Traditional instructor

When Sifu Waller studied with Peter Southwood he was required to stand for 40 minutes a day (every day) at 5:00 AM.
Standing was followed by moving qigong, drills and then two hours of form training.

He was given very little verbal tuition.
The training was primarily learning through doing.
Every qigong exercise, partnered drill and all 8 forms had to be studied thoroughly before Peter Southwood was prepared to share any in-depth knowledge.
Neigong and application had to be earned.

Peter Southwood used the Confucian teaching method: he showed you the example once and expected the student to go away and practice it.
Only the diligent student was shown more.
There was a significant onus upon the individual figuring things out for themselves.
Corrections, tips and pointers were only offered when a pattern of committed practice had been established.

Sifu Waller used to ask students to stand for 40 minutes at the start of class.
There were many grumbles and complaints, but most people actually felt better afterwards.

Etiquette

(i) If they are your instructor

If the person is currently teaching you, then you call them Sifu (No Surname).


(i) If they are not your instructor

In Chinese martial arts you call the instructor Mr Surname or Sifu Surname if they are not your teacher.

To refuse to call an instructor Mr Surname or Sifu Surname is considered to be very arrogant and disrespectful.

Prove yourself

If a student wants to be considered for lineage, they need to approach Sifu Waller and persuade him that they are serious enough.
Sifu Waller will assess the student and determine suitability. 
Lineage is for the instructor to decide, not the student.
The instructor must be confident that the future of the art resides in capable hands.

Whole-body strength

Almost every beginner struggles to understand the application of strength in tai chi.
They wrestle with the subject, believing that they cannot reasonably apply the system without tensing their muscles and using force.

For each and every tai chi movement, the muscles of your body must work in unity to produce the effect.
Not just the shoulders or arm.
Not just the waist.
You must feed power through the frame using every muscle of the body combined.
This is far harder than it sounds but well worth the effort.

Your muscles must never tense. They need to remain soft and loose, with a subtle stretch.

Learning new habits/responses

Once your body has begun to lose the old habits, it is ready for something new.
Neigong is concerned with instilling physical patterns that strengthen the body from the inside out.
Partner work examines the relationship between your body and someone else's.
The challenge is to maintain good posture and composure whilst performing complex activities.
This encourages your body to take the skills into your daily life.

Modernity

In olden times people studied to improve themselves.
Today, they only study to impress others.

(Confucius)

Tight-lipped

Peter Southwood is an exceptionally tight-lipped, secretive instructor. He follows the Chinese tell-you-nothing approach assiduously. The only person he shares his insights with is Sifu Waller. Everone else gets the public face, the not-so-good oil.

(Michael Dutton)

How can you tell?

You may occasionally see groups of people performing tai chi in public.

How do you gauge the quality?

Look to the Tai Chi Classics for guidance:

http://www.newcastletaichi.co.uk/Taijiquan%20Classics.htm

Do not assess the tai chi on the basis of personal preference:

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

Opinion is worthless.

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

Partial artists

As a teacher, it is disappointing when students start a martial art and never get past the beginners syllabus.
There are ten beginners belts to pass.
Everyone can pass them if they commit time, effort and patience to the task.

A Way of Being Free by Ben Okri

Quitting

Most martial arts classes have a rather high turnover of students.

Why is this?

People are simply not prepared for the journey ahead and they quit at the slightest hurdle.

For many, it is purely a matter of patience - they are unrealistic about their own capacity to learn.
With others, it is the fear of stepping into the unknown, of losing control.

A lot of people are just downright lazy...

A school

An internal arts school is different to a night school course or a keep fit class.
Its 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.

With a tai chi school 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.

Tai chi

Tai chi is an ancient Chinese martial art famous for its excellent health benefits.
Our school practices the Yang Cheng Fu approach.

Sifu Waller has been teaching tai chi since 1995.

Ego

Modern culture encourages egotism.
When a beginner demonstrates arrogance in a tai chi class, it is the duty of the teacher to quash this.

Many people are unwilling to recognise that they are at fault.
Rudeness, cockiness and selfish behaviour are entrenched and familiar to them.
Letting-go is not an option.

Real zen

Zen is not concerned with pageantry or symbolism, jargon or esoteria. It is an exploration of what is. The ability to see what is right in front of you, without opinion, conception or artifice.

There is nothing stunning, extraordinary or remarkable taking place.

Mind

Your mind must be calm and your emotions composed.
Meditation helps with this. It teaches you to be detached yet totally present.

Training the mind is more important than training the body. The mind leads the movement.
A rigid, fixed mind is a weak mind. We want flexibility above all else.

Too busy

We are encouraged to lead active busy lives and this is not necessarily good for your health.
It is essential that we take time to rest.

Rushing around puts both body and mind in a state of anxiety.
Stress occurs when the demands you place upon yourself become too great.

Are you allowing people to put upon you? Are you taking on too many responsibilities?

Unless you are willing to see that your life may be too busy you are unlikely to be concerned and act.
Slowing down or stopping is the first step to getting some rest.

Natural approach

In modern times there is a great dependency upon Western medicine.
People seek to solve health problems quickly using medication or surgery.
These methods may fix the immediate problem but the underlying cause is seldom addressed.
Eating habits and poor body usage are often the cause of poor health.

The holistic approach is to work with the natural processes of the body, to improve body awareness, to learn new habits and steadily grow a healthier, more resilient body.

Tai chi

You cannot take the tai chi movements and use them in the same way as karate, ju jitsu, kickboxing or wing chun.

Tai chi is unlike mainstream martial arts. It relies upon softness, sensitivity, gravity, neigong and change.
Conventional strength is not used at all.

Natural responses

If you simply follow drills and deliberate patterns, there is no way to gauge what will emerge in reality. Random attacks - incorporating a variety of punches, kicks and grapples - test your ability to respond spontaneously. The drills should be playful and fun, but the attacker must strike with the intention of making contact.

Afterwards, you look at areas of weakness and doubt. Focus upon the gaps and deficiencies: consider what you did wrong, why it didn't work and what you need to do in order to improve your response. Your partner should help you with this, along with your teacher (if required).

Tim

Mind & body

Tai chi exercises are designed to unite mind and body. Through their combination we have movement with intent.
Mind and body work together in harmony.
Every tai chi exercise trains mind and body to work as one.

Waterfall

Blocking is not used in tai chi

Although blocking may successfully prevent a punch from hitting you, it does not stop you from being hit.
It merely transfers the force of the blow to another body part.

Rather than a damaging strike to the face you receive a jarring blow to your arm.
This is preferable to a facial strike, but is hardly the most effective solution.

Proof

Occasionally, Sifu explains something and gets this "Oh, yeah...as if!" look off a new student. 

His only option at that point is to demonstrate. 

He believes in being scientific and offering immediate and decisive proof of all aspects of his syllabus. 

Sifu aims to demonstrate everything gently but will increase power relative to the demands of the situation.

Magnum PI tai chi?

Shed

Open or closed centre?

If you hug a tree and bring your fingers too close together... you will feel immediate tension in the shoulders, chest and back.
The arm muscles will also tighten.

The hands need to be in front of the shoulders, otherwise your body will stiffen.

Red sand

Jason

How you feel

I wake at 5 and I train for a couple of hours. This is my first training session of the day. My body feels lively, nimble and sung. Everything drapes. But not in a heavy, oppressive way. It is a deep relaxation that is quite hard to qualify verbally. My mind is at ease and there is a deep warmth throughout my body.

Soon, I will lie down for 20 minutes, then read for half an hour. This sense of inner stillness will spread and settle. Composure and quietude will be present all day long.

Later, there will be more training. Vigorous drills, baguazhan and qigong. I will walk. I will teach. But nothing will disrupt this sense of ease.

I don't care whether you train karate, brazilian ju jitsu or another style of tai chi. This is how it feels to train what I train. That is what matters to me.

Leaf

Grappling

Tai chi is something like 80% wrestling and 20% striking. Does pushing hands look like boxing or wrestling? Wrestling!

 The reason why the originators of the internal styles gravitated toward the grappling portions of their art is that you can practice grappling moves 99% the same as they will be used in a street fight.
 
 (Tim Cartmell)

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

Basics

A piano student trains their basics constantly.
They are expected to master these.

As the student progresses, the fundamentals become increasingly technical.
Only through significant refinement can skill be achieved.

Numbers

Your wage is represented as a number. You deduct various other numbers from your wage and the figure diminishes.
It is quite easy to look at your bank statement and see £40 deducted here and £300 deducted there.
If you were to actually hand over the money physically, you may see the situation differently.

Counting out £300 in cash is altogether different from seeing a figure on a credit card bill.

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