Shen

When we are utterly invested in the here and now, the self fades and we become immersed in just being.
The division between this and that, self and other fades.
We become one with the moment.

Buy your books on-line

If you see a good book in your high street bookshop, don't just buy it there and then.

Compare the price with on-line sellers.

You may save a lot of money by ordering your books on-line.

Wealthy

Leaders live in big houses,
while the fields are full of weeds.
The granaries are empty,
while the rich wear the latest fashion.
People carry weapons and eat and drink to excess.
Their riches are stolen from the poor.

(Lao Tzu)

Tai Chi Master

The term 'Master' in the martial arts usually refers to a practitioner who has dedicated at least 25 years of hard training to their chosen art, amassed tens of thousands of hours practice and is very good at their stuff.
There is no real consensus as to what constitutes a 'Tai Chi Master'.

Peter Southwood suggested the following guidelines: 40 years martial arts experience, 20 years teaching experience, 30,000 hours of tai chi practice, stage 5 skill with all forms and be capable of teaching other Instructors.

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

Look around you

Self defence

A tai chi school would not be a tai chi school without combat.
Tai chi, however, is not about fighting - it is about self defence - and the two are rather different.

Fighting is about contesting yourself against another, besting them in combat and perhaps obtaining a prize.
Self defence is about escaping harm - using the minimum degree of effort and commitment.
There are no prizes or runners-up in self defence; if you lose in a real life confrontation, you could die.

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

Carelessness

The danger with abstraction is that it blinds you to the dangers of over-spending.
You are seduced into spending money you do not have.

This process is not an accident.

It has been cynically planned and implemented by financiers of various kinds.
Everyone wants a piece of the action.
You are the 'mark'.
These massive companies want a piece of your money.

Through your carelessness, and the process of abstraction, you have been distanced from the reality of your finances.

When your house is re-possessed, you realise that numerical abstraction may have hidden the reality from you - but reality cannot be ignored.
Crippling debt is the outcome of confusing the menu with the food.

What is advanced?

Students often have funny ideas about what 'advanced' means.
In our world of video games, special moves and Jet Li films, people have some startling misconceptions.

In some taijiquan circles, a student is regarded as being advanced simply because they can remember a weapons form or demonstrate a few self defence applications.
This is absurd.

Being advanced at taijiquan requires far more than this.

Responsibility

Your tai chi is only as good as you make it.

People are not always happy with the reality of their situation.
We teach the material, we revise it with you, we offer you practice partners and we pressure test your understanding.
But only you can do the work.

This is not what most people want to hear.
Internal tai chi skills cannot be purchased. You must use your mind and your body. And you must practice.

The worst in you

It may well sound corny to speak about 'the dark side'.
However, any balanced person recognises that there are aspects of our character we should be concerned about.

Martial arts can potentially bring out the worst in people.
They speak to the anti-social aspects of human nature: violence, cruelty, pain, ruthlessness, anger, aggression, force and fear.

Twisted students

Not all martial arts students are well-balanced people.

Some revel in the violence and the pain they can inflict. They are eager to cause suffering and will encourage you to do the same.

These people may be charismatic, exciting people, but their message is ugly.
Instead of seeking to avoid conflict, they embrace it. Rather than side-step violence, they seek it.

Wrist and shoulder

The relationship between the shoulders and the wrists is an important one to explore.
You must avoid interfering with the natural movement of the human body.
If you can move the hands in harmony with the shoulders, you will not cause unwanted tension in the shoulders and arms.

Consider the angle of the wrist joint...

Is it horizontal, with the palm facing forwards or down?
Is is vertical/diagonal, with the palm facing towards the body or away?

The angle of the wrist will determine where the hand must be held:

- if horizontal, the hand must be outside the shoulders
- if vertical, the hand must be inside the shoulders

Tai chi is good for your health

Tai chi is characterised by a gentle internal coiling and twisting of the body.
The soft, relaxed movements help to reduce bodily tension, whilst the martial art focus gives purpose and intent to the practice.

This is an ideal form of exercise for people who suffer from illness or simply want to improve their health.
Stronger muscles and bones, combined with greater flexibility of the joints, will improve body usage beyond the class.

Standing and moving qigong exercise addresses the stability of the physical structure and promotes the flow of qi.
The syllabus places great attention on the way in which the body operates.
This significantly improves the health benefits.

Since tai chi is performed slowly, there is little risk of injury or discomfort when practicing this type of exercise.

Wardoff

Every counter begins with soft meeting, using wardoff.
Wardoff allows you to make contact without banging or jarring.
Without wardoff, contact is external.

Qualities of wardoff:

1. keeps the distance
2. ‘feeler’
3. soft meeting
4. springy
5. ‘hug tree’ qigong posture
6. exists within every taijiquan posture to some extent

The use of wardoff will feel imperceptible to the attacker, with the defender skilfully moving into another jing immediately.
There is no one-two rhythm. The moment must flow.

Tai chi exercise

Some styles of tai chi have deep stances and movements that may put strain on the body.
You must find a class that offers a way of moving that feels comfortable for you.

If you have knee or back problems, look for a class that uses higher, smaller stances.

No control

Letting your repressed feelings rise to the surface is not necessarily such a good thing.
You become more intimate with traits that belong in the recesses of your personality, rather than the forefront.

Once you let anger, aggression and violence out of your subconscious you will never be able to put them away again.
They always existed in you, and once you have indulged them they will be harder to ignore.

Violence is seductive. The ability to inflict pain excites people. They feel strong. Empowered.

Beginning

I wake, get dressed and clean, then I train. It is damp and cool outside. The darkness of early morning is soothing and calm. Few human noises intrude. After 2 hours or so, I rest. I let the floor support my body and I drift. The floor is relaxing and my body is grateful.

Afterwards, I eat a small meal of fresh fruit and drink more water.

The pile of books I am reading offers another opportunity to slow down and be present. I do not read quickly or ambitiously. But slowly. Savouring the words and contemplating the meaning. My mind is increasingly calm.

I shave off my hair, shave and shower. Dress in clean clothes.

The washing-up takes quite a while to work through. I clean the kitchen counters and the floor. There is a sense of quietude and order that arises from simple work. Chaos is replaced by clarity.

Soon, I will walk, work and train some more. But for now, I enjoy the company of my wife and the ease that comes from having trained and rested.

This is how I begin my day.

Getting rest

Good sleep, healthy food, exercise and fresh air are essential for rest.
Tai chi helps you to be calm and to appreciate the value of relaxation.

Allow yourself to slow down and become still inside; let tranquillity replace agitation.

Weekend

Does your week actually end?
Or do you spend all seven days in relentless activity?

If you spend at least one day per week doing nothing in particular, you will feel refreshed and relaxed.
A day of rest is important.
When you spend your weekend doing very little, you return to work on Monday feeling alive.

Last Friday feels far away.

Responsibility

Your tai chi is only as good as you make it.

People are not always happy with the reality of their situation.
We teach the material, we revise it with you, we offer you practice partners and we pressure test your understanding.
But only you can do the work.

This is not what most people want to hear.
Internal tai chi skills cannot be purchased. You must use your mind and your body. And you must practice.

What is stress?

Stress is a condition of anxiety caused by the inability to cope with a situation.
A person feels to be under pressure and they become upset.
They are often encouraged to see themselves as being a failure when the pressure becomes too much.

Modern living is directed to a large extent by business and money.
Companies regard everything as a commodity to be exploited and often apply this same attitude towards people.

Attack

Under pressure

In our tai chi we regard partner work as stress management.
You are faced with situations that test your ability to remain loose and relaxed at all times.
The training develops a growing awareness of your own body, mind and emotions.
Composure is paramount.
Simple activities encourage the student to become lost in the event rather than planning and worrying.

Tai chi requires the student to respond calmly to the demands of the moment, to be sensitive to the relationship they have with the world around them.

Common solutions

The usual antidote to stress is relaxation.
Some people take up exercise, go on holiday, take prescription drugs, overeat or drink alcohol.
Sometimes, solutions are simply distractions and fail to deal with the stress at all.

None of these 'solutions' really addresses the problem, which is the inability to cope.

Rest & relaxation

Rest is not the same as relaxation.

Whilst relaxation can take many forms, rest is more straightforward.
When you stop doing altogether, you rest.

An example of rest is sleep.

Tai chi chuan exponents

You may encounter many different people in a tai chi school.
The martial path has 6 tiers:

1. Student
2. Lineage disciple
3. Instructor
4. Expert
5. Master
6. Grandmaster

Every practitioner begins at the first level.
Levels 2-6 require a much deeper degree of commitment and practice, and will not suit most people's lifestyle.
It may be useful to determine what level an instructor has reached.

Presence

If you really want to see the world around you, you need to be present.

Being caught up in thoughts, opinions, beliefs and ideas is not so good.
The mind needs to stop judging, assessing, evaluating, comparing and measuring.

Simply be here and now.

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

Lessons are for...

Lessons are for tuition, corrections and partner work. Practice should be done at home, between lessons.

Red belt

A student is awarded their final dan belt (red) when they have completed the advanced syllabus.

Strain

Strain slowly leads to damage over time.

Prolonged imbalance can result in injury as the small strains gradually wear away at the body.
Like cracks, they cause very subtle damage.

Most people impose very slight strain on their bodies all day long.
Hunching over a computer.
Sitting badly.
Reaching to do something rather than stepping closer.

The Power of Internal Martial Arts by Bruce Frantzis

Knowledge

Writing something down does not make it so.
Language and books attempt to solidify reality, to capture the complexity of existence in words.
Can this be done?
Truth is too vast and complex to be verbalised. It is everything that is happening simultaneously, everywhere, all at once.

Knowledge is profoundly flawed. By its very nature it is partial and incomplete.

Once we see that information is simply a pointer indicating the way/the direction, we can treat it appropriately.
Rather than live in awe of knowledge we must see it as it is: limited.

Words detailing the knowledge and skills of long-dead tai chi people do not capture any facet of how that person performed the art.
Narrative is dead. tai chi is alive. It is made manifest by the living, breathing, changing person.

Fa jing Peter

Peter was obsessed with the idea of fa jing.

He was utterly stiff and unaware of it and so desperate to “fa jing” somebody.

He’d pick a move at random and ask me to fa jing it for him so that he could see how the body mechanics worked.

Every lesson involved a battle to master fa jing. I never figured out why…

Contribution

7th dan is concerned with finding out what it means to walk alone...

The practitioner is both a teacher and a scholar, possessing a considerable sense of the art and its philosophical heritage.
Study, research, practice and progress must continue. The art must unfold and your insight deepen.

Taijiquan is an incredibly complex, sophisticated art.
Being 'advanced' requires an understanding that transcends rote learning and repetition.
You need decades of practice, skill and teaching experience.

The student must now make a unique, personal and significant contribution to the art.

This can take the form of new insights, approaches or applications.
The contribution must be meaningful and extensive.
It needs to affect every aspect of the training.

Not what you want to hear?

When people ask a question, they often have an answer in mind.

If the reply does not suit their expectations, they may be confused, surprised, disappointed or upset.

Be careful not to use questions as a means of gratification.
Ask, but do not attempt to shape the answer.

Even if the answer is unexpected, it will teach you something.
Some lessons are less obvious than others.

Difficulty and change

A tai chi student will face many obstacles and challenges. Some are physical. Others are psychological and emotional.

These difficulties are necessary. Only through perseverence can you grow. Progress requires change.

Perspective

Cord: Who are you?

Blind shepherd: Whoever you think I am or want me to be, I am.

(The Silent Flute)

Perception

We see the world according to how we are, not according to how it is.
Perception colours everything.

There is no such thing as 'objectivity'. Objectivity is just a concept, akin to 'infinity' or 'eternity'.
These are words without meaning.

Everyone is subjective.
Your mind interprets what it sees relative to your education, conditioning and perspective.

Yang style

The standard Yang set today is Yang Cheng Fu's final revision of 85 postures, which he demonstrated in his book published in 1936. Most of the other books published since then, including many Western ones, are either variations or reflections of the author's own personal expression of the set.

One should note that right from its creation, Yang tai chi has always been combat-oriented. Yang Cheng Fu always emphasised that the set should be practiced with its martial applications in mind. These applications may be taught through the fast set, individual posture explanations, tui shou (push hands), san shou (fixed-step sparring) and san da (free sparring).

(Alex Yeo)

Mistakes

(i) Accuracy

Tai chi offers an opportunity to come to terms with making mistakes and also the experience of 'being corrected'.
The complex nature of the art demands a very unusual degree of accuracy.

A slight deviation from the necessary position can mean weakness and imbalance.


(ii) Concentration

Students learn to focus on what they are doing. They keep their mind on what is right in front of them.
For many people, this is a very challenging endeavour.
It will take considerable practice and patience.
And it cannot be forced...

Concentration is a necessary first step.


(iii) Mistakes

Some new starters become paranoid about making mistakes.

Everyone makes mistakes, and not just in class. Our lives are littered with words and acts of foolishness. It is human.

You cannot avoid making mistakes.
But perhaps you can learn from them, grow and move on?


(iv) Corrections

Initially, your teacher must correct your tai chi.
The teacher corrects you because they care about your progress and your wellbeing.

In time, you learn to feel where the groundpath lies. You adjust accordingly.
You can also pressure-test your own framework and application by working with a partner.

Eventually, you learn how to correct your own practice.

Young students

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

Sifu's sabre

Sifu Waller uses a Yang-style sabre rather than a broadsword for his Yang Cheng Fu sabre form. 

Wabi-Sabi: For Artists, Designers, Poets and Philosophers by Leonard Koren

Form collecting

If all you learn is a lot of forms, you just become a good dancer.

(James Wing Woo)

Learning from mistakes

People frequently fail to learn from their mistakes. They just keep on doing the same thing again and again and again.
There is far more to intelligence than acquisition. We must be alert.

If something does not work, it is necessary to determine why it failed and try something else.
This capacity to change is a key factor.
A dull mind is doomed to repeat the same error continually. An intelligent mind adapts and moves on.

Accuracy

Accuracy develops through corrections and awareness.

The teacher corrects your form.
Your capacity to understand and implement those corrections is directly linked to how receptive, observant and attentive you are.
If you are prideful, stubborn or lazy, you will not make changes to your form.

Awareness is something that needs to be cultivated.
It involves having an eye for the art, for perceiving what the teacher is actually doing. Not what you think they are doing.

Imperceptible

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

The effect looks like magic.
It looks to be fake.
But it is not.

To accomplish this level of skill, a very good sense of groundpath is necessary.

Short form?

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)

Impressing people

Sifu has a serious aversion to performance. He's no interest whatsoever in proving himself to you or impressing you. He'd quite happily let you think him a fool or incompetent if the alternative meant "dropping his pants" to assuage your ego and your curiosity.

(Shaun Ullah)

Baguazhang

Sifu Waller

Grappling

Chinese grappling/wrestling is called 'shuai jiao'.
It is an umbrella term that encompasses a variety of approaches.

Shuai jiao is not to be confused with Western styles of wrestling.

Two hit Joe

People wanted to know what an internal strike felt like, and volunteered to be hit. Using gravity and weight shift, a blow was delivered to the upper chest. Typically, it knocked the student back a few paces.

There was nothing macho about the entire event - people genuinely wanted to know what they were working towards. Joe was struck and stumbled backwards. He then asserted that he hadn't felt anything at all. I explained that I was reluctant to hit him harder and certainly had no plans to use fa jing. All I could offer was to hit him again. Joe thought that this was a good idea and asked me to hit him a second time. This second blow knocked him backwards once more. He once again claimed that the strike was ineffectual.

I got an e-mail from Joe a few days later, explaining how much he had really enjoyed the class but didn't want to continue. He asserted that the strikes had been way too painful for a man of his age to endure and implied that he'd been bullied.

When I mentioned this to the class, they were astonished. "But he asked to be hit twice!" exclaimed a student.

Peng

Once connection is established, it needs to become something else: peng.

Peng and connection are not the same thing.
A karate student can easily gain connection, but the very nature of their system would preclude the possibility of cultivating peng.
There is no tension with peng.

Peng is a springy, pliable framework.

There Are No Secrets by Wolfe Lowenthal

Insights

Insights arise from the clarity of our seeing.
Instead of looking and seeking - which are both products of the self/the mind - we are passive, we see.

Seeing the essence/character/nature/quality of something is very important.

This involves paring away everything that impedes our seeing. We must invest in loss and shed the accumulations of a lifetime.

Insights are not the product of conscious thought, they arise unbidden from the depths of our minds.
Unexpected associations and connections emerge, new possibilities, nuances, variations and options.

Martial arts

Not all martial arts practice can be considered functional in modern life.
You cannot reasonably carry a sword, knife or staff in the street.

Many training drills teach important lessons and tactics, but they are not all intended for actual combat.

Instructor levels

There are 5 levels of Tai Chi Instructor in the UK these days:

1. Tai Chi for Health & Fitness Teacher
   - 10 years experience
   - these are the majority
2. Tai Chi Chuan Instructor
   - equivalent of 3rd dan black belt in any martial art
   - 10 years experience
   - these people are less common
3. Tai Chi Expert
   - 20 years experience
   - 10,000 hours tai chi chuan practice
   - 10 years teaching experience
   - fewer to be found
4. Tai Chi Master
   - 30,000 hours tai chi chuan practice
   - 20 years teaching experience
   - pretty rare
5. Tai Chi Grandmaster
   - extremely rare

Peter Southwood has graded Sifu Waller as being a Tai Chi Expert based upon his practice quality and experience.

Wisdom

Does the possession of knowledge imply wisdom?

No.
The human race has stored vast sums of knowledge over millennia yet there are still wars, there is still hunger, there is still selfishness and greed.

No rules

In real life, you are likely to face situations different to those encountered in the training hall, dojo or boxing ring.
Remember that a classroom environment is a controlled situation.
There are rules.

In the street there are no rules at all...

No competition

Competition combat is a serious endeavour and can really test your courage.
However, there are still rules.

However, serious a competition may be, it is still sport and sport is not real life.

Tai chi

Tai chi may be physically easy to perform but it does require awareness.
The mind must be without thought in order for you to move internally.
Beginners initially learn standing qigong because this helps them to calm the mind and be present.

The exercise is uncomplicated and offers almost no physical challenge except to remain relaxed and aware.
It is the very simplicity of the qigong that causes problems for people; it is an exercise that lacks activity.
An agitated mind needs entertainment and rebels against inactivity.

Once the mind settles, the senses become more acute and you begin to notice more.
This is the beginning of presence.

What is 'self defence'?

Self defence is the practical application of your art.

This means that you should be capable of handling:

1. Punches
2. Kicks
3. Grapples
4. Multiple opponents/gangs
5. Armed assailants
6. Unexpected attacks
7. Going to the floor

It is necessary to maintain composure, stay calm and apply a wide variety of pragmatic skills in combat.

Meaning & purpose

Many aspects of modern life are warped. The original meaning and purpose has been lost and only a parody remains.
Consider 'marriage': people commonly spend a colossal amount of money on an immense event that lasts only a few hours.
For what? What does it all mean?

In many cases, the wedding has become a pantomime of greed.

A couple becomes engaged and expect presents.
Then they spend a year planning a wedding and booking countless elements before indulging in a lengthy hen night or stag night, before the actual day itself.
They pretend to be Christian in order to be married in a church because it looks nice on the photographs.
Finally, there is the honeymoon.

How much of this actually has anything to do with getting married?

Feedback

 Excellent website and photos. Very thought provoking!

(Patrick)

Self defence

Self defence is not fighting; it is the ability to protect yourself from harm.
It is about doing whatever you need to do to survive an attack.

In our school, we aim to incapacitate the attacker without causing them unnecessary injury.
A student should know how to adapt, change, improvise, yield and strike.

Versatility

Versatility is the key to good self defence.
Choices, options, variables, possibilities, opportunities and nuances offer you creativity.

Self defence is not to be found in any form or drill.
They only represent material.

Your ability to defend yourself must transcend the lessons.
It must extend into your everyday life...

Upgrading

After training a weapons form for a number years it is perhaps useful to consider buying a better sword.
A well-made sword will cost quite a lot of money but is entirely different to a cheaper one.

Many tai chi chuan students can perform elaborate routines using telescopic swords or wushu weapons, but may not fare too well with a 2lb sword.
To handle a sword of the correct weight, your body must compensate by balancing the weapon.
This demands an increase in skill.

Dropped elbows

Failure to drop the elbows means that your arms will extend too far away from the body, causing minor joint strain and immobility.

Coupled with a fairly small stance, dropped elbows will radically improve your capacity to move.
Freedom in the joints and spine is imperative in actual combat.
It leads to increased manoeuvrability.

Practice maintaining dropped elbows at all times, all day long.

Your arms can extend from the body, but only so far. And they must always come back.

Square form

A beginner must pay strict attention to the lessons taught in the body qigong/neigong exercises.
The alignment concerns should be directly employed in the form.

When a beginner can perform the sequence accurately (albeit robotically), they have the 'square form'.

Tai chi should be "Square on the inside and round on the outside".
This means that the internal framework and network of body parts must be aligned and moving in linear paths of force.
If you skip this stage of your training, your form will be devoid of power.

Beyond form

Most tai chi schools teach qigong, form, weaponry and pushing hands.
If self defence is addressed, it is often influenced by external arts and possesses no real jing.

With Sifu Waller, form is simply one facet of a very sophisticated curriculum designed to develop the complete martial artist.
We want students to see form for what it is; self defence is so much more than form.
The training needs to be challenging, vigorous and extensive.

Martial tai chi

Many taijiquan exponents mistakenly believe that the softness/yin of taijiquan must be balanced by hardness/yang of an external art.
Their syllabus offers taijiquan alongside external arts such as ju jitsu or kickboxing.
This attitude demonstrates a poor grasp of yin/yang and of taijiquan.

Yin is heavy, dense, sunk, sticky. It is not flighty and weak.
Being struck by a yin punch will feel immensely painful and it will penetrate deep into the body.
That is the yang part.

Taijiquan cannot be 'balanced' by an external art.
Mixing hard and soft martial arts only ever produces one outcome - an external parody of taijiquan.
You cannot experience the awareness, sensitivity, relaxation and flow of taijiquan when your body is repeatedly fighting force with force and being tense.

The true nature of taijiquan is overlooked.

Weight Loss for the Mind by Stuart Wilde

Blame

People speak of vandalism, graffiti, urban decay and blame these occurrences upon poor people, upon social groups that they see as being lower than their own.

This stems from a warped sense of self-esteem.

When you drive a car, you frequently see incidents of dangerous and illegal driving perpetrated by 'upright' citizens who are in a hurry to get somewhere.
Whilst your average 4 x 4 vehicle owner may not vandalise other peoples property, they will often commit acts of petty criminality without remorse.

Crime is crime; whether you steal cars or run red lights.
Stealing cars causes other people inconvenience, unhappiness and unnecessary hassle.
Running a red light may kill someone.

21st Century urban combat?

The 21st Century has different concerns to the 16th Century. We must allow for the realities of the modern urban environment.
A self defence practitioner needs to be upright, agile, adaptive and realistic. Your opponent will probably be armed and they will most likely have friends.

Things change. Time moves on. Your art needs to be a response to the needs of the present day.

Tao Te Ching

The Tao Te Ching (Daodejing) is the name of the taoist book which features the underlying precepts of tai chi.
It is sometimes translated as The Way and Its Power.
This is quite a dramatic title.

What is "the way"?
What is "its power"?

These are the questions facing every earnest tai chi student.

Martial arts

The genius of ancient martial arts systems cannot be denied. They are tried are tested. They have endured.
Whether or not they are viable in modern times is down to the school, the teacher and the syllabus - rather than just the art itself.

A pragmatic self defence syllabus must take into account the century we are living in.

Tai chi was codified into a self defence system thousands of years ago.
People fought in muddy fields and wore body armour. Low stances were necessary for stability.

Sifu Waller's home training

This has been Sifu Waller's daily routine since 1992:

1. Strength-building
   - balls & grips
   - self-massage (100+ exercises)
   - 3 circle qigong (15 minutes)
   - ba duan jin (8 exercises)
   - reeling silk (6 exercises)
   - 16 elbows
   - moving qigong (15 exercises)
   - leg stretches: day 1 or 2
    
2. Baguazhang
   - 8 palm changes (clockwise & anticlockwise)
   - 8 mother palms
   - 6 direction changes
    
3. Drills
   - small san sau
   - silk arms
   - 5 pre-emptive measures
   - pushing peng/double pushing hands/da lu/penetrating defences/reflex drills
   - 3-tier wallbag
    
4. Weapons
   - knife drills
   - small stick drills
   - stick drills (Monday - Saturday)
   - broadsword drills (Sunday)
   - sabre form (regular & mirrored)
   - 2 person cane form/drill (regular & mirrored)
   - staff form (regular & mirrored)
   - walking stick form (regular & mirrored)
   - straight sword form (regular & mirrored)
    
5. Tai chi chuan
   - pao chui
   - Yang Cheng Fu form (regular & mirrored)
6. Hard qigong
   - full circle qigong (2 postures)/qigong development (2 postures)/form posture qigong (2 postures)/high circle qigong/qigong on one leg
    
7. Cool down
   - stretches & joint work (10 exercises)/psoas exercises (5 exercises)
    
8. Meditation
   - constructive rest position
   - guided relaxation
9. Reading/study

The way and its power

To bring the art full circle you need to study the manuscripts that led to its creation.
This will involve a significant degree of prolonged research and contemplation over many decades.
It will be the final leg of your journey.

Reading these ancient insights is a fascinating endeavour that changes your consciousness in ways that cannot be described.

Those who can do, teach...

Having passed a number of black belt gradings, you will discover that the art is deeper and richer than you expected.
As you learn how to break down the art, you may be encouraged to consider teaching.

If you are keen, your instructor will offer you new goals and challenges, testing your sincerity and your compassion, seeking to determine how earnest you are.

It will take a number of years for you to become a competent tai chi chuan teacher.

To become a skilled teacher you must be very committed to the art, possess great skill and be genuinely interested in the wellbeing and progress of other people.
Your ego must be quiet and you must have no desire to promote or perform.
A martial arts instructor needs humility and insight, not a desire for fame and attention.

Believe the kitsch?

Kitsch is all about conceit. About being phoney.

Is that any way to show your love?
Is that your message: My Love Is Phoney?

Experienced

An experienced student recognises that the basic exercises teach a student how to store and release energy using a wide variety of methods.
Once you can project jing using basic exercises, you must do the same during partner work, form and self defence.

The student focuses upon creating dynamic tension within the soft tissues of the body.
Less and less effort must be made with each action.
The sense of physicality must fade.

The body is still performing demanding physical movements.
However, your degree of tension has diminished to such an extent that you can barely even feel your body move.
The resistance, the blockages are gone.
Your body feels oiled and smooth.
Fluid.

Every movement you make is an opportunity to practice cultivating and generating jing.

The obstacle of laziness

It is raining outside and cold. You are tired from working all day long. You haven't trained since last week's lesson.
There is a warm fire in your living room, a beer in the fridge and your wife is looking forward to your company.
Going out to class is not always easy.

Laziness can cripple anyone.
We all have a compulsion to stay where we are. To stop extending ourselves. To stagnate.
This is human nature.

The only cure for laziness is work.
Not necessarily your actual job, but any activity that demands something of you.
That requires you to make an effort, to take risks, to extend your realm of interest beyond the safety of the familiar and the comfortable.

Without form

Periodically I go and watch other taijiquan classes.

I wince and cringe as enthusiastic pensioners twist their bodies out of joint with smiles on their faces.

Health and safety mean nothing. Knee damage means nothing. There is no martial art to be found here. And no awareness at all.

“So long as they are having fun,” one teacher told me in Wallsend.

Living in harmony

Most martial arts meet conflict with resistance.
Tai chi is different; it requires the student to blend, to join, to avoid blocking the path of force.
This process is called 'yielding', and the joining may be seen as 'mutual arising'.
It is the completion of the yin/yang diagram.

Given the prevalence of conflict in our culture and the common urge to fight, the challenge of non-contention is daunting.
By overcoming fear and using the physics skilfully, a tai chi person can meet the incoming attack softly, redirect the force and avoid unnecessary violence.

A person may choose to apply this methodology throughout all aspects of their life.

Remaining composed

Tai chi challenges you to stay emotionally composed no matter what happens.
It teaches you how to approach things in such a way that circumstances unfold in a favourable manner.
It also trains you to be malleable.
To adapt, change and improvise.

Instead of being rigid and defensive, you learn to flow.

Bladed weapons

Concentrating for a sustained period of time

To practice the tai chi skilfully, you must cultivate presence.
Being in the here and now.
Calm, quiet and still.

You must also be capable of keeping your mind on what you are doing, without distraction or boredom.
In our culture of television, mobile phones, videogames, computers, fast food and caffeine, you may find this to be very difficult indeed.

Student belts

White

Partner work
Qigong
Challenge – full circle qigong (30 mins x 4 weeks)
Assignment #1 – Q & A
Assignment #2 – Attitude & etiquette

Yellow

Martial concepts (intro)
Slow form (section 1)
Stick drills (intro)
Challenge – form challenge (60 mins x 4 weeks)
Assignment #1 – Q & A
Assignment #2 – Attitude & etiquette
Assignment #3 – Book

Orange

Chin na applications (intro)
Monkey paws (intro)
Pushing legs (intro)
Single pushing hands (intro)
Challenge – chin na applications (60 mins x 4 weeks)
Challenge – standing qigong (4 postures) (20 minutes x 4 weeks)
Assignment #1 – Q & A
Assignment #2 – Attitude & etiquette
Assignment #3 – Book

Green

Cat-stepping
Form applications (intro)
Knife drills (intro)
Shuai jiao applications (intro)
Challenge – form applications (60 mins x 4 weeks)
Challenge – knife drilling (30 mins x 4 weeks)
Challenge – shuai jiao applications (60 mins x 4 weeks)
Assignment #1 – Q & A
Assignment #2 – Attitude & etiquette
Assignment #3 – Book

Blue

Chin na applications
Form applications
High circle qigong
Horse stance
Leg stretches (set 1)
Leg stretches (set 2)
Psoas exercises
Qigong development
Slow form (section 2)
Slow form (section 3)
Challenge – chin na applications (60 mins x 12 weeks)
Challenge – form applications (60 mins x 12 weeks)
Challenge – form challenge (section 2) (60 mins x 4 weeks)
Challenge – form challenge (section 3) (60 mins x 4 weeks)
Challenge – horse stance qigong (5 mins x 12 weeks)
Challenge – qigong development (40 mins x 4 weeks)
Assignment #1 – Q & A
Assignments #2 & #3 – Books

Purple

3-D
4 directions with a partner (no contact)
70/30 stance
Broadsword drills
Countering/pushing peng
Double pushing hands
Form posture qigong (70/30)
Penetrating defences
Pushing peng exercise
Pushing peng (partnered)
Pushing peng (striking)
Qigong on one leg
Silk arms
Small san sau
Standing post with arms
Stick drills
Slow form (mirrored)
Stretches & joint work
Tao yin/Taoist Yoga
Challenge – broadsword drills (30 mins x 4 weeks)
Challenge – mirrored form (60 mins x 4 weeks)
Challenge – penetrating defences (60 mins x 4 weeks)
Challenge – silk arms (60 mins x 4 weeks)
Challenge – small san sau (60 mins x 4 weeks)
Challenge – stick drills (60 mins x 4 weeks)
Assignment #1 – Q & A
Assignments #2 & #3 – Books

Brown

Countering punches, kicks & grapples
Dying ground
Everybody falls
Floor work
Massage
Melee
Qigong revision
Shuai jiao applications – subject to fitness
Yielding/chin na
Yielding/countering
Yielding/shuai jiao – subject to fitness
Challenge – floor work endurance (10 mins)
Challenge – shuai jiao applications (60 mins x 12 weeks) – subject to fitness
Challenge – yielding/chin na endurance (10 mins)
Challenge – yielding/countering endurance (10 mins)
Challenge – yielding/shuai jiao endurance (10 mins) – subject to fitness
Assignment #1 – Q & A
Assignments #2 & #3 – Books

1st dan

2 person cane form/drill (regular & mirrored)
3-tier wallbag
4 ounces exercise
5 animals
5 bows
5 centres
5 elements stepping
8 powers striking
13 movements
60/40 stance
Balance, rhythm, timing
Being hit
Breath meditation
Cold jing
Da lu
Entry methods
Finishing-off
Floor work (control)
Form applications (section 1)
Form applications (section 2)
Form applications (section 3)
Gravity striking
Holding down the pillow
Loose striking
Meditation on body sensations
Meditation on emotions
Melee:
– yielding/shuai jiao
– yielding/chin na
– yielding/countering
Neigong (1-10)
Newton’s Laws of Motion
Obvious power (ming jing)
Pushing hands development
Reflex drills
Sabre form (regular & mirrored)
Silk arms (jing)
Silk arms (peng)
Small san sau (jing)
Small san sau (peng)
Speed striking
Wu nien
Yin
Challenge – 2 person cane form (regular & mirrored) (60 mins x 4 weeks)
Challenge – 13 movements (60 mins x 4 weeks)
Challenge – double pushing hands (60 mins x 4 weeks)
Challenge – reflex drills (60 mins x 4 weeks)
Challenge – sabre form (regular & mirrored) (60 mins x 4 weeks)
Challenge – section 1 form applications (120 mins x 24 weeks)
Challenge – section 2 form applications (120 mins x 24 weeks)
Challenge – silk arms (jing) (60 mins x 4 weeks)
Challenge – silk arms (peng) (60 mins x 4 weeks)
Challenge – small san sau (jing) (60 mins x 4 weeks)
Challenge – small san sau (peng) (60 mins x 4 weeks)
Assignment #1 – Q & A
Assignments #2 – #10 – Books

2nd dan

5 challenges
5 elements striking (part 1)
5 elements striking (part 2)
Countering a knife
Crude fa jing
Elbow
Escapes/knife
Fa jing
Folding
Freeform triangle
Groundpath
Improvised weaponry/knife
Jing
Kicking
Moving with kwa
Neigong (11-20)
Neigong (extras)
Reverse breathing
San da stage 1: freeform application
Silk arms (combat)
Small san sau (combat)
Small san sau against a knife
Spiral body
Staff form (regular & mirrored)
Throws
The way of the bear
The way of the bird
The way of the monkey
The way of the snake
The way of the tiger
Yielding/knife
Challenge – 5 challenges
Challenge – 10 minute freeform application endurance challenge
Challenge – improvised weaponry (5 minutes)
Challenge – knife attackers (5 minutes)
Challenge – sections 1, 2 & 3 form applications (120 mins x 48 weeks)
Challenge – silk arms (combat) (60 mins x 4 weeks)
Challenge – small san sau (combat) (60 mins x 4 weeks)
Challenge – staff form (regular & mirrored) (60 mins x 4 weeks)
Assignment #1 – Q & A
Assignments #2 – #10 – Books

3rd dan

5 pre-emptive methods
6 balanced pairs
Becoming the centre
Being in the back
Dividing the muscle
First hand/second hand
Flowing chin na applications (misplacing the bones)
Flowing shuai jiao
Freeform grappling
Heavy bag
Hidden power (an jing)
Large rhythm, small rhythm
Latent movements
Neigong (21-30)
Penetrating defences against a knife
Projections (set 1)
Projections (set 2)
Projections (set 3)
Rolling
San da stage 2: freeform combat
Shen
Shih (martial advantage)
Shuai jiao
Silk arms against a knife
Small stick drills
Small stick flexibility drills
Sparing yourself
Straight sword form (regular & mirrored)
Tools
Travelling
Walking stick form (regular & mirrored)
Yielding/chin na against a knife
Challenge – projections (set 1) (30 mins x 12 weeks)
Challenge – projections (set 2) (30 mins x 12 weeks)
Challenge – projections (set 3) (30 mins x 12 weeks)
Challenge – shuai jiao relay (5 minutes)
Challenge – small stick drills (60 mins x 4 weeks)
Challenge – straight sword form (regular & mirrored) (60 mins x 4 weeks)
Challenge – walking stick form (regular & mirrored) (60 mins x 4 weeks)
Assignment #1 – Q & A
Assignments #2 – #10 – Books

Sticks

Moving in a different way

The first real challenge is to get your mind and your body to work together.
This may sound easy but it is not.

Tai chi does not rely upon brute force or muscular contraction, and your body must move as a relaxed, integrated whole.

The only way in which a student can acquire this first skill is to practice regularly.
It is not enough to blindly repeat movements.
These movements must be carefully performed, with close attention to detail.

Even though you may try your best, your own body might well refuse to cooperate.
Considerable patience is required.
Simply learning the crude pattern of the movements will be an achievement.
And you will know in your heart that your very best looks lame next to the grace of your instructor.
Humility is born of this realisation.

Sifu teaching in Borneo

A measure of calibre

Each year a small number of students persevere against enormous obstacles and decide to learn tai chi as a martial art.
This is a difficult journey and it will test their resolve repeatedly.
These students have a certain grit.
They are not easily deterred.

Undertaking such a challenging journey will cost them more than they imagine and offer rewards that they are yet to even comprehend.
Faith is required.
As is tenacity.

Dilettantes

Very few students have the necessary calibre and character to move from being a new starter to a committed student.
It takes a certain kind of person to stick at anything.

In our modern culture, people are usually dilettantes; dabblers who expect immediate results and get bored when asked to endure, to sustain, to commit.
These people drift from one endeavour to the next, and seldom (if ever) settle anywhere long enough to gain any measure of skill or understanding.

When asked to be patient, dilettantes become defensive and resentful.
They want instant results.
As an excuse for quitting, they blame the art, the teacher... anyone, anything.
Anyone but themselves.

Other forms

We teach a number of forms derived from the Yang Cheng Fu form, including sword, staff and 2-person sets.

Reasons

People like to rationalise things, explain them away: It failed because of this. It worked because of this. They weren't punching me properly. If only I'd moved a second sooner. If only I'd waited.

What do these 'reasons' mean? Why do people want a reason?

People seek a reason in order to be let off, to be excused.
This will not work in self defence.
A punch in the face is a punch in the face. Explaining why you were struck will not alleviate your pain.

Tai chi master

A master should have 30-40 years martial arts experience, 30,000 hours of tai chi chuan practice.
They are capable of teaching other instructors.

Metaphysical?

When studying taijiquan it is important to stay clear of metaphysical debates and mysterious approaches.
It is tempting for inexperienced students to hide behind exotic words or mystical concepts, but all this does is occlude the subject under consideration.
There is nothing supernatural or superhuman about taijiquan.

Cultivating a New Age perception of taijiquan is not inspiring; it suggests a shallow grasp of the principles and a lack of knowledge.

Keep your feet firmly planted on the ground and focus on the real, on the substance of reality.
This attitude represents the primary zen contribution to our syllabus: emphasising the immediate.