Zen

Zen is concerned with what actually exists. What is right in front of you.
In this sense, it is not in any way philosophical.

Reality can be experienced directly.
It is tangible.
The danger with thinking too much is that it serves to distance you from what is real.

Butterfly

Grading

Passing the beginners syllabus is a major step forward in your progress.
We will not give you this belt for nothing.
Expect no charity.

No belts will be given without good, strong passes.

If you do not pass your grading first time, persevere.
It will take you as long as is needed. Be patient, but show tenacity also.

It is important for each student to recognise that you are only as good as the skills you can manifest.

Vegetarian

A vegetarian is someone living on a diet of grains, pulses, nuts, seeds, vegetables and fruits with or without the use of dairy products and eggs (preferably free-range).

A vegetarian does not eat any meat, poultry, game, fish, shellfish or crustacea, or slaughter by-products such as gelatine or animal fats.

(The Vegetarian Society)

Slow

Business address

Newcastle Tai Chi
St Andrew's Church
Station Road
Benton
NE12 8AW
0750 3604568
http://www.newcastletaichi.co.uk
newcastletaichi@hotmail.com

The Way of Energy by Lam Kam Chuen

Aggressive approaches

Anger and aggression should not be used in martial tai chi.
These unpleasant emotions strain the body (especially the heart) and dump adverse chemicals in the bloodstream.

Taijiquan self defence is intended to be used without stressing the body, without exerting, without becoming excitable or forceful.
Stay calm and composed at all times.
You'll live longer.

Abstract

Taijiquan does not deal with abstract concepts.
In self defence, failure to evade an attack means that you will be compromised, hurt or injured.
There is no room for abstraction.
We must deal with the really real.

A punch is not theoretical. It is tangible. So is the pain when you fail to deal with it successfully.

Bird

Martial arts

Martial arts students need a weight bearing skeleton, a free psoas muscle and open hip sockets to perform well. There is a tendency to lock the psoas muscle in a defensive posture and fatigue the muscle by keeping it in a chronic contracted state. This limits the movement of the leg, encouraging the use of the lumbar spine for kicking and stops a person from performing effectively.

 (Liz Koch)

Small san sau tips (for the keener student)

If you want to get good at anything, the answer is simply: PRACTICE.
There are no shortcuts, gimmicks or secrets as such.

Small san sau tips:

- drill it daily, at least 3 times
- on a weekend/occasional/or daily, drill for up to 15 mins non-stop
- drill slowly and smoothly
- use a 'jong' (door frame, edge of door, mirror) in order to gauge positioning
- pay particular attention to accuracy
- make every movement count
- allow no redundancy
- stay calm/composed but be alert and ready
- the eyes lead the movement
- on occasion, drill at high speed but be mindful of the knees; do not torque or twist
- try to partner with somebody as often as you can
- solo training is for accuracy, partner work is for softness and applicability


Progress:

- use gravity not force
- never push
- let your limbs fall
- use 'moving qigong' skills to power your movements
- feel the rhythm: the circularity, flow, timing
- coordinate hands and feet
- lead from the centre
- move out of the way of the incoming blow
- rely on peng
- keep your elbows dropped; no higher than 45 degrees
- ask your partner to attack at full speed
- ask your partner to attack at full power & full speed


Break each movement down:

- how does it work?
- why does it work?
- what gaps do I have?
- which targets am I offering?
- are you rushing?
- consider the timing
- look at how much the attacker is committed
- is the attacker compromised by your defence?
- where am I striking?
- can I apply chin na as a follow-up?
- how easily can I flow into a different follow-up?
- will this work against a knife?


I learned this set from Peter Southwood in 1990.

Small changes have been made to encourage softness, 4 ounces and flow. Also I wanted to amplify the effect of the movements using gravity and create chin na opportunities.

Small san sau is great fun, and a nice pre-cursor to silk arms, penetrating defences and pao chui.

There is no shortcut

Building up your strength takes time, practice, commitment and patience.
In truth, you may not even realise it is happening.

Tai chi training is not strenuous or stressful.
You undertake regular training and let the mild exercise build up layers of strength.

A spiritual life

There is something simple and wholesome about a life spent cultivating grace, awareness and calm.
It is an almost monastic existence.

You practice, study, contemplate, meditate, experience insights, and reflect.

Honesty

The word 'meat' distances people from the reality of eating living creatures.
It reduces animals to 'livestock'.
There are many animal-related euphemisms: meat, bacon, beef, veal, lamb, mutton, pork, ham...

Being honest and seeing the truth is important.

Lazy

It is not easy to commit to daily training.
Your mind will resist.
There are many pleasant alternatives.

Yet, over time, the habit of training takes hold and your body begins to experience unexpected strength and mobility.
Eventually, you reach a point where you could not imagine ever missing your daily training.

Tai chi for health & fitness

If you have no interest in learning tai chi as a martial art, you are quite welcome to attend lessons as a tai chi for health & fitness student.

You will be taught a physically and mentally challenging curriculum, but no self defence at all.
Partner work will be limited.

Classes will focus upon flexibility, suppleness, relaxation, mobility, strength building and boosting your energy.

High repetitions

High repetitions dull the mind.
Aim to train little and often instead. Be thorough, accurate, aware.

Cultivate familiarity and ease.
You want your movements to be natural, relaxed, smooth and controlled.

Individual insights are best

When a student has faith in the material, they give themselves over to it. The quiet unassuming students typically make great progress without fanfare. They quietly become skilled without vying for attention.

Rob in Newcastle has made radical progress in the last 6 months, partly due to private lessons, workshops and regular lessons, but mainly down to an insight he had.

He realised that his use of muscular tension stemmed from his fear of being hit and hurt.

Once Rob accepted that he may get hit, and stopped anticipating the outcome, he started to relax. By relaxing, Rob became more receptive to the immediate moment and could respond more calmly and effectively.

A personal obstacle had been removed, and Rob's taijiquan became stronger and more adaptable. He also had the added advantage of being composed.

Other students noted the change in Rob and respect the quality of his training. Our top student (Jason) invited Rob to train with him between classes.

Peter's syllabus is a mystery

Peter Southwood's repertoire is not something he's ever published or formally talks about. I think I know what he can do then he does something I was unaware that he knew. I've seen his sword, pao chui, YCF, small & large san sau, applications, self defence, broadsword, cane, stick, staff, knife, qigong, neigong, bagua, dim-mak, chin na, shuai jiao and fa-jing. 

I suspect there's more but direct questions aren't replied to. Peter just blinks and ignores the question. 

I once saw Peter's book of neigong and know for a fact that Sifu Waller has it now.

(Michael Dutton)

Example instructor (level 1) questions

Question: What is 'peng'?

Take into account:

- your own notes
- syllabus/training notes Sifu has provided
- the website
- books you have read
- lesson experience
- your own insights

Explain peng in detail, from an introduction to the principle, through to its cultivation and ultimate application.

Piano student

A piano student takes one private lesson a week.
During that lesson, there is no practice. Just tuition.
Between lessons, the student is expected to practice for at least an hour a day.

Should the student neglect their practice, it is immediately evident.

Feedback

I enjoyed the depth and knowledge of tai chi on your website and appreciate the study and hard work it represents. While many of your observations regarding tai chi instructors, classes and practitioners may be perceived as somewhat negative or harsh, I believe that those seeking tai chi will be spurred on to seek the deeper art instead of just emptily waving their arms.

 I especially appreciated your comments regarding tai chi Competitions. I detest the shoving matches that pass for push hands, and the flowery forms and displays of gymnastic flexibility that seem to impress the judges. I generally suggest that my students go to a competition to compare and contrast what they see there, between various competitors and in class. They usually note the lack of the yielding principle and the ostentation, and egos, and are somewhat shocked.

 I have found that most authors who have a negative view on most of what is being taught in tai chi classes are only interested in pushing down others to point out their supremacy. Definitely not so with your site. Instead of insisting that people travel great distances to learn from you alone, you post a helpful guideline for students to be aware of when evaluating a teacher or class. That’s great! Like you, my teacher, George Ling Hu, often said that the particular style did not matter. Rather the focus should be on the tai chi principles and they should be evident in your practice, not just a list you recite. In my 21 years of practice I have seen the truth of this and applaud you pointing this out.

 I will add a link to your site on my local website so that my students and others in the Houston, Texas area can access your impressive store of knowledge.

 Thank you. Sincerely,
 
 (Greg Illich)

Piano & tai chi

If you want to learn any skill thoroughly and convincingly, you need to put in an awful lot of time.
Whether you are seeking to learn Spanish, cook like a gourmet chef or play the piano, it is just the same.
Practice, practice, practice.

There are no shortcuts...

A bubble

In taijiquan peng refers to an unusual quality of integrity that is formed by creating a loose network of body parts.
It is akin to having a bubble around your body; except that the circumference of the bubble is your body itself.

Should any part of the bubble be pushed, it will yield and move. However, the overall structural integrity remains intact and resilient.

There is no resistance.
No pushing back or physical tension (contracted muscles).

Qigong

At first, even this simplest of all things - just standing still for a few minutes - may seem impossible when you try it. Thirty seconds may seem like an eternity; five minutes may be agony. The boredom may drive you crazy. These reactions are simply the evidence of the constant tension in your nervous system and proof that you need this exercise.

 (Lam Kam Chuen)

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.

Cat

Colwyn Bay

We returned to Colwyn Bay. This time Peter Newton was hosting a Yang Jwing-Ming visit. Sifu, Peter Southwood, Michael Dutton and myself had travelled down together. Dr Yang was demonstrating push-hands with successive students of Newton and becoming exasperated by their limbo-dancing antics. He called out for a new student. Peter volunteered Sifu and he reluctantly stepped on stage. A vigorous push-hands followed with Dr Yang laughing out loud in delight. He stopped to tell the entire gathering how impressed he was with Sifu's skill and proceeded to use Sifu as his practice partner all weekend. Peter had a small smile on his face. This was the nearest I'd ever seen him to showing pride in his greatest student.

(Shaun Ullah)

Study

 Taoism must be thoroughly examined, explored and understood.
 An extensive and prolonged period of study, research, contemplation, meditation and application is necessary.

 Taoism informed taijiquan, baguazhang and zen.
 Omitting this study from your training is a major error.
 The principles and practices of taoism represent the foundation of your art.

Example instructor (level 1) questions

Question: Class enthusiasm is poor:

- no one is interested in workshops
- people do not even reply to e-mails
- grading is met with indifference
- students typically will not train at home

When faced with such enormous apathy and indifference, how do we address this?

What does the martial arts (or tai chi) community suggest?

Shadows & secrets

The ancient Chinese martial arts are veiled in mystery.
Each school teaches its own unique approach to the experience of self defence.
Historically, the training methods and applications of the different schools were closely guarded.

The most secretive and inaccessible were the neijia schools.

How an instructor should train

Sifu Waller's home training routine may seem like quite a lot of training.
However, consider it in terms of time:

1. 1-2 hours of strength-building & qigong
2. 30 minutes of baguazhang
3. 15 minutes of drills
4. 30 minutes of weapons
5. 30 minutes of tai chi empty hand form
6. 20 minutes of meditation
7. 30 minutes of study

Considering the complexity of each individual topic, this is not a lot of time for an instructor to commit to his own development and progress.

Regular students should not be training like this.

Taoist mystic?

 Taoism has a long history of mystics, alchemists and magicians.
 There are many colourful accounts of oddball recluses who studied arcane practices in order to gain great skill and wisdom.

 At the heart of the teachings is the desire to attain an altered state of consciousness.
 To see the world through different eyes.
 Taoists aim to become a "real human being"; in-touch with reality is a tangible, earthy way.
 They avoid fame, worldliness and repute; remaining in the shadows, in secret and aloof.

Chinese watercolour

Why do students go bad?

Why do students go bad? That's easy. They're jealous and they're lazy. Without exception. 

I can't think of a single resentful ex-student who wasn't lazy and arrogant. If it's true of my karate class, its probably true of your tai chi group too...

(Andrew Clarke)

Shoulder joint discomfort

Incorrect peng will cause discomfort in the shoulder joint.
If there is a tangible sense of mild pain, it must not be ignored.

Poor bodily awareness and an insensitive nervous system can mean that an inexperienced student may not even feel discomfort initially.
Be mindful.

Taijiquan does not cause pain in the body.
Any indication of pain is caused by a prior health-problem or incorrect body use.
Correct your posture repeatedly until discomfort is removed.

Class members

Regular students may choose to join the school and work through a structured training program.
They become formal class members.

Benefits of membership:

1. work through the curriculum
2. grade every 3 months
3. request bespoke tuition
4. seek training guidance and advice from Sifu Waller
5. take private lessons
6. attend class functions
7. attend workshops
8. attend bootcamp

Maths

A = number of years spent training
B = number of days in a year spent training
C = number of hours per day spent training

A x B x C = how many hours you have trained (approximately)

Mind, body, spirit

Instead of feeling apart from what is happening, we feel the physics of the movement, the kinetic flow.
Our own body and our self-consciousness is lost in the event itself.
There is no more self or other, just movement, just sensation/feeling.

When your mind/body/spirit integration is complete, you act so unconsciously that you no longer really feel the movements as such.
It is spontaneous and natural. It just happened.

Instructor training courses (members-only)

There are 3 instructor grades in our school:

1. Level 1
   - training takes place during 3rd dan
    
2. Level 2
   - training takes place during 6th dan
   - 10,000 hours of practice required
    
3. Level 3
   - training takes whilst working on 7th dan 

Having completed each level of instructor training, the student is given a certificate qualifying them to teach our syllabus.

Health?

Martial tai chi runs the risk of throwing the baby out with the bath water.
Over-emphasising the martial denies the student the necessary foundation in the important health aspects of the art.

Coordination, relaxation, whole-body movement, breathing, improved blood circulation, neigong and qi are all essential for health.

Ditching the health training may lead to long-term problems.

Sword and Brush

Swimming

Swimming is an activity that can either create structural problems or release them depending upon the way it is taught and practiced. Professional swimmers are known to develop shoulder tendonitis and kyphosis. Overriding head/neck righting reflexes (as occurs when the head is repeatedly turned but the body does not follow) eventually result in overdeveloping shoulder muscles, pinching nerves and distorting the rib cage.

 (Liz Koch)

Earth

Journey

Of all the people who begin the discipline of tai chi, only a handful will continue past a year or so. Humility, compassion, lack of ambition, non-aggression, spontaneity and silence are not qualities that our societies value. There is no more difficult journey than the journey to the self.

(John Lash)

Higher & lower peng

When the peng needs to be higher, the elbow does not lift.
Fingers to the ceiling, elbow to the floor.

When the peng needs to be lower, the elbow remains where it is and the fingers go lower.
Maintain open kwa at all times.

Offensive jing

It is important to remember that peng is actually an offensive jing.
Correct application is not passive.
You should aim to uproot the opponent using peng, and potentially take their balance entirely.

Skilful use of peng should provide you with a rounded pliable framework that can penetrate defences.

Bones

Correct alignment of the body will enable you to use your body with less effort and greater strength.
Counteracting the force of gravity is a key consideration.

The vertebrae and joints must be free to move in a fluid, smooth manner.

Physical tension and bad muscular habits impede the ability to move spontaneously and freely.
Tension is the enemy of movement.
The more tense you are, the less you can move.

The Art of War

When Sun Tzu speaks of invisibility, he is speaking about moving without attracting the attention of your opponent:

1. Concealment
2. Covert
3. Disguise
4. Espionage
5. Hidden
6. Misdirection
7. Secrecy
8. Stealth

Sun Tzu wrote a whole section on spying.
From a self defence perspective this is very useful.
You do not need to become a spy, but you can learn how to avoid being noticed.

Understanding the instructor?

One of the problems for students is that they fail to recognise just how massive the syllabus really is, and that a master level 7th dan instructor is operating at a level that they cannot understand.

Invisibility in combat

The main two methods of invisibility in self defence work are:

1. Cold jing
2. Being unseen by the opponent

Cold jing is the act of striking without any discernable build-up. It must be a spontaneous, whole-body action.

There are many ways to remain unseen. By evading the line of force - without blocking - you gain an interval of time in which to act.
Concealment, misdirection, feinting and luring can be used to keep the attacker doubtful and hesitant.
If you only employ 4 ounces of pressure at all times, then the attacker cannot feel your actions in advance.
Stepping, evasion, listening and sensitivity all provide opportunities to disguise your direction and intentions.
Unorthodoxy, unpredictability, improvisation, adaptation and change make your actions difficult to anticipate and respond to.

Internal/external

In his book There Are No Secrets, Wolfe Lowenthal spoke of students who employ a curious mixture of muscular strength and yielding in order to defeat other beginners during partner work.

Lacking the skills of softness, yielding and connection, they cannot manipulate gravity skilfully and employ a kind of cheat. Lowenthal explained that these internal/external tactics are typically used by people who want to bully others and will only work against other beginners.

Gaining power

In order to use the skills of taijiquan, the student must gain power. Without power, the art will not work.
You cannot force a result.

Great patience is necessary. Hard work. And time.
Exerting, straining and talking are unnecessary. Just be gentle and endure.

Work through the structured syllabus.
If your instructor has effortless power, then persevere and those very same skills will become yours.

Feedback

I came across your (excellent) tai chi blog by doing a Google blogsearch. I'm adding it to my blogroll.

 (Matt)

Seek what they sought

Research the root material: taoist/zen literature, martial theory, self defence, physics, biomechanics.
Study the taijiquan classics, skills and principles thoroughly and comprehensively.
Do this over many decades, and do it daily.

Slowly, an understanding of the art will grow.
Adhere to the principles and train only what works.

The last beginners drill

To complete a basic understanding of the beginners syllabus, a student must learn the small san sau 2-person set.
It features simple street-style attacks intended to strike vulnerable targets.
The set teaches the student how to evade and counter skilfully, whilst offering tantalising bait and limiting the attacker's options.

It teaches strategy and timing, positioning and framework.
Peng, stickiness and jing must also be employed.

A student of the small san sau needs to be adept at Yang Cheng Fu form section 1.
Many of the form postures feature in this 2 person set.
If a student has neglected to practice form, they will struggle to learn this set.

Punching & palming

Contract when you punch, extend when you palm.
Contraction and extension are the natural action of your muscles.

The action only occurs on contact.
Do not exaggerate this or your will tense-up.

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!”