Not knowing

If you think you know what tai chi is about, then that very knowledge will hamper your progress.

Knowing assumes familiarity and understanding.

To learn, it is crucial to let go of what you think you know. Learning is a process, not a conclusion.

Teaching & learning

The aim of our school is not to give you an evening's workout.

We seek to pass the skills onto you.

That way, you know tai chi for yourself and you can practice at home whenever you like.

The joy of learning

Gaining skill is an occasion for enthusiasm and fun.

If you are studying something you enjoy, it should not feel like hard work.

As your abilities improve and your insight deepens, you recognise how much you have learned.

 When you come to the dojo, it is a recognition the teacher there has something you want. He will give it to you in his own way. You must accept that. If you do not, you are free to leave. The dojo, however, is never run by consensus.

(Dave Lowry)

 Our next induction course is Monday 6th July. 

New starters are welcome!

 What is the meaning of elbow energy?

Its method relates to the five elements.

Yin and yang are divided above and below.

Emptiness and substantiality must be clearly distinguished.

Joined in unbroken continuity,

the opponent cannot resist the posture.

Its explosive pounding is especially fearsome.

When one has mastered the six kinds of energy,

the applications become unlimited.

(Tan Meng-hsien)

 In tai chi the hands do not move.

This doesn't mean that they stay fixed in front of you

but rather that they do not move independently of the source of their movement.

The waist.

(Cheng Man Ching)

 What is the meaning of push energy?

When applied it is like flowing water.

The substantial is concealed in the insubstantial.

When the flow is swift it is difficult to resist.

Coming to a high place, it swells and fills the place up;

meeting a hollow it dives downward.

The waves rise and fall,

finding a hole they will surely surge in.

(Tan Meng-hsien)

Tai chi does not mean oriental wisdom or something exotic. It is the wisdom of your own senses, your own mind and body together as one process.

(Chungliang Al Huang)

The way

People commonly translate 'tao' to mean the way.
The danger with this translation is that 'way' can mean more than one thing:

1. path/road/route

2. nature/how/essence/character

Invariably, people interpret 'way' to mean the first option, when in reality it might well be closer to the second.

Neither definition can be considered entirely accurate, but at least the second definition is speaking about a characteristic rather than a route.

Defining the Tao

Lao Tzu began Tao Te Ching by saying that 'Tao' cannot be defined and that any definition is incomplete.

Words cannot extend to reality.

This is a very logical statement. After all, you cannot eat the word 'bread'. Nor could another person share your experience of bread through words alone.

Reality is tangible. It has substance.

As soon as you try to capture reality verbally you fail. Words are too limited. Thoughts are incomplete.

Reality is far too vast. The word is not the thing.

 The answer is that there are no answers. All questions are wrong. Struggling with wrong questions will never give right answers. Finding right answers misses the tao.

 (Lao Tzu)

Eastern ways

The culture in which tai chi evolved was foreign to our own.

They had very different approaches to living.

To understand tai chi, you must see what the Taoists saw.

 Almost all your anger comes from someone standing in the way of your attachment, doesn't it?

(Anthony De Mello)

 If a beast big enough to swallow a wagon

Should leave its mountain forest,

It will not escape the hunter's trap.

If a fish big enough to swallow a boat

Lets itself get stranded by the outgoing tide,

Then even ants will destroy it.

So birds fly high, beasts remain

In trackless solitudes,

Keep out of sight; and fishes

Or turtles go deep down,

Down to the very bottom.

The man who has some respect for his person

Keeps his carcass out of sight,

Hides himself as perfectly as he can.

 (Chuang Tzu) 

 Let your practice be short and intense, focussing your attention one one single action, where body and brain meet at the same point at the same time.

(Vanda Scaravelli) 

 What is the meaning of rollback energy?

Entice the opponent toward you by allowing him to advance,

lightly and nimbly follow his incoming force

without disconnecting and without resisting.

When his force reaches its farthest extent,

it will naturally become empty.

The opponent can then be let go or countered at will.

Maintain your central equilibrium

and your opponent cannot gain an advantage.

(Tan Meng-hsien)

What is the meaning of wardoff energy?

It is like the water supporting a moving boat.

First sink the qi to the tan tien,

then hold the head as if suspended from above.

The entire body is filled with spring-like energy,

opening and closing in a very quick moment.

Even if the opponent uses a thousand pounds of force,

he can be uprooted and made to float without difficulty.

(Tan Meng-hsien)

 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) 

Principles

To practice the tai chi skilfully, it is necessary to learn the tai chi principles.

The art relies upon gravity, softness, balance, rhythm and timing rather than speed or brute strength.

Students must cultivate an unusual kind of power.

Feeling good

At the end of a tai chi session you should feel very relaxed but also alert and vigorous.

When the exercise becomes more dynamic you will receive a serious boost of energy every time you train.

He who knows when he has got enough is rich.

(Lao Tzu)

Knowing yourself

Coming to terms with yourself is not so easy.

It is necessary to observe your mind, emotions and behaviour without judgement.

To learn who you are and what motivates your actions.

Most people are so busy chasing the accoutrements of life that they do not make time for themselves.

Tai chi encourages you to slow down and eventually stop.

This may be harder than you imagine.

Balance

Balance is a dynamic process, not a fixed condition.

Sensitivity must be cultivated, along with awareness and presence.

Learning to feel how your own body responds to stimuli, how it moves and what problems it encounters is a profound journey of personal discovery.

Along the way you may become more comfortable with your own physicality.

You may begin to slow down, to notice things.

 The marvellous quality of nature-violence, unlike ego-violence, is that it does not spring from intolerance and self-hatred.

So there is no anger in the rainstorm that carries everything before it,
or in the fish that devour their young in obedience to natural laws we know not,
or body cells when they destroy each other in the interest of a higher good.

When nature destroys, it is not from ambition or greed or self-aggrandizement,
but in obedience to mysterious laws that seek the good of the whole universe
above the survival and wellbeing of the parts.

(Anthony De Mello)

 Taoism is unique in that it is probably the only major religion in the world whose practitioners as a rule have not sought great secular power. In the past, Taoists took on such power only out of necessity to correct specific abuses. After these excesses had been corrected, they were always ready to relinquish the power and fade away, or "leave no footprints" as they put it.

 (Bruce Frantzis)

 Beginners often have the mistaken idea that their qi alone is going to be enough to defeat an opponent without needing to master the skills of hitting, kicking, throwing and joint-locks.

 (Bruce Frantzis)

 At the very base of this health crisis is the cancerous spiritual malaise in the West, a fundamental disharmony that keeps people from positively engaging with life and relaxing in virtually any circumstance that life can throw.

(Bruce Frantzis)

 Here is natural instinct and here is control. You are to combine the two in harmony.

 If you have one to the extreme, you'll be very unscientific. If you have another to the extreme, you become, all of a sudden, a mechanical man - no longer a human being. So it is a successful combination of both, so therefore, it's not pure naturalness, or unnaturalness. The ideal is unnatural naturalness, or natural unnaturalness.

 (Bruce Lee)

 Most people have never attained a level of performance in any field that is sufficient to show them the true power of mental representations to plan, execute and evaluate their performance in the way that experts do. And thus they never really understand what it takes to reach this level - not just the time it takes, but the high-quality practice.

 (Anders Ericsson)

 Our class is like Alexander the Great teaching Dad's Army. Sifu Waller's not even trying. It's unbelievably powerful and looks like nothing. It's beyond impressive. I think it's the ease and speed at which Sifu Waller does it. It's like a magician with a sleight of hand but obviously with potentially deadly consequences. It's amazing to watch and utterly awe inspiring. 

Sifu Waller is incredibly quick sometimes it's impossible to get your head around it. The more I get into this, the more I realise how lucky we are as a class. Most people could look their whole lives and never find anything close. I find the class to be very empowering.

(Karen Laws) 

 Try, whenever possible, to wait for your attacker to throw the first punch for this is the moment when he uses the greatest amount of strength and so you will have far more force to 'borrow'.

(Lau Kim Hong)

Applause

Having escaped/evaded the attacker, do not stand there waiting for applause.

Incapacitate the assailant efficiently and leave.

Messing about will only increase the likelihood of further confrontation.

Do only what is necessary and depart without fanfare.

Living skilfully

Taoism and tai chi require a person to develop a growing awareness.

This requires immersion in the present moment and a calm mind.

By slowing down we can see and feel more, become more sensitive and alert.

To live skilfully we must accord ourselves with what is happening and be fully awake at all times.

If our mind is dreaming of some distant goal, we are not rooted in the immediate and it is only the here and now that can produce any outcome.

The means

People argue that the end justifies the means...

Yet, the end cannot be divorced from the means. Means and end are part of the same process.

Without the means there would be no end.

The means is the vehicle or mechanism for the production of the end.

Sadly, in our world, the means is considered only in terms of time and money.

Restraint

When things do not go the way we want them to, we are trained to lose our temper and try to force the outcome we desire.

This is not healthy.

In tai chi we are encouraged to allow others to go their own way. Whenever we encounter an obstacle, we seek to flow around it and avoid confrontation.

Even in self defence we look to use restraint; to do only as much as is necessary. Why cause harm to another?

 A bow pulled too far will break.

A blade over-sharpened will not hold an edge.

(Lao Tzu)

 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.

Running does not necessarily in and of itself improve posture that is already poor and constricted. It often exaggerates problems due to the substitution of inappropriate muscles. The repetitive inappropriate development of the musculature (as in body building or weight lifting) often leads to diminished sensitivity. Stress occurs in the knees and lower back, encouraging injury.

 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.

Various sport activities emphasize strength, endurance and speed. Development of muscle control rather than skeletal balance takes precedence. Gaining speed at the expense of mounting tension, is too often the goal.

(Liz Koch)

Standing still

Standing in one place advertises your position. You are literally a 'sitting duck'. You need to move spontaneously and freely, without any preparation or preamble.

This requires presence, awareness, composure and physical relaxation.

Evade

No matter what occurs, it is advisable to evade the attacker. If your opponent cannot make contact, they cannot inflict injury upon you. Agility is essential.

 People who are compulsively active are unstable,
while those who are addicted to quietude are indifferent.

One should have a lively spirit while in the midst of tranquillity:
this is the mentality of the enlightened.

(Huanchu Daoren)

Spontaneous

A cat can go from complete passivity to combat readiness instantaneously. It does not tense muscles and prepare. It just moves.

The cat does not psyche itself up, rock, dither or demonstrate any of the characteristics you often see demonstrated by human fighters.

Only a skilled student tends to move smoothly and calmly in response to threat. Beginners are jerky and tense.

Agile & responsive

Have you ever watched how a cat responds to perceived danger? The entire body moves as one, drawing away from the threat, coiling and expanding.

This is akin to the amoeba-like movement students acquire from reeling silk exercises if they take their training far enough. The cat evades and counters without hesitation or doubt. It moves.

 Never stealing

Injuring no one
Who can discredit me?

Do you think that I’d climb down from an elephant
To ride on the haunch of an ass?

 (Songs of Mirabai)

Get a feel for it

Some things can be taught, whilst other things just occur.

You cannot teach someone to ride a bicycle. You just cajole and encourage. You do not really teach anything.
The learner figures it out for themselves. They get a feel for it.

Internal martial arts are like this.

Over-training

Tai chi is not dance, gymnastics or boxing. Do not treat it like weight-lifting, either, and try to build muscles.

Over-training can harm your body and will reduce your enjoyment of the art.

Do less rather than more.

Stagger your training across the week and do a little every day.

If your training exceeds an hour a day then you are doing too much.

Even a skilled student should constantly trim off unnecessary exercises and keep their daily practice time down.

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.

4 ounces

When in contact with another person, 4 ounces of pressure must be maintained.

This is not accomplished through effort.

Relax.

Let gravity do the work for you.

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.

 When you do tai chi, you shouldn't sweat.

Sweating is a sign that energy is being dissipated.

It comes from tension and it's as if you are depleting your bank account.

Doing tai chi, you want to accumulate energy, not spend it.

So, if you sweat, you should stop and rest.

(Cheng Man Ching)

 To rejoice even in a harmless game means that you delight in someone's defeat. 

(John Lash)  

Get help

If you find yourself prowling the web looking for some way to assuage your boredom and vent your wrath, you may have some problems.

Rather than pour your heart out via TikTok, why not talk to a real person?

There are counsellors and therapists in most cities around the world.
Seek them out. Talk to them.
Find a constructive release for your frustrations.
Let a caring professional assist you. Find meaning and balance once again.

Online manners?

One of the problems with the internet is that it encourages all manner of unpleasantness.

Blogs and chatrooms allow malignant people to insult strangers anonymously.
Bad feeling and gossip are rampant.

Troubled people are free to pour out hatred and malice, with no risk of consequence.

This is not healthy.

  Years ago my mother used to say to me, she'd say: "In this world, Elwood, you must be..." - she always called me Elwood -  "In this world, you must be oh so smart or oh so pleasant." Well, for years I was smart. I recommend pleasant. And you may quote me. 

(Harvey)

Do Nothing Day

Make the time to do nothing at all.

Have a 'do nothing day' in which you ignore:

1. the phone

2. chores

3. responsibilities

4. commitments

Release your burden

Shedding unnecessary belongings, commitments and habits can free up your life. Instead of doing 15 things, you do 3.

As with all things in life, your success in this endeavour is entirely relative to how earnest you are.

  Seeing an old man who wanted to take up philosophy but was embarrassed, Socrates said to him, "Don't be embarrassed to become better at the end of your life than you were to begin with."

(Thomas Cleary)

Tai chi chuan?

Tai chi chuan is a Chinese martial art. It was developed hundreds of years ago and draws upon Taoist observations, Chinese traditional medicine, biomechanics, physics and combat. 13 patterns of movement are used to express power.

To train the art correctly you need a highly-skilled Instructor who can offer a very comprehensive syllabus.

A good health-only class will offer

1. Exercises to improve strength, balance, relaxation (qigong)

2. Optimal body use

3. Learning a complex sequence of movements (form)

4. Meditation training

5. Partnered drills

  Over the centuries many variations of the movements have been taught, but provided the principles are adhered to there is no need for the student to doubt the authenticity of what he is being taught.

 (Paul Crompton) 

Locked knees?

Locked knees or overly-straightened legs prevent the knee from acting as suspension for the body.

Relax the knees but do not bend unless squatting down to lift something.

Hamstrings?

Most people have very tight hamstrings.

Unfortunately, the back compensates for tight hamstring muscles (by slouching); giving the illusion of greater flexibility than is actually present.

We address this in the syllabus by way of psoas exercises and leg stretches. The training is done carefully, gently - in a controlled manner - without exertion or strain.

Buttocks

Most men and women sit too much. This can lead to under-developed gluteus maximus muscles; which is bad for the back in particular. Weakness in these large muscles can affect the whole body.

Buttock muscles are supposed to be akin to a vertical oval for each buttock. There should be notable muscular development; the outcome of healthy everyday squatting.

Shoulder tension?

A lot of people experience pain in their shoulders and reduced movement.

If you ignore the shoulders entirely and focus instead on their legs you will inevitably discover that their legs are tense.

Once the legs are freed up the shoulder problems fade...

Too much sitting?

The main problem with sitting is gravity, loss of circulation and the tightening/shortening of your muscles.

Muscular tension stops your joints and vertebra from moving freely. When the hips, groin and sacroiliac freeze-up, the overall skeletal mobility is reduced.

Bipeds

Monkeys, horses and other mammals have arms and legs of the same length. Humans are different. We are bipeds. Our legs are much longer and stronger than our arms.

  The risk of heart failure was more than double for men who sat for at least five hours a day outside of work and didn't exercise very much, compared with men who were physically active and sat for less than two hours a day.

(Dr. Deborah Rohm)

We weren't designed to sit. The body is a perpetual motion machine.

(Dr. Joan Vernikos) 

Foetal position

A lot of people sit at a desk, operate their mobile phone, drive the car or watch TV in what is essentially a standing/sitting version of the foetal position.

We start life in that position. But we do not want to revert back to it as we age.

Fix

Appeasing the symptoms will produce no lasting benefits. It is akin to taking a pill in order to mask/hide the symptoms whilst the underlying pain remains.

Fixing the problem usually entails some sort of lifestyle change.

Stable

For optimal body use we need the pelvis to naturally sit beneath the abdomen.

The physical centre of the body contains a lot of water, our intestines etc and needs to be pretty stable.

Stability is accomplished by encouraging the pelvis to operate naturally and without interference. This may involve stopping existing bad habits in favour of letting the body re-align itself.

Posture

The pelvis is pretty large. If you turn it to the right or to the left, the entire upper body is affected. Turn it too far and the knees bear the brunt of the turn.

If you tilt it forwards or backwards, the entire balance of the body changes. Pretty soon you are leaning.

Although the pelvis itself has limited scope for movement, inclining or rotating the pelvis has a major impact on posture.

Core stability

People talk a lot about core strength but not much about core stability. The two concerns are not the same.

Core strength is about the muscles of the lower body (crotch, groin, hips, buttocks, lower back, legs and abdominals) whereas core stability is about keeping the pelvis favourably aligned.

  Remember, when moving, there is no place that does not move. When still, there is no place that is not still.

(Wu Yu-hsiang)

 

Arthritis?

The body must be exercised carefully, with a clear emphasis upon safety and relaxation. Dr Paul Lam (an expert in using tai chi for arthritis) emphasises the importance of:

1. Higher stances
2. A lot of qigong to improve breathing, relaxation and healing
3. Looking deeper into the art of tai chi in order to improve students awareness and understanding

  Programs for fighters should consist mostly of compound exercises. These allow for intense work on a maximum number of muscles in a minimum time.

(Frederic Delavier)

  When you dwell on the sound of your breathing,
when you can really hear it coming and going, 
peace will not be far behind.

(Paul Wilson)

Remobilise

In order to increase mobility the emphasis needs to be upon working the body both in class and at home between lessons. Adopt a multi-faceted approach:

• Strengthen your muscles

• Align your skeleton better

• Sit less

• Stand less

• Stretch more

• Improve balance

• Gain coordination

• Increase bodily awareness

• Be mindful of how you use your body

Step?

In order to get closer to something, we step. This is a fundamental human skill, yet so many people reach beyond their natural range instead of stepping. Why is this?

Laziness? Poor body awareness? Naivety? If you reach rather than step closer, you sacrifice your balance, and with it your strength.

It is absurd to think you are going to get anywhere by giving only an hour a week to your practice or that you can regularly skip classes. Martial arts is not like a bridge club, where you drop in when you have nothing better to do. Martial arts will always make greater demands on your time than would most hobbies or avocations.

(Dave Lowry) 

 Some people in this culture believe that the “consumer” is entitled to good service and if they feel wronged are entitled to take their custom elsewhere. This may or may not be a useful strategy with plumbers, electricians etc but foolish in the extreme in relation to tai chi.

(Peter Hobson)

The Chen form derived from battlefield military movements, where people wore medieval body armour that had to be compensated for. The Chen-style stances were specifically designed to achieve these compensations and obtain a workable position from which to realistically throw an armoured opponent.

By the time Yang had reached Beijing, times had changed. With the advent of firearms, battlefield armour became obsolete; hence, the need for techniques to deal with armoured foes had passed.

Yang and his students had to deal with situations encountered by bodyguards, not armies opposing each other.

(Bruce Frantzis)

An inch

There is a point where something is weak, then it becomes strong, only to become weak again. Like a 'bell curve'... The human lifespan is like this: a baby, to adulthood, to decrepitude and death.

Seek to do only what is necessary to find that optimal point of strength. Sometimes it requires just an inch of movement.

Just enough?

It is so tempting to stretch, to extend, to reach. To force, to push.

Don't do this. Just do what you need to do to accomplish the result and nothing more.

Aim for this ratio: minimal effort achieves maximum results.

A different way?

Tai chi advocates moderation in all things. e.g. over-training is as bad as under-training. If you do not train enough, there will be very little fitness benefit and no martial development.

If you train too much, the body will become tired and there is an increased risk of injury.

 

Tai chi poise is healthy. The body is used naturally and comfortably. The mind is quiet. We listen to what the body is telling us rather than push and punish ourselves.

Hands

Over-use and wrong use of the hands can cause immobility and arthritis. Main culprits:

• Computer mouse

• Mobile phone

• Tapping a touch screen

• Unnecessary application of force

• Gripping too hard

• Knitting

• Sewing

• Repetitive activity

• Using a keyboard

• Playing video games

Sitting

The main culprit for loss of mobility in most adults is sitting on their backsides too much. Sitting causes:

• Strained neck

• Sore shoulders

• Stiffness

• Upper back pain

• Lower back pain

• Loss of circulation

• Joint compression

• Swollen legs

• Heart disease

The solution is easy. Switch off the PC, the TV and walk whenever possible rather than drive.

Sitting is more dangerous than smoking, kills more people than HIV, and is more treacherous than parachuting. We are sitting ourselves to death. The chair is out to kill us.

(Professor James Levine, The Mayo Clinic) 

Aging

As people get older they lose the ability to move freely and easily. This reduces our quality of life. Tai chi was designed to off-set the stiffness commonly associated with aging.

Our aim is to regain the degree of mobility we started life with.

Birth

You started life with a natural condition of suppleness and flexibility. A baby does not have sore knees, a bad back or arthritis.

The limbs can move comfortably within their natural range of motion. There is no stiffness in the muscles.

  Consider this: Most people live lives that are not particularly physically challenging. They sit at a desk, or if they move around, it's not a lot. They aren't performing manoeuvres that require tremendous balance and coordination. Thus they settle into a low level of physical capabilities - enough for day-to-day activities or maybe even hiking or biking or playing golf or tennis on the weekends, but far from the level of physical capabilities that a highly trained athlete possesses.

The reason that most people don't possess extraordinary physical capabilities isn't because they don't have the capacity for them, but rather because they're satisfied to live in the comfortable rut of homeostasis and never do the work that is required to get out of it.

The same thing is true for all the mental activities we engage in. We learn enough to get by but once we reach that point we seldom push to go beyond.

(Anders Ericsson)

Status quo

People are biologically inclined to be lazy, to stay put, to refrain from change. Breaking the status quo requires a deliberate, conscious effort. We like to stay in our comfort zone.

 

Tai chi for healthy aging...

Tai chi re-trains the body to move like it is supposed to move. Like an animal would. No tension, no impediments. Free, spontaneous, comfortable movement.

Sure, not all tai chi classes do this. Everyone has their own agenda. But trained correctly, tai chi was designed to restore the body to its natural, healthy state.

How well you do and how far you can rejuvenate your body is down to you. It is your responsibility. The more you put into the training the more you will get out of it.

Ideal form of exercise?

According to the book The Blue Zones it is important to think of exercise in terms of what you can reasonably do long-term.

The ideal form of exercise is moderate enough that you can do it for the rest of your life. It needs to be joint-friendly, provide a gentle workout and be sustainable.

This sounds rather like tai chi, doesn't it?

Stiffness?

Stiffness and inflexibility are indisputable signs of being old. Work on this. Once your muscles are tense and your body is stiff you cannot remedy this situation overnight.

Hitting the gym or buying an expensive drop handle bicycle will not get rid of stiffness. You need to do something else. Rather that force and hammer your muscles, they need to be softened and relaxed. Patience is needed.

Be smart...

If you're fat, don't try and run it off. See a dietician and/or follow a measured, gradual diet carefully and consistently. If you are out of shape, start with something that isn't going to hurt your body.

Tai chi for health is perfect for this. It is low-impact, easy to do at home between lessons and will not damage you.

Laziness?

Let's be honest here. If you are an adult and unfit - regardless of your age - this is your responsibility. Don't blame somebody else. Nor your job or your family. It's all you. You did this. You made a choice.

Now you get to make a new choice. You get to take responsibility for improving your health, fitness and decreasing your physical age.

Start by doing some research...

Do something real...

If you want your physical age to be impressive, put away your ego and commit to making a more tangible effort. Start by being sensible.

Don't just leap into some naive endeavour ill suited to your current physical condition.

Substantial qualities...

Think about the qualities associated with youth: nimble, balanced, agile, light, mobile, coordinated, squatting easily, flexible, supple, fit, dynamic, spontaneous, changeable, strong, virile, stamina, dextrous, good poise, free, no pain...

These cannot be faked with hair dye and a risqué outfit. Nor will a fancy car, nice clothing or expensive technology hide a decrepit body.

Kidding yourself?

Quite often people respond to aging with vain attempts to disguise their age. Who are they fooling?

Plastic surgery, blonding your hair or dressing like a teenager are superficial, facile efforts to appear to be young. They require no effort and offer only a desultory, aesthetic change.

 People at birth are soft and supple:

At death, they are hard and stiff.

When plants are alive, they are green and bending;

When they are dead, they are dry and brittle.

Soft and bending is the way of the living;

Hard and brittle is the way of the dying.

Therefore, a great strength that is inflexible,

Will break in the wind like an old dead tree.

(Lao Tzu)

How does an older person move?

Their steps are often very heavy and their legs are locked and immobile. There is a sense of clumsiness.

People frequently walk in an agitated manner; over-striding and erratic. The lower back is inflexible and the sacroiliac does not move correctly. The back is stooped, the neck stiff and the hands are tight.

How should a young person move?

This is an interesting question. There should be a sense of ease. No struggling, grunting or groaning, no pain in the back or the knees.

The body responds instantly to the dictates of the mind. A young person is spontaneous and free.

How old is your body?

People start tai chi most weeks of the year. We see a lot of new starters. Over the years the physical condition of the intake has changed. It has worsened.

Quite often young people start class with poor physical health; raised, tense shoulders, stooping, poor balance, stiff joints, tense muscles, poor motor skills and limited flexibility.

These are appalling health conditions for a 20 year old. The individual may well be 20 but their body is not. Their body is old.

How old are you?

That is an easy question to answer. But it is just a number. Consider instead your age relative to the people around you or people you see in your everyday life.

Do you look old for your age? Are you flexible? Strong? Supple? Do you get out of breath? Are you happy?

 Many people are so uncomfortable in the absence of noise that they will leave the television on even when no one is watching.

I have passed people on lonely mountain paths carrying radios that were blasting out rock music. They like the scenery but fear the silence.

We are overwhelmed by noise pollution which keeps us from being able to relax and which wreaks havoc on our nervous system.

(John Lash)

Oasis...

Week in, week out, people attend tai chi classes. The instructor is always friendly. The lessons are always stimulating. Your fellow students are always courteous, well mannered and nice.

Your personal life may be in turmoil, your work life may be tedious or disappointing, yet tai chi class remains a constant: comfortable, familiar, friendly and fun.

Instead of being met by rivalry, one-upmanship and stress, you encounter friendship and warmth.

Freedom from stress?

A tai chi class is a quiet place, yet somehow neither boring nor lacking in stimulation. There are no mobile phones, no TV screens, no computers, no concerns, worries or deadlines.

Instead, you can relax, let go and get some much needed 'me' time.

When the incessant noise and distraction ends, you will start to feel different. Tai chi will assist you in becoming quiet inside.

A calmer mind?

Most people have minds that are like adverts chattering noisily: worrying, flitting and unsettled. Qigong and tai chi slowly encourage you to become quieter inside.

By moving slowly and calmly, you are aware of what is happening as it happens.

Talking less

It is good to talk, yet talking is also a problem. If your mind is never still and quiet, you cannot possibly feel relaxed and at peace.

For many people talking is a compulsive habit, serving to mask the anxiety within. Without the chatter, people feel alone and isolated.

Immersion...

Tai chi creates a situation where your attention is absorbed with where you are and what you are doing, so the mind becomes quieter automatically.

Unlike concentration, you allow the mind to open and become expansive. You feel, hear and see everything around you. The chattering of your thoughts will begin to fade.

There are calm places to be found in every town. A tai chi class is a good example. Calm voices, settled emotions and an atmosphere of friendship and camaraderie will be immediately apparent.

This may feel most unfamiliar to you, odd even. Don't panic. Give yourself time to adjust to something different. Just stay with it and enjoy. A feeling of serenity and peace may settle upon you.

Chattering monkey

If you do not commit time to calming activities and rest, your mind may never know stillness. Even in the midst of stunning beauty and peace, tranquillity will elude you.

 

A bubble of stimulation

Most people exist in a bubble. They wake in their own home, get into their car and then go to work/shops/wherever. There is seldom any time spent being calm.

Homes, cars and public places are usually filled with noise and stimulation. Visual images, flickering screens, twittering voices, gossip... Where is the peace in your life? The stillness?

  Keep moving along when you are ailing, to the extent you have any activity in you.

(Hadrat Ali)

  

More than just form?

 Taijiquan students study all 13 areas of practice:

1. Qigong
2. Fitness
3. Form
4. Pushing hands
5. Principles
6. Brain work (meditation, awareness, metacognition)
7. Neigong (whole-body strength)
8. Jing (whole-body power)
9. Self defence
10. Martial skill
11. Chin na (seizing)
12. Shuai jiao (take downs)
13. Weapons

Exploring these 13 areas of study will offer a balanced comprehension of the art.

A complete approach to health?

People often refer to tai chi as being a complete exercise. The word 'complete' refers to the fact that tai chi training covers a very diverse spectrum of concerns that coalesce to form a powerful tool for fitness and wellbeing.

When practiced daily, the benefits of tai chi are truly amazing.

 

Embodied spirituality

Tai chi is a vehicle for exploring the many insights offered by the elusive and beguiling study of existence known as 'Taoism'. It is a hands-on approach to spirituality.

There is plenty to read (if this is something you enjoy) but the emphasis is mainly upon doing rather than reading, thinking or talking.

Life is lived through action, not words. The art of tai chi is a physical journey that will lead to an inner search for meaning and understanding within the student.

 

Natural, freer breathing?

Improved body use, decreased muscular tension and a more flexible body all result in easier, fuller breathing. The student learns how to slow, lengthen and deepen the breath in everyday life.

This leads to a more calm, emotionally-centred sense of being.

Strengthening & flexibility

The effectiveness of tai chi as a physical exercise can be overlooked. It is easy to dismiss the seemingly mild training as being ineffectual.

However, tai chi provides a very effective workout. It moves the body in a safe, therapeutic, healthy manner and has no known side-effects.

There is a substantial amount of evidence to support tai chi's medical and health claims.

Tai chi seeks moderation. Not too much and not too little. Neither passive nor overly-active. 'Doing less' and 'letting-go' are big themes in the training.

Not forcing

Students are taught how to allow things to gradually unfold, rather than forcing a result. Forcing promotes resistance whilst allowing leads to release.

Gentleness is cultivated. The body is treated with care and respect.

Finding balance

As a person becomes more balanced - physically and mentally - their health naturally improves. Balance is fundamental to tai chi. We must become aware of what is balanced in our lives and what is not...

Without awareness, life can become hurried and stressful. The emphasis in tai chi is upon enjoying yourself and being happy with who you are and how you are living your life.

 Yin and yang are not in competition or conflict with each other but are complements of each other.

Balance is not a state but a process.

The Tao is a process, a dynamic condition of balanced moving. 

(Ray Grigg)

 Front and back arise from each other.

Difficult and easy determine each other.

High and low define each other.

Long and short measure each other.

Sound and silence echo each other.

Being and non-being are each other.

(Lao Tzu)

 

Real life...

In reality, we typically experience a mixture of positive and negative events. Sometimes things go in our favour, sometimes they do not.

Although this is less palatable than continual success, it is simply how things are. Balance involves good and bad, difficult and easy, favourable and unfavourable. This is what balance means...

Seeking to avoid the negative?

Usually, we desire one element (success) whilst seeking to avoid a less desirable alternative (failure). Happiness without sorrow. Health without illness.

Unbalanced is the norm?

Do you sleep well? Are you clumsy? Is your life hurried and rushed? Do you have time for yourself? Is your back aching or stiff, especially around the base of the neck and the shoulders?

Are your moods erratic? Do you get headaches a lot?

Most people experience imbalance: it often involves work, relationships, diet, poor body use and careless exercise. People come to accept the lack of balance in their lives and do not imagine that there can be another way.

 Research shows that people’s ability to stand on one leg is an indicator of health and that getting better at standing on one leg can add to fitness and potentially lifespan. The inability to balance on one leg for 20 seconds or longer is linked in otherwise healthy people to an increased risk of small blood vessel damage in the brain and reduced ability to understand ideas.

The human body, when standing upright, is inherently unstable. We have a very small base of support relative to our height and width. When in good health we rely on our central and peripheral nervous system to integrate all the information coming in from our balance senses (eyes, inner ears and feedback from muscles and joints). We then engage the right muscles (feet, ankle, leg and core muscles, sometimes even the arm muscles) at the right time to make the necessary adjustments to our posture to stay upright.

(Professor Dawn Skelton)

 My aim is only to move forward.

(Afro Samurai)

Don't pull your punches!

A well-practiced student hits comfortably and easily, with their hands finding their own way to the targets. They are also used to being hit and do not flinch from fear.

When a punch is pulled, both the attacker and the defender suffer:

1. Inability to assess range accurately
2. No sense of commitment
3. Unaccustomed to the threat of actually being hit
4. Unfamiliar with impact
5. Inability to counter-attack effectively

An unskilled striker will often hurt their own hand when they hit their opponent because they are not accustomed to impact.

The bite...

Upon impact, your hand/elbow/knee sinks slightly into the opponent before bouncing back off again. This process occurs naturally and need not be contrived.

If you pull off too soon, 4 ounces of pressure has not been established and the power will diminish.

 

For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction

Do not push on impact. That way, the kinetic energy will travel out of your body instead of just bouncing back. Your intention goes through the opponent. Your punch does not go through your opponent. The effect goes inside your opponent.

How much of the force you are delivering is actually going into your opponent?

If you are tense, then much of it will bang off your attacker's body and back into you. There is a concussive shockwave that travels along your arm, into your spine and throughout your body.

This is not good for your health. This is why 4 ounces of pressure is fundamental. The moment of contact must be heavy, soft and penetrating. Do not push.

Biofeedback

You need to feel what happens when you physically strike somebody.

Do you feel a jarring, unpleasant jolt upon impact? Adverse feedback up your arm and into your neck? Did the blow have the intended effect? Were you hurt yourself? Hitting another person skilfully may not be as easy as you imagine.

 Ideally, you should end by actually hitting something. When you practice explosive technique just by doing taijiquan, your own antagonistic muscles stop your fist or foot.

(Frederic Delavier)

Effect?

Performing applications in thin air is no good. It proves nothing.

Striking target pads and bags - whilst useful - are also unrepresentative. Nothing compares to striking an actual person.

You may appear to have wonderful form and effective-seeming combat skills but it will all fall to pieces if your strikes are worthless. 

The punching game?

You must learn how to deliver authentic strikes during practice. This is necessary for two reasons:

1. You need to be capable of hitting somebody effectively
2. You need to offer your partner the experience of strikes that hurt

If you pull your punches, your partner is being short-changed. Hit them with exuberance and vigour, but not with aggression or anger. Treat it as a game.

Structural integration

Tai chi treats the body as a network of coordinated elements, a dynamic process of being.

Good use of circulation, breathing, the nervous system, skeletal structure/joints combine to make you feel energised and create a
positive therapeutic outcome.

Slower, coordinated movements encourage a whole-body unity to develop.

Play

Instead of practicing in a forced, uncomfortable way, the tai chi student is encouraged to be playful and open-minded. To have fun.

This leads to greater progress and deeper physical relaxation.