Who are we?

Kung fu instructor: Sifu Waller

Qigong and tai chi teacher: Rachel Waller

Teaching assistants: Marc Boivin, Karen Laws, Chris Young, Dr Ben Beattie, Dr David Cousins & Malcolm Berry

Volunteer coordinator: Chris Young

Social secretary: Dr David Cousins

Patrons: Mr Andrew Yeo & Mr Henry Kajan Anyie

Not a dancer but a wrestler: waiting, poised and dug in, for sudden assaults.
 
 (Marcus Aurelius)

I’ve found the class a very positive experience and one which I want to commit to. I have felt welcome from the outset and the class is remarkably collaborative. The class seems really fresh and perpetually interesting! It’s refreshing to find people who practice and embody the Art they are studying, and none more so than Sifu Waller. With Sifu Waller there is a sense of ‘deep time’ - some teachers spend hours labouring points superficially but Sifu Waller gets right to the heart of the matter and can convey meaningful and stimulating guidance in a brief interaction. The syllabus is excellent and I’m starting to work my way through the classic texts. All told, excellent!

 (David)

Rachel's reading pile:

Sifu Waller's reading pile:

One should have no intention to harm others, but should not lack the awareness to avoid being harmed by others.

 (Huanchu Daoren)

I found the pushing hands workshop really useful last night - it went a long way into exploring how many subtleties and intricacies there are to an exercise that appears so simple when watching. I also enjoyed the in-depth discussion and practice around four ounces of pressure, with such simple applications! Connection particularly made a lot more sense to me after the workshop, with useful physical feedback from partner work!

 (Ben)

Sifu Waller is one of these men that you respect as soon as you meet him just by his behaviour. I remember the first time I entered his school I had been in the UK for 2 days, Rachel was very comprehensive and I felt very-well welcomed. Sifu is very invested in his art and knows what he is talking about. Going to this school is one of the most enriching experience I had so far. Many thanks to Rachel and Sifu.

(Cédric)

Intelligent exercise

In the longevity book The Blue Zones, Dr Robert Kane emphasised the fact that many forms of exercise - especially sport - often have adverse side effects that impede long-term practice. 
By contrast, as a milder form of exercise, tai chi can be practiced throughout your entire lifespan, making it a safer, sustainable choice. Tai chi is a fun, balanced way to exercise. 

Isn't tai chi just slow motion exercise?

No. Some of the training methods are slow, and some are not. As the student gains greater skill, their movements become fluid and dynamic. They move at whatever speed the situation demands.
Slow motion movement, chilled out exercise or dance cannot be considered tai chi. Tai chi is more than this. It adheres to certain parameters, guidelines and rules of practice.

When you watch somebody perform Sifu Waller's taijiquan it looks like nothing special is happening, but the power being produced is incredible. Surprising and very exciting. The biomechanics are remarkable; you learn so much about how to use your body in a healthier, more dynamic way.

(Dr Adriana Chilińska)

What is tai chi?

When most people say 'tai chi' they mean tai chi for health. Tai chi for health is a simplified, movement-based exercise adapted from taijiquan (a Chinese martial art). 

Tai chi is intended to improve health and wellbeing through frequent, regular practice using low effort. 

SILENCE IS NOT to be cultivated, it is not to be deliberately brought about; it is not to be sought out, thought of, or meditated upon. The deliberate cultivation of silence is as the enjoyment of some longed for pleasure; the desire to silence the mind is but the pursuit of sensation. Such silence is only a form of resistance, an isolation which leads to decay. Silence that is bought is a thing of the market in which there is the noise of activity. Silence comes with the absence of desire. Desire is swift, cunning and deep. Remembrance shuts off the sweep of silence, and a mind that is caught in experience cannot be silent. Time, the movement of yesterday flowing into today and tomorrow, is not silence. With the cessation of this movement there is silence, and only then can that which is unnameable come into being.
Opinion is not truth; we must put aside opinions to find truth. There are innumerable opinions, but truth is not of this or of that group. For the understanding of truth, all ideas, conclusions, opinions, must drop away as the withered leaves fall from a tree. Truth is not to be found in books, in knowledge, in experience. If you are seeking opinions, you will find none here.

(Krishnamurti)

Ability is everything in taijiquan

Remember this - martial arts are a meritocracy. Ability is everything. Not knowledge. Not time served. Ability. If you can do it, then you can advance.

Physical skill

Physical skills cannot be acquired without physical training. Solo training is essential.

Partnered training also; which is why we offer workshops and boot camp.

The ideal situation is to make friends with other students and practice together outside of class.

Chinese New Year meal 2019

Happy Chinese New Year!

Ed Parker says, "The only reason men fight is because they are insecure; one man needs to prove that he is better or stronger than another. The man who is secure within himself has no need to prove anything with force, so he can walk away from a fight with dignity and pride. He is the true martial artist - a man so strong inside that he has no need to demonstrate his power."

The Chinese word for this kind of confidence is 'sai', which can be defined as 'presence'.

(Joe Hyams)