Yang style has something of the feeling of 'killer energy' about it; it is more martial in appearance.

A spectator can see the applications of the movements when they watch the form.

(Master Xu Shu Song)

Unselfconscious

Adults forget the advantage of play. Once you remove the barriers of right and wrong, approval and disapproval - you can totally relax. If you make a mistake, so what? It is only play.

When you can relax and just be yourself, your mind will open to new possibilities. You can see the wonder of things and laugh. You may start to play in other areas of your life...

Martial science

Our taijiquan cannot be learned by copying somebody else. You need a profound understanding of what you are doing and how it works. The imagination must be engaged.

Without play and exploration, you will have taijiquan classes filled with students who possess absolutely no grasp of what they are practicing.

Children at play

When a child plays, they seldom behave in the manner described. A child at play is usually engrossed in whatever they are doing; their minds are in the here and now.

It can be quite difficult to distract a child who is playing.

Find out for yourself

The beauty of play is that you do not have to believe anything. You can find out for yourself. If something works, examine the physics behind the success. Why did it work? Can it be improved upon?

If something fails, figure out why it failed...

Exploration

When a child discovers their universe, they do so through play. A playful mind is not tense or uptight. In taijiquan we learn in the same way.

Students are encouraged to explore every neigong, application and jing in partnership with other people. This approach is cooperative and experiential.

By practicing with others we can find out what works and what does not. Other students can offer assistance and obstruction - both of which require you to adapt, change and progress.

What play means to you

Can you see the danger here? If you think that play refers to an opportunity to behave an irresponsible, carefree, childish manner... then you have got the wrong idea about taijiquan.

Play is about immersion in the event itself. Beginners who want to talk rather than train (or dance around and act foolishly) are not in earnest. They are not focused at all.

An inexperienced student cannot talk and train competently at the same time. If they are talking, then they are talking. They are not training taijiquan.

The necessary balance

A student needs to concentrate in some respects, and be unselfconscious in other regards. Both facets of this requirement are addressed through the act of playfulness. 

Their aim was to discover the essential nature or real constitution of things,

which they called 'physis'.

The term 'physics' is derived from this Greek word and meant therefore,

originally the endeavour of seeing the essential nature of things.

(Fritjof Capra)

Playing taijiquan?

It is common for students to say that they are "playing" taijiquan... This notion of 'play' must be considered carefully. Most adults perceive play as tooling around - insincere, light-hearted and carefree.

But is this play at all?

Syllabus

Our syllabus was developed as the result of our own tai chi practice and teaching experience. The post-graduate professional teaching skills/qualification have proven invaluable in creating a syllabus.

Your part

Tai chi is easy in principle, yet difficult in execution. The problem lies with your own body and mind. After all, it is you that make the tai chi exist. Without your body, the system cannot become manifest - the tai chi can only be as good as you personally make it.

Focus

Do not look outside yourself for answers. The solution lies in this very moment, in the very process of doing. Your tai chi will improve relative to your ability to produce it.

Standing without getting tired

When stood in tai chi, the feet are beneath the body so the legs are not fatigued. Your everyday stance should emulate this as closely as possible as often as possible.

Gentle

The trick with tai chi is to keep your training mild. It is not a gym workout. You are not meant to be sweating and straining. Go easy on yourself. Little and often is the key.

If the training is gentle but works your muscles nicely, then it is easy to sustain and your energy levels will stay high.

Not exercising

Conversely, people who do not exercise are also likely to become fatigued. How come? Their muscles are weak and we need muscular strength to move our bodies around.

By avoiding exercise, the problem of fatigue will not go away. It will not get easier. If you are lazy now, expect difficulties ahead of you. Your fitness level will not improve by ignoring it.

Your aim should be to grow stronger, fitter and far more capable. But it will not happen by itself.

Tired when exercising?

If you are tired and struggle to focus, you are either unfit or using 'local limb' strength. Or both. Using this type of strength will drain you quite rapidly. You give out and nothing comes back.

The longer it lasts, the more worn out you will get. The more exertive your exercise, the quicker you will tire.

Bad exercise

Many forms of exercise can actively develop bad posture. They often cause serious fatigue and adverse wear and tear on the body. The tension in the body uses energy and tires you out.

Poor sleep

Sleep problems occur as a consequence of stress, diet, noise pollution and physical apathy. 

Many people feel drained each night, but their bodies are not actually tired.

The fatigue stems from chemical imbalances within the body. Additives, sugar, caffeine, and alcohol combine with overeating to make the body restless and unsettled.

Bad habits

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, poor physical awareness, work and many forms of exercise only serve to perpetuate poor fitness and muscle tension.

Tiring the mind...

Fatiguing the body can be addressed through careful, safe practice. By contrast, fatiguing the mind is far more insidious and difficult to detect.

Politics, news, gossip, media, TV, opinions, fashions, negative emotions, competitiveness - all put the mind under duress. They create frustration, anxiety and a feeling of helplessness.

Continuously thinking about something that has no immediate bearing on your life right now uses energy and tires you out.

Take it easy

Instead of hammering and punishing your body, you treat it with respect and care. 

Your body must last you a lifetime.

Stretching is vital

'Stretching' covers a wide range of approaches. A good tai chi class should offer a varied and versatile selection of stretching methods.

Home practice

Most people are not used to training at home. The key to home training is to work into it gently. Try doing a small amount every day. Nothing ambitious.

Tai chi is like 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 benefits go away

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

A tonic

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.

It helps to keep you fit, healthy and vital. It is a preventative measure, not a fix.

 Metabolism slows down 90 percent after 30 minutes of sitting. The enzymes that move the bad fat from your arteries to your muscles, where it can get burned off, slow down. The muscles in your lower body are turned off. And after two hours, good cholesterol drops 20 percent. Just getting up for five minutes is going to get things going again. These things are so simple they’re almost stupid.

(Gavin Bradley)

Fitness

Fitness is different to health. Being fit entails a wider range of concerns e.g. increased flexibility, suppleness, strength, cardiovascular health/fitness, agility...

These considerations are addressed at length in the tai chi syllabus.

   Our next induction course is Monday 6th July.

New starters are welcome!

 Immaturity is the craving for greater and wider experience.

(Krishnamurti)

Know thyself

A trend for Western retirees is global travelling. In contrast with this, Taoism advocates seeing what is right in front of you. Rather than do more and more, begin to see.

It will serve to keep the brain healthy. Having genuine wisdom is better than boasting/bragging/self-promotion. Insight is worth more than commodities/experiences.

Understand rather than accumulate

A Taoist approach adopted by The 5 Elements of Effective Thinking is to look deeper into things. This runs contrary to the attitude of acquisition.

Understanding ensures interest. It encourages curiosity and can be the wellspring for new ideas and unknown directions.

Nervous system

The nervous system is responsible for gauging how much strength needs to be applied.

As you exert pressure upon an object, your body experiences resistance and there is biofeedback which tells you how much strength is necessary.

Tensing-up

People fail to release a contracted muscle after it has moved the bone, or they over-use one muscle group at the expense of another.

'Tensing-up' is the habitual over-contraction of a muscle, such that it impedes joint movement and distorts the skeleton. This causes imbalance, weakness and postural tension.

Tai chi

Tai chi is concerned with re-training the body for optimal functioning. To use the body skilfully, you must dynamically balance muscles within the body and use the bone structure in a healthy way.

We teach people to become incredibly aware of their own bodies.

Ease

A healthy nervous system is not simply a physical matter. The smoothness and grace of the tai chi movements must be complimented and enhanced by your composure.

A psychologically tense person will be incapable of skilled body movement. Neurologists maintain that the mind affects the physical nervous system, and the nervous system affects the mind.

Calm mind and body are connected.

Coordination

If you want to move smoothly and easily, and respond well in combat, train your nervous system. Weight-lifting and gym work can often result in large muscles but perhaps poor sensitivity.

These are not recommended supplements for tai chi. If you want larger muscles, do more qigong.

Biofeedback

Tai chi requires you to re-tune the nervous system. This is a lengthy process involving a lot of partner work and a serious amount of patience. It will not happen overnight.

Sensitivity work encourages you to feel how much pressure you are applying and how much is pressing against your body.

You learn to re-assess the information and accept when an excess of strength is being used. Typically, muscular exertion is constant and ongoing. It is normal, habitual and you never notice it.

 How we move conveys energy and youth – not how buff we are.

(Anne Elliott)

Only use what you need

If you were to pick up an egg or a glass and exert too much strength, then the object will break in your hand. The nervous system is responsible for gauging how much strength needs to be applied.

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing...

Some students want a few self defence techniques and that is all. They want a smattering of form applications and a cursory taste of combat skill. This is pointless.

Having a few crumbs of knowledge is dangerous. It can lead to a false feeling of competence.

If a student is unwilling to invest in the process of learning bona fide technical skills, they should do qigong & tai chi for health.

Symptoms of stress

Do you talk quickly? Is your body tense; particularly the neck, shoulders or lower back? Are you constantly using your phone, the web or watching TV? Do you feel worried, anxious or rushed?

Do you have difficulty getting out of bed in a morning? Are you argumentative? Do you feel frustrated, angry or irritable? Are you struggling to relax? Do you walk quickly? Do you drink too much?

Do you have difficulty slowing down? Do you comfort eat? Do you feel to have too few hours in the day? Do you know how to stop?

You may be suffering from stress.

No time?

A common excuse that taijiquan students make is that they don't have time to train at home between classes. This notion is based on a false understanding of yin/yang.

In order to get something, you have to give something. Our entire society is based on this, isn't it?

If you want a loaf of bread, you give up money. You want to watch a movie, you set aside the time. If you want to get good at taijiquan, you will need time to practice at home.

Therefore, if you want to practice taijiquan at home, you will need to give something up. Make space. This may mean less TV. Less internet. It's your choice...

Daily exercise

Dr Michael Greger (author of How Not To Die) recommends 90 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise every day.

Dr Bradley Willcox, Dr Craig Willcox and Dr Makoto Suzuki who wrote The Okinawa Program maintain that taijiquan - with its ancient origins and incredible health benefits - is the ideal form of exercise for modern people.

If this sounds like a lot of exercise, why not chop it up into smaller increments spaced throughout the day?

 I have recently being working through form applications. Surprisingly, they all felt quite easy and straightforward. They also worked very well. No difficulty at all. How come? Daily form practice. Sifu Waller did not have to waste time correcting my form during application practice. We could simply focus on the applications themselves. Correct form meant smooth, powerful, controlled, effective applications.

(Rachel)

Is everyone in equal condition?

How fit and healthy are you? But what condition are you in? Are you fit or fat? Do you have back problems? Knee problems? Do you take any form of medication on a regular basis?

Aging badly is nothing to be proud of. You may want to get out of your big car, switch off your fancy phone, your laptop (and all the other devices) and get off your backside. Before it is too late.

Leg stretches

We teach two sets of leg stretches that are great for releasing tension. The second set contains several exercises that are great for long journeys.

They are similar to the circulation exercises recommended when flying.

Self-massage

Massaging the body can really help to release stored tension and improve circulation.

Our routine starts with the head and works down throughout the entire body, paying special attention to problem areas such as the spine.

In time, the massages will feel easy and natural - it is not about remembering a routine - it is about moving down the body looking for tension.

Many of the exercises are passive - the area being worked does not perform the work itself. By manually-releasing the tension you avoid adding extra stiffness.

Open

Most of the movements in tai chi require the body to be open, lengthened and expansive. This reduces the risk of compression and enhances circulation.

Free, mobile and comfortable, the body moves spontaneously and without impediment.

Closed joints and tense muscles inhibit circulation by trapping fluids; so this is assiduously avoided in tai chi practice.

Becoming internal

A common misconception is that any martial art offers the opportunity to reach an 'internal' level of practice i.e. a karate man can become internal. This is not true.

Internal forms are quite different to external ones. They were designed to be a vehicle for the exploration of a very unique way of moving and using the body.

Movement is initiated by the centre (not by the hips) and entails moving every part of the body as one fluid unit. The joints do very little work.

The combat skills and sensibilities of the internal martial arts require a perceptual shift: blending, yielding, listening, stickiness. There is no blocking, struggling or forcing involved.

Fighting style

Some tai chi people claim to be fighting in a 'tai chi way' but it looks suspiciously like kickboxing or MMA... If you watch wing chun applied in combat, it looks distinctly like wing chun.

The same could be said of judo, aikido, ju jitsu, pencat silat etc. By the same reasoning, the martial art of tai chi must look like tai chi.

What does tai chi look like in combat? Tai chi looks like tai chi. The form, pushing hands, you know... tai chi.

If the martial expression of tai chi does not look like tai chi, it is probably not tai chi.

Yielding

(i) Resistance

Most beginners studying tai chi resist the idea of yielding and choose not to do it. Consequently, they do not understand yielding and strictly speaking are not training tai chi anymore.
The resistance is psychological and comes from a poor understanding of the physics involved. Without yielding, there is no tai chi. A common deceit is to yield a little and tense a little.
This is a well-know ploy and will only work against other beginners.


(ii) External attitudes

Yielding does not appeal to the hard-style external martial artist. It sounds ineffectual and soft. Weak.
When somebody is used to seeing martial arts as a contest of speed and strength, yielding sounds perplexing and unclear.


(iii) Practical yielding

There are a number of facets to yielding: 4 ounces of pressure, following the line of force, creating space, stepping, responding to space, offering no purchase and gravity.
If your instructor cannot demonstrate, apply and teach these to you, find someone who can.

  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.