Looking is focussed and narrow. Seeing is expansive and open. Meditation is the condition of being present, of seeing without impediment.
You are very much in the immediate moment: feeling, seeing, experiencing. There are no thoughts and no worries.
Thursday
Wednesday
Spacing out
Modern people are seldom fully present. They try to 'multi-task'. Even when there are no obvious, visible distractions, they somehow manage to be elsewhere.
These same people worry about Alzheimer's disease...Tuesday
Monday
Friday
What is science?
Science is the attempt to understand the nature of reality.
In martial terms it refers to the techniques and strategies used in real combat, as well as the physical requirements that make the system operate effectively.In tai chi we must ask: how can natural law be used in combat?
Tai chi is often described as "meditation in motion," but it might well be called "medication in motion." There is growing evidence that this mind-body practice, which originated in China as a martial art, has value in treating or preventing many health problems. And you can get started even if you aren't in top shape or the best of health.
Tai chi differs from other types of exercise in several respects. The movements are usually circular and never forced, the muscles are relaxed rather than tensed, the joints are not fully extended or bent, and connective tissues are not stretched. Tai chi addresses the key components of fitness — muscle strength, flexibility, balance, and, to a lesser degree, aerobic conditioning.
(Harvard Medical School’s Harvard Health Publication, May 2009)
Wednesday
Jerky
Making very small movements is difficult initially. In modern society, our bodies are not encouraged to make small, smooth, controlled movement. Everything is jerky and abrupt.
Jerky movement agitates the nervous system and this in turn leads to anxiety and a lack of calm.
e.g. if you simply flick the wrist, the joint is not exercised properly but if you move the wrist extremely slowly, you feel a very notable stretch throughout the entire movement.
Think small...
It is easy for most people to perform large, extended movements that rotate the shoulder joint or bend the elbow. No particular skill is involved.
Whilst large movements may indeed exercise some of the muscles and the joints, they fail to address the full range of potential movement.The real skill lies in the small, in the subtle. Your hands in particular need to be good with small movements.
Body building and weight lifting are fashionable activities today. The emphasis is upon developing external muscles which creates an armouring effect that can eventually distort the bony structure. It is the over developed musculature that actually torque's the bones and discourages them from bearing additional weight. The body attempts to compensate and problems arise.
Running does not necessarily in and of itself improve posture that is already poor and constricted. It often exaggerates problems due to the substitution of inappropriate muscles. The repetitive inappropriate development of the musculature (as in body building or weight lifting) often leads to diminished sensitivity. Stress occurs in the knees and lower back, encouraging injury.
Swimming is an activity that can either create structural problems or release them depending upon the way it is taught and practiced. Professional swimmers are known to develop shoulder tendonitis and kyphosis. Overriding head/neck righting reflexes (as occurs when the head is repeatedly turned but the body does not follow) eventually result in overdeveloping shoulder muscles, pinching nerves and distorting the rib cage.
Various sport activities emphasize strength, endurance and speed. Development of muscle control rather than skeletal balance takes precedence. Gaining speed at the expense of mounting tension, is too often the goal.
(Liz Koch)
Tuesday
Curious
A student needs to be intensely curious about human biomechanics: balance, leverage, structure, stability, mobility, coordination, range & reach, natural order...
They should research different methods of using the body: other styles of tai chi, other martial arts, sports, yoga, Pilates, Alexander Technique, ergonomics, rehabilitation therapy.Open your mind to new possibilities. Watch people use their body. Observe your own usage. Study how animals move and why.
Sacroiliac - the lost joint?
Many people have no idea what the sacroiliac is or what it does. Often the joint is frozen and other joints are required to compensate for the lack of movement.
Frequently the knees are tasked to do the work of the lower back.
Monday
Hollow back
An alternative to upper back fat can be a serious lack of muscular development between the shoulder blades. This is the outcome of neglect. The back looks hollow and sunken.
Fatty deposits
People who don't use their scapula in a healthy manner can develop extensive fatty deposits between the shoulder blades. This is essentially a large slab of fat located on the upper back.
Shoulders & neck
Shoulder and neck tension can occur from stooping, leaning the head forward/craning the neck and from exerting with the arms. (There are no doubt other reasons too).
Computers and TVs have flickering, hypnotic screens. Craning forward forces your shoulders to compensate for the weight of your head.
Friday
Stop
Resting is not the same as relaxing. To rest is to stop all activity. If you make the time to rest properly your spine will widen and lengthen quite naturally.
Weight
The weight of your head and ribcage should be supported by the spine and by the strong muscles of the lower torso.
If the muscles are weak and the skeleton slumps forward, the weight of the bones/muscles/internal organs are supported by a slouched spine.Only a spine that is upright and maintaining its natural curves can handle the weight of your upper body.
Thursday
Slouching
Computers, driving the car, sitting and poor day-to-day standing can lead people to stoop and slouch. Modern technology does not help.
Naivety
Poor alignment, unrealistic ambitions and a failure to warm-up thoroughly enough result in back problems.
Many people go to the gym, lift heavy weights and then suffer from injuries, or run with an unhealthy, unbalanced, tension-filled technique.Would-be martial artists do no training all week and yet expect to engage in challenging combat uninjured...
Losing the natural curvature
Instead of relaxing the lower back and allowing the pelvis to remain neutral, many people shorten the lower back.
The spine loses its natural curvature and becomes weaker; more vulnerable to injury. They are typically unaware of this habit because it is 'familiar' and seems 'normal' to them.Releasing the lower back is easy. However, you need to monitor it repeatedly throughout the day until it becomes an established habit.
Wednesday
Seek out the calm
Finding quiet places requires some degree of effort. They may be subject to time, day or season. You might need to get up very early or stay up very late. These places can be found.
In order to find these places, you must slow down. You must want to step off the treadmill, into the shade and find peace.Outdoors
There are quiet places to be found in every city and every town. You just have to seek them out. Lost places, where people seldom go. Leaves overgrown the streets and wildflowers are abundant.
Nature flourishes. The air is cleaner and there are no cars and few people.A bubble of stimulation
Most people exist in a bubble. They wake in their own home, get into their car and then go to work/shops/wherever. There is seldom any time spent being calm.
Homes, cars and public places are usually filled with noise and stimulation. Visual images, flickering screens, twittering voices, gossip... Where is the peace in your life? The stillness?Tuesday
Does your martial art work?
That is a good question.
The effectiveness of the martial art depends upon the person doing it and appropriateness of their actions when assaulted. It has nothing to do with strength, speed, gender or experience; it is your ability to keep a cool head and apply the art with awareness and skill.
Sifu Waller trains students to respond in a manner that feels right to the individual. Although everyone adheres to the tai chi principles of body usage, movement and relationship, the application of the material differs according to the person.
Edward De Bono:
A carpenter can use all the tools of carpentry but at any one moment uses the tool that seems appropriate for the situation.
Monday
The Old Ways
Yoga has been practiced since the dawn of recorded history. So has qigong. The principles and precepts of tai chi are ancient... These methods have been proved over millennia.
Freedom from chit-chat
Talking is considered to be a form of restlessness, of agitation. Curious? Only when the mind is both silent and still can deeper thought take place, unimpeded by chit-chat.
The mind must settle. Relax. Stop.Ceaseless activity
People seek to feel vital and alive as they grow older. They engage in vigorous activities and work hard to keep their thoughts continually occupied.
Hurrying around, taking on new commitments, watching the news, playing with technology, gossiping, getting upset about political issues...This is not rejuvenation. It is a recipe for mental health issues, a heart attack or a stroke.
Tuesday
The 70% rule
If you remain well within your limits at all times there is less risk of injury.
Most people exceed their natural range of safe movement frequently throughout the day without realising it.
The 70% rule encourages them to be aware of their natural range.
In self defence, over-commitment is a serious flaw because you have little room for failure.
Holding 30% in reserve is a useful safety precaution.
100%
If you were to perform every tai chi action to 100% of your physical limit - in terms of stretch and endurance - you would be working at maximum capacity.
The 100% capacity approach is the 'no pain, no gain' attitude to exercise.
It opens you up for strain and injury because you are fully committed at all times.
We recommend following the 70% rule.
Slow movement
Making very small movements is difficult initially.
In modern society, our bodies are not encouraged to make small, smooth, controlled movement.
Everything is jerky and abrupt.
In the first movement of the form, we must place the palms down (as if on a table) then smoothly lift the arms up to shoulder height.
As the arms lift, the wrists must gradually flex so that the hand changes from a flat shape to a bent shape.
The arms then lower and the hand moves from bent back to flat again.
This movement of the wrist must be very slow, smooth and gradual.
If you simply flick the wrist, the joint is not exercised properly but if you move the wrist extremely slowly, you feel a very notable stretch throughout the entire exercise.
Monday
Seeing
When you slow down, you begin to notice things. The study of neigong is a refinement of awareness, in which certain qualities are allowed and cultivated. By being slow, you can pay attention to what is happening.
Rushing is not healthy. Fast movement is often at the expense of good body alignment and can indicate a loss of composure. The unhurried pace of tai chi allows you time to experience life in a more complete fashion.
Meditation
Modern life involves a lot of boring activities. People are accustomed to daydreaming or 'spacing out'. The difficulty of tai chi necessitates complete attention. It helps the mind to become calm and centred.
Slow motion practice encourages your mind to remain captivated by the immediacy of the moment, to feel every nuance of every movement. This degree of awareness is very healthy.Tai chi is about changing our internal environment so that life becomes a joy to live and not a burden to drag into old age and death. It is about helping your body to let go of the past and your mind to slow down and cease churning. Tai chi encourages your internal focus to shift toward cherishing and remembering all that is wonderful in your life. It predisposes you to look forward to ways to make life better, rather than remembering how unsatisfying it has been.
Most importantly, tai chi gives us the ability to realise a greater human potential in ourselves and to have genuine compassion for others. Tai chi, with its gentle strength, moves us closer to feeling more truly alive.
(Bruce Frantzis)
Friday
Neigong
Neigong requires a certain kind of body movement that naturally produces fa jing. Nothing is forced.
Neigong naturally encourages the whole-body action necessary for fa jing - the process is continual and ongoing. You become capable of kinetic energy release without having to try.
Aggressive approaches
Some methods involve shouting and aggression, with abrupt jerky actions that may cause tension in the body and problems if you are prone to migraine.
Although the muscles remain soft, there is a definite jarring element to it.
Bruce Frantzis sees this approach as giving-in to your animal nature, instead of sublimating it within the human.
Secrets
Tai chi hides its secrets in the open. Your inability to comprehend them is a reflection of your own occluded nature. To unlock tai chi, you must change yourself.
If you are not discerning and scientific in your study, years may be spent practicing material that conflicts with The Tai Chi Classics, and does not really follow the way of tai chi.
Thursday
He taught me to vibrate the breath and body rather fiercely and loudly like a growling lion, stretch the tendons, turn the waist like the motions of a food mixer, hit my own body and then flap my arms in the air. I started accruing some fa jing, although of a more shocking nature, rather than the smooth kind that can come from tai chi.
The drawback is that it made my energy jumpy.
(Bruce Frantzis)
Mastery
Can you actually master tai chi? To do so suggests a degree of self-consciousness incongruent with tai chi practice. Surely you need to be mastered by tai chi?
Your body and mind must flow with what is happening; undisturbed and without resistance. Yielding, surrendering - until the 'you' is no longer present. When you and tai chi are indivisible, there is no master, no perfection.
Returning
Returning is an important theme in tai chi; the movements should not start and stop. Energy must release and return constantly as the body expands and contracts. Similarly, if your mind wanders, you return to what you doing and continue.
If you make a mistake, you identify, accept, correct and then begin again. Every time you practice, you start the form afresh by returning to the beginning. There is no end, no perfection. Just endless returning.
Wednesday
Virtue
Tai chi needs to be considered according to its own nature... Each movement has particular characteristics; both energetically and martially.
What is the essence of each movement?
The body must adjust to express the appropriate energy, remaining utterly loose, balanced and relaxed at all times. Your muscles must be soft but not flaccid.
Tuesday
In & out
Inhale when your arms come in, exhale as your arms move out.
Inhale as the arms lift, exhale as they lower.
Inhale as you lift to kick...
This may seem odd until you consider the difference between a hand or leg strike. With the hands or body, you shift from one leg to another as you strike. Yet, with a kick the weight is in one leg only - the supporting one. As you lift the body and kick, you inhale. If you exhaled as the leg rises, your balance would follow your breath.
We only exhale for kicks that are inclined downward, and are using gravity and weight.
Natural
Your body knows how to breathe already. It is important to remember this before considering any kind of 'breath work'.
Tai chi should avoid interfering with what is natural.
Monday
First of all, do not be caught by words - you understand?
The word is not the actual thing, the word 'tree' is not the actual tree - that's simple.
The word will not help you to touch the tree; you have to come into contact with it,
to put your hand upon it. We are slaves to words, slaves to ideas, images and symbols.
To come into touch with something directly the word must not interfere.
(Krishnamurti)
Even more tragic than our separation from the world is our separation from ourselves.
How many times have you stood in the kitchen slicing tomatoes for supper?
Where was your mind? What was your soul feeling?
Were you aware of the feel of the knife against against the palm of your hand?
Did you feel the texture of the tomato as the knife sliced through it?
Were you aware of how your hips, shoulder, abdomen,
and wrist aided the hand in the slicing process?
The answer to all these questions is, probably, no.
(John Lash)
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:
Timing
Balance
Rhythm
Leverage
Footwork
Biofeedback
Coordination
Biomechanics
Proprioception
Mind/body unity
Optimal body use
Kinaesthetic awareness
How your muscles work
Healthy skeletal alignment
Ambidextrous use of the limbs
How and why to relax your body
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.
Thursday
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.High repetitions?
High repetitions dull the mind. Aim to train little and often instead. Be thorough, accurate, aware.
Cultivate familiarity and ease. You want your movements to be natural, relaxed, smooth and controlled.What is condition?
Consider this situation:
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.
Your friend joins you on the walk because they too want to get in shape.
They finish the walk exhausted and marvel at your stamina.
What has changed?
The walk is just as hard. You need to use just as much energy to complete it.
Yet, your body has grown stronger.
More efficient.
You can undertake the hardship of the walk without undue difficulty.
This is what condition means.
Increasing your strength, stamina, endurance and fitness.
Compared to somebody who does not undertake daily training you will be far more capable of sustained exercise.
Wednesday
Slow form
The Long Yang form is often known as the 'slow form'. The slow, deliberate movements encourage concentration and allow the student time to become familiar with the coordination.
There should be no attempt made to speed up the sequence. Slower movement will also develop muscular strength and body control.
Some of you have talked about learning a short form of tai chi, which has certain transitional motifs eliminated. The reason for these repeating transitions is to help you flow within the form - to ride over it without thinking. When these repetitions are cut out, some of the major movements become awkward and jam together. The sequence loses some of its smoothness.
(Chungliang Al Huang)
Tuesday
Taoist principle
The Chinese symbol called 'tai chi' or the 'supreme ultimate' contains yin and yang. Yin is black and yang is white. Tai chi combines yin and yang to produce a process of dynamic balancing.
The art of tai chi employs this Taoist principle at all times.
What is Taoism?
Taoism is not a religion in the formal sense. It is concerned with the observation of life, of nature and then the literal application of insights gleaned through seeing and contemplating what took place.
There are 3 main books to read:
The Way and Its Power
The Way of Chuang Tzu
The Book of Changes
It is well worth exploring a variety of interpretations and translations in order to discover which one makes the most sense to you.
Monday
Non-violence
We aim to address self defence without resorting to undue violence. Violence against violence can lead to further escalation. We simply desire to evade conflict and escape unharmed.
There is no ego involved, no desire to win or claim a trophy. We learn how to incapacitate the attacker smoothly and easily. Then we walk away.
Internal conflict
The source of all conflict resides within. We experience reality within our minds. Our minds interpret what our senses encounter, and we filter that information relative to our conditioning. The difference between a peaceful person and an aggressive individual is perception.
If we want to get along with other people we must address our own mind and emotions. This is where the problem lies.
Compassion
Compassion is not about being soppy or becoming a monk. It is about caring. When you wake up and see that everyone else is pretty much the same as you, you stop being such a jerk. Instead of treading on people, you help them. Instead of causing conflict, you avoid it.
People who see themselves in others start treating strangers quite differently. We all want pretty much the same things: love, food, shelter, piece of mind, security, kindness, financial and emotional comfort. What is so special about you? Aren't you just the same as everyone else?Friday
Bully
A selfish person is pushy. They like to get their own way. They are quite comfortable pushing others around. Do you like being pushed around? How does it make you feel?
Bullying other people is unpleasant. It is one of the less savoury aspects of human conduct. Are you a bully?
You
If we can accept that the world does not revolve around you personally, then that is a starting place. Other people have wants, needs and feelings too.
Many people walk this earth as if they personally owned it. Everyone else is a cast member in some monumental production staged for their benefit. Wake up.It is not all about you. Do not implicate yourself in every situation. Sometimes things happen and you are an unexpected victim. This is not nice, but it was not about you personally. Do not make everything personal.
Pride
We must not only listen to what the other person is saying, we must also listen to how we respond to it. Our reactions are very important.
If a friend jokingly insults you, you may just laugh it off. But if a stranger does the same you may be offended. Why? Do you not value your friend's opinion over that of a stranger? Why should you care what a stranger thinks? What difference can it possibly make?
Our responses need to be considered. Pay particular attention to emotions. Anger, aggression and resentment are extremely destructive. People often react on impulse. Their response may be ill-conceived and careless.
Don't take yourself quite so seriously.
Thursday
Conditioning
Conditioning is about strengthening the body so that it can cope with the demands of rigorous exercise without the risk of injury. It is directly related to stamina and endurance.
Negative emotions
Negative emotions are biologically harmful and can make you ill.
When you become angry, your body is flooded with hormones and adrenaline; you enter a 'fight or flight' mode which is only intended for extreme situations in which your life is endangered.
'Fight or flight' puts your body under duress.
Tai chi encourages a person to change the way they think in order to reduce the likelihood of becoming angry.
Wednesday
Coordination
Coordination is all about combining different body parts in action. A simple example is eye-hand coordination.
The motor abilities of a tai chi person are exceedingly refined; they possess the grace, coordination and poise of a dancer.
Flexibility
Flexibility, mobility and suppleness are important concerns when it comes to avoiding injury. We explore many different ways to increase our range of movement.
Agility
Agility is the ability to change your position efficiently and effectively. It requires the student to combine balance, speed, strength and coordination.
Tuesday
Monday
Where is the class?
Community Hall, St Andrew's Church, Station Road, Benton, NE12 8AW.
Please enter via the car park.
Friday
Invest in your wellbeing
Newcastle Tai Chi classes are an opportunity to focus exclusively on YOU. Everybody needs 'me' time. Time to work on your body, relax your mind, calm your emotions and find balance.
We teach people how to achieve the maximum results using the least amount of effort. The training attitude is: moderation, little & often, do what feels comfortable. Don't exert, push or strain.
YouTube
Some people want to learn tai chi from YouTube because it seems convenient and easy.
The drawback is very simple: nobody is correcting your mistakes. And you will be making a LOT of them. As a beginner, every single tai chi movement and exercise needs correcting.
Why join?
A lot of people don't see the point of joining a tai chi school and taking regular classes. Yes, they want the health benefits, but they don't want the commitment.
This is akin to wanting to get paid without actually doing any work.
Thursday
Standing, stepping and walking
When people say 'tai chi', they usually think of form. Form involves walking around the hall whilst performing a series of smooth, flowing, dynamic movements.
It involves quite a lot of stepping, mobility, balancing, motor skills and coordination (we teach this).
One of the main areas of concern in tai chi is balance - and in order to work on this, you need to be standing up, walking and mobile.
Is tai chi appropriate for me?
We receive a lot of e-mails from people who ask if tai chi is suitable for them. This is a rather tricky question...
We have never met the inquirer. We know nothing about them. We don't know what their tastes, expectations, requirements, personality is like...
We don't really know what they are looking for or what kind of exercise they are even capable of doing.
Oasis
Week in, week out, people attend tai chi classes. The instructor is always friendly. The lessons are always stimulating. Your fellow students are always courteous, well mannered and nice.
Your personal life may be in turmoil, your work life may be tedious or disappointing, yet tai chi class remains a constant: comfortable, familiar, friendly and fun.
Instead of being met by rivalry, one-upmanship and stress, you encounter friendship and warmth.
Wednesday
It’s crazy. I never thought I’d be getting more powerful as I got older!
I used to be able to hit pretty hard in karate but it was 100% effort. More than a handful of full power hits and I was getting fatigued. With Tai chi I’m hitting as hard, probably harder but no effort…I could carry on striking all day! It’s nuts! Also, with karate there was wind up or at least fist at waist or head so had space to travel before contact. Now I can almost hit as hard from touching the target!
The fact Sifu Waller has been able to transform my power generation as I age into my 40’s is all the proof I will ever need of both the art and Sifu as the real thing. I almost feel sorry for those that continue with slow old people tai chi or wushu style. They are missing the essence!
(Chris Young)
What do we teach?
Rachel specialises in teaching qigong. Qigong involves simple movements, mild stretches and cooperative partner work. The onus is upon relaxation, balance, good poise and coordination.
Students learn how to move their body in a healthy, comfortable way without the risk of injury.
Sifu Waller teaches taijiquan (martial art), tai chi for health and tai chi for fitness.
His martial classes that explore: taijiquan, biomechanics, neigong, jing, chin na, shuai jiao and self defence. He specialises in teaching the old/classical Yang style taijiquan. This is a very old style of kung fu (Chinese boxing). Authenticity is our primary goal; we teach a pragmatic, functional martial art.
An exercise class
Please bear in mind that you will be on your feet and moving around for approximately 90 minutes. Tai chi is a workout.
The training is gentle, but if you're unfit, you may find it tiring at first.
Tuesday
What don't we teach?
• We don't teach other martial arts e.g. karate, MMA, wing chun or judo
• Tailored sessions, such as: tai chi for the elderly, tai chi in a chair, tai chi for children, tai chi for people with mental health issues or tai chi as performance art
• We cannot teach kung fu to children or the elderly
These are not areas that we specialise in. We are not trained or qualified to teach these approaches, nor is our syllabus or insurance geared with these in mind.
Can you learn kung fu?
Learning kung fu is another matter entirely. This is subject to eligibility criteria.
Fitness exercises
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 fitness syllabus. The fitness exercises are more challenging than qigong & tai chi.
Qigong & tai chi
Qigong and tai chi are suitable for most adults who can stand and walk without the aid of a stick.
When you watch somebody perform Sifu Waller's tai chi it looks like nothing special is happening, but the power being produced is incredible. Surprising and very exciting! The biomechanics are remarkable; you learn so much about how to use your body in a healthier, more dynamic way.
(Dr Adriana Chilińska)
Monday
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.
Equal opportunity
Someone may struggle to begin with and then blossom later. Others may always struggle. This is simply the way things are. We treat all students equally.
Parity
Flattering the skilled and patronising the awkward is not the tai chi approach.
Each student must be treated with respect and courtesy. Everyone comes from a different mental and physical background, and brings with them a unique set of quirks and habits. Shedding these takes time.
I would strongly recommend Newcastle Tai Chi to anyone who is keen on trying out, learning & further developing tai chi skills for various health benefits or martial arts purposes. Even if you are a complete novice and don't know much about what tai chi is or how that might be of any benefit - just give it a go, you will find it worthwhile!
I have been working in healthcare for many years and I can assure, I found these skills to be of particular benefit for relaxation, stress-relief, improved movement control, balance and direct self-defence strategies. If you wish to pursue the martial arts route, the school has got a robust training syllabus/grading system which would also interest those who seek a more challenging form of tai chi.
(Dr Laxmikant Ekade)
Friday
Concessions?
Even if we wanted to be charitable with students, what could you expect from us?
We cannot carry you through the form movements. We cannot download skills into your brain. We cannot cure laziness or apathy. We cannot make you brave.
We cannot make you tall, small, rich or happy.
Fit for combat?
In martial arts, if you attend the lesson, the assumption is that you are fit enough to train. If there's anything preventing you from training properly that night, a kung fu lesson is not suitable for you.
Traditional kung fu does not offer concessions or tailored lessons. Nor does it offer age, gender or weight-specific concessions/classes. Everyone trains together. The only differentiation is ability.
How healthy do I need to be to do tai chi?
You don't need to be fit to start tai chi classes. But you do need to be able to stand up, walk and step without the aid of a stick. The qigong & tai chi classes are designed to cultivate a greater degree of fitness: stamina, balance, endurance, flexibility, mobility and coordination.
In some respects the exercises will be just as challenging as yoga, but not exertive. Please bear in mind that you will be on your feet and moving around for approximately 90 minutes.
Thursday
Fighting
Sifu Waller's approach to taijiquan has no interest whatsoever in fighting - there will never be competitions or full-contact bouts.
Fa jing, shuai jiao, striking and chin na are not toys to be treated carelessly. No sensible person would allow you to snap their joint just to prove that it can be done.
You must be far smarter than that if you want to learn taijiquan.
Most of us experience a sense of being 'on edge' or jumpy. This is really a habitual over-reaction to our environment. One way of deepening your understanding of this is to experiment with habitual patterns of reacting to a familiar stimulus, such as a door-bell or a telephone ringing.
(Michael Gelb)
Wednesday
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.
Tuesday
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.
Monday
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.
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?Friday
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.
Thursday
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.
The longer it lasts, the more worn out you will get. The more exertive your exercise, the quicker you will tire.
Wednesday
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.
Tuesday
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.
Monday
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:
It must be administered every day
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.
Friday
Wednesday
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.
Tuesday
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.
Monday
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.
Friday
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.
Thursday
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.
Wednesday
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)
Tuesday
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.
Monday
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.
Friday
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.
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