Our next induction course is Monday 6th July.

New starters are welcome!

Long-term health & fitness

According to The Blue Zones and The Okinawa Program it is important to think of exercise in terms of what you can reasonably do long-term. We are all aging. This is unavoidable.

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, have a low-risk of injury, provide a gentle workout and be sustainable.

On-going health requires on-going practice

A 2-week tai chi taster is nice, but if you want to experience on-going benefits, you need on-going practice. The more often your body undertakes the exercise, the more familiar it will be.

Pay-as-you-go?

Attending as and when you feel like it sounds great, but drop-in classes don't work. Usually the student attends 2-3 lessons maximum and then stops tai chi altogether.

Newcastle Tai Chi is not a drop-in class. Our aim is to help and support each individual in their efforts to get fit, healthy and (if interested) gain martial arts skill.

How healthy do I need to be?

You don't need to be fit to start tai chi classes. But you do need to be able to stand up, walk and step without the aid of a stick.

The qigong & tai chi classes are designed to cultivate a greater degree of fitness: stamina, balance, endurance, flexibility, mobility and coordination. In some respects the exercises will be just as challenging as yoga, but not exertive. 

Physical contact

Pushing hands (and other forms of partner work) requires you to touch other students. If you are not comfortable with physical contact, we recommend that you consider an alternative form of exercise.

 There are so many different dimensions to what Sifu Waller's class offers, it is hard to know where to start. The main thing for me is that it is great fun - I never expected that it would make me laugh so much.

This comes from Sifu Waller's unique approach, sharing his vast knowledge in a down-to-earth and non-macho way, which I think leads to the whole class being a warm and supportive place to be.

The key thing is that it works, such simple things that have a really dramatic effect on your body, not a spiritual, abstract set of moves but real 'I do this, he falls down' stuff. I can feel my own body responding now too - getting firmer, more balanced, more in control - and I think the qigong exercises are making my mind much calmer as well.

(Robin)

What don't we teach?

Even though our syllabus is comprehensive, we cannot conceivably teach everything e.g. we don't teach other martial arts.

Occasionally, people ask Newcastle Tai Chi to tailor the syllabus to suit their own area of interest/needs, such as tai chi for the elderly, tai chi in a chair, tai chi for children, tai chi for people with mental health issues or tai chi as performance art. We cannot teach kung fu to children or to new starters above the age of 60. 

These are not areas that we specialise in. We are not trained or qualified to teach these approaches, nor is our syllabus or insurance geared with these in mind.

Research could save you time & money

A would-be student should take the time to learn a little more about what the class is offering before attending any sessions. Do a little research. See what is on offer and if suits your requirements.

In the case of Newcastle Tai Chi, why not read our website a little? The time spent could be worthwhile.

Is tai chi appropriate for my medical condition?

If you have any medical questions, your doctor is the person to speak to. A tai chi teacher is not qualified (or permitted) to give advice on your unique medical condition. Go see your doctor.

Pliable strength

Using gravity and connection, we build a substantial structure. That structure must also be fluid and adaptive like water. Nothing is softer than water.

Soft means relaxed

'Soft' refers to the condition of pliability and the necessity of using the least amount of muscular strength at all times.

Only by being extremely gentle in our physical contact with others can we sense their movements fully and flow like water.

Hardness in our own bodies will prevent sensitivity and impede smooth movement.

 You need a good tai chi teacher to adjust your posture physically, to help calibrate your alignment, to point out where you are holding tensions, and to note any musculoskeletal imbalances. The nonverbal physical adjustments you get from your teacher help you develop a level of self-awareness not accessible through solo practice alone.

(Harvard Medical School’s Harvard Health Publication, May 2009)

Soft does not mean floppy

A taijiquan exponent seeks to have the supple, soft body they once had as a child. The joints are mobile and flexible, and the muscles move smoothly and easily.

Poise is good and the body is used naturally and comfortably. The mind is quiet and we listen to what the body is telling us.

 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)

Patience

How well you do is entirely down to you. Your capacity to coordinate the body, memorise, observe, comprehend and adapt will all be put to the test.

Yet, this is no competition. You do what you can, as you can. The class is for you. We are here to assist you. The process of learning takes as long as it needs to.

Pay-as-you-go?

We do not offer drop-in classes/pay-as-you-go

I think Sifu Waller knows more about functional biomechanics than all the orthopaedic surgeons I have met put together. 

(Dr David Cousins) 

 Our next induction course is Monday 6th July.

New starters are welcome! 

Professional

A professional syllabus is not the norm in tai chi; most schools do not have a formal syllabus. At best they have qigong, forms and drills - and these are taught in a habitual manner.

A curriculum needs to be very carefully thought through in order to build layer upon layer of understanding, body growth and internal development.