syllabus

In learning tai chi with us you would first learn the structure of the moves of the form, on finishing this you would then learn how to apply Yin and Yang to these structures and finally you would learn how to express and release Chi energy (open/closed) with the moves. This process will take approximately 4 years, at which stage you attain the status of a senior student, and if you wish move on to learning the weapons forms and eventually if your abilities allow then training to instructor level.

There is a clear and logical process for your progress in learning this fascinating art, and the often used favouritism and secrecy that has applied to this art in the past does not exist with us. If you wish to progress or just want the exercise and the good health and harmony Tai Chi will adapt to you to fit it to your lifestyle and satisfy your needs and wants. It is possible to learn Tai Chi simply as a form of exercise and many teachers teach it this way. I hope we have conveyed to you that real traditional Tai Chi goes very much deeper than that.

energy

What makes real Tai Chi so different from other exercises is its concern with the understanding of the circulation of the vital Chi energy, which in its purest form is the energy of life. Only when it is taught with a holistic approach will you truly get the full benefits that Tai Chi Chuan offers. This Chi energy is the same as that which is used and manipulated in Acupuncture and Shiatsu bodywork, but in Tai Chi understanding of the body structures and the many postures of the form are used instead of fingers or acupuncture needles. The only way to prove the existence of Chi energy is to experience it for yourself. With practice the movements of the forms can be done without effort and with a completely relaxed body. The postures then become supple, relaxed but also very powerful and no amount of physical force, applied by another person, can overcome them.

self defence and weapons

Perhaps we need to say here that the more vigorous applications of Tai Chi Chuan are only a part of Tai Chi. For many people the softer, more meditative and spiritual aspects are far more appropriate. But Tai Chi is a powerful form of self defence, the Tai Chi form contains self defence moves that originated in the competition between Taoist and Buddhist forms of combat, the former mainly soft and the latter mainly hard. Each move of the form has its logical application in practical combat, if the posture cannot be related to this it is clearly incorrect, even if you are only interested in the health benefits of Tai Chi. There are also weapons forms that come into the training of senior students such as Sword, Broadsword, Staff and Spear. At this stage you should realise how violent Chinese society was over 100 years ago and even though the use of these weapons in the modern age is very unlikely the principles involved are important to advanced Tai Chi practice. The techniques for weapons training are identical with the other forms and so they have the same benefits on general health and fitness.

the tai-chi chuan martial artist

Above all, Tai-Chi exponents are encouraged to be moral people. A sense of right, chivalry, kindness, compassion and being a benefit to society should always be the code of conduct for the Tai-Chi practitioner. A practitioner should always embody the principles of his art and apply its strategy and philosophy in their dealings with all things.The aim of Tai-Chi as a martial art is to stop violence conclusively and immediately in its tracts by redirecting that violence back at the perpetrator thereby neutralising it or rendering it ineffectual. Hence Tai-Chi exponents usually just overpower their opponents, educating them rather than hurting them. Violence begets violence, but by making violence no longer an option, by rendering it pointless, the destructive cycle is broken and more rational less confrontational solutions can then become more effective.

Tai Chi is both simple and complex and your association with it can be casual or committed, the choice is yours!!