A question that I am often asked is: “What will your Tai Chi class be like?” – this is a very important question if you are thinking about joining a Tai Chi class for the first time, because the group may be a little different to your expectations. Let me set your mind at rest, though, and give you some ideas to help make your Tai Chi a really enjoyable experience.

A Tai Chi class is often based around an established group of friendly, like-minded people. You will be welcomed into this group, and introduced to a mix of activities such as visualisation, meditation, body mechanics and hands on physical correction/manipulation, in repetitive exercises and partner work. Classes are suited to people of all ages and are conducted in a quiet environment – rather than with music – so as to enable students to find their own natural rhythm as well as a deeper awareness of their body in movement.

Repetition of the exercises helps students to learn the skill of Tai Chi in understanding the physical movement. You will find that in large measure the process is one of sharing, and of the “teacher” suggesting opportunities for the students to learn for themselves. The financial exchange is necessary to facilitate the process but not important to the Tai Chi itself.

All this means that entering the group dynamic may be a bit different to what you are used to.  However, the basic ideas are relatively simple and whatever kind of group you join, you will be shown simple exercises and movements, and then allowed time to practise without the teacher.  This can feel quite daunting, but fellow students are encouraged to help and to share learning. I feel that it is very important to have time within the class to practice without the teacher, as this sets the pattern for practising at home. Rest assured, though, I will return to offer encouragement, corrections, and suggestions for improvement.

There are a number of ways in which I structure groups. An all beginners class of fixed duration, e.g. 10 weeks, is the simplest – the teacher leads the class – students follow and seek to model their movements on the teacher. Students pay the teacher who shares his/her understanding. The students are expected to attend each class and practice between classes, so that the class as a whole may move on and everybody can learn. A bit like a convoy, the class has to move at the speed of the slowest student but the slowest needs to make a good effort to keep up.

Which rapidly brings us to mixed classes since there will quite quickly arise keener students who attend every class and practice between classes – and others who do not.

In a mixed ability group, especially a drop in class with new people arriving and leaving on a frequent basis, I try to spend appropriate time with everybody as far as possible, you may also be taught by a senior student. As you progress you will be expected to take responsibility for your own practice in and out of the class as you learn how to learn in this new way – and most importantly enjoy learning how to look after yourself.

Some useful notes:
–    Copy the instructor carefully
–    Do not over exert – adapt the exercises to suit your capability.
–    If the instructor says he/she is going to demonstrate then move to a position where you can see what you need to.
–    Individual positions in the class may be quite informal – make sure that you can see the instructor and have room to move adequately – take care that you do not block the view of others or their practice space. You may need to adjust your position during the course of the class.

– There are three types of communication in a Tai Chi class:
–    Verbal
–    Demonstration – visual
–    Physical correction
They are all important – perhaps the most important is physical correction – if you are not comfortable with this then discuss with the teacher but ultimately this will limit your ability to learn and the teacher’s ability to teach.
–    Equally you will benefit from knowing which is your left hand and which is your right – if you do not then be sure to copy the teacher attentively.
–    When the teacher is demonstrating pay close attention.
–    Take responsibility for your own behaviour.

I just got back from my morning jog – which I find is always a good time for letting subconscious thoughts rise to the surface – during the course of which I noticed yet another muscle to relax, this time in my neck. In the past I have found them all over – shoulders, base of spine, upper thighs, side of head etc, etc leading to changes in gait, posture and balance. So at the moment I think this is probably the most important part of my Tai Chi practice. It is a constant process of finding muscles to relax, leading to a much greater looseness and much less stress in life generally – plus my Tai Chi improves a lot.

So once again an example of the way that Tai Chi practice promotes a healthy life style for a healthy mind and body – if you want to use that for martial practice then that too is useful and sociable. So a complete win-win all round!

The title question “What are Martial Arts Really about?” can be simply answered at the most basic level – survival – and left there.

However it is my belief that many things flow from that simple statement. Things which do not go off the point and which are timeless in their relevance to men and women of whatever situation.

I also pose the question – What good are martial arts if they do not help us to survive better?

Basic survival is a prerequisite for all life, if we are truly human beings we aim a little higher.

For more on this topic please read the full article here.

Here’s a teamwork idea – think of yourself as a committee – and your body and your mind and your spirit as sub-committees.

This structure is like a team or a shoal of fish/flock of birds – but unlike any of these you do not have the option to “drop” one of the team – they are with you for life – so the only option is to grow the team from within. You cannot rely on a few star players you must get the whole team home. So you focus instead on supporting the weak players, guiding them and giving them every opportunity to grow and learn how to co-ordinate with the rest of the team – how to work in sync, in rhythm and in the same direction as the rest – unless they do then you remain unconnected and your energy is scattered like a tug-o-war team who doesn’t practice.

So you invest in loss – because that gives you the best opportunity for the feedback which can show you what is not working and why and allow you to work out how to fix it.

It is the power of teamwork that generates Chi and the skill gained from consistent practice – your Kung Fu – that enables us to develop it.

Read the full article for further explanation.

The following thoughts and linked article are not definitive – just some observations on the journey. Readers may recognise some of them and hopefully will be encouraged in looking for their own internal feeling.

We each bring our differences to our practice and each of us takes different things from it – so will change and develop differently. One thing does seem clear however – this is an important part of Tai Chi – without it we are simply following the moves of others, copying what we are told. With internal feeling we are able to take control of our own development and my suspicion is that ultimately, rather than this complicated list, it all just gets brought together in the everyday experience of living in your own body, with awareness of what is going on.

So to anyone starting out on the journey of Tai Chi – I hope this article helps.

It may be that direct experience of reality is something we are unable to achieve – equipped with a brain we spend our lives using it to filter our experience. Interestingly, it gives us the possibility of creating unreal things like visualisations, lists and labels as ways of manipulating reality.

So, for example, we use a visualisation to create a feeling, we analyse processes into lists so we don’t forget something and we label outcomes as shorthand for processes.

The danger is that we come to live in our heads constantly creating these artefacts and forget that the whole purpose was to become more connected, more real, more authentic, more real-world congruent – or whatever label you chose – the whole point is to lose the labels, lose the lists and lose the fantasies.

It is always easier to connect with the world in our heads and it can be incredibly useful to do so, but it is an illusion.

For me the goal of Tai Chi at heart is to survive and prosper in the real world – whatever that is!

I spent a very pleasant weekend recently with some friends – Andy and Denise Spragg on one of their retreats at Braziers Park Community in Oxfordshire. The retreat program spanned an introduction to Yang style ( Chen Man Ching ) with Buddhist meditation and general relaxation – in the environment of an independent community based at the old country house of Braziers Park – a wonderful experience including brilliant vegetarian food, shared with about a dozen other people of varying interest in Tai Chi, Buddhism and personal development in general.

The implication of considering the human body as a tensegrity structure is that we can now see how a force applied to one point of the structure is dispersed through the structure through specific elements – and with this in mind we can allow this process to happen – much as we regard the establishment and fluctuations of a peng pathway – instantly tracking an external force to channel it most efficiently to ground with minimal disruption to the overall structure.

For links on Tensegrity – check out:

Wikipedia
Anatomy Trains
Scholarpedia

A Tai Chi residential seminar weekend from Friday afternoon through to Sunday afternoon – an opportunity to learn, explore and develop your Tai Chi in a quiet relaxed atmosphere

Classes in Chen Laojia form, Broadsword form, Chi Kung,  Tai Chi exercises – silk reeling, Partner work and Push Hands

Open to existing students plus anyone with previous experience of Tai Chi
Class restricted to 10 people. Cost: £280 (en-suite), £250 (without en-suite)
Payment in advance. £50 deposit required. Late booking fee of £30 after 1st August. Includes tuition with full board
Venue: Belsey Bridge, Ditchingham, Bungay, Suffolk, NR35 2DZ

To book call Ian Deavin on 01462 621970 or e-mail at [email protected]