We had been wanting to start a martial arts class for a while and finally found Newcastle Tai Chi and figured we'd give it a go. Our only grievance is that we didn't find it sooner!

Honestly one of the most informative, realistic and enjoyable classes I've ever been to. Most self-defence or martial-arts classes focus on patterns & sequences. In teaching Tai Chi, Sifu Waller understands and acknowledges that real life isn't like that - you don't patiently wait to get hit in the face before returning fire! Nor are fights purely about strength; with aspects of the syllabus requiring reading and completing (short) written assignments you get both a full body, and mind workout in one. The accompanying website is an absolute goldmine of information (both for the class and for general day-to-day living).

Very friendly and welcoming, can't recommend them enough.

(Alex)

There is a time in the study of all great systems and theories when the student understands the ideas, but experiences them as external to herself; and then there is a time when one internalises the ideas and principles.

 They become absorbed into the psyche, a part of one's everyday understanding. When this happens the system begins to grow and expand, as the student applies it to other areas of life.

 (Glen Park)
  

Partner work

In taijiquan we consider touch to be very important. By working with somebody else we can help them to feel how their own body operates and help ourselves as well. We encourage people to become accustomed to physical proximity from the start of their training, to relax, soften and be receptive to other people.

Wasting energy

People can feel energised or drained relative to rest, diet, situation or activity. Bad poise/posture putting the body under duress, failure to rest, relax, stop, time management/commitments, personal life, work - can all make you feel drained. So can tension, stiffness, compressed cavities, closed joints, collapsed muscles, pushing (physically & mentally), hands too close to the body or too far away, thinking, stretching, exaggeration, over-commitment, disconnected movement and exertion. They are all physically taxing; wasting energy.

Fashion

Modern culture does not really promote introspection, contemplation or spiritual inquiry. People are led by money, advertising, television, fashion technology and superficial interests. Few people possess the patience or the interest to delve deeper. It simply isn't fashionable.

The Tai Chi Classics

Read The Tai Chi Classics. Implement the teachings. The knowledge from these treatise offers the students a small, tangible step away from ignorance and amateurism towards a re-discovery of this once famous, amazingly subtle, powerful martial art.

I initially looked for a form of exercise that I would be able to continue for life and that would also build my strength and health, having had years of illness. Tai Chi seemed to fit the bill perfectly so I looked for a suitable class. Luckily I found Sifu Waller and have now been attending Newcastle Tai Chi classes for more years than I like to remember. 

The teaching by both Sifu and Rachel is so in depth and thorough and there is always something new to learn. Just when you think you have mastered an exercise, you find that there is another layer to progress to. The class itself and the students who attend are very friendly but we are expected to work hard. Have a look at the website. It is amazing - you can spend all day just reading and learning, all written by Sifu for his students. A great school taught by a master.

(Sylvia)

In almost any subject, your passion for the subject will save you. If you care enough for a result, you will most certainly attain it. If you wish to be good, you will be good. If you wish to be learned, you will be learned. You must really wish these things and wish them with exclusiveness and not wish one hundred other incompatible things just as strongly.

(William James)

In many martial arts schools the practice was carried out in secrecy and the school's very existence was frequently concealed from the authorities. For example, taijiquan is based on body of theory known to be around 2000 years old yet it was not revealed until 1750.

 (Howard Reid)

Coarseness

Slowly, things coarsen. Manners, politeness and courtesy are neglected or seen as being old-fashioned and pointless. Good diction, eloquence and intelligence are valued less, and school exam standards are lowered to compensate. Pursuits that require time, effort, tenacity and self-sacrifice only appeal to a shrinking number of people.

There are many similarities between the hard and soft fighting systems; both use animal movements and forms, for example, and both incorporate the five elements, but because of the Taoist influence, the soft arts exhibit a stronger and deeper relationship with the natural world.

 Since the Taoist concepts are rooted in the most distant past with the most ancient beliefs of the Chinese, it is difficult for the Western mind to understand them. Therefore, before you can investigate the internal martial arts, you must first back to the very origins of thought in ancient China.

 (Howard Reid)

Form application

Cheng Man-Ching once warned a would-be challenger; saying that if the attacker was courteous, he would be courteous, but if the attacker was an arse, Cheng would use form applications. Such a promise highlights the fact that form applications are bad news for the attacker.

I joined Sifu Waller's class around two years ago, I wanted to join a school where I could learn and practice an original form of kung fu. I’ve been meaning to write a review for a while but since there are so many great facet’s to this class I struggle to do it real justice, you’ll have to come and try it for yourself! I’ll try to give a flavour of the benefits of the class, but what’s the use in reading the ingredients of a cake, you have to eat it to appreciate it.

Newcastle Tai Chi is a hidden gem, not only as the class is unpretentious and friendly but because we have a true master teacher who teaches us to use our body in the most optimal way to achieve maximum results with great ease. With correct application, a skilled student of Master Waller’s class will never have to brawl as they can finish the aggressor's intention and ability to fight without prolonged combat.

I can with confidence say every week Sifu Waller amazes even the most experienced of students, by the depth of his knowledge and insight plus the masterful execution of efficient applications with such ease that it is often humorous.

If you have the good fortune to spend a little time with Sifu you will quickly realise that Sifu has sincerely dedicated his life to acquiring knowledge and mastering skill in Kung Fu and Tai Chi. His dedication also translates to providing a dynamic framework for willing students to gain more than just knowledge and skill of this secretive internal art.

Sifu Waller teaches a great syllabus and classes complemented by a variety of focussed workshops, a web site that is like the encyclopedia and guide to not only Tai Chi but many aspects of personal victory and most importantly an earnest teacher that will continue to inspire.

I’m truly grateful and honoured to train under Sifu Waller, it is truly a great opportunity to learn from the ‘cream of the (martial world's) crop’.

(Ali)

A convenient catch-all

Some tai chi people use the word 'qi' a lot. It is a catch-all employed to explain pretty much everything they don't really understand. Virtually anything can be attributed to qi. This makes genuine knowledge, skill and real understanding less important to such exponents since qi explains everything. But does it?

Why is second-guessing instructions a problem?

The instructor has a purpose in what they are teaching.
Teachings will

* build on what has come before,
* link diverse parts of the syllabus, and
* lead on to something new.

The student rarely has insight to these things.
You should never second-guess an instruction, because you do not know what is in the instructor’s mind.
This wastes time (both your own and the instructor’s).

(Andy Urwin)

San sau

Martial sets explore how form movements, strategies and martial principles can be adapted to create highly effective combat sets designed to promote an awareness of 'gaps & deficiencies', how to favourably exploit this, along with close quarters combat skill.