Induction course Monday 14th September

 The next induction course starts Monday 14th September. Places must be booked on-line in advance (Covid-19 guidelines).

There are a limited number of places available. If you want to book a place, please send us an e-mail.

sifuwaller@outlook.com

What is healthy?

A lot of people consider themselves to be 'healthy'... By what criteria? By which standards? Blood pressure? Cardio health?

It is common to see a runner working hard on their cardiovascular health meanwhile wearing a knee brace. What about joint health?

Many people are overweight.

Others have mobility problems. Mental health issues. Anger management problems. Anxiety. Depression. Tension.

Before concluding that you are healthy, it may be worth researching the subject.

Isn't tai chi just slow motion exercise?

No. Some of the training methods are slow, and some are not. As the student gains greater skill, their movements become fluid and dynamic. They move at whatever speed the situation demands.

Slow motion movement, chilled out exercise or dance cannot be considered tai chi. Tai chi is more than this. It adheres to certain parameters, guidelines and rules of practice.

Intelligent exercise

In the longevity book The Blue Zones, Dr Robert Kane emphasised the fact that many forms of exercise - especially sport - often have adverse side effects that impede long-term practice. 
By contrast, as a milder form of exercise, tai chi can be practiced throughout your entire lifespan, making it a safer, sustainable choice. Tai chi is a fun, balanced way to exercise. 

What is tai chi?

When most people say 'tai chi' they mean tai chi for health. Tai chi for health is a simplified, movement-based exercise adapted from taijiquan (a Chinese martial art). 

Tai chi is intended to improve health and wellbeing through frequent, regular practice using low effort. 

1950's China

Faced with a major health crisis, the People's Republic of China turned to tai chi for a solution.
Just think about what that means...Tai chi's reputation for health was so well founded that the government of China thought to employ the Art officially as a means of improving wellbeing.
The Art was introduced to schools nationwide and taught to people of all ages.

Help yourself?

Helping people can be tricky... the problem is that people are often unwilling to help themselves.
We had a student a while back who had all sorts of health problems and was entirely unsuited to martial practice.
She was a health student and had much to work on.
Yet, the lady kept on signing up for boot camp and martial workshops.
We kept saying no.

It is beyond my control...

People have difficulty coming to terms with the fact that they are largely responsible for their own health and wellbeing.
(Or lack of good health).
It is far easier to pretend.
In fact, most people would rather talk about how to run the country instead of how to manage their own lives.

Tai Chi Master

Mastering tai chi requires the following:

• A lifelong commitment to the furtherance of the art
• Spontaneous demonstration of every and any aspect of the art
• The ability to train other people to become Tai Chi Instructors
• An embodiment of the principles outlined in the Tai Chi Classics
• Highly accurate rendition of every exercise/form/drill/application
• Extensive knowledge of every facet of every subject in the syllabus i.e. 'jing'
• An in-depth understanding of every facet of the exercise/form/drill/application
• How the exercise/form/drill/application links to other aspects of the curriculum
• The ability to dismantle and explain how and why the different components operate
• Grace, ease, subtlety, sensitivity, nimbleness, appropriateness, simplicity are all a given
• The willingness to train disciples to acquire every aspect of the teaching and perpetuate the art themselves
• Unselfconscious, skilled and utterly effective application of the art in combat employing chin na, jing and shuai jiao
• The ability to develop, improve and deliver a thorough, fully differentiated syllabus suitable for all ability levels and all ages
• The ability to dismantle and explain how and why every form posture operates and how it can be applied in at least 7 different ways
• Comprehensive theoretical knowledge and the ability to discuss and explain how taoism, martial theory and actual practice all tie together
• The ability to apply the tai chi principles (yielding, stickiness, peng, jing, composure, connection, 4 ounces etc) in every situation with absolute ease and certainty

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.

Tai Chi Master

A Master should have 30-40 years martial arts experience and 30,000 hours of tai chi practice.
They are capable of teaching other Instructors.

It's awesome! It's an amazing feeling when you get a move just right and your opponent crumples or is sent crashing across the room even though it's taken very little effort to do it. However, it requires dedication, hard work and a lot of practice to make and maintain progress through the syllabus.

Master Waller is not only an exceptional martial artist, he's also a skilled and very patient teacher. His approach to teaching is structured and methodical but is also rational - founded on physics and biomechanics rather than mysticism and esoteric concepts of energy flow. His tai chi chuan works, he can explain why it works, he proves it works, and he can teach you to make it work too!
(Eddie)

An alternative

A lot of Western people start the day by smoking a cigarette, listening to the radio/watching TV, reading a newspaper and having a cup of coffee.
Yang style tai chi offers an alternative.
Instead of feeling groggy and tired in a morning, you feel invigorated, relaxed, alert, calm and clear-headed.
You start the day from a position of strength, rather than weakness.

Peter Southwood's tips #24 Hydrate

Aim to drink at least 1.5 litres of water every day.
Preferably mineral water or filtered water.

Ten years ago I gave up full time work to work part time. I felt the need for more time for myself and to improve my fitness and health. I was looking for a form of exercise which would fulfil these goals and thought tai chi would suit me. I looked for a tai chi class locally and tried a few but found they were not what I wanted. Basically the classes were too large and there seemed to be no development of skills or structure in the teaching, merely waving your arms about.

Nine years ago I found a class run by Master Waller. This changed my whole outlook. Students are in uniform and there are people actively teaching the syllabus and practicing. There is a very comprehensive program of study to work through.

I did a 'self defence intro' recently and really enjoyed the training. We were not taught to believe that we were now competent at self defence. That would be an unreasonable expectation. However, we were taught some simple strategies to use should we ever find ourselves in a vulnerable position, and they would work, as we proved on each other! So, not only useful, but good fun also.
(Sylvia)

Modern life

Modern life is filled with distractions that distort your perception of reality and make you feel strung out and tired.
 
Television, computers, junk food, noisy neighbours, work, videogames, mobile phones, driving and family problems can all make you feel unhappy and agitated.

In my life free time is in short supply; I want a class where I get value for money and concentrated pure teaching.
Newcastle Tai Chi meets both these objectives.
(Damian)

You

Studying tai chi is all about looking after your own interests.
Instead of worrying about other people, why not take the time to work on yourself?

By slowing down you begin to notice patterns of tension within the body, stiff shoulders, aching joints, an inflexible spine.
Impatience, irritability and the tendency to rush become apparent.

Address these concerns in a supportive learning environment.
Pretty soon you will start to feel a lot more relaxed and happy; your energy levels will increase and vitality will follow.

Moderation

A common theme in tai chi training is 'moderation'.
Be cautious of extremes.
Pushing your body can lead to injury, strain and physical tension.

In tai chi, the training is gentle and does not tax the body.
We remain calm, focussed and patient.

Making the best use of your time

Tai chi can potentially fulfil a number of requirements simultaneously:

1. Stress-relief
2. Relaxation
3. Meditation
4. Health
5. Fitness
6. Wellbeing
7. Self defence training
8. Friendly social activity

A good tai chi class will address your health, strengthen your body, optimise movement and improve balance.
People who have an interest in Asian art, culture, literature and philosophy are encouraged to explore these subjects.
If you want to learn a complete range of martial arts skills, you can do this too.