Form is just 1 area of practice in tai chi.
8 areas of knowledge and ability provide a balanced comprehension of the art:
- Qigong (energy/breath work)
- Martial skill (kung fu)
- Neigong (whole-body strength)
- Instructing (optional)
Wednesday
Is tai chi just form?
Sunday
I want to learn tai chi as a martial art, why do I need to become a member?
Taijiquan is more difficult to learn than tai chi for health.
It cannot be approached haphazardly.
A clear, structured syllabus must be in place, along with a logical step-by-step teaching plan determining just how the syllabus is implemented.
Students who attend weekly and are willing to practice between lessons will find taijiquan to be a challenging learning experience.
It cannot be approached haphazardly.
A clear, structured syllabus must be in place, along with a logical step-by-step teaching plan determining just how the syllabus is implemented.
Students who attend weekly and are willing to practice between lessons will find taijiquan to be a challenging learning experience.
Wednesday
Welcome
We offer a very high standard of tuition from instructors with decades of experience.There is a syllabus in place to ensure that the tai chi is taught in a consistent, structured, methodical way.
Students work towards a comprehensive understanding of tai chi, whole-body strength and the ability to use their body in an intelligent, healthy manner.
Have fun in a calm, vibrant, training environment; free from bullying, cliques and politics. The atmosphere is friendly, pleasant and relaxed.
Personal safety and individual wellbeing are important to us.
Students work towards a comprehensive understanding of tai chi, whole-body strength and the ability to use their body in an intelligent, healthy manner.
Have fun in a calm, vibrant, training environment; free from bullying, cliques and politics. The atmosphere is friendly, pleasant and relaxed.
Personal safety and individual wellbeing are important to us.
Monday
Is tai chi easy to practice?
However, easy or difficult are relative to the individual.
It depends on memory, coordination, patience and how committed you are.
Also, there is the question of how fit you are to begin with.
You cannot reasonably hope to master tai chi overnight.
The art is very in-depth, with many levels of skill and achievement.
There is always more to uncover...
It depends on memory, coordination, patience and how committed you are.
Also, there is the question of how fit you are to begin with.
You cannot reasonably hope to master tai chi overnight.
The art is very in-depth, with many levels of skill and achievement.
There is always more to uncover...
Sunday
The perfect exercise?
In modern life, time is in short supply and a person wants to get the best possible benefits from any new endeavour they undertake.
Harvard Medical School suggests that tai chi may indeed be the perfect exercise.
Tai chi offers a multi-layered approach to the cultivation of health, vitality and wellbeing.
The depth of study available within a bona fide system of tai chi is incredible; a student can quite literally explore the art for their entire lifetime and still discover new mysteries, secrets and skills.
As a martial art, taijiquan is unparalleled in its sophisticated biomechanics, diversity of combat skills and variety of application.
Harvard Medical School suggests that tai chi may indeed be the perfect exercise.
Tai chi offers a multi-layered approach to the cultivation of health, vitality and wellbeing.
The depth of study available within a bona fide system of tai chi is incredible; a student can quite literally explore the art for their entire lifetime and still discover new mysteries, secrets and skills.
As a martial art, taijiquan is unparalleled in its sophisticated biomechanics, diversity of combat skills and variety of application.
Saturday
How can you tell what a tai chi class is offering?
(i) Most classes are health classes
Virtually every tai chi class in the UK is teaching 'tai chi for health'.
Classes offering taijiquan (the martial art) are very rare indeed.
Some classes may advertise themselves as 'taijiquan' but are in fact teaching tai chi for health.
(ii) Martial proof
It is easy to determine if a taijiquan martial arts class is bona fide.
Ask the instructor about:
Virtually every tai chi class in the UK is teaching 'tai chi for health'.
Classes offering taijiquan (the martial art) are very rare indeed.
Some classes may advertise themselves as 'taijiquan' but are in fact teaching tai chi for health.
(ii) Martial proof
It is easy to determine if a taijiquan martial arts class is bona fide.
Ask the instructor about:
- Their syllabus
- Teaching methodology
- Tai chi principles (4 ounces, 6 balanced pairs, 13 postures, fa jing, folding, groundpath, opening & closing, reeling silk, shen, softness, substantial & insubstantial, sung, yielding etc)
- Martial theory and application
- Form application (7 applications for every posture)
- Examples of shuai jiao, chin na and jing skill
A genuine taijiquan instructor will be able to prove their skill to you quite convincingly.
Tuesday
Can I pick the subjects/topics that appeal to me?
Cherry picking has serious drawbacks.
Our syllabus offers a balanced, step-by-step approach to gaining a thorough and comprehensive understanding of tai chi.
Emphasising the parts that you like best or omitting the aspects you do not care for is self-indulgent and will lead to major gaps of knowledge and skill.
Consider: you want to learn French but you have no interest in verbs... You want to be a chef but do not care to chop... You seek to drive a car but do not like to turn left...
See how ridiculous this seems?
Our syllabus offers a balanced, step-by-step approach to gaining a thorough and comprehensive understanding of tai chi.
Emphasising the parts that you like best or omitting the aspects you do not care for is self-indulgent and will lead to major gaps of knowledge and skill.
Consider: you want to learn French but you have no interest in verbs... You want to be a chef but do not care to chop... You seek to drive a car but do not like to turn left...
See how ridiculous this seems?
Saturday
Who can study tai chi?
It is important to discriminate between taijiquan and tai chi for health.Anyone can study 'tai chi for health' and age is not an issue.
Taijiquan is not suitable for everyone.If you fancy discovering the martial skills (kung fu) you need to be realistic in terms of expectations.
We reserve the right to decline tuition:
• if we feel that a student is physically unable to study taijiquan safely• if an individual demonstrates the wrong attitude for taijiquan study
Taijiquan is not suitable for everyone.If you fancy discovering the martial skills (kung fu) you need to be realistic in terms of expectations.
We reserve the right to decline tuition:
• if we feel that a student is physically unable to study taijiquan safely• if an individual demonstrates the wrong attitude for taijiquan study
Friday
Our classes
We specialise in teaching:
• Tai chi chuan (martial art)
• Tai chi for health
• Qigong
We have been practicing since 1975, teaching since 1995.
Both of our instructors are registered with The Tai Chi Union for Great Britain.
• Tai chi chuan (martial art)
• Tai chi for health
• Qigong
We have been practicing since 1975, teaching since 1995.
Both of our instructors are registered with The Tai Chi Union for Great Britain.
Thursday
Perpetual beginners
Most tai chi students in the UK never get past the preliminaries of the art.
They lack the knowledge and/or the tuition opportunities to explore tai chi properly.
Training at a beginner's level long-term is not good for your health and wellbeing. A crude understanding of tai chi can potentially lead to injury.
To avoid this, students need to make progress in a healthy, safe, fun environment.
They must continually develop their insights, skills and awareness.
A proven, fully differentiated syllabus should be in place and the opportunity for each student to learn tai chi relative to their own ability.
They lack the knowledge and/or the tuition opportunities to explore tai chi properly.
Training at a beginner's level long-term is not good for your health and wellbeing. A crude understanding of tai chi can potentially lead to injury.
To avoid this, students need to make progress in a healthy, safe, fun environment.
They must continually develop their insights, skills and awareness.
A proven, fully differentiated syllabus should be in place and the opportunity for each student to learn tai chi relative to their own ability.
Tuesday
Friday
Summary of prices
Qigong (1 hour) £5
Qigong & tai chi (1½ hours) £7.50
Qigong & tai chi (2 hours) £10
3 week induction course £20
Private lesson (1 hour) £40
Workshop (1½ hours) £10
DVD £20
Membership (optional) £40/month
Qigong & tai chi (1½ hours) £7.50
Qigong & tai chi (2 hours) £10
3 week induction course £20
Private lesson (1 hour) £40
Workshop (1½ hours) £10
DVD £20
Membership (optional) £40/month
Wednesday
What do school members get for their money?
• Attend once or twice a week
• Train up to 2 hours a night
• Fully-differentiated syllabus
• Authentic skills
• High quality tuition
• Professional learning environment
• Extensive range of skills available • Address individual health concerns & training requirements
• Extremely thorough exploration of the art(s)
• Study new material every week
• Work through the full curriculum
• Receive regular corrections, tips & pointers
• Request bespoke tuition
• Access to highly detailed school DVDs
• Discuss taijiquan theory and related philosophies with Master Waller
• Attend workshops, boot camp and class social events• Advanced level of understanding
• Follows the teachings of the Tai Chi Classics
• Explore 1300 page on-line taijiquan database with guidance from Master Waller
• Train up to 2 hours a night
• Fully-differentiated syllabus
• Authentic skills
• High quality tuition
• Professional learning environment
• Extensive range of skills available • Address individual health concerns & training requirements
• Extremely thorough exploration of the art(s)
• Study new material every week
• Work through the full curriculum
• Receive regular corrections, tips & pointers
• Request bespoke tuition
• Access to highly detailed school DVDs
• Discuss taijiquan theory and related philosophies with Master Waller
• Attend workshops, boot camp and class social events• Advanced level of understanding
• Follows the teachings of the Tai Chi Classics
• Explore 1300 page on-line taijiquan database with guidance from Master Waller
Monday
Moving qigong
Moving qigong is similar to standing qigong except the onus is now upon smoothness and relaxation in movement.
No extraneous muscle usage is permitted.
Alignment, softness and breath are important.
Each exercise can be used as a training ground for whole-body movement.
Instead of just moving the arms and shoulders, every part of the structure is involved.
Even the simplest movement should spiral from the toes to the fingertips.
Performed correctly, this is just as difficult as standing qigong.
The body is trained to coordinate left and right, upper and lower, along with cross-patterning.
The muscles serve only to move the bones and must never stiffen or tense.
Tight joints prevent movement.
These exercises are designed to facilitate fluidity with strength.
Qigong is not something that is trained for a while and then discarded.
The student comes back to it repeatedly as they get better at kung fu.
As the ability to move with whole-body strength increases, the exercises can be re-evaluated and trained with a new emphasis.
A movement that once connected the arms to the back now becomes a means of training energy discharge.
Qigong changes as you change.
No extraneous muscle usage is permitted.
Alignment, softness and breath are important.
Each exercise can be used as a training ground for whole-body movement.
Instead of just moving the arms and shoulders, every part of the structure is involved.
Even the simplest movement should spiral from the toes to the fingertips.
Performed correctly, this is just as difficult as standing qigong.
The body is trained to coordinate left and right, upper and lower, along with cross-patterning.
The muscles serve only to move the bones and must never stiffen or tense.
Tight joints prevent movement.
These exercises are designed to facilitate fluidity with strength.
Qigong is not something that is trained for a while and then discarded.
The student comes back to it repeatedly as they get better at kung fu.
As the ability to move with whole-body strength increases, the exercises can be re-evaluated and trained with a new emphasis.
A movement that once connected the arms to the back now becomes a means of training energy discharge.
Qigong changes as you change.
Sunday
Tree hugging
Most students begin standing by ‘hugging a tree’/‘holding a balloon’ at chest height.
Essentially, the arms are positioned in a circular shape and the fingers are lightly opened.
This innocuous exercise quickly becomes a challenge.
The skill is to maintain the posture without in any way ‘holding’ the posture.
Muscle usage must be minimal. Psychological ease and relaxation are paramount.
The posture must be natural and comfortable. Do not strain the knees by squatting.
The idea is to let go.
This is not easy. A lifetime of tension will pain you and the temptation will be to hang on.
Liz Koch, author of The Psoas Book maintains that you must reach a stage where the body feels safe and begins to shake.
This shaking is quite disconcerting. It is not muscle fatigue. It is the product of deep relaxation.
All the stored tension in the joints and vertebra is being let out.
The shaking cannot be forced or contrived. It is accomplished by not-doing.
By stopping the habit of tension.
By letting go.
Daily standing for 15-20 minutes will produce the required outcome providing internal relaxation takes place.
Essentially, the arms are positioned in a circular shape and the fingers are lightly opened.
This innocuous exercise quickly becomes a challenge.
The skill is to maintain the posture without in any way ‘holding’ the posture.
Muscle usage must be minimal. Psychological ease and relaxation are paramount.
The posture must be natural and comfortable. Do not strain the knees by squatting.
The idea is to let go.
This is not easy. A lifetime of tension will pain you and the temptation will be to hang on.
Liz Koch, author of The Psoas Book maintains that you must reach a stage where the body feels safe and begins to shake.
This shaking is quite disconcerting. It is not muscle fatigue. It is the product of deep relaxation.
All the stored tension in the joints and vertebra is being let out.
The shaking cannot be forced or contrived. It is accomplished by not-doing.
By stopping the habit of tension.
By letting go.
Daily standing for 15-20 minutes will produce the required outcome providing internal relaxation takes place.
Saturday
Energy & muscle
Qigong operate on two levels simultaneously; they encourage the healthy flow of energy and they strengthen the structure of the body.
This process of building strength is seen by many people to arise from the energy flow alone but this is rather misleading.
Qi does not move the bones, muscles do. Nerves direct the muscles and energy fuels the entire system.
Without energy, nothing would happen, but without muscles there would be no strength.
Muscles turn energy into motion.
This is not to be confused with gym work or weight training. The degree of muscle usage in qigong must be minimal.
The aim is to employ the tendons, ligaments and fasciae for increased strength and support.
You must only use the degree of muscle strength necessary to hold the limb in place; and this is always far less than you first realise.
This process of building strength is seen by many people to arise from the energy flow alone but this is rather misleading.
Qi does not move the bones, muscles do. Nerves direct the muscles and energy fuels the entire system.
Without energy, nothing would happen, but without muscles there would be no strength.
Muscles turn energy into motion.
This is not to be confused with gym work or weight training. The degree of muscle usage in qigong must be minimal.
The aim is to employ the tendons, ligaments and fasciae for increased strength and support.
You must only use the degree of muscle strength necessary to hold the limb in place; and this is always far less than you first realise.
Friday
Qigong
Start your quest for whole-body strength by standing still; qigong is the foundation of kung fu.
It involves static postures and slow-motion movements that are easy to perform.
The static postures are held for lengthy periods, often up to an hour.
The moving sets are small groups of exercises, with about 10 repetitions each.
It involves static postures and slow-motion movements that are easy to perform.
The static postures are held for lengthy periods, often up to an hour.
The moving sets are small groups of exercises, with about 10 repetitions each.
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