Not everyone is as capable as everyone else. We all start from a different place and approach the material in our own unique way.
The curriculum we have devised ensures that every student who puts in the work will gain the skills. It is not a matter of natural ability, secrets or happenstance.
The syllabus is thorough and builds the necessary foundation. Everyone can benefit. Everyone can learn. Gaining the skills is not a matter of chance. If you have the commitment, we have the way.
Playing is the first step in mastering your own ego and overcoming your conditioning. Lao Tzu wrote: "master self before attempting to master others".
If you lack the control necessary to employ the taijiquan safely and carefully, you are still a beginner.
Humour is the greatest contribution you can bring to the practice; be good-natured, kind and light-hearted. When you stop taking yourself too seriously, you can begin to play in earnest.
If you can play for the fun of playing, then the syllabus will be an enjoyable experience.
Many studies have proven that 'exuberant play' is the most effective learning medium. With the stigma of violence, pain and injury removed, students are free to relax and explore at their leisure.
The paradoxical physics associated with taijiquan emphasises the importance of relaxing and letting-go.
Play encourages this.
In a 2008 Stanford University experiment taijiquan expert Chen Xiang generated a force 14 times his body weight when striking. 0-60 mph in less than 3 seconds.
This 'soft' striking method is accomplished by keeping the muscles soft, the intention clear and undulating the entire body in a split-second wave of power. The body is soft, the effect is hard.
In taijiquan we cultivate an unusual quality of integrity by creating a loose network of body parts.
Should any part of the body be pushed, it will yield and move. However, the overall structural integrity remains intact and resilient. There is no resistance.
No pushing back or physical tension (contracted muscles).
Imagine waking up each morning full of energy and vitality yet also feeling calm and relaxed about the day to come. It sounds like a miracle yet this state of abundant health and wellbeing should be our birthright. In our natural state we would face each day with joy, peace, and a deep connection with our bodies.
(Jane Alexander)
Qigong and tai chi training is renowned for improving stamina and endurance. Students can concentrate longer and sustain prolonged physical activity without fatigue.
They gain the ability to withstand hardship and cope with difficulty.
Try resting at certain points throughout the day and then continuing...
Without momentum to carry you forward, you may realise just how tired you really are.
The brief rest centres you and lets you feel that you're fatigued and need to stop.
The more economical movement/body use favoured in tai chi reduces fatigue. It lessens the possibility of over-commitment and redundant movement.
It makes the tai chi more accessible to people of all ages and fitness levels.
Tai chi advocates moderation; not taxing or tiring the body. Rather than train for a lengthy period of time, aim to practice little & often. 20-30 minute increments, with rest breaks in-between is ideal.
Instead of pushing your body hard and putting it under duress, just do a little exercise. Resting will keep your concentration sharp and offset fatigue.
There is a tendency to lock the psoas muscle in a defensive posture and fatigue the muscle by keeping it in a chronic contracted state. This limits the movement of the leg, encouraging the use of the lumbar spine and stops a person from performing effectively.
Being in the tai chi posture utilizes gravity to one's advantage.
(Liz Koch)
One drawback of exertive training is that it can dull your awareness. Yes, you feel strong and seem able to handle the training... but you've inadvertently lost your sensitivity.
Over time, the nervous system of most adults becomes faulty, and it provides the brain with inaccurate information.
Instead of applying only the necessary amount of strength to complete a given activity, it is normal and comfortable to use an incredible excess.
This fatigues the muscles, blunts the nervous system and makes you clumsy.
Forcing a local muscle (or muscle group) to do all the work is simply not as efficient as sharing the workload across the entire body.
Localised muscle usage leads to fatigue, strain and the risk of joint injury. Long after the task is over, the muscles are sore, tired and potentially damaged. The muscles compensate by shortening.
Often people are running on empty. They fail to take adequate rest. Many of the exercise methods they adopt lead to even greater fatigue.
Stimulants, sugar, caffeine and fatty food enable the individual to carry on when in fact the real solution to fatigue is of course energy conservation and rest.
Lifestyle issues are often caused by a failure to see what is right in front of you. The truth can be unpalatable or inconvenient.
For example: people who suffer from fatigue usually begin by over-committing their time, being unrealistic about their capabilities, failing to rest, being poorly organised, unwilling to say No, not working on themselves...
What do people do to off-set fatigue? Do they cut back their commitments, do less, rest, engage in milder forms of exercise? Not usually.
They drink caffeine drinks, eat sugary food and moan about being tired.
Modern life saps energy. People are often exhausted, unhappy, frustrated...
They are frequently emotionally, physically and psychologically unbalanced.
Feeling drained is commonplace.
