Boot camp - June

The energy of an object in motion increases with the square of its velocity. Or in even simpler English: when you’re hitting something, speed is more important than mass. If you double your mass, you’ll hit with twice the force. But if you double your speed, you’ll hit with four times the force, and so on. Quite handy to know when you only weigh 140 pounds.

 (Anna Spysz)

They muddy the water, to make it seem deep.

 (Friedrich Nietzsche) 

Interacting with Sifu Waller can be an uncomfortable experience simply because we rarely meet someone who doesn't have any agenda or desire for validation. My first dealings with him left me frustrated as he seemed unwilling to acknowledge my questions or validate me. I was fortunate enough to have the realisation that it was me that was at fault. Sifu Waller has mastered yielding in more than one way it would seem. He does not engage with this level of interaction, it is after all petty and pointless, and instead reflected back my own motivations and desires for approval etc. This was uncomfortable, it made me more acutely aware of the motivations behind my thoughts and actions. It made me choose my words and thoughts more carefully. For those unable to see what is happening they may perceive Sifu Waller as rude, cold etc. Actually what he offers is of the utmost value, I have never encountered anyone since who cuts through the crap and helps me to refine myself in this way. It was clear that Sifu Waller was considerate and compassionate when faced with authentic desire for learning and a lack of pretentiousness.

 (Rob Veater)

Fitness DVD

Our Fitness DVD will be available within a couple of weeks. The old version was 10 years old and the footage looked archaic.

Prevention or cure?

Although many people seek to use tai chi as a means of curing illness, this is not where its strength lies.
Tai chi is best employed whilst healthy, not sick.
When a healthy person does tai chi they are more apt to remain healthy.
It takes far less effort to prevent something than to cure it...

Patience is the ability to detach from the need for immediate gratification.

(Dale Carnegie)

Stress

Many runners have careworn faces with deep lines caused by emotional stress.
They don't look happy when running.
They look deeply upset.
Their approach to running is causing them to suffer.
Over-training, pushing the body and pursuing unnecessary goals is harmful and leads to pain and injury.
There are other ways to run and/or to get fit.

Tai chi for fitness syllabus

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

We had a small boot camp at our house on Saturday

Kung Fu Fitness

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

Bad posture

Most runners run with extremely bad posture:

• Elbows are stiff and locked (often raised)
• The body is leaning forwards or stooping; either at the neck or collapsing at the bottom of the rib cage 
• Shoulders are lifted; often one higher than the other
• Considerable tension in the upper body
• Frozen sacroiliac; immobile
• Knees twisted (the foot flicks out sideways)
• Weight is bearing heavily down into the knees
• The skeleton is not moving freely, naturally or comfortably

This would be bad posture for any form of exercise. It causes serious fatigue and adverse wear and tear on the body. 
The tension in the body uses energy and tires you out.

Is your running healthy?

Some runners can run well. 
Most do not.
If your aim is to get fit, then you want to avoid medically unsound running practices.
Usually, people take bad habits of body use from everyday life straight into their running...

Running well?

The fact that you are running isn't proof that you are running well.
By that logic, couldn't any individual with no tuition whatsoever drive a car immediately or play the piano?

Tai chi for fitness

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

Quality of exercise

Most people who run have received no formal training in how to run.
They just start running.
Little or no thought is given to technique, alignment, good body use, breathing, skeletal health, muscular tension, coordination, accuracy, biomechanics or suitability.

Is running easy?

A lot of websites and articles indicate that running is easy to do.
This is an interesting assertion; suggesting that virtually anyone can just buy a pair of running shoes and hit the streets.
Of course, this is true but it doesn't answer the question.
Is running easy to do?

Self-determining

Usually the student decides for themselves how much practice is suitable for them.
This approach has drawbacks if you are seeking to gain skill.

In what way are you qualified to determine how much training is necessary to get good at taijiquan?
Which criteria are you applying? And why? Based on how much actual skill and experience?

Preliminaries come first

In the mainstream martial arts the onus is usually upon fighting so the syllabus is designed with this in mind.
A taijiquan syllabus is a little different.
Not only must the student gain combat skills, but they must also learn how to use the body in a wholly unfamiliar way.
This means that qigong exercises, healthy body use, neigong concerns and non-combat partner drills (e.g. pushing hands) are initially more important than combat skills.

Inspirational

Man of Steel is awesome! The best part is when he cries out from effort and determination. This isn't a lazy, enabled Superman. He's got to fight, strive and concentrate if he wants power.

A great lesson for any martial artist?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCPwBcl_dY0