ABOUT TAI CHI, QIGONG AND THE INSTRUCTOR

About Tai Chi

Tai Chi, or Taijiquan as it is more properly named (and approximately pronounced "tie-jee-chwen"), is originally a Chinese martial art.  However, today it is more frequently practised as a form of physical and mental training which has benefits that go beyond its initial purposes of self-defence and combat.  Chen-style Taijiquan, with its strong spiralling, alternation between fast and slow movements and occasional bursts of energy, has the potential to offer a more challenging exercise session than some types of tai chi, while retaining the calming relaxation effects for which the art is renowned.​

As a beginner, you can expect to cover the following activities in class:

• warm-ups, including joint-rotation exercises and stretches;​

• basic standing meditation to relax and improve your posture, body-awareness and mental focus;

• silk-reeling exercises to teach Chen Taijiquan's distinctive body mechanics and ways of moving energy through the body;

• stepping drills and patterns;

• breathing exercises;

• combinations and sequences of movements which build towards learning a short taijiquan "form" or routine, similar to the one below:​​​

However, the principles and mind/body methods that infuse every movement - and which can be applied in daily life - constitute the core of what we do.

About Qigong

The term "qigong" (pronounced "chee-gong") refers to a huge and diverse range of breathing, meditational and movement practices.

The qigong sets that I teach can be considered as sequences of stretches, twists and stepping movements which, combined with specific breathing techniques, help to release tension as well as opening out, grounding and energising the body.  They serve as a good preparation for beginning tai chi training, but can also be practised on their own.

Two main qigong sets are taught:

Baduanjin - The Eight Pieces of Brocade

This set is relatively easy to learn, a great warm-up set and a good introduction to qigong. You can find a video of the version that we practise here.

Luohan Shi San Shi Qigong - Thirteen Luohan Exercises

This set comprises thirteen movements which are more dynamic and energising; as such, they are an excellent complement to the Eight Pieces of Brocade. They are also very good for improving co-ordination, footwork, balance and how to release energy from the body in a loose, powerful way. Again, you can find a video of the version that we practise here.

I now regard Li Xuelong of the Southampton School of Tai Chi as my principal teacher. His eye for detail and the depth of his teaching are exceptional and my private lessons with him, learning the "Beijing" lineage of Chen-style tai chi, are some of the most challenging and fascinating that I have ever experienced. However, I am pleased to acknowledge the influence of every single one of my teachers over the last thirty years; they have taught me a huge amount and often far more than they know.

My Approach as a Teacher

It is important to stress that I see it as my job to make you comfortable with what you are learning at every stage. I try to make sure that I break down information and skills into manageable chunks; give clear explanations in different ways to suit your way of learning; adapt the material to your particular needs and skill-level; engage in patient repetition until mastery is achieved; and so on.

​You will not be pressurised into doing anything that you don't want to do, but you may well find - as I did - that, if you are prepared to try something that is a bit outside your comfort zone, the rewards can be surprising. My hope is that you will soon discover that your tai chi becomes an essential part of your life and that you will wish to put in the effort that is really necessary to improve significantly. As one of my teachers is fond of saying, to make progress in tai chi, one needs to have three things: a good teacher who understands how to teach; understanding of what one is doing; and a lot of practice. The last of these is the most important.

I began my professional career as a school teacher and spent almost thirty-five years in a variety of schools in the UK and overseas. I hold a Master's degree in Education.

I began my training in Taijiquan in the 1990s. I was not a sportsman at school - tai chi for me was the first physical activity that I had really enjoyed for its own sake. Since then, I have studied with a variety of teachers in the UK, Singapore and China, including Grandmasters Zhu Tian Cai and Chen Xiao Wang. I spent a memorable year at Master Fu Neng Bin's school in Yangshuo in China's deep south in 2010 and studied with one of his teachers, Master Wang Hai Jun, on my return to the UK.

About Me