Seeing

The benefit of strenuous practice lies in an enhanced ability to see all things as they really are.
 
 (Dave Lowry)

Internal

All movement is generated using the entire body.
This removes any need for flamboyance.
Subtle curves, spirals and stickiness - combined with a skilful use of peng - provide the necessary in-roads to penetrate defences and incapacitate the attacker.

Every action involves every body part moving as a combined network of strength.
This provides a pliable, yet powerful means of utilising the body in combat and everyday life.

To accomplish this, a great deal of internal strength must be cultivated.
Patience, practice and long hours of dedicated work over many years is required.

Buying a sword (1) - waster

Begin with a wooden sword (waster).
This will give you an initial feel of the weapon and can be used in partnered drills safely. 

Social events

There are a couple of social events each year that couples/friends can attend.

Meeting people out of class can really help you to get along with one another.
We are not interested in competitiveness and rivalry. We want fun, mutual respect and friendship in class.

More weapons being revealed

During the last 12 months Sifu has widely demonstrated all of his weapons forms to students. He has previously withheld these from students until they reach the required grade.

What has changed?

Leigh, Sylvia, Jackie and myself have all shown a real enthusiasm for the weapons training; prompting Sifu to be more eager to share.

Also, he has sought to whet the appetite of the keener student with glimpses of what is to come.

As with so much of our syllabus, Sifu has no reason or incentive to show future material to beginners. What would be the point? We couldn't do those forms yet. To be shown more advanced material as a taste of things to come is an exctiting opportunity afforded the keener student.

Classical

Art moves through 3 stages:

1. New
2. Classical
3. Baroque

Many modern tai chi forms are baroque; separated from functionality and true purpose.
Not in our school.
There are no wasted movements. No crowd-pleasing displays.
The art is 'classical': simple, direct, focussed and effective in combat.

Steal my art

Stuart Alve Olsen’s book Steal My Art is about his experiences learning tai chi chuan from T T Liang.

Liang would not simply give the art away to people.
He expected his students to be like thieves: sneaky, cunning, observant and resourceful.

Sifu Waller uses this same attitude.
We provide detailed lessons, a website and handouts. But these things do not contain the complete art.

Insight

I know from my own experience that the master knows you and each of his pupils much better than we knows ourselves. He reads in the souls of his pupils more than they care to admit.
 
 (Eugen Herrigel)

Art of War

When torrential water tosses boulders, it is because of its momentum; when the strike of a hawk breaks the body of its prey; it is because of timing.

(Sun Tzu)

Nobody is perfect

You cannot force progress in tai chi chuan. To even try is self-defeating.
Remember what you can. Practice as little or as often as you want to. Decide for yourself.
Let it unfold as it will.

Give up trying to master anything. Drop the images and fantasies you harbour.
Perfection is a condition of untouched naturalness.
It cannot be achieved through any form of trying or doing.
Let-go of your ambitions and relax.

Composure

Composure is emotional balance.
The ability to remain emotionally stable in the event of crisis or stress can be a valuable quality.

We encounter many things in life that might upset a person. Tai chi chuan teaches us to slow down and remain calm.

Wanting to be a better instructor

It is important for an instructor to understand the art well enough so that they can perform if effortlessly themselves and also be capable of dismantling it so that someone else can reach that ability level.

Sifu Waller passed a post-graduate teacher training course in order to understand how to teach.

There is so much more to teaching than being able to do the material yourself.
You must be capable of breaking the material down.
The syllabus needs to be offered piece by piece so that the knowledge grows incrementally and the student can understand it for themselves.

Advanced

The advanced level is for people who have committed a significant chunk of their lives to the study of the art.
Teacher, scholar, innovator.

To reach this stage, all aspects of the syllabus must be comprehensively understood.
Every lesson should involve countless connections and associations from throughout the curriculum.
The exponent should be capable of spontaneously teaching any level of the syllabus without preparation or preamble.

The art should be at their fingertips: both theoretically and demonstrably.

A person training at this level must pass on what they have learned.
They should also add to the wealth of knowledge with their own insights, discoveries and contribution.

Expert

This higher dan grade is for instructors.

To become an expert, a student must show skill across a wide range of topics and an ease of application.
The baguazhang palm changes are now applied extensively, chin na is explored thoroughly and jing is finally given precision and power.

The large san sau 2-person set and 'pao chui' form offer a significant learning curve; with tai chi chuan versus tai chi chuan.
A high degree of sensitivity and agility is required.

The straight sword is examined in detail.

All aspects of the training are infused with neigong; bringing qigong to conclusion.
The student demonstrates significantly greater skill with form and self defence application.
Many drills are dismantled and re-examined, and the entire syllabus must be revised and reconsidered.

Reading and study is now much more in-depth.

Negative emotions

Negative emotions are biologically harmful and can make you ill.
When you become angry, your body is flooded with hormones and adrenaline; you enter a 'fight or flight' mode which is only intended for extreme situations in which your life is endangered.
'Fight or flight' puts your body under duress.

Tai chi chuan encourages a person to change the way they think in order to reduce the likelihood of becoming angry.

Escape

In order to escape from danger, one need only take the line of least resistance, just as liquid spills from a vessel over the lowest point of its rim.
Concentrate only on escaping.

(I Ching)

Romanticism

New starters often believe what they see in the movies. It looks so exciting...
They want this for themselves.
The student expects to walk away with awesome skills within a few weeks. After all, the man on YouTube can do it... why can't they?

Unfortunately, the student is typically unrealistic. They seldom consider:

1. Their own level of fitness
2. Their capacity to learn
3. The scope of their ambitions
4. How much work lies ahead of them
5. How long it will take to learn the desired skills

Learning a martial art is not like buying a product in a shop.
You make it happen. You do the work.
Not the instructor.

It is common for a new starter to commence class with excited ambitions, only to falter almost immediately.
Martial arts schools expect a high turnover of beginners.
Few students have the resolve to endure the journey.
Most people never make it past the first step.

Buying a sword (2) - lightweight steel

 Try a lightweight metal sword once you are familiar with the wooden one.

 Do not invest in an expensive weapon at this stage.
 There is nothing more embarrassing than a low-ability exponent wielding an expensive blade.

 Trying a heavy sword prematurely may lead to injury. Be patient.
 

Play & explore

Yes, people are roughed up a little. People are struck. People are taken to the floor.
Martial arts cannot be practiced without physical contact taking place.
Yet, no one takes offence. No one bullies. And no one is embarrassed, hurt or made to feel useless.

The mood of the class is one of fun and exploration.

Instead of strutting around pretending to be Bruce Lee, our students are like scientists; amazed by how the art enables them to evade and counter with such seeming ease.
The simplicity and the wider implications of the tai chi chuan cause wonder, not fear.

Friday fast

Fasting on a Friday helps us to gain clarity and calm, shrink the stomach and reduce hunger cravings. It also detoxes the body.

We like to go without food from Thursday 6:30 PM approx through to Friday evening meal. We only drink filtered water: warm or room temperature. We put masking tape on the fridge and cupboard doors as a reminder.

Starting incorrectly

A form cannot be taught correctly to a beginner.
It is taught in accordance with the students ability to learn.

Beginners are physically incapable of the sophistication required to practice the form correctly, so a cruder version of the sequence is taught at first.

Once the exaggerated sequence has been learned, it can be made smaller and subtler.
Most movements will be altered as the student progresses and their body becomes more receptive.

Getting in your own way

I went on to find that the solution to many seemingly difficult tasks is not to 'try harder' but to leave oneself alone.

 (Michael Gelb)

External strength

'External' strength uses local muscular tension to perform an action.
The elbows and shoulders are involved. Typically, the stronger, faster person has an advantage.
If something fails to work, you just push harder.

Most martial arts use external strength. It is easy to learn and effective.

Play

Many studies have proven that 'exuberant play' is the most effective learning medium.
Students are free to relax and explore at their leisure.

The paradoxical physics associated with tai chi chuan emphasises the importance of relaxing and letting-go.
Play encourages this.

Move

The weapons forms, baguazhang and partnered drills found in our syllabus encourage nimble footwork.
Students become playful, agile and responsive.
Through sensitivity and listening skills they learn to adapt, change and improvise with ease.

There are three methods that we employ to effect the opponent:

1. Chin na
   - cavity press
   - dividing the muscles
   - misplacing the bones
   - sealing the breath
   - seizing
    
2. Jing
   - projections
   - striking
    
3. Shuai jiao
   - escapes
   - floor work
   - take down
   - throwing

Our aim is not to advertise our intentions, so all movement must be immediate and spontaneous.

5 stages

There are 5 stages to learning any form:

1. The pattern
2. Internal strength
3. Application
4. Shen
5. Natural

With the advent of tai chi sport forms emanating from modern China, many modern practitioners never proceed past stage 1.
Indeed, few people even realise that there is more to form than the outward show.

The sad part about this is that the pattern is essentially incorrect unless augmented by the other 4 stages.

Accomplishment

The journey is unique to each individual.
We all come to the practice from a different place and have our own reasons for walking the path.

Those who persevere with the training gain a quiet sense of accomplishment.
An inner surety and confidence takes root.
Such people grow as their art develops and continue a journey that will change every facet of their lives.
They achieve something remarkable each day, re-awakening an inner joy as they continue their training.

Flow

If you feel the need to force something, consider it further.
Force requires resistance, conflict.

Find the way of least resistance instead.
Learn to interpret situations appropriately, and move with the flow.

Form appearance

Sifu Waller's Yang Cheng Fu form looks very understated:

1. Stances quite high
2. Knees only slightly bent
3. Reliance upon internal power
4. Not much actual arm movement
5. Waist movements no more than 45° turn
6. Very subtle spirals, circles and angles - led by the centre
7. Focus upon shen, one-pointedness and martial application

Buying a sword (3) - real sword

 As your strength increases and you become familiar with the form, explore a heavier weapon.
 If you can find an unsharpened blade, this is perhaps the wiser purchase initially.

 A genuine sword weighs between 1-2lbs; which is quite heavy when held in front of you.
 Compensating for the weight will require you to connect throughout your body.
 The blade makes it necessary to be both relaxed, alert and precise; you cannot afford to be cut.

 A good sword can cost quite a lot of money and needs to be handled skilfully and maintained carefully.
 The balance of a quality sword is entirely different from a  cheaper weapon.

Cure-all?

Tai chi chuan is not going to cure every ailment but it will make you feel good.
Increased mobility, flexibility, sensitivity and balance contribute to making a person feel energised and happy.
This form of exercise offers an improved standard of living for people throughout their lives.

However, there is a catch and it is a pretty big one.

Your overall quality of life, health and wellbeing will dramatically improve for as long as you do the training.
If you stop practicing the art, the benefits will fade.

Simon

Open-house

Sifu Waller had a kind of internal arts open-house in the late 80's/early 90's, with students from all kinds of martial arts calling at his house. He met them at work, in classes, in bookshops, at workshops. They came and they trained. Shaun Ullah converted his living room into a dojo of-sorts, complete with wallbag, heavy bag and weaponry. This was a time of great sharing and discovery, with Sifu Waller at the centre yet taking no credit.

 (Michael Dutton)

Feedback

"Sifu Waller's tai chi and bagua makes me think of this quote:

The equivalent process to seeking the "Holy Grail" in internal arts is the ability to move more slowly than your opponent and consistently win.

Slower speed that wins out requires three types of speed coming together simultaneously:

1. Timing.

2. The signals required to maintain some level of conscious power.

3. The ability to release the internal gears of your body, which, if they freeze up, can create a momentary mental gap that breaks the connection between you and your opponent.

This method is referred to in the tai chi classics in the form of a question:

"How is it possible that an old man can defeat a group of younger men?"

Obviously, elderly men, even the most talented, are not physically capable of moving at the speed of young men. Virtually, by definition, the elderly move with slowness, and yet those old men internal arts masters by slipping in between the gaps, are justifiably well-known for defeating younger and faster men.

(Bruce Frantzis)

No matter what I do, he defeats me. He moves slower than I do and yet I am incapacitated immediately."

(Tim)

A martial art should already be 'complete'

Unlike fighting, self defence requires the student to finish the opponent off decisively.
There can be no drawn-out combat.

The exponent must be capable of rapidly, spontaneously switching tactics and skills.
Trading blows is time-consuming.
It is necessary to adapt, change and improvise constantly.

Skill in all three areas of combat are necessary: chin na, jing and shuai jiao.
In self defence, the situation is unpredictable and there are no rules.
You must incapacitate the attacker immediately.

Precious

Your life constitutes a one-way journey from birth to death. The beauty of life lies in its fleeting nature.
In Japan, the cherry blossom symbolises the poignant realisation that we will bloom for only a short time.
Our mortality should not be ignored.

Rather than pine for more life, be inspired to use what you have, to live it well.
If you consider your life to be passing every day, do you really want to waste it watching television each night?
If you are idle and bored, 'killing time' - ask yourself why? Every moment takes you closer to the end.
Make those precious minutes count for something meaningful. When you die, will you have regrets?

Peter Southwood's tips #4 3 times

High repetition may be a favoured by many martial artists but it can lead to a serious lack of concentration.
The practice can become sloppy and careless.

When drilling any form, martial drill or set, the recommendation is to simply do it 3 times through.
Each time wants to be a little slower than the previous repetition, or a little faster, depending on what you are emphasising that day.

Gratification

If you are seeking gratification, you will naturally find what you desire, but do not let us call it truth.

(Krishnamurti)

Students

Everyone is different.
Everyone has their own agenda.
Some people are easy to work with, whilst others are not.

One student may try hard but continually fail.
Another might be totally lazy but have a knack for the art.
Occasionally, a student neglects their training and blames the instructor for their lack of progress.

An instructor must find a way to help everyone fulfil their potential.

Patient

Focus on a topic, learn it and then move onto the next one.
Be patient with yourself.

Perception

A complete martial art is not about fighting.
Therefore, the strategies and tactics are geared towards completion of the event.
Force is never blocked.
Struggling is circumvented.
If something does not work, it is immediately discarded.

An entirely different mentality is required.

The student must think about the art as a martial art, not as a sport.
The aim is to evade and escape, not to win prizes or accolades.
The opponent may attack from an unexpected angle, they may be armed, they may not be alone and they will not stop when you have had enough.

Your repertoire must be varied and extensive. Your skills must be honed and comfortable.
Students must use their bodies intelligently and skilfully, employing optimal body mechanics to ensure the best 'effort to reward' ratio.

Form collecting

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

(James Wing Woo) 

Set realistic learning goals

Each grade involves only a limited number of topics, exercises and drills.
Aim to pass a couple of new items every time you grade.
Look to existing skills.
Correct any mistakes, remove gaps in your knowledge.

Meaningful form

The forms must be made alive and useful.

 (Yang Jwing-Ming)

Lazy

Most people do not like the idea of exercising every day. They feel cheated because the body deteriorates and ages naturally.

The leisurely-oriented attitudes of modern life is responsible for many of the problems we are now encountering.
We are rearing a world of spoiled, lazy children and child-like adults.
Easy is not necessarily better.

Obesity, depression and mental illness are on the rise globally, as people sit back in their chairs and do less each year.
In some cases - cleaning, laundry, ironing, washing dishes, gardening are all being done by other people.
Time is freed up, but to do what?

Resentment

Correction requires humility and the earnest recognition that you have much to learn.
It can be tempting to resent your instructor.
After all, they have the skills, they have the knowledge and they make it all look so easy.

But remember; those skills were earned by hard work, money, time and sacrifice.
Skill cannot be given. It must be taken.

Your instructor is giving you the benefit of their own experience.
They are offering numerous opportunities for learning.
Are you stealing their art?

Pushing

Impatient people push for results.
Yet, who are they really pushing, who is suffering the pressure of their impatience?
They are.

Pushing is a form of exertion.

Etiquette

Most schools have some sort of class etiquette. This may seem a bit stuffy or formal.
Yet, rules are necessary in a class.
It is easy to get carried away. It is easy to be injured or cause injury.

By remaining composed, loose and friendly - safety can be encouraged.
Play, rather than fight.
Aggression has no place in our school.

Your safety, their safety

The advantage of boundaries is that everyone benefits.
You are protected from harm.
Other people are protected from you harming them.

Without clearly defined boundaries, a martial arts class cannot operate safely.

Tai chi

Tai chi is about changing our internal environment so that life becomes a joy to live and not a burden to drag into old age and death. It is about helping your body to let go of the past and your mind to slow down and cease churning. Tai chi encourages your internal focus to shift toward cherishing and remembering all that is wonderful in your life. It predisposes you to look forward to ways to make life better, rather than remembering how unsatisfying it has been.

Most importantly, tai chi gives us the ability to realise a greater human potential in ourselves and to have genuine compassion for others. Tai chi, with its gentle strength, moves us closer to feeling more truly alive.

(Bruce Frantzis)

Sifu

The role of the instructor in a martial arts class is crucial.
In addition to teaching the class, they often write the syllabus, run the school and decide how to approach the art.
Their personality is imprinted on everything they do.

Unlike a school teacher - who implements someone else's curriculum and follows someone else's rules - a martial arts instructor is more like the captain of a ship.

Courtesy

Being courteous to other people ensures a more pleasant training environment.
People are less prone towards abusive behaviour, swearing or insults.

The slight formality of a martial arts class encourages good character.

You behave with dignity and show respect to people who are placing their trust in you.

Refresh

Chinese new year preparation is a time for buying new clothes and getting your h

Refresh

Chinese new year preparation is a time for buying new clothes and getting your appearance tidied up.

Qigong

Qigong is intended to condition your body, to develop stamina and endurance.
But be wary of trying too hard.

If you find that your body is aching considerably and you feel really tired, you are doing the exercise incorrectly.
Let-go of your tension and relax into the posture.
Imagine that your arms are on strings or resting on something.

Balance

When your partner loses his root his mind will be scattered and confused, and this will provide you with a good opportunity to attack.

 (Yang Jwing-Ming)

Tension

Beginners wear themselves out training qigong and partner work with too much tension.
Remember to use only the minimal amount of strength; use only what is necessary to hold your limb in place.
Anything more is wasted.

How does your partner/wife/husband address the instructor?

This is the protocol: non-class members/strangers should call my husband Mr Waller or Sifu Waller (unless they're personal friends).

A partner/spouse/family member of a student should call our instructor "Sifu" - just as a student would - because of the partner/spouse/family member being a class member.

In Chinese culture this is considered friendly because it acknowledges their indirect association with the school.

How would you introduce your instructor to a friend?

You would refer to your instructor as Sifu Waller or Mr Waller.

Disciplinary measures

It is rare for a martial arts school to impose disciplinary measures.
But they do need to exist in the event of misconduct.

If a student becomes unruly and refuses to follow instructions, everyone is put at risk.

Timeless

It is important to remember that a martial arts class is not modern in nature.
When you enter the training hall, you must leave modern culture at the door.
You are partaking in a tradition that has continued for centuries.

Office life

Office life is fraught will a variety of health problems that stem from air conditioning, fluorescent lighting, flickering computer monitors, lack of fresh air and apathy.

Sitting at a desk all day is not good for your body and working at a computer is worse; especially a laptop.

You & the computer

The computer serves you, not the other way around.
Sit so that the monitor and keyboard are directly in front of you.

Make sure that the monitor is not too close.
You should not have to stretch to use the keyboard or twist your torso to any degree.

When you feel bored, tired, restless, stiff or have sore eyes - get up and take a break.
If your employer will not allow you to get up, find out your rights.
The more tired you get, the more you neglect your body and poor posture will only tire you further.

Do not ignore your body; you need it beyond the office.

Zen in the Art of Archery

Martial tai chi

Karate or taijiquan?

Karate is an effective, dangerous martial art. But it is very different to taijiquan.
When you train taijiquan as if it were karate, you are no longer training taijiquan, you are training karate.

If you want to be good at taijiquan, you must train taijiquan.
You must utterly adhere to the taijiquan principles and every text/treatise/book inspired by taoism.

Whole-body movement

Your entire body - from the feet, legs and waist to the fingers - must work like a unit, and move as if threaded together, like a soft whip.

 (Yang Jwing-Ming)

Fasting

Fasting is a traditional method of eliminating toxins and gaining spiritual clarity.
 But it must be approached with caution.

 How you begin a fast, how you break a fast and what you do during (or don't do) during a fast are all considerations.
 Fasting affects your body in quite significant ways.
 If you are interested in fasting, then do some research beforehand; find out if it is the right approach for you.

 During your fast, drink filtered water, avoid driving and try to rest.

Training for the first time

The main consideration is this: go slow and easy.
Do not push anything.
Do not force anything.

Allow things to happen nice and slowly.
Developing coordination, balance, martial insights and sensitivity will take time.

Administration

Rachel handles the registration of students in class and undertakes a limited degree of tuition.

She makes many suggestions pertaining to the organisation, procedures and practices in class.
Rachel is responsible for locating venues, filming, answering e-mails, running the Newcastle Tai Chi blog and YouTube pages.

Her creative input has resulted in many positive changes for the school.

How to become a lineage student:

1. 3rd dan black belt
2. At least 6 years of unbroken training with a given instructor
   - this should include both public & private classes
3. Bai shi ceremony
   - the student makes a pledge in which they commit to preserving the art, training hard and learning all aspects of the curriculum
   - other conditions will also be met (relative to instructor/school)
   - the instructor embraces the student as part of their own family
4. Study & practice
   - the real work now begins, with the lineage student training very hard to learn the remaining syllabus material
   - this period of study and tuition usually continues for the remainder of the instructor's lifetime

Business

Martial arts have always been taught for money.
The instructor needs a certain income to sustain the school, pay hall rental and their own fees.
Some people teach part-time whilst others teach professionally.

Typically an instructor founds a school or is appointed by a governing body or a chief instructor.
The instructor has a lot of responsibilities.

It is important to respect that the instructor is running a small business.

Feints

When fighting an opponent who feints, stay calm, don't respond.
If your opponent is in range it doesn't matter whether the attack is a feint or not,
just step in and attack.

 

(Lau Kim Hong)

Chris

Responsibility

Being sifu is all about responsibility.
The role of instructor demands a very serious dedication to the art and an ongoing commitment to the students.

A martial arts class needs to have clear boundaries and a code of conduct.
Sifu is the person who ensures that these are adhered to.

They are also responsible for delivering the syllabus.
In some cases, sifu may have written much of the syllabus themselves.

Depth

Many excessively bounce around learning the next 'new' form or movement set without ever extracting the real internal value from any of them.

 (Bruce Frantzis) 

Snooze

Application

A sifu must be capable of doing/applying all aspects of the art taught in the classes.
Their skills must transcend those of every student in the school.

Theoretic knowledge is not acceptable.

Heavy weapons

The sabre and straight sword are actually quite heavy to wield.
Students are recommended to start with a lighter weapon.
This may entail buying a fairly cheap sword to start with; perhaps even a wushu weapon.

Once experienced, you may want to buy a better sword.

One way of developing strength is to practice the staff form and stick drills with an oak stick.
This must be approached carefully to avoid the risk of strain or injury.
Rest tired muscles and avoid speed.
Slow, controlled movements are best for strength-building.

Chu King Hung

Softness

The philosophy of using soft against the hard was originated from Lao Tzu. It is from this concept that tai chi chuan was created.

 (Yang Jwing-Ming)

Baguazhang is hard work

Students new to bagua may find it to be surprisingly hard work.

This is to be expected.
Tai chi is also similarly difficult, but with tai chi it is possible to introduce the art much more progressively, allowing time to grasp the basics and move on.

With bagua, there are no basics as such. Bagua has no beginners level.

Mother palms, direction changes and palm changes are the basics.
Everything else is the hard stuff