Conventional fitness

The ability to lift heavy weights, run, swim or workout in the gym may well improve your overall fitness level.
But this kind of fitness is not what we want in tai chi training.

A student must learn how to use their body in a very different way. The body needs to become agile, flexible, adaptive, sensitive and strong.

Conventional training will not necessarily improve your tai chi.
Many exercises actually create muscle tension, and tension impedes the natural movement of the muscle itself.

Weight lifting

Body building and weight lifting are fashionable activities today. The emphasis is upon developing external muscles which creates an armouring effect that can eventually distort the bony structure. It is the over developed musculature that actually torque's the bones and discourages them from bearing additional weight. The body attempts to compensate and problems arise.

 (Liz Koch)

Receive guidance & feedback

Instructor training for each level is an ongoing process over many months.
It involves:

1. theory
2. questionnaires
3. on-line media training
4. how to promote the class
5. class management methodology
6. weekly teaching practice in class
7. lengthy debates/discussions with Sifu Waller
8. designing your own personal teaching notes/scheme of work

These teaching concerns are all in addition to your personal development through the syllabus.
Instructor training is free of charge.

Feedback

Greetings Sifu Waller: I like your Xmas views.

 Margot & I decided no presents for each other this year.

 Well that is not strictly correct. I give Margot $210, she gives me $210.

 We then pool the $420 & send it to India where a Tibetan Buddhist Monk's father will have an operation and regain his sight.

 I think I am starting to get that Christmas feeling again.

 All the best Sifu Waller to you & yours

 Cheerio, Ron B.

 (Ron)

Other forms

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

It's all made up

Zen koan are very good fun. They wake you up.

Read a few koan (or Krishnamurti) and you begin to realise that almost everything is made up.

Conventions, ideas, beliefs and traditions encase our lives. When you see how much is made up, you find an enormous reservoir of humour within. So much that we worry about isn't actually real. It was all made up. It is only real if you believe it to be.

Consider: engagement, marriage, fidelity, infidelity, trust, faith, authority, hierarchy, money, mortgages, loans, commitment, debt, insurance, fashion, prestige, status and meaning.

The list is relentless, feel free to add your own topics.

None of it is really real. If you grew up in the jungle, raised by chimps, would you care about your car? Why do you care, now? Because somebody conditioned you to be bothered.

Welcome to the real world, Neo.

Peter Southwood's tips #9 The essence

Focus on the essence of the movement, drill or exercise.
What is its intrinsic purpose?

Understand the nature of something will enable you to see why, how and what is being trained.

A lighter sword...

After a little searching Sifu found a Yang-style sabre for me that weighed less than 1lb.
It is not a real sword but is definitely better than a wushu sword.

For some of the movements I can use the second hand to supplement or to actually hold the handle.
This helps a lot.

Feedback

In just a few hours time reading on your website I feel I've gained more understanding than I have in 47 years of living. Words cannot express my gratitude.

 (Roger Hawkins)

Shortcuts?

It is counterproductive and dangerous to seek shortcuts. There are none to be found and the futile search for them will distract you and make it less likely that you will ever achieve a high level of expertise.
 
 (Zhang Yun)
 

5 styles

There are 5 recognised styles of tai chi chuan:

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

Steven

Jonothan

Love and hate

Students love you when they first get into the class and then they hate you when they realise it's actually pretty hard work.


The thrill of novelty becomes resentment and jealousy...

(Andrew Clarke)

External chin na?

We travelled down to train with a YMAA instructor who specialised in chin na. Sifu, Peter Southwood, Michael Dutton and myself travelled in Michael's car together. The instructor was called Nigel. Unbeknownst to us he was actually teaching external chin na. This though proved to be embarrassing. Nigel called for a volunteer and suggested that they be as awkward as they like. Peter indicated that Sifu should step forward. Well, Nigel just couldn't put anything on Sifu. He used an increasing amount of force and eventually lost his temper. Peter commented that Nigel was not using internal body mechanics, and wrote to Dr Yang about the workshop. It had been an expensive weekend and we had learned nothing new.

(Shaun Ullah)

Commitment

Trainee instructors with Sifu Waller are lineage students with considerable experience in tai chi.
They possess a thorough understanding of the art.

These are the most dedicated students in the school.

Commentaries on Living Volumes 2 & 3 by Krishnamurti

Jeanette

Adapt, change & improvise

Our school motto is simple: Adapt, change & improvise.

It captures the essence of (applied) tai chi and baguazhang, and encourages an open, flexible attitude to life.

Balance

Modern life can make you feel strung out and tired.

It is important to find ways to earth yourself. To be centred once again and complete.