Fitness

 Tai chi chuan training considers 3 areas of fitness:

1. Physical wellbeing- stamina
   - strength
   - resilience
   - flexibility
   - endurance
   - suppleness
    
2. Mental wellbeing
   - self-awareness
   - the capacity to let-go
   - the ability to adapt, change & improvise
    
3. Emotional wellbeing
   - calm
   - detached
   - comfortable
   - without fear
   - being honest with yourself

Poise

Regular tai chi chuan practice dramatically improves posture.
Shoulders drop naturally, the pelvis finds neutral and the spine lengthens in a healthy way.
The chest opens, the neck relaxes and breathing becomes easier and fuller.
The cat-like grace of tai chi chuan encourages agile, strong movement, excellent poise, high energy levels and a feeling of vigour.

Gait

When you watch how most people walk, it is quite alarming. Their steps are often very heavy and their legs are locked and immobile. 
There is a sense of clumsiness.

People frequently walk in an agitated manner; over-striding and erratic. The lower back is inflexible and the sacroiliac does not move correctly.

Tai chi chuan re-trains the body to move naturally and freely.
As a student moves through the syllabus, they are challenged with increasingly sophisticated stepping patterns. This leads to the easy, relaxed grace of a dancer or a large cat. 

The Art of Change

http://www.newcastletaichi.co.uk/art_of_change.htm

Martial stances

Western people tend to weigh more than Chinese performers; and this can present problems when performing exotic stances. Deep knee bends can put strain on the knees and back; leading to long-term injury. Bear in mind also that deep stances are not martial in nature. Martial stances are designed for speed and mobility. They are more upright and do not harm the knees. Flamboyance and showmanship have no place in martial arts practice...

Performance stances

Many pictures show tai chi people training in China with very deep stances. The stances are almost yoga-like in nature; very long but narrow, with the lead knee 90°relative to the ground. These gymnastic stances are very impressive but should not be undertaken lightly. The performers are exceedingly supple and fit.

Helpless

Most people are not capable of defending themselves, their loved ones or their belongings. This is a disturbing fact. Although society still offers the same dangers it always has, the general public's attitude towards personal protection has changed. People are often too lazy to learn how to protect themselves. They imagine that a cocky 'attitude' and a big mouth will work against a real life assailant.

Meditations

http://newcastlemartialartsmeditations.wordpress.com/

Leeds University Alumni

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Leeds alumni online

Prominent alumni - Sport

Ashleigh Ball

Medical Sciences 2007

Medal-winning hockey player, 2012 Olympic Games

 

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Natalie Binstead

Biochemistry with Molecular Biology 2003

England women's rugby squad

 

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Alistair Brownlee MBE

Sports Science and Physiology 2009

World champion triathlete, 2012 Olympic gold-medal winner

 

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Jonathan Brownlee

History 2012

Silver-medal world championship triathlete, 2012 Olympic bronze-medal winner

 

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Claire Cashmore

Linguistics and Phonetics 2011

Medal-winning swimmer, 2012 Paralympic Games

 

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Kenton Cool

Geological Sciences 1994

Record-holding mountain climber

 

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Karen Darke

Chemistry and Geological Science 1992

Medal-winning hand cyclist, 2012 Paralympic Games, World champion paratriathlete 2012

 

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Rebecca Gallantree

Sports Science 2005

Great Britain diver

 

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Tim Glass

Broadcast Journalism 2001

Producer, Sky Sports News

 

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Jon Holmes

Political Studies 1971

Chairman, Jon Holmes Media; sports manager

 

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Carol Isherwood OBE

History 1982, PGCE Education 1984

Regional Manager (London), The Football Association

 

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Tom Palmer

Physics 2001

Professional rugby player

 

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John Pares

Chemical Engineering 1987

Medal-winning ultradistance marathon runner

 

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Steve Patterson

Mathematics 2005

Professional cricket player

 

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Don Riddell

Communications 1994

London based sports anchor, CNN

 

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Andrew Shovlin

Mechanical Engineering 1995, PhD Mechanical Engineering 1999

Formula 1 Senior race engineer

 

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Nicholas Waller

PGCE 1996

Master, baguazhang and taijiquan

http://alumni.leeds.ac.uk/sport 

 

To lift an Autumn hare is no sign of great strength; 
 to see the sun and moon is no sign of sharp sight;
 to hear the noise of thunder is no sign of a quick ear.
 What the ancients called a clever fighter is one who not only wins, 
 but excels in winning with ease.
 Hence his victories bring him neither reputation for wisdom nor credit for courage.
 He wins his battles by making no mistakes.
 Making no mistakes is what establishes the certainty of victory, 
 for it means conquering an enemy that is already defeated. 
 (Sun Tzu)

http://www.wikihow.com/Use-an-Exercise-Ball-As-a-Chair

A friend is not a true friend
unless he protects his brother
in three situations:
in his misfortune,
in his absence,
and at his death.

 

(Hadrat Ali) 

http://flowingzen.com/9277/how-tai-chi-lost-its-mojo/

Aging

Conventional martial arts favour the younger, stronger, fitter student.
By contrast; the internal martial arts encourage a mature mind.
Instead of retiring from combat at the age of 40, a student can look forward to spending the rest of their life training the art.

Tai chi chuan works the body in a very safe, healthy manner.

At what cost?

Success at any cost is not advocated by our school. The aim of tai chi chuan is to avoid injury, not sustain it. The internal martial arts of tai chi chuan and baguazhang aim to incapacitate the opponent without sustaining any injury to yourself.

There is no shortcut

Building up your strength takes time, practice, commitment and patience. In truth, you may not even realise it is happening. Internal martial arts training is not strenuous or stressful. You undertake regular practice and let the mild exercise build up layers of strength. The effect mounts up over time. Pretty soon you have a level of strength you never expected. This is not the strength required to lift a massive weight. It is the strength to deliver a penetrating strike, snap a limb or flip an opponent without trying. It is strength that will aid you in your everyday life.

Effort/reward ratio

Internal body use challenges conventional wisdom and the conventional application of strength. The body must be strong. The application of that strength is unorthodox. The aim is to unite the entire body in application. Every action is a complete action. Every part of you does every movement. This may sound strenuous but it is not. Instead of delegating the workload to your arms and shoulders, every part of the body is involved. Instead of forcing your will upon the entire attacker, you limit your attention to a small part of their body and use everything you have on that target. The strategy comes from The Art of War.

Mind

The weakest part of any new starter is the mind. Modern minds are lazy, distracted, eager for gratification and entertainment. The calm, detached, logical, disciplined mind of a martial artist is very different to that of a 'consumer'. We recognise that there is more to life than shopping, celebrity, fleeting fads and fancies. Patience, tenacity, endurance... these develop a quiet strength.

Body strength

We are not interested in pitting strength against strength. Our aim is to evade strength, re-direct power and destabilise the attacker. Instead of force against force, we circumvent. We break the root. We lead into emptiness. You do not need to be immensely strong in the upper body. The power will be coming from the ground, so stronger legs and torso are more important.

Conventional fitness

The ability to lift heavy weights, run, swim or workout in the gym may well improve your overall fitness level. But this kind of fitness will not help your tai chi chuan training. A student must learn how to use their body in a very different way. The body needs to become agile, flexible, adaptive, sensitive and strong. Engorged biceps are not going to help.

Health

Many people suffer from neck, knee, elbow and back problems. Mental health, stress, the inability to relax and chronic muscle tension are all major health issues in modern society. Regular tai chi chuan training (with a skilled instructor) will address these concerns.

Every school is different

No two martial arts schools are the same. Every instructor teaches according to their own values, interpretation of the material, and personal preferences. Ask yourself: Does the class teach a 'complete martial art'? Do you need to supplement the training with gym work, running or weight training? How concerned is the class with health and wellbeing? Are the students friendly and relaxed? Is there a macho atmosphere? Can smaller students use the art effectively?

You get what you pay for

If you shop at the pound shop you cannot expect the produce to be the same quality as Marks & Spencer's or Waitrose.
The same applies to martial arts tuition.

Most martial arts are pretty effective, so why learn tai chi chuan?

Ask yourself: What are you looking for? What is your criteria? How old are you? How fit are you? Are you looking for kicking, punching, grappling? Do you want to fight in the ring? Or do you want self defence for real life situations? Are you seeking a more philosophical component? Tai chi chuan teaches a wide variety of powerful skills and an in-depth philosophical component. It encourages a calm, focussed mind and trains a supple, strong, flexible body.

Beyond questions

Master Waller maintains that in shaping a question we define and limit our answers...

Taoism

One of the key features of taoism is that things make sense but you cannot necessarily articulate this understanding. You simply have a growing comprehension.

Master Waller encourages students to express what they understand by offering questionnaires and assignments for consideration. This brings people face to face with the challenge of saying what cannot be said (Tao Te Ching?).

8 areas

The 8 areas of skill serves to highlight the fact that most tai chi people only know a facet of the art: qigong, form, pushing hands, maybe a few self defence techniques?
This is not enough...
Master Waller shows that a complete study requires a broader range of topics.

This is why a blue belt in tai chi may be less martially adept than a blue belt in aikido. Our student is learning how to move in a whole body manner, harm and heal, and furnish the art with the theoretical and philosophical background. The aikido person is mainly learning techniques.

Differentiation

Master Waller tends to teach in such a way that everything operates on multiple levels simultaneously. The keen student picks up on different concerns to the less experienced class member.

This approach enables Master Waller to offer a finite syllabus with arguably infinite depth relative to student ability and perception.

Tai chi chuan training

Most people don't realise that tai chi started life as a martial art...
150 years ago tai chi chuan was the pinnacle of the Chinese martial arts.
Hard to believe?

Tai chi chuan is only taught to students who join the school:

• Kung fu (combat)
• Self defence
• Weapons
• Qigong (energy work)
• Neigong (whole-body strength)
• Forms
• Pushing hands
• Meditation
• Theory & philosophy
• Chin na (seizing)
• Shuai jiao (take downs)
• Jing
• Form applications
• Kicks, punches, palm strikes
• Finger strikes, elbows, knees
• Accuracy
• Evasive footwork
• Optimal use of alignment
• Minimal movement
• Conservation of energy
• Defence against a knife
• Multiple opponents/gangs
• Joint locks
• Trapping
• Focus
• Stickiness
• Physical sensitivity and awareness
• Balance, rhythm and timing
• Throws
• Escape from holds
• Close-range combat
• Grappling
• Defence whilst on the floor

The answer to anything is everything

Many of the syllabus topics pertain to multiple areas within the syllabus. For example: qigong movements lay the foundation for everything else and so affect all 8 areas.

Form extends qigong and so does the same as qigong. Form is the source of pretty much everything in the syllabus so again, you cannot see the whole by analysing the parts.

And beneath it all is neigong...

Who taught you how to use your body?

This is a reasonable question, and most people could not give a decent answer.
Did anyone teach you:

1. Healthy skeletal alignment
2. Optimal body use
3. How your muscles work
4. Coordination
5. Timing
6. How and why to relax your body
7. Balance
8. Proprioception (relative position of body parts/awareness of how much strength is being applied)
9. Rhythm
10. Mind/body unity
11. Leverage
12. Kinaesthetic awareness (knowing where you limbs are positioned without needing to look)
13. Biomechanics
14. Footwork
15. Biofeedback
16. Ambidextrous use of the limbs

Your parents probably did not teach this to you.
School did not teach it either.
PE or physical education in school translates to mean 'sport' and sport is not teaching you how to use the body for anything other than what the sport requires.

We do it to ourselves

Many health problems are caused by the way in which we stand, walk, sit and use our bodies during everyday activities.
Headache, fatigue, stiff neck, bad knees, back problems are usually caused by our own bad habits.Incorrect muscle use, imbalance, sloppy posture, work and many forms of exercise only serve to perpetuate poor health and muscle tension.

The solution is quite simple.
We need to learn how to use our bodies in a healthy, natural, balanced and comfortable manner.

Power?

Consider Newton's third law of motion: For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

The more force you apply, the more resistance you will encounter.
This is clearly counter-productive.

Slow, smooth, soft movements are a sure indicator of skill.

Muscles

Muscles serve two main functions:

1. They help to hold the skeleton upright
2. They move the bones

If you encounter resistance but continue to push against growing pressure, which of these functions is being served?

Do not use tension

As soon as you use tension, you have failed.
Even if you eventually prevail, it has cost you an unnecessary amount of effort and is not tai chi.

Correct use of alignment, timing, pressure and positioning will enable you to skilfully defend yourself.

Do not rush

When you lack composure, you are easily startled.
This leads to hurrying. And anxiety.

Instead of patiently waiting to see what unravels, you dither, hesitate and anticipate.

Rushing indicates a lack of competence.
It is obvious that the student has not put in the practice.

When you rush, you force.
Forcing causes your opponent's nervous system to inadvertently tense-up in reaction to your urgency.
This alerts them to your intention and makes them harder to manipulate.

Tai chi article

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/29/tai-chi-health-benefits_n_5410470.html

Stay calm

If you lack composure, you will not see what is right in front of you.
Being calm is utterly essential.
You need to remain detached, emotionally aware and at ease.

This is the real reason why beginners practice 'escapes'.

Partner work

There are three rules in partner work:

1. Stay calm
2. Do not rush
3. Do not use tension

If you ignore these, your tai chi simply will not work. Try as you might, nothing will be successful.
Internal tai chi only works if you follow these basic guidelines without deviation.

Body weight

What can you do with your weight?

Rely upon the weight of the pelvis, legs and buttocks. Sitting on the attacker at your first opportunity.

Sitting is psychologically satisfying for the woman and can send a variety of messages to the assailant - all of which are demoralising.Done properly, the attacker cannot get the female student off.

The key thing for a woman to consider is that they must become very comfortable with being on top.
This may be unfamiliar, but in self defence you never want to be underneath your assailant.

Sleepy kicking?

You must kick as though you were drunk; the leg must be heavy and dead.
Swing your leg through the opponent - breaking their root.

Having a long slow arc robs the kick of any chance of surprise so you must employ them whilst grappling.
You must deliver them in a manner such that they do not alert the opponent's nervous system, employing the 3-legged kicking method.
The smooth, spontaneous movement must feel easy and relaxed, almost sleepy.
This is a 'gravity kick'.

Once the arc feels smooth and effortless, try to fa jing the kick without losing the heaviness.

Torso

Your aim is to move the torso, not just the arms and shoulders.

Initially, every movement should be directed by the hip kwa rotating horizontally or vertically.
The torso, shoulders and arms should follow.

Avoid disconnecting the shoulders and moving them independently of the hips.
Preventing independent movement of the arms and shoulders is the main purpose of this Neigong.

Spiral legs

The legs spiral naturally when the torso and the kwa move. Be aware of the spiralling action.
Leave the knees alone.
Both legs rotate in the same direction as the centre turns.

Feel the power passing through the leg sequentially. From the ball of the foot, through the calves, thighs and into the hips.
The power feeds into the delivery and there is a natural release and return as the spiral energy dissipates.

5 bows

Bow tension must exist in your body at all times when doing tai chi. Without it, your power is limited. Bow tension is a refinement of inherent peng.
Stretching assists with bow tension but this must be coupled with spiralling for the power to build.
Skilled use of kwa will enable you to maintain the 5 bows yet move the limbs in a flexible, coordinated manner.
If the kwa are allowed to open and close of their own accord, they imbue every movement with additional power.

Kwa provides the necessary flexibility to reduce the possibility of jarring.
If your joints flex naturally, you find it easier to adapt to physical difficulty and find opportunity for movement.
The kwa help you to create space.

Hip kwa

The kwa is located at the top of the leg and joins the leg to the hip.
As you move, the groin/hip crease will open and close naturally.
We need to move by opening and closing the hip joint rather than swaying the hips from side-to-side.

There are other parts of the body that could be considered 'kwa' because every joint is held in place by connective tissue.
As the muscles of the torso and legs combine with the weight shift and spine to generate movement, the kwa throughout the body should all open and close.

Moving with kwa entails the storing and releasing of energy caused by the opening and closing of the joint.
It occurs because the torso turns, rather than in the localised joint itself.

The hip joint is not the hip kwa.
The hip joint moves far less than the hip kwa does. Our aim is to spiral through the soft tissue of the body, not through the joint.

Sinking inside

Sinking occurs within the body with only the most subtle outward sign of movement.
Let the lower back relax of its own accord; there is no need to consciously tuck the pelvis under.

Sink into the centre, then from the centre into the ground.
Your thighs will ache initially, then your calves and ultimately your feet.
The hips will now be far more stable.

Soft knees

Many people make two mistakes with sinking and rooting - they bend the knees too deep or they keep the knees too straight.
This can lead to knee injury.

Keep the physical 'doing' to a minimum:

1. With the knees naturally soft and relaxed, allow the rest of the body to soften and sink
2. Sink into the hip joint
3. It is the hips that sink, not just the knees
4. The thighs may begin to burn/ache initially
5. The lower back will straighten of its own accord when your gluteus muscles are working
6. Think of the tailbone curling under but don't force anything

Avoid any discomfort in the knees; if your knees hurt, they are squatting too low and that is incorrect.

Body weight

Each movement requires a movement of body weight.
You must become accustomed to moving the weight - not the just limb - when performing an action.
Moving from leg to leg is not enough; you must get your weight behind the movement.

Additionally, it is necessary to distinguish between weighted and unweighted.
With very few exceptions, steps should be unweighted.

Lower body

Ensure that the legs are responsible for power.
Imagine that you are pulling or pushing using your waist and legs as a starting point.

Moving your hips will cause the torso to move.

The centre of gravity is in the intestines because they contain the largest volume of water in the body.
When the lower body leads the action, everything else follows.

Leg strength

A woman cannot reasonably hope for success when she uses her upper body for strength against a male opponent.
Biology is against you.

You need to think about your lower body, in particular your legs.

When you measure the size of leg muscles relative to arms, you find that the leg muscles are significantly larger and can produce vastly more power.
Connect your arms to your back, and use your legs to drive your movements.

Know yourself

Much of the tai chi training is about untangling the knots that society has tied us in.
This is a difficult, complicated and often frightening process.
Not everyone wants to know themselves, or cares to probe deep beneath the surface.

Many philosophical traditions have urged people to "Know thyself!"
It is a fundamental precept.
Koan represent an example of how zen seeks to accomplish this goal.
There are many other ways to explore your own consciousness.

The first step in getting to know yourself a little better is simply wanting to.
If you open your mind, you have already started.
Do not dismiss anything, or you will retreat from understanding, and withdraw into the familiar...

Female qualities?

The inherent qualities of tai chi are softness, looseness of muscles and joints at all times, unseen strength that does not rely on muscular contraction or brute force, fluid movement in accord with others, optimal use of your own physical body and yielding to force at all times.

Women and men learn the same material, but with a slightly different emphasis. Each gender must be true to their own nature.

No te

It is extremely common for beginners to demonstrate no understanding of te at all.
The most obvious fault is forcing.
Rather than let the reeling silk undulation wave do the work, the student uses brute force.
This may be fine in an external class, but in tai chi it is clumsy.

Only an inexperienced tai chi person uses strength rather than jing.

Jing is akin to the ocean tossing a boulder. The water uses no strength. It just undulates.
The kinetic motion does all the work. This is te.

Power

The power, the virtue of the female is found in being a woman; rather than emulating the characteristics of a man.
Hence, a woman is balanced by being womanly. Masculinity of manner or dress is seen as discordant with the essence of a woman.
The same principle applies to men.

You cannot be other than what you are, and any attempt to change your innate qualities is considered futile.
Taoism sees strength in being true to what you are, in following your own nature.

This is part of wu wei; going with the flow.
Wu wei explores how power can be gained by keeping to the grain rather than going against it.
When travelling in water, it is simpler to be carried along than to fight the current.

In taoism, people seek to take this one step further by asking what they can do to capitalise upon the virtue.
What can they do to improve their harmony with the flow?
In water, it might mean using a sail.
With people, it could be attire or a consideration of posture and speech.
The art of feng shui specialises in this skill.

£2.50 an hour...

School members who attend both Benton and Heaton classes for the full 2 hours only pay £2.50 an hour.

Being

Self-consciousness prevents people from acting in accord with their own nature, and virtue is lost.
Consider the flamenco dancer:

There must be a total immersion in the event itself.
The divide between the dance and the dancer must cease to exist; they must become one: a joining of femaleness and physical expression.
It is the dancer's femininity and passion that makes the flamenco the flamenco.

Is-ness

The appreciation of virtue has long been applied to people.

Dance and fashion make use of virtue constantly.
The femaleness of women is accentuated by costume and poise.
A flamenco dancer represents femininity, passion, elegance and strength.

There is nothing masculine about the expression, body language, voice and mannerisms.
By expressing the characteristics of woman-ness, the dancer is true to her nature.

Emotions

Men have long perpetuated the myth that women are more emotional than men.
This is actually entirely untrue: men are culturally conditioned to suppress their emotions and to detach themselves from feeling.
Which is not entirely helpful.

A woman may admit that she feels fear, whereas a man pretends to be brave.
Taoism and zen seek to cultivate emotional awareness, and asks the student to be honest about how they feel.

Bodies

Men are stronger and heavier above the waist, whilst women are the reverse.
All Asian martial arts seek to encourage students to emulate the female body, and drop the weight down.
This is a logical approach; since a firm base promotes stability.

Tai chi teaches all students to rely upon the strength of the legs and the waist, rather than the arms and shoulders.
Again, this favours women.

Differences

 Men and women are different.
This simple fact must be the starting point when teaching tai chi self defence to female students.

Men have testosterone, they enjoy using force, being aggressive and competing with one another. They are usually quite happy being roughed-up and roughing people up in return.
Although only a few of these qualities are of any use in tai chi, it enables men to feel more comfortable working martially than most women do.

Women bring entirely different qualities to tai chi.
These are actually the very values and sensibilities that tai chi seeks to cultivate in the male student.
The challenge for the female student is to harness their strengths, to have faith in themselves and the art, and to overcome their conditioned inhibitions.

Different

In taoism, men and women are seen as uniquely different.

The yin/yang symbol represents the balancing of these differences; the perfect harmony of opposites.
Women are yin and men are yang; each has attributes unique and specific to their own gender.
These were never intended to be clichés or stereotypes; they arose through observation rather than thought.
Yin and yang are equal, yet different to one another.

Patronising

Male students will tend to go easy on female students. It is important not to give men a reason to do this.
Men may treat you with 'kid gloves' or speak to you in a condescending manner.
In our school, we discourage such behaviour.
Many instructors give women a false sense of reassurance. This is offensive and insulting.
Truth is essential.
You cannot hide the fact of your skill. It is either present or lacking. There is no ambiguity to it.

No real life assailant will cut a woman any slack.


Home life

Not all partners are supportive.
They may feel threatened.
Or they think that its cute for a woman to take up martial arts training.

Partners often tend to belittle or intimidate their wives and girlfriends when they learn that you are taking self defence classes.

Gender stereotyping

 Society has presented an image of women as being helpless.
This may have been replaced (to a small extent) in recent years with media stories of rough girls being arrested for fighting, but the overall perception of women remains the same.

When a woman enters a martial arts class, she is taking a brave step into a male-dominated arena.

You will be immediately faced with a whole range of unflattering associations, based purely upon gender.
Many men are reluctant to partner with a woman.
Women are generally considered to make ineffectual assailants.

Women in martial arts

Women typically do not fare too well in martial arts classes. Men have all of the natural advantages when it comes to violence:

1. Aggression
2. Familiarity with violence
3. Physical strength
4. Testosterone

In the external arts, these qualities count for a lot, and women usually flounder.
The schools compensate by having weight and gender categories, or by simply patronising female students.
This may work fine in the dojo, but no one in the street will let a woman off because she lacks their own physical strength.

Manners

Patterns of manners develop within social groups. 
They are refined over time until they reflect a way of living that is relevant to the society. 

Over the last 50 years in the west, there has been a drive to break down old barriers. 
A “brave new world” of egalitarianism and equality has been created.
This is reflected by the modern form of manners, which tends to be based on political correctness. 
The problem is that political correctness changes depending on the prevailing politics. 
It also tends to be imposed on society, rather than reflecting society.  

In the drive to get rid of behaviours that were seen to be unsuitable for the 20/21^st century (e.g. automatic deference to “higher classes”), we have eradicated a lot that made sense and gave life meaning. 
Is it right, or is it sexist, to hold a door open for a woman?  Should a person be respected because they have been on “reality TV”?

The drive to modernise in the east has not destroyed the need for respect or traditional manners.  
In the east they understand more the value of tradition. 
Behaviour is measured and considered. 
Human interaction is valued, and respect is important. 

In the west we often act without thinking, or with the arrogant assumption that what we do is right, or best. 
The “free-and-easy” approach of the west is often at odds with the more traditional east. 

This is rarely a problem when eastern manners meet western society, as little value is placed on manners in the west. 
A show of good manners may be accepted with awkwardness, condescension or misplaced humour.  

However, problems can arise when western manners meet eastern society
The seemingly gross and unthinking behaviour can show a lack of subtlety and sensitivity. 
Although displeasure will rarely be shown, the westerner may be viewed with disapproval. 

This can be a problem if a westerner wants to get close to anything in the east. 
Why should something be shared if appreciation is not shown in an appropriate way? 

This is, of course, a simplification of the situation. 
Many people in the west have good manners, and are sensitive to the cultures of others. 

Written by Andy Urwin

Beyond class

Self defence skills will teach you to approach situations differently; especially at work and in the street.
Instead of responding to aggression with aggression (or fear), you see more powerful alternatives.

Avoiding stress is good for your body and your mental health. The training will make you feel calm, confident and capable.

Social events

Social events are important to show that there is more to the class than training once or twice a week. 
They give students the opportunity to meet each other outside of the normal class environment. 
When we’re in the class, we all dress the same and are all focussed on Tai Chi. 

Outside the class each person has a rich and wonderful story to tell. 
By socialising we come to understand the depth that there is to each person in the class. 
Our respect for them grows (if we listen and are open). 

It is also a celebration of what we are studying and achieving together. 

Written by Andy Urwin

Without formal training, the larger and stronger naturally defeat the smaller and weaker. Therefore, a basic premise of training must be that the methods employed should make it possible for the smaller and weaker to defeat the larger and stronger.
(Tim Cartmell)

Uniform

The uniform puts you in the mood for training, whereas casual clothes will not have the same effect. 
Dressing like a kung fu student encourages you to act like one. 
It ensures a form of discipline and shows that you are taking your training seriously

In practical terms, the uniform was made for tai chi.  It gives the freedom to move as the art requires. 

 

Written by Andy Urwin

Fun

Training in our school is fun, friendly and gently challenging.
Many of the skills seem counter-intuitive.
We will invite you to consider new options, possibilities and choices. To drop long-held preconceptions.

Attitude and etiquette

The presence of attitude and etiquette in the school facilitates safety and efficient teaching. 
They give clarity about how to behave and what is expected in the school. 

This clarity allows people to focus on that is being taught and practiced, rather than how to behave. 

If people were not respectful and not paying attention, then the ability to be taught would be compromised. 
If people are not paying attention, then accidents can occur. 
Insensitive behaviour between students can result in someone feeling the need to “get even” or “teach someone a lesson”. 

Without a framework of attitude and etiquette, our safety and ability to be taught would be diminished. 

Written by Andy Urwin

Realism

Self defence training begins with the fundamentals of effective body use and slowly moves through different levels of threat.
Escaping from holds, evading and counter-attacking are preliminary concerns.
Eventually you must learn how to handle armed assailants and multiple opponents.

Gender

Many martial arts classes separate men and women. They even impose weight categories.
In real life you cannot choose who will attack you.
In order to cope with a male attacker, women's self defence must address attacks from both men and women.

Shibashi

I came across a style of tai chi today called 'shibashi' which I'd never heard of. On deeper reading it was apparent that this is not a style of tai chi at all but rather a form of qigong that people are calling tai chi. Confused? So was I.

Apparently many of the teachers gain their experience via DVDs and on-line training courses. Great.

Manners

Manners are a framework of norms that have been developed by a social group. 
They are meant to smooth interactions and reduce misunderstandings between people. 

Different social groups have developed their own framework of manners, based on their situation and their needs. 
This can be a problem when two groups interact, as what is normal for one social group may be insulting to another. 
For example:

-          Sitting with your legs crossed is normal for a westerner. 
It would upset someone from the east, as you are pointing the sole of your foot (very dirty) towards them. 

-          In the UK grief is expressed by the colour black; in China, white. 

-          In the east, flicking the hand backwards and forwards with the fingers pointing downwards means “come here”. 
In the west it means “go away”. 

-          In Japan, “Yes” may mean
                “Yes, I agree with you”,
                “Yes, I have heard what you say, but do not agree with you” or
                “Yes, I will have to go and talk to my boss about this” (and many more possibilities). 
This can be very confusing for westerners. 

Even within a single social group, manners may depend on the situation. 

-          What is acceptable behaviour at a social gathering may not be acceptable in a place of worship. 

-          It may be acceptable to talk while watching a film on the TV at home, but not in a cinema. 

-          Your attitude towards your boss at work may be different to that at your office Christmas party.

Humans interpret their environment based on the “filters” they have built up during their development.
Our manners become “normalised” and even unconscious behaviour. 
We see things as we are. 

Because of this, problems can arise in two ways:

o    Acting in a way that is normal (for us), but is improper or offensive for those from a different background.  
Others can see us as being “rude”. 

o    Misinterpretation or misunderstanding of another groups behaviours, as we do not understand what is going on. 
We can see them as being “rude”.

Initially, some tolerance towards the behaviours of another person or group is beneficial. 
Any slight or transgression of the social norms are probably due to ignorance. 
Over time, however, a person in an alien environment would be expected to learn the social norms of the host group. 

In situations where you are aware that your socialised manners may be at odds with the situation that you are in or the people you are with, it is often best to be careful with your words and gestures, and observe how other people behave.  Ask questions if you are not sure, as people are often happy to answer your questions, as it show that you are taking an interest in them and their culture. 

Written by Andy Urwin



Clarity

The side effects of unpleasant situations are fear and panic. These immobilise the body and prevent clear thinking.
Self defence training encourages composure and mental clarity.
Instead of feeling vulnerable and exposed, you become integrated and focussed.

Empowerment

The ability to defend yourself is important in modern society.
There are many ugly situations in which conflict may arise.
Having the confidence and the skills to handle aggression, bullying and violence is invaluable.

Size and strength do not necessarily determine a person's ability to defend themselves - small women have been known to successfully fight off a bigger and stronger attacker. Many women are fitter, brighter and quicker than their male counterparts.
(Barry Davies, SAS)

Perspective

When you see a bully for what they really are, you will come to find them embarrassing.
A bully is a weak, insecure person, desperate to feel strong about themselves.
Instead of looking for strength within, they lash out at others and rely upon fear for power.

When you give them humour and pity rather than fear, the bully has no teeth.
If a bully were genuinely strong, they would have nothing to prove. They need you to validate them.

Unwelcome

We do not permit bullies in our classes.
Students are chastened for clumsy/careless/forceful application of the kung fu.
Any outright bullying will result in an appropriate response and potential banishment from the school.

Bullies are weak people and we only want students of good character.

Lineage disciple

Master Waller actively dissuades any student from seeking to become a lineage disciple.
The obligation is not for the half-hearted.

If the student is neglectful with their training and commitments, they will no longer be an indoor student.

Harassment

Harassment is a common form of bullying. It can involve:

1. Any unwanted persistent sexual advances (physical or verbal)
2. Racist, sexist, homophobic, insulting remarks, jokes, malicious gossip, banter, innuendo, swearing, name calling
3. Being excluded from activities
4. Abuse of power or position
5. Manipulative questioning: damned if you do/damned if you don't

The effect of bullying

Bullying makes the recipient feel threatened, humiliated and vulnerable.
It may cause them to be de-motivated, suffer stress-related illness and even resign from work.

The victim feels disempowered, frustrated, ashamed, embarrassed and helpless.
Often they do not know who to turn to.

Passive bullying

A passive bully is a very sneaky kind of bully.
They manipulate the recipient by non-confrontational means: feigned vulnerability, emotional displays and mood swings.
Sex can be used as a tool by such people.
Casual flirtation and pretending to be your friend are common methods of passive bullying.

Passive bullies are especially insidious because they project an image of weakness and frailty.
They appear to be the victim but are actually the instigator.

A passive bully will make you feel as though you are letting them down or even letting yourself down.
They are experts at looking harassed, upset and victimised.

Family

Families are notoriously guilty of bullying.
They employ a wide variety of devices intended to manipulate the recipient and often involve other family members in the endeavour.

In a marriage/intimate relationship it is very common for the bullying to be an ingrained part of the relationship.
The bullying is so pervasive that the participants no longer see it as such.
They live in a situation of ongoing low-key domestic abuse.

Adult bullying

Adult bullying can take many forms:

1. Verbal, written or physical threat and intimidation
2. Persistent, negative and unjustified comments
3. Offensive or abusive personal remarks
4. Abuse and humiliation in the presence of other colleagues or in private
5. Removing areas of responsibility without justification and undervaluing work done
6. Setting the individual unachievable targets and/or changing instructions without consultation in order to cause the individual to fail
7. Reducing a colleagues effectiveness by withholding important information
8. Monitoring work unnecessarily and intrusively
9. Continually refusing reasonable requests without any justification
10. Unfair allocation of work

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)

Why do tai chi?

Karen has done something that answers this question.
When she first started class, Karen's arms were suffering from repetitive strain injury. This was the result of her job.
The joints were stiff, immobile and insensitive.

By working closely with Master Waller, being mindful at work and doing tai chi exercises at home, Karen has managed to totally free up her joints, release tension and ease the discomfort.
The positive effects will persist as long as she continues the ongoing treatment.
http://neijiaquan.co.uk/tonic.htm

Karen and Master Waller are now working to release tension in the sacroiliac, lower back and buttocks. Given the success of Karen's work on her arms, they are very optimistic.

Why do tai chi?
To improve the quality of your life.

Tai chi chuan training

Most people don't realise that tai chi started life as a martial art...
150 years ago tai chi chuan was the pinnacle of the Chinese martial arts.
Hard to believe?

Tai chi chuan is only taught to students who join the school:

• Kung fu (combat)
• Self defence
• Weapons
• Qigong (energy work)
• Neigong (whole-body strength)
• Forms
• Pushing hands
• Meditation
• Theory & philosophy
• Chin na (seizing)
• Shuai jiao (take downs)
• Jing
• Form applications
• Kicks, punches, palm strikes
• Finger strikes, elbows, knees
• Accuracy
• Evasive footwork
• Optimal use of alignment
• Minimal movement
• Conservation of energy
• Defence against a knife
• Multiple opponents/gangs
• Joint locks
• Trapping
• Focus
• Stickiness
• Physical sensitivity and awareness
• Balance, rhythm and timing
• Throws
• Escape from holds
• Close-range combat
• Grappling
• Defence whilst on the floor

More than combat

Tai chi chuan is not simply a highly sophisticated, intelligent martial art.
It offers so much more:

• A way to use millennia old Chinese wisdom in everyday life   
• Meditation 
• An unusual form of strength that requires only moderate practice to maintain
• Stress-relief 
• Emotional composure in the face of confrontation and crisis 
• The release of deeply-held muscular tension    
• Philosophical study involving some of the most influential books ever written  
• A NHS endorsed physical therapy suitable for many medical conditions
• Boost energy
• Improve balance
• Ease neck, knee, elbow and back problems

What exactly is bullying?

Bullying happens when one person takes it upon themselves to victimise another.
Typically bullying involves persistent, threatening, abusive, malicious, intimidating and insulting behaviour.
It is intended to undermine the confidence and self-esteem of the recipient.

Particularly serious cases can arise when the bully is perceived to be in a position of power in relation to the person being bullied.

People at birth
are soft and supple;
At death,
they are hard and stiff.

When plants are alive,
they are green and bending;
When they are dead,
they are dry and brittle.

Soft and bending is the way of the living;
Hard and brittle is the way of the dying. (Lao Tzu)

Childhood's end?

Many children are the victims of bullying whilst at school.
As adults we assume that the bullying is over as soon as we leave school and commence work.
Sadly, this is not the case at all.

Bullying occurs in many forms and in many situations.

 When asked how he overcame his opponents,
Hadrat Ali explained,
"I never met any man who did not help me against himself."

(Hadrat Ali)

Skill

A student mentioned to Sifu that he wasn't to confident with his shuai jiao & chin na applications.
He knew the drill but couldn't pull it off effectively or consistently.
http://neijiaquan.co.uk/shuai_jiao__chin_na_application.htm

I have experienced this myself and can tell you that the only solution is 'practice'.
Nothing replaces practice.
Once you've done the same drill hundreds of times it becomes second nature and your skill increases significantly.
You learn better timing, positioning and leverage.

For example: At home Sifu drills the shuai jiao & chin na applications solo in order to improve memory and spatial awareness.
10 per day for 7 days.
He also partners them weekly with me.
This combines 2 effective methods for gaining familiarity: solo & partnered.

Be patient with yourself - the skills will come.
You just need to put in the practice.

Confusion about yielding

If taoism is the art of adjusting to life, then tai chi chuan is the art of adjusting to the opponent.
This process of adjustment is what yielding is about.
Balancing, sensitivity, change.

Yielding is concerned with not opposing force, making space... and then counter-attacking.

Having made space, you must incapacitate your attacker. Yielding is only half of the requirement.
Unless you neutralise the attacker, they will continue to assault you.
Step-in decisively and finish-off the attacker.

Internal way

The internal way of using strength has some basic considerations:

1. Never employ force against force; always yield to strength
2. No more than 4 ounces of pressure should be exerted upon your body or expressed by you
3. Each movement should be a whole-body movement
4. Unite internally using neigong yet remain soft, pliable and yielding
5. You can transmit strength via groundpath
6. Intention can unite mind and body into one focussed unit

People read these points and feel dissatisfied, as though some crucial part was missing.
You must remain calm and composed, relaxed and easy.

Internal skill

Internal skill is subtle.
It takes decades of time, understanding and training to cultivate: this is why so many people go astray.

The visible outward signs are small. Most of the work takes place within the body. The movements are smaller, less obvious.

As the student's skill improves, the physicality of the tai chi chuan diminishes.
The frame serves to supplement the mind.
A more subtle physical expression is now possible.

Partner drills and form application teach the student how to minimalise their movements.
Balance, timing, structure, softness and mind combine to create the desired outcome: a twitch instead of an arc.

Partner work