Beyond the ordinary

In order to function beyond the use of ordinary strength, you must study what seems inconvenient and then work to make it efficient.

(Kuo Lien-Ying)

Strawberry

Work

A common desire for student is 'power'.
Students who possess almost no coordination or sensitivity seek to expel great energy discharges and defeat a whole room of assailants.

The real power of taijiquan does not lie in how much, how far or how many... but rather in the 'how'.

If you want to employ effortless power, be prepared to do a lot of work.
Behind the mystery and the fancy oriental words is a very clear series of steps for you to work through.
There are no secrets as such.

The apparent power of taijiquan is all about balance, timing, awareness, presence, composure and perception.
Real things. Tangible things. Things that anyone can be trained to cultivate.

Question to Sifu Waller re shuai jiao

Question: Are you offering competitions?

Answer: No. Our school emphasises self defence training. This is the capacity to successfully survive an assault. There are no rules when someone attacks you. They could be alone or in a group, or they could be armed.

The shuai jiao we explore stems from possibilities suggested by the form: escapes, floorwork, defence against weapons, punches, kicks & grapples, and group scenarios. The training involves various forms of take down.

We are not fighting with anyone. We are not competing. Your aim is to finish the attacker rapidly and decisively.

Contracting & extending

If you fail to contract/extend, your striking limb will be flaccid and bounce-off.
There may be some risk of wrist injury.

If you exaggerate and tense-up, the strike will affect the opponent more but the strike will not penetrate.
Much of the force will feed back into you.

Most inexperienced people make a total mess of this and just tense-up. At that point, they are no longer training taijiquan.

The New Lao Tzu by Ray Grigg

Peter Southwood's tips #1 Little & often

Lengthy training sessions may suit some students, but many people have quite low attention span and find tai chi to be potentially boring.
Counter this by doing short stints and varying the work.

The average adult can typically only manage 40 minutes sustained practice without rest or variety.

Invisibility

Invisibility literally means to be unseen, unnoticed.
In modern times invisibility is associated with fictional stories involving magic cloaks or scientific devices.

In the martial arts it is about stealth and secrecy.

5 styles

There are 5 recognised styles of tai chi chuan:

1. Yang
2. Chen
3. Sun
4. Wu
5. Hao

Bradford Yang Style Tai Chi Association

http://www.taichifinder.co.uk/more/southwood.php

Golden

Structure

The framework must be accurate and strong.
Without the necessary angle and positioning, much of the power is lost and the student will tend towards tension in order to compensate.
It is important to test the posture (with a partner) to ensure structural stability and softness.
The aim is to be pliable like bamboo rather than brittle and rigid.
Adhere to the standard tai chi postural guidelines.

Why should an instructor train so hard?

Many people who teach an art of some sort find that they neglect their own practice, and focus instead upon their students.
This is foolish.

The Tao Te Ching teaches: Master self before attempting to master others.
As an instructor, if your own training is lax, you are not doing the art (or yourself) justice and your skills will be mediocre and unrefined.

Strategy

A martial artist gains significant strategic advantage by remaining invisible.
When assailants do not know that you possess combat skills, they are not concerned by you.
They are apt to be over-confident.

Traditionally, the martial artist was trained to be modest and bland.

Anonymity

Modern culture encourages the individual to parade themselves publicly, to broadcast their skills and draw attention.
This is not what The Art of War and The 36 Strategies recommend.
It is not good to be noticed.

Anonymity is a common taoist theme.
By remaining humble and quiet, unremarkable and unnoticed, a person can proceed through life freely.
Drawing attention is perceived as being unwise because you cannot determine whether the attention is good or bad.

Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the men of old

It is not necessary to follow the same approach as your teacher.
Many teaching methods are antiquated.
You may well find better ways to learn, apply and use the art.

But be careful.
Are you preserving the essence or are you losing it?

Neuroplasticity

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

Signs of power

Skill is not some secret; it is evident in every movement, every nuance.
The untrained eye may not see, but the power can be manifested tangibly at any time.

Indications of power:

1. Appropriateness
2. Composure
3. Ease
4. Flow
5. Grace
6. Sensitivity
7. Slowness
8. Softness
9. Smoothness
10. Subtlety

Push?

External martial arts can be learned by pushing. The internal arts cannot.
The harder your push, the less progress you make.

Little and often is the key. Mild and easy. Nothing forced, nothing difficult.
Yes, your body must work hard... but it is your mind that leads the work. Start with your mind: it is your greatest tool and your biggest obstacle.

Softness, 4 ounces and pressure, internal strength, jing and martial strategy must be comprehended by mind and body working in harmony.

How to cultivate invisibility

Remember that your aim is not to make an impression.
You can accomplish this by looking at various ways to lessen your presence:

1. Attire
2. Deception
3. Keep to yourself
4. Possessions
5. Slow
6. Soft
7. Sound
8. Talk

Small san sau

Small san sau is a 2 person unarmed set. Street attacks versus tai chi. It was designed to encourage economy of movement. It employs postures from throughout section 1 of the Yang Cheng Fu form.

This challenging set is the first big hurdle at the beginning of the intermediate syllabus. Learning this set will enable a student to pass their 5th belt: blue belt (part 1).

Varicose veins

If you have varicose veins you should not undertake standing (static) qigong.

16 treasures

 The 16 treasures are key skills that underpin the entire system.

No competition

We teach shuai jiao for self defence, drawing applications from the form.
There are no competitions, weight categories etc.

All students are expected to apply shuai jiao in self defence as they proceed through the syllabus.

Secrets

It is easy to see taijiquan as being filled with secrets but this is not the case.
A students own incapacity to see actually prevents progress; there is no need to deliberately present obstacles.
Secrets are unnecessary.

The knowledge is there, but people do not see it.

Against a kick (borrowing)

A skilful application of peng is against a kick.
This can only be used when the kick is aiming to hit you above the waist.

Absorb the incoming force using peng - adjusting your body and bowing the back to store energy.
Release the stored energy vigorously using push.
Avoid any form of blocking.

Feedback

I often quote tai chi instructor Sifu Waller, who has a great way of stating taoist principles succinctly. His website includes extensive writing about taoism and related subjects.

 

 (Dave Nicolette)

Learning takes time

Is taijiquan an arcane discipline, with inscrutable mystical roots - accessible only to the initiated?
No.
Anyone can access the art, but you need to go somewhat deeper than just words.

You cannot reasonably expect to immediately understand the inner workings of taijiquan.
It takes time, a thorough program of study, and lots of practice over many years.

Weapons work in our curriculum

Sifu Waller is currently teaching:

· Knife drills
· Countering a knife
· Escapes/knife
· Chin na against a knife
· Improvised weaponry/knife
· Small stick drills
· Stick drills
· Broadsword drills
· 2 person cane form/drill
· Sabre form
· Staff form
· Walking stick form
· Straight sword form 

You can work your way through all of the weapons.

Hard-style attitudes

The problem with combat taijiquan schools is that they are often replacing weak tai chi for health & fitness with something worse: karate-style taijiquan.
It is difficult to see the sense of this. In attempting to solve one problem, they are merely creating another.

Taijiquan is not karate and should not be trained like a hard-style martial art.
Recognise the importance of passivity, of softness, of yielding.
These are not hard-style attitudes. They are fundamental taijiquan approaches.

Small circle

Practice your peng extensively against different types of attack.
Determine the necessary frame size-to-waist turn ratio in order to employ peng appropriately for your height/size and inclination.
Explore the effect of different considerations:

1. 3-D
2. 70/30 stance
3. Waist to weighted foot relationship
4. Range
5. Angle of attack
6. Type of attack

Ideally, you want to find and take the balance immediately upon contact. A very small waist turn will lead the attacker upwards, severing the root.

Peng

Without peng, the small san sau will not work.
You need inherent peng in every posture and manifest peng when counter-attacking.

The simple 'evade and attack' methodology of the small san sau makes it quite easy for a student to address peng from the onset.
There are no unpredictable attacks.
Correct countering will ensure ample opportunity to test peng.
If your peng is present you will immediately destabilise the attacker using the neutralising arm, and further their instability with the counter-strike.

The absence of peng will be evident through blocking and crumpling, and the use of unnecessary force.

Sound

Can you move without making footfalls?
Without rustling your clothing?
Without the content of your pockets jangling?
Can you avoid pushing the air in front if you?

Even if your footsteps are quiet, the vibration from your step can carry through the floor.
Be mindful of this.

Use every opportunity to practice being quiet.
Listen to your breathing and your movements, to your everyday habits. Do you clatter and bang, or are you silent?
Use external sounds to mask your own movements.
Practice constantly.

Try walking on different terrain.
See how different types of footwear serve to mask or advertise your presence.

Go to quiet places whilst the world is asleep and learn the meaning of quietude.

Broadcasting yourself

The need to broadcast stems from insecurity.
By marketing your lifestyle and accomplishments you are seeking approval and envy.

Resist the urge to parade your accomplishments.
Showing-off only attracts unwanted attention in the form of jealousy and resentment.
Chuang Tzu argues that it is foolish to advertise your wealth or your skills.

Small san sau: pace

Initially the set must be practiced very slowly.
Do not speed it up until you can perform the set without thinking or planning in advance.
Slowness encourages control.

Premature application against full-power strikes will only cause the defender to panic.
It will also promote unwanted postural tension.

Train slowly, carefully and thoroughly.
There is no need to deliberately increase the pace.
The set will get faster as you become more confident and your timing improves.

Re-joining

Few students who quit a class re-join again later. The reasons/excuses why they left often still exist.
You cannot step twice into the same river.

We only accept students back who left gracefully...

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...

Mild stretches

Taoist yoga is a gentle way to exercise the body:

• Simple to perform
• Easy to learn
• Improves balance
• Stress-relief
• Encourages a calm mind and composed emotions
• Energises
• Does not strain the body
• Strength-building
• Emphasis is placed upon allowing rather than forcing
• Improves skeletal alignment and poise
• Low-impact
• Can be practiced by people of all ages

Short-cut?

New approaches to taijiquan must be considered in light of their purpose.
There is a danger of arrogance, naivety, impatience and vanity on the part of the inventor/teacher.
Is the teacher seeking to put their own personal stamp on the art?
Do they court controversy?
Are they advanced enough to determine how to improve the art?

Many people seek a shortcut to the skills of taijiquan.
Committing hours to mindful, patient, careful practice does not really sell the art to many modern students.
A snappier, hip shortcut may be widely appealing.

But one question remains: if you remove all the qualities that make the art taijiquan... is it still taijiquan?

Shaun Ullah

Shaun was a student of Peter Southwood for 3 years: training both privately and in weekly classes.
He trained at home (solo) for 2-3 hours every day.

Shaun became Sifu Waller's first indoor student in 1994.
He studied with Sifu Waller every morning of the year for 5 years, along with attending classes, workshops and seminars around the country.
He also practiced with a large number of students between lessons.

Wabi Sabi: The Japanese Art of Impermanence by Andrew Juniper

Bouncing Phil

Phil liked to bully the other students. He didn’t openly bully. It was a kind of sly bullying. He was really polite and friendly about it.

His voice was kind and thoughtful, sensitive. He was such a nice man but he loved to bully other students and would duck out the way when it came to demonstrations.

Once, after we’d all been working at throwing, Phil pretended that he’d already been thrown. He only wanted to give, not to receive.

It was a mistake to lie openly.

After he’d been thrown, one of Phil’s victims said, “Phil really bounced off the floor that time!”

Time

We live in a world of fast-food, conveniences and high-speed transport yet people claim that they have too little time.
This is an amusing statement and seems to suggest that they have been denied their allotment of time.

We all have as much time as one another - it is all a matter of what you choose to do with it.

Self discipline

An internal martial artist needs self-discipline.
They must be internally motivated and responsible for what they are doing and how they do it.
Outside pressure is not required.

If you are responsible for your life, then your internal and external realities need to be aligned.

A scattered, confused, jumbled mind usually results in a untidy living environment and a lack of organisational skills.
A relaxed, balanced mind has pared things down and knows where things are.
Such a person does not become easily confused or flustered.

This is not about control. It is about awareness.
When your thoughts settle and you see more, your internal serenity will become manifest externally.
You take time over things and do not rush. You are thorough and methodical. You are patient.

Small san sau: whole-body movement

You must avoid disconnected movement at all costs.
Coordinate your body so that all parts are working together.

Do not force a limb or push a stationary opponent.
Feel where the power is coming from and move your body accordingly.
Correct application works in accord with the incoming force, so no force is necessary.

If you cannot find harmony with the attack, focus on the most basic partnered drills and re-train timing and sensitivity.

Gaps & deficiencies

The small san sau was designed with the recognition that every counter potentially leaves you vulnerable.
By countering skilfully, you can limit what the attacker can do.

Having committed and failed to make contact, the attacker must select the next target.
They will typically choose the target that offers the greatest reward for the least amount of risk.

The small san sau is designed to cultivate an awareness of these targets and uses them as bait to lure the attacker.

Footwork

The footwork uses in the small san sau is pretty straightforward.
The skill lies in performing it very accurately.
Poor coordination leads to bad positioning, and the set simply will not work in practice.

Your steps need to be nimble and smooth.

Casual student

Casual students are welcome to attend as often or as little as they like.
They are only required to pay for tuition.

Students who attend casually receive a balanced workout each session but they do not work through the syllabus.

Casual students are guests in our school, but they are not class members...

Seeing things differently

In order to learn self defence, it is necessary to change how you look at things.
You must remove anger, aggression and conflict from your life.
Instead of fighting with people: physically, verbally, emotionally and psychologically, you learn how to approach situations differently.
It will affect every aspect of your life.

The Beginner's Guide to Martial Arts by Ron Sieh

The Little Zen Companion

Sustained power

In the internal arts, first and foremost, you never have a second where you don't have power. Regardless of whether you are yielding or attacking, there is no time when you lack power in your arms or anywhere else in your body. That's how the internal arts are done, and it has many practical benefits. For one, it prevents exhaustion.

 This issue of unbroken power is a pretty basic difference between internal and external martial arts.

 (Bruce Frantzis)

Re-inventing the wheel

There are a number of controversial teachers offering a new route to taijiquan skill and power.
They explore the art in seemingly innovative ways and appear to offer a fresh new approach.
Yet, are these methods worth considering?

The danger with re-inventing taijiquan is that the art already exists and it already works.

Martial tai chi

A number of taijiquan schools are actively promoting taijiquan as a martial art.
This sounds great.
However, some teachers see taijiquan as just another fighting art, akin to karate, kickboxing or wing chun.

Magicians, mystics & sages...

Not everyone is capable or willing to explore the hidden teachings of the arcane arts.
Internal power cannot be mastered by the lazy or the inattentive.
In order to learn the skills you need to be self-reliant.
Responsible for your own progress.

Modern classes

Many modern taijiquan classes offer a watered-down version of the art.
It may be more properly called "taiji-style exercise" or "performance art taiji".
Although these classes may indeed have some worth and produce some benefits for their students, are they truly teaching taijiquan?

Ultimately, it is up to the student to determine what it is they personally want to learn: martial art, performance art or pseudo-taiji?

Syllabus (highlights) - coloured belts

White

· Qigong

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yellow

· Chin na escapes
· Monkey paws
· Pushing hands
· Yielding exercise

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Orange

· Central equilibrium exercise
· Countering
· Yang Cheng Fu form (section 1)
· Yielding basic skills

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Green

· Playing the attacker
· Qigong development
· Shuai jiao basic skills
· Small san sau

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Blue

· Dying ground
· Pushing peng
· Silk arms
· Yielding/chin na

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Purple

· Countering punches, kicks and grapples
· Form application
· Knife drills
· Penetrating defences

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Brown (part 1)

· Gravity striking
· Walking stick drills
· Yang Cheng Fu form (section 2)
· Yielding/countering

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Brown (part 2)

· 13 postures
· Balance, rhythm, timing
· Countering a knife
· Neigong
· Yang Cheng Fu form (section 3)

Esoteric knowledge

Understanding ancient teachings requires determination, enthusiasm and patience.
A commitment is necessary.

The student undertakes a lengthy journey of discovery; acquiring skills and knowledge as they proceed.

Not just a class...

Learning tai chi is different to attending a night school course or a keep fit class.
The mandate is far broader.

With a keep fit class you can attend intermittently, and train as much or as little as you like.
It makes no real difference.
The student is just a number in the register.

When learning tai chi you are expected to have a different attitude.
There is a detailed syllabus offering a clear pathway of progression, and a specific code of conduct.
Students are asked to train between classes and attend regularly.

Individual progress is monitored and supervised by the instructor.

Different skills

Freeform self defence teaches you how to deal with an assailant.
Non-cooperative self defence teaches you how to deal with an assailant who fights back.
Pao chui teaches you how to deal with someone who can match your skills and counter your counter.

San da teaches you how to deal with unpredictability. It challenges your ability to adapt, change and improvise.
You are free to mix and match a wide variety of skills against an opponent who is seeking to do the same to you.

Traditional learning

Taijiquan is a well-established Chinese martial art that has been practiced for centuries.
It has a history and tradition.
Many great teachers and exponents have contributed their own insights.

Learning from a traditional teacher can offer the student an opportunity to learn the art in the manner it has always been taught.

Playing the attacker

To pass green belt, you must play the attacker well.

The syllabus features a lot of combat practice and you need to play a realistic attacker.
This means accuracy, commitment and correct use of timing and positioning.

A poor attacker is also a poor defender; you cannot counter-attack if you cannot attack skilfully.

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 tai chi 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 for health & fitness syllabus

Students who attend casually receive a balanced workout each session.

Committed students may choose to join the school and work through a structured training program.
The syllabus is unique to our school and is the product of decades of experience.

There are 10 tai chi for health & fitness grades to work through.
Competence at each stage is necessary before moving on to the next level.

Slow

Why is taijiquan trained slowly?

Some of taijiquan is trained slowly, but not all of it.
Certain concerns are practiced slowly in order to improve accuracy, control, balance, rhythm and flow.
Smoothness and relaxation are paramount.

Performing the form slowly is far more difficult than doing it quickly.
It will tax your muscles.

Our approach

Bagua can be as deep or superficial as a teacher chooses to make it.
Some schools will just teach circle walking and palm changes. They may not even teach combat skills.
As with tai chi, this is a common approach in the UK.

Our school takes all of your internal skills and puts them into the baguazhang:

1. Chin na
   - cavity press
   - dividing the muscles
   - floor work
   - misplacing the bones
   - sealing the breath
   - throwing
   



2. Countering punches, kicks & grapples
   



3. Defence against a knife
   



4. Freeform
   



5. Group work/melee/multiple opponents
   



6. Jing
   



7. Neigong
   



8. Shuai jiao
   



9. Striking
   - jing
   - speed
   - being hit
   - the use of weight
   - whole body power
   - energy release (fa jing)

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…