Out & About January 2017

How long did it take to become a teacher? When I moved out of London in 1999, I continued to travel weekly to receive traditional training. After many years I was certified to teach and I decided to spread the art and its benefits in my local town of Newbury. What has tai chi taught you? Tai chi is a wonderful art that develops all aspects of you, your life and your relationships. It has taught me about what good health of mind and body really is, and how to achieve that. It keeps me healthy, relaxed and much more tolerant to the stresses and strains of life in these times. I also have a deep interest in martial arts and the art has certainly fulfilled my expectations in this area too. While life is certainly ever-hanging, I have found that tai chi has been a constant in my life and a source of balance. How long have you been teaching in Newbury and Thatcham? I have been teaching for three years now as a representative of the Master Ding Academy teaching tai chi in Thatcham and last year I confrontation that are literally thousands of years old. It can show us how to incorporate these ideas into our everyday hectic lives. And make them work for us. Each person begins for their own primary reasons – perhaps they want some improvement in health, a sense of community, help with stress, self-confidence, self-defence, self-development, to connect with their sense of the spiritual or all of the above. As tai chi is a holistic art, practised correctly over time it can bring about these benefits by being incorporated into your daily routine. Tai chi is not about remembering things, ie postures and sequences of movements, it’s about embodying them at the right time. It is simple to be relaxed when the days are easy. Tai chi teaches us to maintain that relaxation when the days are hard. What will surprise practitioners is that all the other benefits will become accessible as they progress on with their training. Over and over I have seen practitioners who start tai chi for their primary reason, achieve these aims and then continue on to explore further benefits. opened a class in Newbury. What can people get out of learning tai chi?
 Tai chi is based on principles of non

How does tai chi differ from other similar disciplines?
 We don’t like to compare with other approaches as each person is unique and will have individual preferences. More importantly, people should come and experience what Tai Chi can offer for themselves and form their own opinions. However, I can say what attracts me to and keeps me practicing tai chi. Firstly I could quickly realise benefits when I began learning tai chi. At the same time working with my teacher and more advanced students it was easy to see that there was real depth to the art and that there was so much more available. When we practice with others we work together towards a common goal, it’s not competitive, but collaborative. Every class, everyone leaves a little better than when they entered. Is there an age limit to learning? There is no age limit, though the way of practicing should naturally change according to your age. Classes or movements are sometimes adapted to specifically cater for the needs of older practitioners, others for the needs of the very young. If in doubt, always contact your local teacher for their advice.
 I have found that the limiting factor to learning tai chi isn’t usually age, it’s often the desire to learn and making time in your life to spend a small amount of time on just you without distraction. How long does it take to get the basics? I honestly feel that to see tai chi practiced well is to see the basics done well. It’s a lifetime’s practice to get the basics. Having said that, if a student attends class regularly, and does a little regular practice at home, they will begin to feel benefits within six weeks. However most importantly just come and experience the art, enjoy the training and forget these stressful judgements. Over time everyone can get the basics. Anyone who sticks at it will go further than the basics.

What are the basic principles of tai chi and what it teaches?
 Tai chi follows the philosophy of the Tao (Tao Te Ching) and also combines ancient Chinese knowledge of meditation, mindfulness, martial arts and medicine, all explored through the principle and concepts of internal energy (‘chi’). It can be summed up simply in two words, natural balance. Tai chi teaches us that there’s a different way of going about our lives, a way that does not require us to confront obstacles or try to force situations to turn out how we believe they should be. Tai chi shows us how we can be sensitive to and integrate with the forces we encounter in our everyday lives. Most people recognise tai chi through its slow moving forms. The beauty of tai chi is embedded within the form which cultivates naturalness. The basic ideas of being centred, relaxed, clear and focused in mind and body whether at rest, or in motion are explored and then eventually become part of you when practicing tai chi. When did you start to learn tai chi? I started my martial arts journey over 20 years ago when I studied under a reputable Mantis- style Kung Fu instructor. After a number of years I realised that the way forward for me was to search for a pure source of internal martial art training. After considering the options available, in 1995 I decided that I would study with my current tai chi chuan teacher, Master John Ding (6th generation lineage Master of Yang Style Tai Chi), who is based in London. I was instantly hooked by his ability to demonstrate tai chi’s legendary potent power paradoxically through seemingly effortless relaxation.

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