

(Conan the Barbarian)

 Our next induction course is Monday 6th July.

New starters are welcome!

Ideal workout

According to the book The Blue Zones it is important to think of exercise in terms of what you can reasonably do long-term. The ideal form of exercise is moderate enough that you can do it for the rest of your life. It needs to be joint-friendly, provide a gentle workout and be sustainable. 

This sounds rather like tai chi, doesn't it?

Mid-life crisis?

There is more to life than working, buying goods, eating, sleeping, drinking alcohol and watching TV. You are more than this. Tai chi requires the student to expand their horizons.

And to chill out... Contemplation, meditation, settled emotions and calmness of mind are all wonderful additions to your life.

Instead of becoming the violent brute people often associate with the martial arts, you become relaxed and comfortable with yourself, and with those around you.

Care for your body

Qigong and tai chi training is different. It is not strenuous or stressful. You undertake regular training and let the mild exercise build up layers of strength.

Instead of feeling tired, you feel energised and full of vitality.

Strain is bad

Not everybody wants to sweat and strain their way to fitness. Conventional exercise has its drawbacks.  

If you damage your body through goal-oriented exercise, you may have to live with it for the rest of your life.

We get good at what we do

If you want to get good at form, practice form. If you want to become proficient with weapons, then practice with weapons. The more often your body undertakes the practice, the more familiar it will be.

Learning tai chi

Our syllabus was designed in such a way that it creates habit patterns within the body. Many martial arts do this via forms and drills, so it is not without precedent, but our approach is slightly different.

We consider the essence, rather than the outcome, the product. This is a process-oriented approach.

 Throughout the Tao Te Ching Lao Tzu is at a loss for words as he tries to describe that which cannot be described. This is also the problem for the taijiquan teacher. The teacher could talk for hours about taijiquan and never really be able to tell the student what it is. All that Lao Tzu and the taijiquan teacher can do is to try to give you glimpses of what the Tao and taijiquan are.

(John Lash) 

Why is the root of wisdom so deep?

Because it must be planted in our lives.

The road to the precious capital is not for the inattentive.

(Loy Ching-Yuen) 

Finding peace

Unless we stop our activity, we cannot find peace.

Tai chi is about doing less and less - we only do what needs to be done.

Why not try starting the day with a little time to yourself?

Make yourself a drink, sit outside and listen to the day begin...

It is a beautiful way of reclaiming your inner harmony and balance.

Not talking

It is good to talk, yet talking is also a problem.

If your mind is never still and quiet, you cannot possibly feel relaxed and at peace.

For many people talking is a compulsive habit, serving to mask the silence within.

Without the chatter, people feel alone and isolated.

Try this: become aware of your own need to talk.

When you feel the urge to speak arise, let it pass again.

Gradually, you become quieter inside and begin to notice more.

You speak when necessary but your sentences shorten, you are more succinct and direct.

You feel calmer.

Calm & ready

In tai chi we look to allow the mind to settle of its own accord.

Thoughts naturally dissipate and fade when you relax and become quiet.

Your emotions subside, you become still within.

Once empty inside, we can begin...

When a person is in a condition of emptiness, they are alert yet completely at ease.

They are capable of doing what needs to be done, of acting without anticipation or hesitation.

Empty & full

Consider a cup...

When empty, it has purpose, it can be used. It has potential.

When filled, it has completed its function and cannot be utilised again without being emptied once more.

A room is an empty space bordered by walls.

It is the space that we use.

When the emptiness is filled, the room becomes confined.

If your mind is already filled with thoughts, memories and chatter - it is full already.

Until you empty it, your mind is not ready for use.

Being empty

In Western culture, emptiness is considered to be something negative.

It has the connotation of absence.

When a person claims to 'feel empty', they are usually expressing displeasure and seek to find what they lack.

People look outside of themselves in a desperate search to fill this inner void.

In Taoism, it is different.

 Enlightenment is not an experience.

It is the state where you are left absolutely alone, nothing to know.

No object, however beautiful, is present.

Only in that moment does your consciousness, unobstructed by any object,

take a turn and move back to the source.

(Osho)

 He did each single thing as if he did nothing else.

(Charles Dickens)

Tai chi

 The body must be exercised carefully, with a clear emphasis upon safety and relaxation.

Sifu Waller's approach to tai chi is ideal for people with arthritis because we keep certain considerations in mind at all times:

1. Natural stances - you should not stretch, stride or over-reach at any time

2. Smoothness - the movements must be gentle, flowing and relaxed

3. Small circle - the postures are natural and the waist turns are gentle

4. Stepping - agile footwork must be used rather than lengthy steps

5. Softness - muscle tension must be avoided at all costs

6. Balance – stability-awareness training and strength-building

These factors combine to produce a very gentle yet subtly demanding workout for people who suffer from arthritis.

What causes arthritis?

People aren't entirely sure.

The condition cannot be cured but it often responds to treatment.

Some possible causes of arthritis: obesity, repeated joint injuries and stress.

Joint problems

Arthritis is a joint-related condition that affects billions of people as they grow older.

It typically involves pain, inflammation and stiffness.

 There is irrefutable evidence that exercise benefits most aspects of health.

Exercise is an essential part of therapeutic approach for arthritis.
Pain and stiffness of the joints tend to discourage patients from exercising.
However without exercise, joints can become even more stiff and painful.
This happens because exercise actually keeps bones, muscles and joints healthy.

It is important to keep muscles as strong as possible because the stronger the muscles and tissues around joints are, the better they will be able to support and protect those joints.
If people do not exercise, their muscles become weaker,
and their bones can become osteoporotic.
Exercise pumps blood and body fluid through to the muscles, tendons and the joints,
which will facilitate healing.

(Dr Paul Lam)

Internal

The substance and focus of the internal martial arts is quite different from external systems. This can be readily illustrated by every bona fide tai chi teacher.

If a tai chi teacher is incapable of demonstrating whole-body strength, whole-body movement and whole-body power, then they are not really a qualified instructor.

Character

A tai chi student needs to have good character. They are held to a higher standard than other people.

Courtesy, manners, politeness and honesty are standard. Moral conduct and restraint are also expected.

It is important to take responsibility for what you are learning and show consideration to others who are less fortunate than you.

These may sound like old fashioned values but the martial arts tradition is an ancient one; and its values have proven their worth over the centuries.

Right conduct, courage, benevolence, respect, honour and self discipline are all a given in our classes.

Self defence

A tai chi class would not be a tai chi class without combat.

Tai chi chuan, however, is not about fighting - it is about self defence - and the two are rather different.

Fighting is about contesting yourself against another, besting them in combat and perhaps obtaining a prize.

Self defence is about escaping harm - using the minimum degree of effort and commitment.

There are no prizes or runners-up in self defence; if you lose in a real life confrontation, you could die.

Class practice must skirt the edge of reality; tasting the danger without running the risk of serious injury.

Internal

There have been some pretty weird definitions of 'internal' from various Instructors across the years. A lot of needless debate has been carried out.

Whole-body soft movement is quite unique and easy to identify. If you have received an internal strike, you are unlikely to confuse it with anything else. 

Anyone who has tried to grapple with a real tai chi person tends to be amazed by their malleability. The fluid, adaptive approach creates a sense of 'fighting with yourself' or with water.

What people find most odd about tai chi is the ease of the art. A small movement produces a disproportionate consequence; and no muscular tension is ever used. Yet it works.

To accomplish this, the Tai Chi Classics must be adhered to strictly, with no deviation. Yielding must be your first and last thought at all times.

Be still,

when attacked by the opponent,

be tranquil and move in stillness;

changes caused by my opponent fill him with wonder.

(Song of the 13 Postures)

 Our next induction course is Monday 6th July.

New starters are welcome!

 What is the meaning of bump energy?

Its method is divided into the shoulder and back technique.

In slant flying posture use shoulder,

but within the shoulder technique

there is also some use of the back.

Once you have the opportunity and can take advantage of the posture,

the technique explodes like pounding a pestle.

Carefully maintain your own centre of gravity.

Those who lose it will have no achievement.

(Tan Meng-hsien)

 What is the meaning of split energy?

It revolves like a spinning disc.

If something is thrown onto it,

it will immediately be cast more than ten feet away.

Have you not seen a whirlpool form in a swift flowing stream?

The waves roll in spiralling currents.

If a falling leaf drops into it,

it will suddenly sink from sight.

(Tan Meng-hsien)

What is the meaning of squeeze energy?

There are two aspects to its functional use:

The direct way is to go to meet the opponent

and attach gently in one movement.

The indirect way is to use the reaction force

like the rebound of a ball bouncing off a wall, or

a coin thrown on a drumhead,

bouncing off with a ringing sound.

(Tan Meng-hsien)

Study

If you fail to read about Tao and simply focus on the martial art, you will miss everything.

Tai chi is not limited to the forms, postures or applications.

Your tai chi development is unequivocally tied to your understanding of Tao.

When you can see how and why, you are getting somewhere.

Masters

You should be vary wary of Instructors, masters and gurus.

Although you may not be skilled enough to assess the value of their knowledge, you must treat everything they say with caution.

Take the information, then explore what they have said.

This way, you can understand it for yourself.

The role of an Instructor must be to point the way. Do not ask them to hold your hand as well.

Taoism

Taoism is scientific; it is not a belief-system. Reality exists whether you believe in it or not.

Tangible factual substance lies at the root of Taoism.

If you cannot touch it or observe it, you do not waste time speculating about it.

Be open to what is happening around you and learn to appreciate the underlying principles involved.

This is how Tao pertains to tai chi.

Second-hand

Few people ever consider that their most cherished beliefs and opinions are simply received knowledge.

You did not come by the information yourself. Somebody told you.

People regard the world according to their conditioning.

Your education, parents, friends and society have determined how you regard the world.

What you have learned about the world is largely second-hand.

 When beauty is recognised as beauty, ugliness is created.

When good is recognised as good, bad is created.

(Lao Tzu)

 Barry was telling us a story about the woman who always cut the end of the ham and somebody asked her why she did it. She said, "Well I don't know, my mother always did it that way." And they asked her mother and she said, "I don't know, my mother always did it." And they asked grandma, and she said, "Well, I did it because otherwise it wouldn't fit into my biggest pot."

(Chungliang Al Huang)

Refinement of character

In traditional Chinese culture, tai chi was seen as a means for refining character.

It enabled the individual to balance all aspects of their being.

The challenge of learning tai chi removes conflict, macho urges and aggression.

A student learns how to move in a graceful, balanced, harmonious way and maintain composure at all times.

Wellbeing

Tai chi will help to ease ailments and ensure a general sense of wellbeing.

By improving posture and movement, reducing stress and strengthening the flow of energy - a person grows stronger and is less likely to become ill.

Tai chi involves a commitment to a healthier way of living that extends beyond the actual class and is the perfect way to start each day. 

The fact that we are seeking is all important, and not what is being sought.

What one seeks is the projection of one's own desire.

Seeking is not the state of search;

it is a reaction, a process of denial and assertion with regard to an idea made by the mind.

To seek the proverbial needle in a haystack,

there must already be knowledge of the needle.

Similarly, to see God, happiness, silence or what you will,

is already to have known, formulated or imagined it.

Seeking, as it's called, is always for something known.

Finding is recognizing, and recognition is based on previous knowledge.

The mind that's seeking is waiting, expecting, desiring,

and what it finds is recognizable, therefore already known.

Seeking is the action of the past.

(Krishnamurti)

Freedom

Letting-go is not easy.

Doing less, wanting less, finding space and freedom in your life will require change.

And people are often reluctant to change.

But, as with all things in tai chi, nothing is forced.

If you want something, and value it, you will find the time and it will not be a chore.

Slow

Not all tai chi practice is slow. But many of the exercise are fairly slow.

There is no need for rushing.

Rushing is the outcome of anxiety, of conflict between activities or choices.

We encourage students to settle, to give-up the race, to be relaxed, rested and composed.

This is usually not a familiar condition.

Harmony

Harmony is the outcome of finding balance between yourself and other people, circumstances and events.

This requires a significant change of consciousness.

Mere physical exercise alone will not accomplish this shift of perception.

It is necessary to see life differently, to take the lessons of the art into your daily life.

 Weapons are instruments of fear; they are not a wise man's tools.

He uses them only when he has no choice.

Peace and quiet are dear to his heart.

And victory no cause for rejoicing.

If you rejoice in victory, then you delight in killing;

If you delight in killing, you cannot fulfil yourself.

(Lao Tzu)

 Nothing wears away hard strong rocks,
as well as weak water.

From this anyone can see
that softness is harder than hardness,
and weakness is stronger than strength.
But no one lives accordingly.

That is why the ancients said:
"Embrace being a nobody,
and you are fit to be somebody."

(Lao Tzu)

 The strategy of operating outside the sphere of emotional influence is part of the general strategy of unfathomability that The Art of War emphasises in characteristic Taoist style.

(Thomas Cleary)

 A person who is considered to be fit in the West may be able to do over 100 push-ups, run a marathon, possess a beautiful, muscular physique – and yet not be internally healthy.

 He or she may have a bad back, damaged joints, liver problems, unbalanced emotions, an inability to handle stress and sexual weakness or dysfunction.

 (Bruce Frantzis)  

 Not all tai chi is equal. Just as there are different models of cars, makes of computers and universities of varying calibres, so too are there different kinds of tai chi.

(Bruce Frantzis)

 If an instructor really feels that a youngster not yet into puberty is worthy of a black belt ranking in an art, what does that say about the sophistication and profundity of the art? What would you think of a college that awarded degrees to kids learning their multiplication tables?

 The only people who were ever impressed by a black belt were the absurdly uninformed general public.

(Dave Lowry)

 I strongly believe that students should limit themselves to learning and fully developing in just one style only. By learning many styles and collecting many forms we simply cannot have sufficient time to practice.

 Few have the resources or talent to be the master of more than one style. The really good teachers focus on one style.

(Adam Hsu)

 Like a lot of people, I thought Tai Chi was just something that old folks did in the park, but the depth of information on the website grabbed my interest, so I gave it a try. So glad I did. This is real Tai Chi taught to an exceptional standard. At the health and fitness level it teaches you to move efficiently, minimise stress on your joints, and restores flexibility, strength and balance. But if you want to take it further it opens up the martial art of tai chi, which teaches you to read your opponents and use their own strength against them. When you see this demonstrated by Sifu Waller you forget any preconceptions. I admire the way that Sifu Waller constantly adapts classes to fill the gaps he sees in our practice.

 I enjoy every class and workshop and really appreciate the skill and thought (not to mention patience) that goes into preparing and adapting them to suit the class.

(Malcolm)

 It was truly a case of "A day with the master is worth 10,000 on your own". It was one of those wordless transmissions that changes everything.

(Scott M Rodell)

Speed

Abrupt, jerky, fast movement alerts the nervous system and tenses your muscles. Seek to be smooth, soft, calm and comfortable. Do not rush or dither. Take decisive action, but work at easy, normal-seeming movement. 

A hurried person has no control, no composure. Use your sensitivity. Be cunning. 4 ounces of pressure, root, yielding and calm are essential. Avoid aggression at all costs.

Caught up?

If 'caught up', distraction is best. It divides the attention and will create an opening for you to exploit.

This is part of 'see the left, see the right' from the 13 methods.

Ultimately, you can strike/seize/press almost anywhere and cause pain.

Different angles offer different targets but the entire body is alarmingly vulnerable to pain. 

Tensing-up the muscles only serves to lock the joints and brings the nerves closer to the surface.

Seeking a result

Many things in life require us to have an intent in mind.

This is a natural requirement since we cannot always simply drift.

One of the dangers of having a target or a result is that we may become fixated on the end.

If we fail to pay adequate attention to the means, this can cause problems.

How we do something, the way in which it is accomplished is really what tai chi is concerned with.

Natural range

In tai chi you must always remain within your natural range of movement.

Any stretching is done subtly and never forced; the body is allowed to open by itself, rather than be forced.

By encouraging the joints to be free, mobility increases radically and the body can move more comfortably.

Tai chi should never strain or hurt the body.

Some movements may feel uncomfortable if you have bad postural habits and this is to be expected - your body is already used to set patterns of movement and poise - and the tai chi is gently changing these.

 Tai chi works in a way that is completely opposite from many forms of dance, specifically ballet. It seems that more and more people interested in dance and movement are turning to Eastern forms of movement as they search for a richer and more supple expression.

 In tai chi the body is placed in a position where the six outward rotators are eccentricity contracting with the abdominals and gluteals relaxed. This eccentric contraction of the the six outward rotators counteracts the short resting length of the iliopsoas as well as gravity. Being in the tai chi posture utilizes gravity to one's advantage. The main difference then is in the use of the abdominals and the gluteals, and that in tai chi the force of gravity is utilized to stretch the iliopsoas and flexors, while in ballet gravity is not used.

 It is possible to use gravity to stretch the flexors and iliopsoas in ballet but this is not understood in the teaching of this art.

(Liz Koch)

 From car seats to constrictive clothing, from chairs to shoes that distort posture, many features of modern life curtail our natural movement patterns.

(Liz Koch)

Look after your feet

Many people don't look after their feet. They have poor sense of balance, dry skin, cracked heels, limited flexibility and exceedingly poor sensitivity.

Invest in your feet. You use them all day long. Slough off the dry skin, massage them, apply cream to keep the skin soft and pliable.

A deliberate, conscious program of foot care will significantly improve foot health.

 We walk, and our religion is shown (even to the dullest and most insensitive person) in how we walk. Or to put it more accurately, living in this world means choosing, choosing to walk, and the way we choose to walk is infallibly and perfectly expressed in the walk itself. Nothing can disguise it. The walk of an ordinary man and of an enlightened man are as different as that of a snake and a giraffe.

(R.H. Blyth)

Walking

When you walk quickly, you do not really notice the walk. Our style of tai chi is process-oriented - so the how, the way is most important - we need to be aware of our walking habits.

If you stroll, amble, wander... you cease to put stress upon your body.

Don't advertise

If your noises advertise your movements, they are way too loud. Noisy footwork and clumsy habits reflect your lack of sensitivity. Slow down. Stop rushing. Let your scattered mind settle.

Feeling feet

Feet are exceptionally sensitive. Your body must interpret a vast quantity of data and respond very rapidly.

Inactivity and neglect can reduce the sensitivity of the feet, as can certain types of shoe that are harmful.

A minor imbalance in how we use the foot can affect the overall fitness of the body, usually in a subtle, indirect fashion.

Time

When your mind is calm and still, you will absorb information without forcing.

You will see rather than look, hear rather than listen.
An alert passivity exists. This condition takes time to cultivate.

Whole-body strength has many qualities and attributes that simply emerge by themselves once the seeds have been planted.
They cannot be forced.
Students suddenly find it easy to do things that were formerly difficult.
The 'doing' fades and the outcome seems to happen by itself.
The doing is still there. You have internalised it and forgotten to try. You no longer stand in your own way.

Equity

People like to be treated with fairness and respect.

Some want more than this:

They want to feel special, important, above other people.

Their insecurity leads them to abuse: they take more than they need, they demand recognition,  prestige.

This behaviour has consequences; it affects everything else, it creates an imbalance that spans the world.

When people only look after their own wellbeing and think nothing of others or the future, they make life difficult for others.

 A wild bird nesting in the deep forest needs no more than a single branch;

a wild animal drinking from a river takes no more than its fill.

(Chuang Tzu)

Pushing

Impatient people push for results.
Yet, who are they really pushing, who is suffering the pressure of their impatience?
They are.

Pushing is a form of exertion.

Relaxing deliberately

Once you realise that conscious thought can affect tension, you can begin to let-go of it and relax.

Feel where your body is holding, and soften the muscles by thinking them longer, looser and heavier.

Sweating

If you are sweating, you are exerting.

Why?

This is tai chi, and tai chi does not involve exertion of any kind.

Tao Te Ching (chapter 55) counsels you to be like a child that can cry all day without getting hoarse.

It also speaks against aggression.

Aggression is a tool of 'pushing', of forcing - and force is not the way of tai chi.

 If one's words are no better than silence, one should keep silent. 

(Kung Fu)

 To rejoice even in a harmless game means that you delight in someone's defeat. 

(John Lash) 

Get help

If you find yourself prowling the web looking for some way to assuage your boredom and vent your wrath, you may have some problems.

Rather than pour your heart out via TikTok, why not talk to a real person?

There are counsellors and therapists in most cities around the world.
Seek them out. Talk to them.
Find a constructive release for your frustrations.
Let a caring professional assist you. Find meaning and balance once again.

Online manners?

One of the problems with the internet is that it encourages all manner of unpleasantness.

Blogs and chatrooms allow malignant people to insult strangers anonymously.
Bad feeling and gossip are rampant.

Troubled people are free to pour out hatred and malice, with no risk of consequence.

This is not healthy.

 Years ago my mother used to say to me, she'd say: "In this world, Elwood, you must be..." - she always called me Elwood -  "In this world, you must be oh so smart or oh so pleasant." Well, for years I was smart. I recommend pleasant. And you may quote me. 

(Harvey)

Do Nothing Day

Make the time to do nothing at all.

Have a 'do nothing day' in which you ignore:

1. the phone

2. chores

3. responsibilities

4. commitments

Release your burden

Shedding unnecessary belongings, commitments and habits can free up your life. Instead of doing 15 things, you do 3.

As with all things in life, your success in this endeavour is entirely relative to how earnest you are.

 Seeing an old man who wanted to take up philosophy but was embarrassed, Socrates said to him, "Don't be embarrassed to become better at the end of your life than you were to begin with."

(Thomas Cleary)

Tai chi chuan?

Tai chi chuan is a Chinese martial art. It was developed hundreds of years ago and draws upon Taoist observations, Chinese traditional medicine, biomechanics, physics and combat. 13 patterns of movement are used to express power.

To train the art correctly you need a highly-skilled Instructor who can offer a very comprehensive syllabus.

A good health-only class will offer

1. Exercises to improve strength, balance, relaxation (qigong)

2. Optimal body use

3. Learning a complex sequence of movements (form)

4. Meditation training

5. Partnered drills

 Over the centuries many variations of the movements have been taught, but provided the principles are adhered to there is no need for the student to doubt the authenticity of what he is being taught.

 (Paul Crompton) 

Locked knees?

Locked knees or overly-straightened legs prevent the knee from acting as suspension for the body.

Relax the knees but do not bend unless squatting down to lift something.

Hamstrings?

Most people have very tight hamstrings.

Unfortunately, the back compensates for tight hamstring muscles (by slouching); giving the illusion of greater flexibility than is actually present.

We address this in the syllabus by way of psoas exercises and leg stretches. The training is done carefully, gently - in a controlled manner - without exertion or strain.

Buttocks

Most men and women sit too much. This can lead to under-developed gluteus maximus muscles; which is bad for the back in particular. Weakness in these large muscles can affect the whole body.

Buttock muscles are supposed to be akin to a vertical oval for each buttock. There should be notable muscular development; the outcome of healthy everyday squatting.

Shoulder tension?

A lot of people experience pain in their shoulders and reduced movement.

If you ignore the shoulders entirely and focus instead on their legs you will inevitably discover that their legs are tense.

Once the legs are freed up the shoulder problems fade...

Too much sitting?

The main problem with sitting is gravity, loss of circulation and the tightening/shortening of your muscles.

Muscular tension stops your joints and vertebra from moving freely. When the hips, groin and sacroiliac freeze-up, the overall skeletal mobility is reduced.

Bipeds

Monkeys, horses and other mammals have arms and legs of the same length. Humans are different. We are bipeds. Our legs are much longer and stronger than our arms.

 The risk of heart failure was more than double for men who sat for at least five hours a day outside of work and didn't exercise very much, compared with men who were physically active and sat for less than two hours a day.

(Dr. Deborah Rohm)

We weren't designed to sit. The body is a perpetual motion machine.

(Dr. Joan Vernikos) 

Foetal position

A lot of people sit at a desk, operate their mobile phone, drive the car or watch TV in what is essentially a standing/sitting version of the foetal position.

We start life in that position. But we do not want to revert back to it as we age.

Fix

Appeasing the symptoms will produce no lasting benefits. It is akin to taking a pill in order to mask/hide the symptoms whilst the underlying pain remains.

Fixing the problem usually entails some sort of lifestyle change.

Stable

For optimal body use we need the pelvis to naturally sit beneath the abdomen.

The physical centre of the body contains a lot of water, our intestines etc and needs to be pretty stable.

Stability is accomplished by encouraging the pelvis to operate naturally and without interference. This may involve stopping existing bad habits in favour of letting the body re-align itself.

Posture

The pelvis is pretty large. If you turn it to the right or to the left, the entire upper body is affected. Turn it too far and the knees bear the brunt of the turn.

If you tilt it forwards or backwards, the entire balance of the body changes. Pretty soon you are leaning.

Although the pelvis itself has limited scope for movement, inclining or rotating the pelvis has a major impact on posture.

Core stability

People talk a lot about core strength but not much about core stability. The two concerns are not the same.

Core strength is about the muscles of the lower body (crotch, groin, hips, buttocks, lower back, legs and abdominals) whereas core stability is about keeping the pelvis favourably aligned.

 Remember, when moving, there is no place that does not move. When still, there is no place that is not still.

(Wu Yu-hsiang)

 

Arthritis?

The body must be exercised carefully, with a clear emphasis upon safety and relaxation. Dr Paul Lam (an expert in using tai chi for arthritis) emphasises the importance of:

1. Higher stances
2. A lot of qigong to improve breathing, relaxation and healing
3. Looking deeper into the art of tai chi in order to improve students awareness and understanding

 Programs for fighters should consist mostly of compound exercises. These allow for intense work on a maximum number of muscles in a minimum time.

(Frederic Delavier)

 When you dwell on the sound of your breathing,
when you can really hear it coming and going, 
peace will not be far behind.

(Paul Wilson)

Remobilise

In order to increase mobility the emphasis needs to be upon working the body both in class and at home between lessons. Adopt a multi-faceted approach:

• Strengthen your muscles

• Align your skeleton better

• Sit less

• Stand less

• Stretch more

• Improve balance

• Gain coordination

• Increase bodily awareness

• Be mindful of how you use your body

Step?

In order to get closer to something, we step. This is a fundamental human skill, yet so many people reach beyond their natural range instead of stepping. Why is this?

Laziness? Poor body awareness? Naivety? If you reach rather than step closer, you sacrifice your balance, and with it your strength.

It is absurd to think you are going to get anywhere by giving only an hour a week to your practice or that you can regularly skip classes. Martial arts is not like a bridge club, where you drop in when you have nothing better to do. Martial arts will always make greater demands on your time than would most hobbies or avocations.

(Dave Lowry) 

Some people in this culture believe that the “consumer” is entitled to good service and if they feel wronged are entitled to take their custom elsewhere. This may or may not be a useful strategy with plumbers, electricians etc but foolish in the extreme in relation to tai chi.

(Peter Hobson)

The Chen form derived from battlefield military movements, where people wore medieval body armour that had to be compensated for. The Chen-style stances were specifically designed to achieve these compensations and obtain a workable position from which to realistically throw an armoured opponent.

By the time Yang had reached Beijing, times had changed. With the advent of firearms, battlefield armour became obsolete; hence, the need for techniques to deal with armoured foes had passed.

Yang and his students had to deal with situations encountered by bodyguards, not armies opposing each other.

(Bruce Frantzis)

An inch

There is a point where something is weak, then it becomes strong, only to become weak again. Like a 'bell curve'... The human lifespan is like this: a baby, to adulthood, to decrepitude and death.

Seek to do only what is necessary to find that optimal point of strength. Sometimes it requires just an inch of movement.

Just enough?

It is so tempting to stretch, to extend, to reach. To force, to push.

Don't do this. Just do what you need to do to accomplish the result and nothing more.

Aim for this ratio: minimal effort achieves maximum results.

A different way?

Tai chi advocates moderation in all things. e.g. over-training is as bad as under-training. If you do not train enough, there will be very little fitness benefit and no martial development.

If you train too much, the body will become tired and there is an increased risk of injury.

 

Tai chi poise is healthy. The body is used naturally and comfortably. The mind is quiet. We listen to what the body is telling us rather than push and punish ourselves.

Hands

Over-use and wrong use of the hands can cause immobility and arthritis. Main culprits:

• Computer mouse

• Mobile phone

• Tapping a touch screen

• Unnecessary application of force

• Gripping too hard

• Knitting

• Sewing

• Repetitive activity

• Using a keyboard

• Playing video games

Sitting

The main culprit for loss of mobility in most adults is sitting on their backsides too much. Sitting causes:

• Strained neck

• Sore shoulders

• Stiffness

• Upper back pain

• Lower back pain

• Loss of circulation

• Joint compression

• Swollen legs

• Heart disease

The solution is easy. Switch off the PC, the TV and walk whenever possible rather than drive.

 Sitting is more dangerous than smoking, kills more people than HIV, and is more treacherous than parachuting. We are sitting ourselves to death. The chair is out to kill us.

(Professor James Levine, The Mayo Clinic)

Aging

As people get older they lose the ability to move freely and easily. This reduces our quality of life. Tai chi was designed to off-set the stiffness commonly associated with aging.

Our aim is to regain the degree of mobility we started life with.

Birth

You started life with a natural condition of suppleness and flexibility. A baby does not have sore knees, a bad back or arthritis.

The limbs can move comfortably within their natural range of motion. There is no stiffness in the muscles.

 Consider this: Most people live lives that are not particularly physically challenging. They sit at a desk, or if they move around, it's not a lot. They aren't performing manoeuvres that require tremendous balance and coordination. Thus they settle into a low level of physical capabilities - enough for day-to-day activities or maybe even hiking or biking or playing golf or tennis on the weekends, but far from the level of physical capabilities that a highly trained athlete possesses.

The reason that most people don't possess extraordinary physical capabilities isn't because they don't have the capacity for them, but rather because they're satisfied to live in the comfortable rut of homeostasis and never do the work that is required to get out of it.

The same thing is true for all the mental activities we engage in. We learn enough to get by but once we reach that point we seldom push to go beyond.

(Anders Ericsson)

Status quo

People are biologically inclined to be lazy, to stay put, to refrain from change. Breaking the status quo requires a deliberate, conscious effort. We like to stay in our comfort zone.

 

Tai chi for healthy aging...

Tai chi re-trains the body to move like it is supposed to move. Like an animal would. No tension, no impediments. Free, spontaneous, comfortable movement.

Sure, not all tai chi classes do this. Everyone has their own agenda. But trained correctly, tai chi was designed to restore the body to its natural, healthy state.

How well you do and how far you can rejuvenate your body is down to you. It is your responsibility. The more you put into the training the more you will get out of it.

Ideal form of exercise?

According to the book The Blue Zones it is important to think of exercise in terms of what you can reasonably do long-term.

The ideal form of exercise is moderate enough that you can do it for the rest of your life. It needs to be joint-friendly, provide a gentle workout and be sustainable.

This sounds rather like tai chi, doesn't it?

Stiffness?

Stiffness and inflexibility are indisputable signs of being old. Work on this. Once your muscles are tense and your body is stiff you cannot remedy this situation overnight.

Hitting the gym or buying an expensive drop handle bicycle will not get rid of stiffness. You need to do something else. Rather that force and hammer your muscles, they need to be softened and relaxed. Patience is needed.

Be smart...

If you're fat, don't try and run it off. See a dietician and/or follow a measured, gradual diet carefully and consistently. If you are out of shape, start with something that isn't going to hurt your body.

Tai chi for health is perfect for this. It is low-impact, easy to do at home between lessons and will not damage you.

Laziness?

Let's be honest here. If you are an adult and unfit - regardless of your age - this is your responsibility. Don't blame somebody else. Nor your job or your family. It's all you. You did this. You made a choice.

Now you get to make a new choice. You get to take responsibility for improving your health, fitness and decreasing your physical age.

Start by doing some research...

Do something real...

If you want your physical age to be impressive, put away your ego and commit to making a more tangible effort. Start by being sensible.

Don't just leap into some naive endeavour ill suited to your current physical condition.

Substantial qualities...

Think about the qualities associated with youth: nimble, balanced, agile, light, mobile, coordinated, squatting easily, flexible, supple, fit, dynamic, spontaneous, changeable, strong, virile, stamina, dextrous, good poise, free, no pain...

These cannot be faked with hair dye and a risqué outfit. Nor will a fancy car, nice clothing or expensive technology hide a decrepit body.