Yuang Chi School of Tai Chi

A reminder

2010-04-21T12:55:00.002Z

For the hard of thinking amongst those of you that were in class, and for those of you that weren't, this is just a reminder that there is no class this coming week (Tuesday, 27th Apr).

That said, anyone who shows up at my hotel in Morocco at 7pm on Tuesday evening will be taught for free! The rest of you I will see the following week (Tuesday, 4th May).

--
Stuart

A likely Story

2010-04-19T21:56:00.002Z

Word has reached me that at least one student, who will remain nameless, but who has recently been found guilty of not practising by a jury of his peers, is trapped by volcanic ash in another part of the world.

I wish to pass on my best wishes to anyone who finds themselves trapped a long way from home well beyond the point at which it ceases to be fun. I trust you all make it home soon and in safety.

For my part, I'm hoping that things clear up so I can get off this Gods forsaken island for a few days and into the Moroccan sun.

However, I digress, it appears that at least one person will be using the natural disaster in Iceland as an excuse for not turning up for class. He WILL be punished at the appropriate time. Let this be a warning to you all.

I'll see the rest of you tomorrow. Or else! :-)

--
Stuart

The Trial of Benedict Smith

2010-04-16T08:27:00.007Z

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury. The prosecution has only one item of evidence in this case. The accused has claimed that the photograph he submitted, which I will share with you all here, is evidence that he was practicing his Tai Chi whilst on holiday.

I ask you all to look at this image and ask yourself, "What's wrong with this picture?"

I know that all of you ladies and gentlemen assembled here are sufficiently skilled in the art of Tai Chi to know that Benedict Smith posed for this photograph. Had he not, the step he took in to this position would have probably caused him to tumble the one mile or so down the canyon wall to a sure and certain death!

Whilst he may be praised for standing so close to the edge for the purposes of art, there is no doubt in my mind, nor should there be in yours, that Benedict Smith was not practicing!

Rather, whilst on holiday, the accused was having fun, visiting sights of outstanding natural beauty and generally having a good time.

So, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I ask you to retire and consider your verdict and hope that you find the accused guilty of having a bloody good time whilst we were all stuck in Grantham - in the cold - practicing.

The prosecution rests.

--
Stuart

A New Start

2010-04-06T20:39:00.002Z

Just wanted to welcome back those of you who felt compelled to join us all again for further adventures in the world of Yang Style Tai Chi.

With luck, all of those who mailed me to let me know that they were travelling today, for whatever reason, will be back safe and sound in time for next week's class. Fingers crossed that Ben and David were only MIA for a week.

Finally I wanted to formally welcome Jan G to our little gang.

Hopefully next week's class will be quiet enough not to require a call to the police!! :-)

PS. Get well soon Eileen.

--
Stuart

A request from Ben

2010-03-28T13:07:00.003Z

Ben asked me to pass this on ...

"I meant to mention in the last class that my brother, Hugo Smith directed a BBC TV documentary in the series Indian Hill Railways, which will be shown next Friday night (April 2nd) at 9pm, on BBC2. I saw it when it was broadcast on BBC4, and without any bias, I can recommend it highly...
It would be great if you and my fellow classmates were to watch it - would you be kind enough to forward this on to the rest of the class? When I come back to the class I can pass on any feedback, good or bad, to my brother"

If you're currently attending a class and you do watch the program, you can give your feedback to Ben directly, otherwise feel free to mail me or comment on this blog post and I'll pass it on.

--
Stuart

DVDs

2010-03-22T09:11:00.003Z

A number of you have asked if I can get hold of copies of the Yang Zhenduo DVDs you've seen playing in class. I'm happy to say, I can.

The full 15 DVD set, showing long (103) form, 85 form, simplified (49) form, short (13) form, sabre and sword forms and push hands, costs £60.

There is also available, a 5 disk set just covering the long (103) form, for £25. I'm still trying to source the Push Hands DVD.

Please note that the above costs are exclusive of P&P which will, I'm guessing depend on how many I order.

If you're interested in a copy, let me know by mail or when you're next in class.

--
Stuart

Classes for April - May 2010

2010-03-18T17:29:00.002Z

OK.

The dates for the next set of classes follow. You'll see that this is a much shorter term than previous ones, hopefully that'll make it easier for your to keep attending.

Anyway, the dates:

Apr 6th - Apr 20th (3 weeks)
May4th - May 25th (4 weeks)

The next course, then will be 7 weeks over an 8 week period and the cost will be £49.

Classes after Christmas

2009-12-10T11:48:00.002Z

I just wanted to let you all know I've posted the dates for next term on school website.

--
Stuart

GIFTS Gladrags and Handbags Event

2009-06-11T12:58:00.002Z

I wanted to let those of you who were thinking of attending the above event that it has been cancelled.

Apparently GIFTS have cancelled this event and others due to lack of ticket sales.

Clare has asked me to pass on her thanks to those who have tried to support this event, especially those of you who donated items for sale. She has also asked me to ask you what you want done with those items.

Obviously, if you want them returned they will be. Alternatively, the organisers will donate the items to GIFTS for sale by them.

Apologies for the late notice about this, but GIFTS didn't make the decision 'til Tuesday and it's only just filtered down to me.

--
Stuart

Here we go again

2009-05-06T18:26:00.002Z

Just a quick note to let you know that classes start again next Tuesday, 11th May.

You can go to this page on the school's web site to pay for the course now using your debit/credit card or PayPal account. If you pay on the night, you'll need to do it by cheque or with a handful of used tenners!

See you next week.

Blog posts are like buses...

2009-04-03T15:26:00.003Z

You wait ages for one and then 2 come along at once.

So what's to say? Only that I've added to the number of ways I can be reached to answer those all-important, burning - vital, even - Tai Chi questions. Now you can Skype me. Look for 'Stuart Hemming' in your Skype directory.

OK, yes, it prolly is a tinsy-winsy bit sad, but, what can I say?

--
Stuart

Quiet in here, isn't it?

2009-04-01T17:02:00.002Z

OK, Not said much of late, not had much to say. But I'm here to let you know that with the approach of the summer (we've had 2 nice days in a row, so it must be nearly summer) I want to announce the dates for classes over the summer period.

Rather than run one long term and then have you not decide to come 'cos you're having 2 weeks in Benidorm, we're going to run 2 shorter terms so you've got an excuse to come to at least one if not both of them.

So, here's the details...

Both courses will run on Tuesday evenings from 19:00 - 21:00 (that's 7pm 'til 9pm for those of you still telling the time in old money) and will run:

12 May - 30 Jun (8 weeks) at a cost of £56
14Jul - 25 Aug (7 weeks) at a cost of £49

The classes will, probably, be held in the Christchurch church hall (formerly the United Reformed Church) on Castlegate. However, once we get to long evenings and warm weather we'll try and get in a few classes in the park, but we'll worry about that a little closer to to time.

So, get yourselves along to the course payment page and sign up. Go on, there's nothing else interesting here.

--
Stuart

Just a quick update ...

2009-02-18T19:52:00.002Z

... for all of you at class last night (Tue, 17th Feb).

Julie was released and sent home from hospital well, but still shaky on Tuesday evening.

Thanks to all who helped look after her whilst the emergency services turned up and to the rest of you for you patience whilst we dealt with the incident.

Hopefully, we'll all be at class, fit and well, next week.

--
Stuart

New Year, New Term, Same Old Blog Posts

2009-01-06T12:22:00.003Z

First let me say Happy New Year to you all.

I just wanted to let you all know that the new term will start on Tuesday 20th Jan and will run for 12 weeks at a cost of £84.

You can register for the class here.

I look forward to seeing you all then.

--
Stuart

More Missing Handouts

2008-10-03T16:07:00.002Z

As promised, here's a link to the handouts your should have got last class.

Go to the school's handouts page and scroll part-way down the page to the section marked "Form Guides". The ones you want are entitled:

Right Ward Off.
Grasp the Bird's Tail I - Reach out and Roll out.
Grasp the Bird's Tail II - Sink Back and Turn
Grasp the Bird's Tail III - Square the Belly.
Grasp the Bird's Tail IV - Forearm Press

I hope they help.

See you soon.

--
Stuart

Date Changes

2008-09-17T07:01:00.002Z

As promised, here are revised dates for the remained of the term.

The last day of term will be Tuesday, 9th Dec.

There will be NO CLASS on any of the following dates:

Tuesday, 23th Oct
Tuesday, 7th Oct
Tuesday 14th Oct

There is an up-to-date calendar showing all of the term dates on the school's web site.

--
Stuart

Missing Handouts

2008-09-17T06:40:00.002Z

As promised here are the texts of the handouts you should have received yesterday.

Zhan Zhuang :

Lifting

Ensure that you are sitting comfortably, that your back is upright and that you are relaxed.

Just let your arms hang at your sides. If you are sitting on the floor, just allow your hands to rest on the floor.

Raise your arms by pushing your elbows out to the side slowly, pushing them away from your body. If you are sitting in a chair, let your arms come up to the point at which your hands are roughly in line with your thighs. If you are sitting on a cushion or on the floor, raise them until your hands are clear of the floor.

As you raise your arms, be sure not to pull them backwards; your lower arms should hang slightly in front of the midline of your body.

Keep your shoulders relaxed. Do not try and lift your arms by hunching or lifting your shoulders.

Once in this position, breathe normally.

You should, after a little practice, start to feel a sense of lifting when in this position, hence the name. However, do not let this sense of lifting introduce any tension; stay relaxed and focused.

Imagine that your fingers are being pulled down by weights attached to the end of each of them whilst your arms are being held in place by balloons held under the arms between the body and elbow.

There should also have been some handouts for the bits of the form you did, so here they are...

Name:

Grasp the Bird’s Tail (I) [Right Ward-off]

Foot Position and Weight Placement:

Direction:

· Lead Foot: West

· Face: West

· Centre: North West

Position:

Arms:

The right arm should be extended in the same direction as the lead foot, palm up fingers open and wrist open. The elbow should be unlocked with the tip of the elbow pointing down. Keep the shoulder relaxed. The finger tips of right hand should be no higher than the base of the throat.

The left arm, with the palm facing downwards and the fingers and wrist open, should be placed so that the mid-finger is pointing at, and is level with, the mid-forearm of the right arm. The elbow should be sunk low and the shoulder relaxed. Try to maintain some space under the armpits.

Legs:

The right leg is placed flat on the floor with the outside of the foot square and pointing west. Ideally, the lower leg will be perpendicular to the floor. If the knee is forward then it should be no further forward than the base of the toes. The centre of the knee should be aligned with the centre of the foot.

The left leg should be straight but without locking the knee. The foot is at 45° pointing north-west.

Centre:

The pelvis should be pulled forward and the head lifted to make the back upright. The waist should be facing North West.

Intent:

The primary focus of Intent is in the fingers of the right hand and the palm of the left. The arms are energized by sinking the elbows and pulling the shoulders back and down.

The lower body Intent comes from pushing backwards and down with the left heel, as well as pushing down on the right heel rather than the ball of the toe. It also comes from energy used to pull the pelvis forward.

Finally, the spine is opened by pushing down in to and through the coccyx and, at the same time, lifting the head.

Application:

This is an arm hold. The right hand is up in the arm pit of the right arm of the opponent whilst the left hand is (notionally) holding the wrist.

Points to Note:

When playing this form, there will be a temptation to push the pelvis forward by tensing the buttocks rather than pulling it forward using the lower abdominal muscles. Try and keep the buttocks relaxed.

Whilst moving directly to this shape from a ‘standing start’ placement of the feet and the right knee are easy to get right. When moving to Right Ward Off from one of the many transitions that there are in to it, care must be taken to ensure that a) the feet are shoulder width apart, b) the front foot is square and that c) you haven’t over flexed your right knee or allowed it to collapse inwards.

Name

Grasp the Bird’s Tail (II) [Reach out and roll out]

Movement

Arms:

Right arm: Without changing the position of the arms with respect to the chest, rotate the wrist to the left until the palm is facing downwards.

Left arm: Again without changing the position of the arm, rotate the wrist to the left until the palm is face up.

Feet:

The feet do not move.

Centre

Square the centre to the west by pulling your left hip forward. At the same time extend the upper body forwards making a straight back.

Weight

The weight is moved more in to the front foot; however the heel of the back foot should remain firmly on the floor.

Face:

The face remains looking forward. Do note become mesmerised by the movement in the hands and allow the eyes/face to follow them.

Intent:

Forward movement comes from pushing the upper body forward and straightening the back leg a little. These movements must balance so the chest pushes forwards by concentrating on its centre rather than simply allowing it to fall forward.

The extension of the leg should be matched with a pushing down in to the heel.

The actual movement gained from pushing the chest forwards is quite small. It is increased by the action of turning the centre to be square to the West. The power in the turn comes from the lower abdominal muscles being used to turn the waist with the upper body turning to match it, rather than simply turning the upper body at the waist.

Whilst the forward motion comes from turning the waist, extending the upper body and pushing forward through the back leg, the intent of the movement should be matched through the fingers of both hands.

Application:

The application for this transition is the preparation to throw the opponent to the ground by repositioning the grip formed in Right Ward Off prior to turning the body and forcing the opponent down.

Points to Note:

The application requires that you turn your body sufficiently to move your right hand from under the armpit of the opponent to place it on top of the shoulder; care should be taken not to over-rotate.

Points of Interest:

This transition is used repeatedly through the whole of the Yang-style form.

Name

Grasp the Bird’s Tail (III) [Sink back and turn]

Movement

Arms:

During this transition neither of the arms actually moves, despite appearances. The shape the arms formed in the previous transition is maintained throughout. The position of the arms with respect to the chest remains constant.

Feet:

Again, the feet do not move.

Centre

The movement of the centre is fairly complex, especially as this is the first time in the form that it is experienced. The transition starts with the back straight. You return to an upright back, not by pushing back with the upper body, but rather, by pulling the pelvis forward – tucking it under the body. Doing this causes the back leg to bend. As the back leg bends, push down, through the coccyx, to sink the weight, this is further aided by pushing off the front foot and straightening the right leg.

At the same time as sinking backwards, the centre is turned through 45° to the North-West.

Weight

The weight, at the start of this transition, is forward of centre; more in the right leg than the left. As the transition progresses, the weight moves smoothly back in to the left leg. By the time you have finished sinking back and turning, all of the weight should be in the left leg; the right leg should be all but empty.

Face:

The face remains looking northward.

Intent:

There is turning intent in the centre, generated by pulling the left hip and shoulder backwards whilst pushing forward with the right hip and shoulder.

There is sinking intent in the centre which is expressed by pushing down through the coccyx, first as the pelvis is pulled forward and then as the left knee bends and the right leg straightens.

Additionally, there is intent in the hands and elbows that adds to both the sinking and turning actions but generally, this is something that is experienced only by those who have spent quite some time practicing many other different aspects of Tai Chi.

Application:

Here, the act of turning and dropping your body weight down is an attempt to throw your opponent to the floor. The act of sinking backwards and down is designed to pull the opponent off balance. Turning the body whilst sinking uses their loss of balance to force the opponent downwards.

Points to Note:

Beginners often find that what they see when this transition is demonstrated is at odds with the instructions given. This transition, when played correctly, gives the appearance of involving much more movement in the body, and in the arms, than there actually is.

The timing and speed of the turn is such that you should finish turning at the same time you have finished sinking back; all the movement in the centre should stop at the same time.

Care should be taken not to drag the arms down and across the chest. Nor should you turn the body more than 45°. These are the 2 mistakes most commonly made by beginners when leaning this transition.

The next most common error is caused by either turning too quickly or too slowly. In either case, the beginner will find that the turning action is not coordinated with the act of sinking.

Name

Grasp the Bird’s Tail (IV) [Square up the belly]

Movement

Centre:

Push the right hip and right shoulder backwards, squaring the centre to the West.

Arms:

As the centre turns, push the right elbow across the belly until it in line with the right hip. Pull it in at the same time until it is almost touching the belly. As the elbow moves, turn the wrist slightly, so that the palm is facing you and push the forearm in towards the belly so the, when the centre has finished turning, the forearm is square across the belly, parallel to the ground at or about the bottom of the ribcage.

At the start of this transition, the left hand is palm up. The forearm and fingers are pointing down and away from the body. As the centre begins to turn to the west, keeping the elbow pointing downwards, rotate the left forearm to bring the hand up, fingers pointing skywards with the palm facing away from the body and the hand tucked in behind the right mid-forearm to support it.

With the left hand in this position, it should be in line with, and directly below, the sternum. The left palm should be in contact with the right forearm whilst the back of the hand should be in contact with the belly.

Feet:

The feet do not move.

Weight

The weight remains firmly sunk in the left leg

Face:

Continues to face west.

Intent:

There is tuning intent here both from the movement of the hips and shoulders, which is generated in the abdominal muscles, and in the right elbow. The action of pulling the elbow across the belly is the driving action here. It is this that is the focus of the turn; it is the primary action rather than, as it appears to many beginners, secondary to it.

Application:

This transition is in preparation for a push.

Points to Note:

Again, everything starts and stops moving at the same time. The beginner will often find, moving in to this position, that they have allowed their shoulders to lift, especially on the right side. If this is something you find when playing this part of the form, then try to think about sinking the right elbow, pushing it down as you draw it back across the belly. Similarly, if the left hand is too high, resting on rather than below the sternum, or if the right arm is angled upwards rather than parallel to the ground, try and think about pushing downwards with the left elbow as you rotate the left forearm.

Name

Grasp the Bird’s Tail (V) [Forearm Press]

Movement

Arms:

Keeping the right forearm parallel to the ground and square on to the front, push the right elbow forward. At the same time, push the right forearm forward with the left hand, keeping the palm in contact with it. Do not grasp the forearm with the fingers; keep them pointed skywards. Ensure that it is the palm and not the fingers that are in contact with the forearm.

As the right elbow, and hence the forearm moves forward it will naturally rise from its starting height at the bottom of the ribcage; let it continue to do so until it reaches sternum height.

Feet:

The feet do not move.

Centre:

The centre is driven forward, initially by driving off the back leg. Whilst it is possible to do so, keep the body square with the belly facing west. Drive forward by pushing forward on to the front leg. When the body has gone forward as far as it can whilst keeping the back heel firmly planted on the ground, push the right hip forward and push forward with the upper body to, once again, straighten the back.

At the end of the press the centre should be turned through 45° to the northwest.

Weight:

The weight will move forward through this transition. At the start of this transition, the right leg is almost empty. At the point at which the belly starts to turn the weight should be equally spread about both legs and it should continue to move forward as the press is completed but not so far that the back heel cannot remain firmly planted on the ground.

Face:

The face continues to look west.

I'll give you all the handouts when we're next together, but the above should be useful in the meantime.

--
Stuart

So, no Fan Form then

2008-08-18T09:12:00.005Z

I guess that I'd misunderstood the 'market' for these classes as I've had no one say that they were interested in studying this form, so I'm abandoning that as an option.

What I plan then is running, at least, a single 'hand form' class on a Tuesday evening. This class is initially planned as a beginners class, however, I'll make this a mixed ability class if the numbers for the improvers group aren't good enough to warrant a separate class.

The class will start on Tuesday 2nd Sep. The class will run for 12 weeks over a 14 week period. There will be no classes on Tuesday 23rd Sep or Tuesday 14 Oct. You can register for the beginner's course by visiting this page where you can pay your course registration fee (or the whole course fee) using your debit or credit card. If you have a PayPal account, you can use that as well.

If you are an improver, I need to know:

If you're planning on rejoining us, and
If you'd be happy to take part in a mixed ability class.

The improvers class, if it runs separately, will begin on Wed 3rd Sep and run for 12 weeks over a 14 week period. There will be no classes on 17th or 24th Sep. You can register for the improver's course by visiting this page.

Whichever course you're registering for, please remember to complete the payment form completely so I know who has registered.

That's it. I look forward to hearing from you all. If you have any questions, please get in touch.

--
Stuart

So, what do you fancy?

2008-08-13T13:18:00.006Z

I'm going to be posting the dates for the new term shortly, but before I do I wanted to get a feel for what people actually wanted.

Essentially I have 2 choices:

I can run the classes the way they have been up to now, with a class for beginners and a separate class for improvers; those who want to extent their tai chi skill past Part I of Yang-style Long Form.
I can run a tai chi 'hand form' class for all levels that will, primarily, concentrate on Yang-style Long Form, but may also include Short and Simplified forms and a separate class teaching various 'Fan' forms.

Now, there are advantages for both you and me in both of these options. Running different levels of 'hand form' classes (what we've had up to now) means that there is, obviously, a greater concentration on the form at the level you're currently at. Running a combined level class and a separate 'fan form' class means that for those working on 'hand forms' there is a greater opportunity to learn from your peers - I can teach you, but other students will be able to help you understand the issues they had to overcome in learning.

Please don't under-estimate this last point; learning about the problems that others have overcome is a big plus. Many 'junior' students in the improvers class have gained enormously from having a more senior student explain how they overcame their own problems with a particular bit of the form.

As far as the 'fan forms' are concerned, well it's not a case of having to choose between doing one thing or the other, you could do both. Now, obviously there's a cost associated with that and if we run 'fan form' classes and any of you want to attend both, we can work something out. However, the first question is, is it worth it?

I'll be honest, there's absolutely no point in running a new class for the 'fan forms' if there are only a couple of people interested in joining, so I need to know how many of you would actually want to attend such a class. The 'fan forms' class is not just open to experienced tai chi students; the forms can be learnt by anyone whether they have any tai chi experience or not. The class would initially aim to teach the '18-Form Taiji Fan' form. You can find an short video here on YouTube showing a demonstration of this form (it's not a very good one, sorry it was the best I could find) . Later classes would go on to look at other fan forms like this one. There is, I'm sorry to say, a greater degree of mobility required for these forms than might be needed for the 'hand forms', but as has always in our classes, we'll do everything it is possible to do to make the form playable to anyone that wants to take part.

So, it's up to you. You get to shape the classes, or at least have you say about how you'd like to seem 'em. But please, don't wait too long as I need to make some decisions soon. You can mail me, leave a comment here or call to let me know what you think.

I look forward to hearing from you.

--
Stuart

Another pleasant evening in good company

2008-07-24T09:27:00.003Z

Last night a few of us gathered in Wyndham Park for a spot of practice.

I was initially a little disappointed that so few had replied to the invite, but once we got started, the 4 of us playing the form in a sun-dappled area of the park, it became rather unimportant. The 4 of us, Elieen, Caro, Carole and me, played through the whole of the form at a nice gentle pace, turning the heads of most of the passers-by as we did so.

Sometimes, it's nice to play the form just for the sake of doing so; not to teach, not to learn, just 'cos we can.

I know that it's still only July, but I'm sad to say that the nights are already drawing in so, even if the weather stays fair, it's unlikely that there'll be enough evening sun to have more than one or 2 sessions in the great outdoors before the start of the Autumn term. So, if you are interested in coming down for a practice, a chat, or just to join us for a drink afterwards, remember to check your mailbox on a Monday evening.

Thanks again to the brave few who joined me to make last night a very pleasant one and to those of you who mailed me to tell me that you'd like to have been there but couldn't make it.

'Til next time.

--
Stuart

A trip to the park

2008-06-26T10:15:00.003Z

On quite a windy June evening a few hardy souls ventured out in the wilderness (OK, Wyndham Park) for a bit of practice.

In the sun there were just 4 of us playing the form with the occasional on-looker. It was a very relaxing hour or so during which a couple of potential students came along to make themselves known (and the windy ninja also wandered past, but solely for the purpose of hurling abuse, as is his wont).

The pleasant interlude was ended with a quite drink in a local hostelry.

If this all sounds rather idyllic and you fancy a bit of it yourself make sure you keep a weather eye on your in-box on a Monday evening for news of when we faithful few will be venturing out again.

--
Stuart

Getting in touch

2008-06-25T15:14:00.002Z

If you find yourself with a burning tai chi question that you just have to have answered straightaway and you have access to Instant Messaging you can.

If you use MSN, Yahoo Chat GoogleTalk or any Jabber system you can get hold of me. The addresses for the different systems are below:

MSN - Contact sejhemming@hotmail.com
Yahoo Chat - Contact sejhemming@yahoo.co.uk
GoogleTalk or Jabber - Contact sejhemming@gmail.com

--
Stuart

Smart Alecs Wanted

2008-05-02T07:23:00.005Z

The owners of the venue we use for our classes, Christchurch (formerly the United Reformed Church), have asked me to announce the following:

In support of Christian Aid Week, the United Reformed Church are holding a fundraising quiz.

The quiz will take place on Saturday 17th May 2008 and will start at 18:30. The event will take place at Christchurch, Grantham. If you want to enter or want further details of the event, please contact Jack Odell on (01476) 573984.

--
Stuart

For Carol B...

2008-04-24T12:29:00.002Z

And the rest of the Wednesday crowd, if you need it.

The headings for your notes are:

Sink back and open the wrists.
Turn the foot, turn the hands.
Drive forward.
Step.
Press.

You should make notes about as much as you can remember for each of the activities under those headings. If you get stuck, mail me or comment here.

--
Stuart

The School outing to Belton

2008-04-14T13:20:00.004Z

On a day that had to be one of the most unpleasant this year by far, a small band of Tai Chi practitioners set out for Belton International Horse Trials to ply their trade.

The weather, which hadn't been to bad all day to that point, turned black as we set out. Our arrival at Belton coincided with the arrival of the lightning;not an auspicious start. As we made our way to the Lincolnshire Sports enclosure, the hail started. The only exhibits with anyone in attendance seemed to be those vending food or drink. As the hour approached the wind got up and the crowd thinned out. And so we begin.

Sadly, by the time we'd got to the end of Part II, the crowd had disappeared (the hail had stopped and, it seems, everyone broke cover to head for their cars) so we called a halt. It's a real shame as I know that those their had worked hard to make sure that they were ready for the performance.

I'd like to thank Eileen, Caro and David for braving the appalling weather to do a display that was watched by so few (the notable exception being for one young lady who took a great delight from copying what Eileen and Caro were doing). I want to also thank Clare, my lovely wife for turning up just to offer support and mind the coats.

Our brief flirtation with public performances finished with a much deserved cup of mulled wine each and a burger - thanks again Clare.

Maybe next time we'll get to the end of the Form and with an audience!

I've added a few pictures below, you can see that the further we got through the Form, the fewer people we were playing it to, although I'm told that a lot of people were watching it from a distance.
--
Stuart

Yuang Chi School of Tai Chi at Belton

2008-04-04T07:26:00.003Z

A small group of students and I will be giving a demonstration of Yang-style Long Form Tai Chi at the Belton International Horse Trials on Saturday 12th Apr.

Whether you're an existing student, an 'old boy' or are thinking about joining us why not come and see us in action, say hello and ask a few questions.

The display will take place at the Lincolnshire Sports Partnership stand and begins around 3:30pm.

The Belton International Horse Trials are organised by BEDE Limited and details of the event can be found on their website.

The Yuang Chi School of Tai Chi are appearing in co-operation with The Lincolnshire Sports Partnership.

Look Ma, I'm on the Radio

2008-04-01T12:29:00.003Z

OK, so a spot on BBC Radio Lincolnshire isn't as big a deal as Emma's spot on national television, but ...

I'm going to be doing a one-off spot on BBC Radio Lincolnshire tomorrow morning (2Apr08) sometime after 09:30. Hopefully, I won't make too much of a fool of myself. At least I won't be doing an Emma and making Princess Di eyes at the camera!

A reminder

2008-03-04T18:07:00.002Z

A quick reminder for those of you who, for any reason, aren't able to make it to class this evening; tonight's class is the last class of term. So, don't turn up for class for the next 2 weeks 'cos I won't be there!

The improver's class (the current Tuesday class) resumes on Tuesday 25th March. Those of you who want to pay by card can do so here.

The new beginner's class starts on Wednesday 26th March. Those of you wishing to register for the course can do so here.

To all of you I wish - when it gets here - a Happy Easter.

--
Stuart

Free Lessons (again)

2008-01-22T13:24:00.002Z

Sadly, I've not been overrun with requests for ads for the school (just the one offer so far). If you've not replied 'cos you though everyone else would then please mail me 'cos they didn't.

Please, help support the school to keep classes running.

Attached below are some examples of the ads we have available. Click on one of the images to see a larger version of it. I can let you have prints up to A3 size if you want them.

Please help, you know you want to.

--
Stuart

Free Lessons

2008-01-17T08:34:00.000Z

Yes, free lessons for you all. OK, yes, there's a catch...

Have you got a noticeboard or intranet at work that you can put ads on? If you have and will place an ad for the school there I will give you a discount equivalent to a free lesson* for each new student that joins us (ie turns up and pays for one term's classes).

If you are interested, then please either comment here or mail me.

*No cash alternative! 8-)

Are we having fun yet?

2008-01-11T13:24:00.000Z

I guess those of you who were in class this week will fall in to one of 3 categories; those who are starting to find the Zhan Zhuang 'lifting' exercise easier, those who are finding it harder work than they'd hoped and those who haven't a clue how they're finding the exercises 'cos they haven't done any.

To those of you in the first category; well done.

To those of you in the 2nd let me suggest that if increasing the length of time you hold the 'lifting' by a minute is too much then try just 30 second increases but do the sequence twice in a day (increasing both times, so you are still increasing by a minute over the course of the day).

To those of you in the last group, what can I say? Buy now you should be 'lifting' for 5 or 6 minutes. You have some small chance of catching up, although I think that increasing your 'lifting' time by 90sec - 2 minutes a day is pushing it. However, it is better to have done something than nothing.

Next week's classes will highlight the category each of you fall in to!

Have a good weekend.

--
Stuart

Zhan Zhuang exercises

2008-01-09T13:36:00.001Z

I thought I'd just mention the Zhan Zhuang exercises both classes have been introduced to this week.

The handouts you received on this set of exercises cover not just what you have done this week but a number of additional exercises that will be introduced over the coming weeks. I'd like those of you who are inclined to practice yourselves to avoid the temptation to 'work ahead'. Please stick to the training schedule included in the handouts as this has been compiled to bring maximum benefit from the sequence.

The key to this form of exercise is relaxation; whilst is is true that the exercises will help you to relax, they confer greater benefit if you are relaxed to begin with. One area that many of us find difficult to relax is in the shoulders. When carrying out the 'lifting' exercise from the Building you Chi set, if you feel that your shoulders are starting to lift, take a deep in-breath then, as you release it, let your shoulders sink. Do this as many times as necessary to get your shoulders down and do it again if you feel them start to rise again. Another cause for tension in the shoulders in the Building your Chi set is trying to do the exercises with your elbows too far back; they should be forward of your body's midline.

So, have you done you Zhan Zhuang exercises today?

--
Stuart

And so, we begin again

2008-01-09T13:25:00.001Z

Yesterday saw the first class of the new term and it was delightful to see so many returning faces and equally nice to see so many new faces.

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank (I'm working without a net here, so forgive me if I get any spellings wrong) Igor, Glenn, Alison, Carol and Valerie to our little gang. Next week we can expect to see a few more new faces assuming the Christmas lurgy has left them.

I hope that the newbies are reflecting well on the class and that you all think that enrolling was the good idea that you hoped it would be.

Remember, you can comment here if you have questions about a particular blog entry (and there will, I hope) be more of those relating to classes as the term progresses.

Anyway, I look forward to seeing you all next week.

--
Stuart

Merry Christmas and stuff

2007-12-24T09:35:00.001Z

OK, we're in the last 1/2 day of work before the holidays start (for me at least).

So I thought I'd take a break from doing the Radio Times Christmas quiz (obviously, I'm joking; I'm working very hard) to wish you all the very best of the season.

I hope you all have a very merry Christmas and wish you all exactly what you would wish for yourself, both for Christmas and the coming year.

To those of you who will be returning to class after the break, I look forward to seeing you then, and helping you move some of the over-indulgences of the holiday. To those of you who have, or will, decide to move on to other things, let me wish you all the best in all of your future endeavours.

Whether you are a potential new student, and existing one or an 'old boy', have a safe and happy holiday.

--
Stuart

Dates for next term

2007-12-11T16:01:00.000Z

Here are the details of next term's courses:

Beginners
The beginners course starts on Tuesday 8th Jan and runs for 9 weeks. As usual, the classes are 2 hours and run from 19:00 to 21:00. The cost of the course is £63. New starters and those of you planning to return after a break should go to the Course Registration page and follow the instructions there. Those of you continuing from the current term can, if you wish, pay using your credit/debit card or, if you have one, your PayPal account by going to the Course Payment page and, once again, just following the instructions.

Improvers
The improvers course starts on Wednesday 9th Jan and runs for 9 weeks. As usual, the classes are 2 hours and run from 19:00 to 21:00. The cost of the course is £63. You can, if you wish, pay using your credit/debit card or, if you have one, your PayPal account by going to the Course Payment page and just following the instructions.

Note for those Missing In Action

2007-12-07T07:54:00.000Z

Just wanted to remind all of you who, for whatever reason, missed this week's classes that next week (w/c 10Dec 07) will be the last classes of this year.

I should say that those of you who missed class on Wednesday really missed out; Caro had baked a cake, Eileen a couple of bottles of wine and Carole some very nice nibbles. Getting though it all was had work, but we managed. See what happens if you don't turn up?

I'll be sending out another message confirming the start of next term in the next couple of days, but if I don't get see any of you before hand, have a good break.

--
Stuart

Happy Hanukkah

2007-12-05T09:18:00.000Z

I'd just like to wish those of you do celebrate it, a "Happy Hanukkah".

--
Stuart

A website update ...

2007-11-22T08:28:00.000Z

I just wanted to let you know that the nice boys and girls at Google have changed things so that the School's calendar can no be embedded in to a page on the web site, so you can check dates right off the School's home page. If you are a Google Calendar user you can also, I believe add the School's calendar to your own, just click the button at the top right of the calendar.

That's it. Nothing too exciting.

I did want to say well done to all that attended class this week. I think both classes this week went very well.

I know Andrea claimed to be working late, and Robin said he was feeling poorly but I know that there was an England match on the box last night. Hopefully Robin and Andrea's situations will have changed by next week, after all, there's no soccer ... 8-)

See you all next week.

--
Stuart

Have kids that want to be on TV?

2007-11-09T14:04:00.000Z

The following was sent the the School via a martial Arts group. I thought I'd but it up here.

Do you want to be part of a

BRAND NEW CBBC

Saturday morning show?

Are you aged between 9 and 14?

Do you and your best mate/brother/sister want to show the world what a great team you make?

CBBC are making a BRAND NEW wild and wacky show and we are looking for pairs to take part in challenges and games.

Go to www.meontv.co.uk and click on CBBC Saturday Show to apply.

Alternatively apply online at the CBBC website: www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc and go to the ‘be on a show’ section.

BE QUICK – FILMING BEGINS SOON!

GOOD LUCK!

A reminder

2007-11-08T13:36:00.000Z

For those of you who didn't make it to class this week, you are reminded that there are no classes next week.

Don't turn up; I won't be there.

Remember you can find a calendar with all of the class dates on it here. Alternatively, follow the "Google Calendar" link on the front page of the school's web site.

See you all in a couple of weeks.

--
Stuart

A note about Robin

2007-10-11T07:53:00.000Z

As a lot of you know, Robin had major surgery yesterday. I thought I'd let those of you who wished him well that I received a text from him yesterday evening. It said ...

"Hi all. Thankx for the card. Really appreciated it. Have had op, it went really well, very sore though. I think that Right Ward Off would be a no no. See you all soon, Robin"

--
Stuart

A quick 'Well Done'

2007-10-10T10:56:00.000Z

I just wanted to offer a quick "Well Done" to those member of the beginners group who last night played all of the Short Form through.

I think I've said this before, but I think, with only Part I of Long Form under their collective belts, getting all the way through Short Form in 10 weeks is a fabulous effort.

And so, no resting on your laurels, Long Form Part II beckons...

--
Stuart

Did you hear gnashing of teeth ...

2007-10-09T08:34:00.000Z

... and tearing of hair?

If you did it was prolly Ridley Scott worrying about his future career as Stuart Hemming, film editor extraordinaire, burst on to the scene with his first DVD; Yang-style Short Form!

Yes folks, I've finished it. I will happily accept contributions of around £3 for the cost of materials.

So if the Short Form is starting to become a distant memory, get your DVD now!

--
Stuart

Advice for the Hard of Thinking

2007-09-27T07:45:00.000Z

And for those of you that, for whatever reason, couldn't make either of this week's classes.

Don't turn up for class next week (w/c 1st Oct) because I'll be on my hols.

Your next class is w/c 8th Oct. I'll see you then. Until then Practice.

--
Stuart

And so, we begin again

2007-09-05T12:50:00.000Z

They say that there's no peace for the wicked; I must have been a very naughty boy in a previous life!

So, we find ourselves at the start of another term. I just wanted to say "hello" to our 2 new starters, Graham and Rosemarie who last night joined the beginners group.

I also wanted to say that I know that there are a couple of others of you out there who suggested that they were planning to join us and that although you didn't make last night's class it's still not to late to join, or in many cases, rejoin the group.

I know that in the past one or 2 of you have questioned my state of mind, but, by way of mitigation, if your life partner looked like this, wouldn't you be a little unstable?

Until next time then...

--
Stuart

Take a Look at me Now!

2007-09-05T12:20:00.000Z

I've been asked to do a couple of Tai Chi taster sessions at the Mid Trent Cancer Network's 3rd Annual Patient and Public Partnership Group Conference which is taking place at the De Vere Hotel, Belton Woods, Grantham on Saturday 29th September, and I said I would give the event a mention in the event that someone reading this may think that they'd benefit from attending.

The day-long event is aimed at patients, carers and healthcare professionals and will include talks and workshops (including one featuring your favourite fat tai chi instructor).

There is a PDF document here that is both a flyer and an application form to complete if you want to attend the event. You can get more information on the event itself from Amos Liburd.

Dates for the new term

2007-08-30T14:00:00.000Z

As there's less than a week before the start of the new term, it makes sense to actually publish the dates I suppose.

So, Beginners will be on Tuesdays and Improvers on Wednesdays. Classes begin week commencing Monday 3rd Sep. There will be a 4 week run of classes with a break of one week, week commencing Monday 1st Oct. There will then be a further 5 classes before a one week break, week commencing Monday 12th Nov. Then a final 5 classes with the last one in the week commencing Monday 17th Dec.

There is a Google Calendar showing all of the classes.

--
Stuart

An end of Term note

2007-08-30T09:18:00.000Z

As we've got to the end of term, I thought I'd just write a quick note about how I thought that the Summer School had gone.

I have to say that overall, I'm really please with the way the classes have worked. I'm particularly impressed with the amount of work that the junior group have put in and whilst we haven't yet got to the end of the Form I don't intend to stop now and will continue to teach Short Form in the coming term until you've all got to the end.

On reflection, I should probably have done a lot more pre-work with those of you who'd only just got Part I of Long Form under your belts, but that said, you have all put in a great effort and should all be pleased. Getting just one of Cloud Hands, Repulse Monkeys, or High Pat on the Horse in the time allowed for the Summer Term would have been an achievement; making a half-decent fist of all of them is worthy of comment.

Let us not ignore the seniors in this round up. I had expected that the differences in some of the Forms between Short and Long Form would cause some confusion and not a little difficulty, but clearly I made the mistake of underestimating you.

I don't intend now for the Short Form to be consigned to the back of a cupboard but hope to have you all play it through regularly and often as part of your regular classes.

With respect to your Training Packs, I plan to continue to add to these as classes continue to try and turn them in to a useful reference, so do please continue bringing them to class. On the subject of the Training Material, I intend to generate more articles on the Form (Short, Long and Simplified Forms) as well as on energy training and Chi Kung. However, if there is a particular topic you feel you would like to see included, please let me know.

Finally I just wanted to publicly thank Eileen for agreeing to be pushed and pulled into position and asked to repeat elements of the Form almost ad nauseum whilst I played the part of a fat and balding Ridley Scott.

Thanks all for making the whole experiment a worthwhile one.

--
Stuart

Part IV videos Updated

2007-08-21T13:03:00.001Z

The part IV videos on the Training Videos page have all been completed.

Enjoy.

--
Stuart

Part IV Videos (Again)

2007-08-19T15:03:00.001Z

OK, the Training Videos page has 2 addition clips on it now:

Part IV : The complete Part IV sequence
Snake Creeps down to Shoot the Tiger with the Bow

As in the case of the clip posted yesterday, neither of these are complete; again there is no soundtrack. Hopefully these videos, incomplete as they are, will give those of you who are currently practising Part IV some help and guidance.

As far as videos go of Short Form, that's yer lot unless any one makes a specific request for a more detailed look at any part of the form.

Once I've completed the Part IV videos, I'll be compiling a DVD containing all of these videos along with, I hope, a descriptive sound track that you can us during your practice to remind you of some of the key points to bear in mind for each part of the form.

Let me know if you have any problems.

--
Stuart

Part IV Video

2007-08-18T15:47:00.000Z

Hello again boys and girls. Time for another video extravaganza. This time it's Fair Lady works Shuttles from Part IV of the short form and it's available on the Training Videos page. The direct link to the new video is here.

Please note that, at this point, the video isn't finished; for a start there's no sound track. Unfortunately, I won't be able to finish this until Tuesday next week, but as many of you have been working on this bit of the form, I thought that something was better than nothing.

Just a note about the video as you're watching it. The video starts with you looking South, as Eileen turns away from the camera the viewpoint changes to allow you to see what's going on. When this happens you'll see another shot, inset in to the video which continues to show you the Form as viewed when looking South so that you will also have a sense of which direction Eileen is facing as she plays each element of this particular form.

I'm going to try and get an early draft, as it were, of the full Part IV sequence posted this week end too.. I'm sure that you're all on the edge of your seats waiting for it. Not.

Any problems you know how to get hold of me.

--
Stuart

Part III Video

2007-08-10T09:49:00.000Z

The Training Videos page now includes Part III of the Short form.

I hope to be able to post some short video details particular elements of Part III and Part IV after the weekend.

--
Stuart

Part II Videos

2007-08-06T16:31:00.000Z

The Training Videos page has 2 new additions:

Part II which shows Part II of Yang-style Short-form in its entirety;
Part II - Fist Under Elbow which just shows that one transition from a couple of different points of view.

I'm sure that you'll agree that Ridley Scott can continue to sleep easily at night, but they're as good as they're going to get with my box brownie video camera.

If you've any questions, you know what to do.

--
Stuart

New Video

2007-08-05T10:39:00.000Z

I've added a new video to the Training Videos page on the School site.

This video just shows the transition near the opening of Part II of the Short-form; the "Choo-choo train" transition. 8-)

Hopefully, I'll be posting the Full Part II video later today.

Training Videos

2007-07-31T15:33:00.000Z

OK, first an apology. Many of you were expecting to see some training videos posted before now but a number of technical difficulties have prevented me from making that happen before now.

That said, I have posted the first of these on the School website on the new Training Videos page.

If, when you try and open a video, it appears quite small in the middle of the Media Player window, try resizing the window slightly. You'll prolly find that as soon as you do the video will expand to fill the window.

There should be more videos following soon.

--
Stuart

BBQ

2007-07-20T17:02:00.000Z

Just wanted to let you all know that, despite the foul weather you've been experiencing in my absence, Saturday's BBQ is still on.

I look forward to seeing you all at Caro's around 7pm tomorrow.

Directions to Caro's place

2007-07-02T08:12:00.000Z

OK, boys and girls, here they are ...

From the North:

After passing Newark Exit the A1 at Long Bennington.

Take the first Right, then immediately turn Left onto Costa Row.

Go over a bridge, through a double bend and then take the first Right, which is sign posted 'Staunton'.

At the T-Junction turn Right.

Enter Staunton and turn Right after the Staunton Arms Pub.

Charlton Farm is the only house on the Left.

There are two driveways so if the gates are shut on the first carry on to the second.

From the South:

After passing Grantham Exit the A1 at Long Bennington.

Enter Long Bennington and Turn LEFT onto Vicarage Lane [shortly after passing the Reindeer pub on your Right].

At the T Junct Turn Left.

Go over a bridge, through a double bend and then take the first Right, which is sign posted 'Staunton'.

At the T-Junction turn Right.

Enter Staunton and turn Right after the Staunton Arms Pub.

Charlton Farm is the only house on the Left.

There are two driveways so if the gates are shut on the first carry on to the second.

A map of the area can be found here.

Check back here for timings.

Just a quick follow-up

2007-06-08T11:33:00.000Z

I just wanted to let you know that votes are in for the preferred day for the Summer course and the "Wednesdays" have it. So, the class will run on Wednesday evenings from 7pm to 9pm as usual starting on the 25th July until 29th August inclusive (6 weeks).

I need to get some idea of numbers, so if you could let me know whether or not you are planning to attend - if you haven't already - I'd be very grateful.

--
Stuart

Pick a day, any day.

2007-06-01T08:43:00.000Z

The time has come to discuss plans for the summer.

Most of you know, from things said during class, (or in the pub afterwards) that the (short) summer term is going to see something of a departure from the normal format for our classes in that both groups are going to be working together and we're all going to be tackling something new - Yang-style Short Form.

A fair bit of prep has been done for this class, which is due to start w/c 23rd July. One thing that has yet to be done is to decide on the day the class will run. I've said to those who have asked about it, that I will go with the day that the majority can fit in with. The choices are, unsurprisingly, Tuesday and Wednesday.

I also need to know just how many of you are actually planning to come to the summer class. As I said the class will start w/c 23rd July and will run for 6 weeks.

I could do with knowing sooner rather than later how many of you will be coming and I really need to know soonest what day so that I can make sure we have a 'foul weather' venue (it is, after all, summer time). I'm going to make a decision about the day no later than the end of next week, so if you aren't going to get to class next week, please post here, mail me or text me ((0790 800 2731) especially if you want to vote for one day over the other.

Remember, this class is open to all students - past and present - who have, as a minimum, completed Yang-style Long Form Part I.

I look forward to hearing from you all.

I am a silly Fat Bloke

2007-06-01T07:49:00.000Z

Reflecting on things done this week I realised that I had completely failed to sing the praises of Jan, Nancy and Barbara who last week successfully completed Part II of Long Form.

Well done ladies, now you'll have to show The Shadowy Ninja how it's done.

--
Stuart

Diary Date

2007-05-31T12:33:00.001Z

Caroline has kindly offered to host a "Tai Chi BBQ" on the sprawling Lawrenson family estate at Staunton, Nr Grantham.

The date for this has been (provisionally) set as Saturday, 21st July.

The deal is simple we each stump up £5 a head a week or so before the event, turn up on the day and the Lawrenson cooking machine will have converted your crispy fivers in to all manner of nice things to eat. Turn up with your favourite tipple and let the good times roll.

Times, directions, et al, will be posted here closer to the date, but if you fancy it (we've done this once before and had a really good time) then let me know by commenting here, by mail, or whisper in my ear the next time I see you.

One other thing, Caroline (rashly, in my view) offered the use of the family pool so, if it's warm, you might want to bring your cossie.

--
Stuart

That's more like it

2007-05-31T12:05:00.000Z

We didn't have a full class but at least I knew about everyone who was going to be missing before the class started.

Those of us in attendance last night had a good class. First off I want to thank Eileen for taking on the teaching role. She spent the evening with Robin and Andrea, taking them through their paces with Fair Lady Works at Shuttles from Part III of Long Form as it is one of the few bits of Part III that is played in the Short Form that we'll be learning in the summer. Both Robin and Andrea got to the end of the evening having got a good grip of this fairly complex move. I'd like to say that their success was down to all the work I'd done with Eileen beforehand, but I don't think that you'd believe it.

As for the rest of the class, we went back and had a long hard look at High Pat on the Horse. You'd probably have to ask Elaine, Carole or Margaret how successful the work was in improving the way they play the Form, but I thought that they had built a good foundation on which to construct a better understanding of what it is they can get from their practice - or this bit of it, at least.

The picture? Audrey Hepburn from "My Fair Lady". Get it? Oh, please yourselves!

--
Stuart

Class cancelled for lack of interest

2007-05-24T08:21:00.000Z

Well! Last night was a first. At 7:05 there was just me and Eileen. By 10 past Angela had joined us. Almost everybody else was too tired, too busy or off the watch the soccer!

So, I had to cancel the class for lack of interest!

Having decamped to the pub, Steve and Caroline turned up (at the pub that is) and that's where we spent the evening. At least I didn't have to re-organize my lesson plan; I just abandoned it.

Hopefully, more of you will be fit and well next week, and as there's no footie on either...

--
Stuart

More New Handouts

2007-05-10T06:27:00.000Z

Just a quick note to let you know that there are new form guides here on the school web site. I've added guides for Play the Pippa. Those of you who have recently downloaded the guides for Brush Knee Push from Empty Stance should go back and get Brush Knee Push from Empty Stance III again, as I've just updated it.

As a general note, if you think that there is anything missing from a guide - if it doesn't cover an aspect of the transition that you have difficulty with - mail me and let me know and I'll try and update it. Remember, these guides are for you, to help you with your practice. If they aren't doing the job, then I may as well not bother, so let me know if I can improve them.

New handouts

2007-05-08T12:44:00.000Z

Real life got in the way a little bit so I've not had the chance to do as many of the new handouts as I would have liked, and the ones I have done are late. For this I apologise; I'll try and get the rest done over the next few days.

In the meantime, descriptions for the transitions from White Crane and for the Brush Knee Push from Empty Stance (which follows White Crane and Play the Pippa) are listed in the Form Guides section of the handouts page on the web site.

I hope you find these useful.

--
Stuart

Aren't they clever?

2007-05-03T06:29:00.000Z

I just wanted to say 'Well Done' to Jan and to John who, last night, got to the end of Part III for the first time. Much kudos to the seniors who have been, in the main, responsible for their progress. At the same time, Robin and Andrea, who completed Part II a while ago, last night - with help from Margaret - made a lot of headway in the way that they have been playing the latter part of Part II.

On a final note, those of you who weren't at class last night will not know that Fred, Emma's dog and occasional class member, was run over last Friday. He has been very poorly, but we understand he's now on the mend. I'm sure you will join me in wishing Fred (who is a regular reader of this blog) - and Emma - well.

--
Stuart

Odd shoes?

2007-05-02T12:44:00.000Z

Were you in class last Wednesday?

Have you tried you tai chi shoes on since? One of you is going to do this and find you can't get your foot in to your right shoe. How do I know this? 'Cos the right shoe I was wearing last night had a tendency to fall off, being about 3 sizes too big!

A quick word about last night's class.

First off, those of you who winced in sympathetic pain as The Shadowy Ninja's knee let out that almighty crack will be delighted to learn that TSN turned up to work with both legs physically attached.

The seniors have been working hard an getting through the kick sequences in Part II and, at the same time, the juniors have been battling with the walking sequence in Part I. It has been interesting to watch as both groups worked to come to terms with the what was required of them that they both lost sight of their feet (figuratively - it's only me that has lost sight of his feet visually). That said, our friend endless repetition was on hand to sort out the issues that all had and by the end of the evening both groups had made a huge improvement in their form.

I was asked to try and produce a practice guide for Part I's walking sequence and I will try to do so before the end of the week.

--
Stuart

The day after the night before

2007-04-25T13:46:00.000Z

I just wanted to apologise to all of those who attended last night's class for the unexpected arrival of my Evil Twin's Dopey Twin.

I don't know how he got in but he did.

For those of you how have not before met the offending class-crasher I wanted to assure you that his presence is one we all fervently hope never reoccurs although, it seems, keeping him our permanently is beyond me.

I hope that the short reduction in the usual high-quality service didn't disturb you too much.

--
Stuart

Learning the Words

2007-04-20T12:03:00.000Z

It's funny how things go; often a student in my Tuesday group will ask something and the next day I'll be asked the same or a similar question by someone in the Wednesday group. This has been the case this week but rather than a question, it was more a point about learning. In particular, learning the sequence or the order in which the form is played.

I'm sure that most have you have, at one time or another, heard me say 'Learn The Words'. It really is the only way, especially for those of you embarking on Parts II and III. It sounds obvious doesn't it? To play the form you need to know the order in which it's played. However, there's more to it than that. Tai Chi isn't just about waving your arms and legs about (that's Line Dancing, Thursday nights). To be able to successfully project our intent, to get our internal energy moving in a way that allows us to benefit from it, to make our Form a unified, flowing thing we need to be able to concentrate on doing the things necessary to make them happen; we can't concentrate on these important details if we're worrying about which Right Ward Off we're doing!

'Learning the Words' is a big step in the right direction, and it makes my life easier if I can say 'Single Whip after 2nd Cloud Hands' and everyone knows where in the form I'm talking about. However, learning the names or order of the form by rote is, for some, just too difficult.

If this is you then let me make a suggestion; I apologise if you have already heard me say this.

Play the form through, either for real or in your head. Do it with the list in front of you (you can find all of the lists here). Now, break he form you are playing down in to sections - as big or small as you like - and give it a name. The name should be something that means something to you; what the shapes remind you of, how you feel when playing it or maybe something you've been reminded of whilst watching someone else play it. The point is that the name should be something memorable. Do this for each 'chunk' of the form your are studying.

Now over a period of time, commit yourself to learning the sequence of the form in a single 'chunk'. You don't need to use the formal names of the form for this, again, call them thatever works for you, the important thing is that you can, at will, play your 'chunk' of the form through with confidence. Once you are sure you've mastered a 'chunk' - by mastered I mean that you are fully confident in your ability to talk your way through the sequence - move on to the next.

As you add a new 'chunk' of the form to your mastered list, try and and link its name to the one before. Over time you'll build up a picture of the sequence in terms of the names of the 'chunks' you have devised. The sequence of the form will fall in easily as you will always know what you need to do for any given 'chunk'.

I hope that this offers some help to those of you how are finding difficulty in coping with the long lists of forms.

Of course, you might have a better plan. If you do, post it here and share it with us all.

See you all next week,

Stuart

... And round and round...

2007-04-12T08:08:00.000Z

And so it was nice to see all the familiar faces last night too,

I know it wasn't a long break, but I think last night's class, focusing on revision as it did was worthwhile. Next week will see us back in a proper learning groove. Hopefully, by then all of Emma's 'issues' will have been resolved and we can all worry a little less about any possible 'outbursts' 8-)

And in case any of you missed it, Eileen's going to Portugal apparently.

'Til next week then...

--
Stuart

The wheels on the bus go round and round....

2007-04-11T08:16:00.000Z

And so we find ourselves at the start of another term.

I'd like to welcome back all of those students in my Tuesday group who returned for another dose of fun-filled frolics. Of those who didn't make it I know a couple are off in far-flung lands and I'm guessing Nikki either forgot or well, prolly just forgot really. And Katie, GET SOME WORK DONE!

Finally welcome to the one new student, Penny, who has been brave/foolhardy enough to join our merry band.

Next week, normal service will be resumed with a proper rundown of the class.

--
Stuart

Spring Term

2007-03-27T15:59:00.000Z

Quiet in here, isn't it?

Sorry for not posting much this last month, but hopefully the mad rush of real life has abated enough for normal service to be resumed soon.

I just wanted you to know that I've updated the Class Info page on the school web site with next term's dates and costs.

Just a quick note

2007-02-08T15:59:00.000Z

I've not much to say this week (and work's keeping my nose to the grindstone, so it's prolly just as well).

I wanted to say 'Well Done' to The AA Girls' crew for completing Part II.

To my beginners I wanted to say that there are handouts for the 2 transitions you covered in this week's class here and here.

I wanted to say 'Hi' and 'Welcome Back' to Nikki who has joined Tuesday's Improvers group.

I had planned to say something on Part the Wild Horse's Mane that the seniors were teaching this week 'cos there seemed to be a few unhappy faces, but I'll cover that face-to-face next week if any of you feel that it's still necessary.

On a final note, I'm going to see if I can do something about the heating in the hall whilst the weather is so bad, but I can't promise anything.

See you all next week.

It's all going frighteningly well

2007-02-01T14:16:00.000Z

I have to say that having had a long break for Christmas, I fully expected a slow start to the term. This week I have, again, been impressed with just how well things are going. I am, of course, talking about all of the returning students.

The Improvers group in the Tuesday class have been moving along at quite a clip and have covered the form up to Single Whip before Cloud Hands. It's fair to say that the group is due some time consolidating what they have learnt during the previous couple of classes, but nontheless...

All of Wednesday's groups have progressed equally as well. The most 'notable' achievement of the week was that the Elaine's group have progressed to a point with their understanding of Part II that they are ready to move on to Part III. This is, in turn, provides the challange for the seniors who will be taking on a large part of the teaching role for Elaine's group. All of the seniors have done some coaching of Parts I and II but tackling the much longer and physically demanding Part III is virgin territory for them all.

Only a brief pace behind them are the AA Girl's crew who can expect to finish taking on the choreography for Part II by the close of play next week. For them, this is when the hard work starts; no longer will the excuse of 'learning new stuff' be in play. From then on we're back to working on redeveloping all of the energy, intent, focus and power that came with Part I. I guess I'm making it sound like an uphill slog, but the benefits are worth it. Playing Part II though with the same skill and intent that you all play Part I with will be reward enough. Whilst Part I shows you what can be achieved in terms of developing your own internal energies, Part II will really give you the opportunity to add levels of calm and inner strength that you perhaps hadn't believed you were capable of.

The class 'babes', Jan and Barbara, are plowing a furrow through Part II that even other members of the class have noticed. I think that my continual banging on about 'learning the words' has finally paid off as both of them were heard muttering to themselves as they played throught the form last night. Of course, they could just have been cursing my bones...

I can only hope - and there's no reason to suspect I'll be disappointed - that the rest of the term sees as much positive progress as has been apparent to this point.

Well done all.

Just some thoughts

2007-01-25T09:30:00.000Z

On Tuesday...
Tuesday's was another good class with everyone, I think, enjoying the way things are going. I've not much to say to the beginners other than to think about what I said about practicing and to work on the idea of sinking back. This group made up, as it is, mostly from family groups has a great advantage when it comes to practicing away from class. Get used to watching one another practice and question what each of the others is doing if it appears different to what you do when you play it. Just be aware that it may be you and not the person you are watching that needs to change! As the course progresses you will be asked to do this kind of observation more and more often. Normally I have to wait until a group has got to know one another before they feel comfortable with it, but that really doesn't apply here for most of you.

I promised the beginners a pointer to the help sheet for the bit of the form you covered this week; you'll find the document here.

The Improvers group, or rather Nancy and the Windy Ninja (sounds like a title from an Enid Blyton book, dosn't it?) have been making steay progress through Part II having now got to Fan Through The Back.

On Wednesday...
Wednesday's class was a little thin, but that just gave those that did make it time and space to have a good practice. Whilst most of the class' time went on reviewing Form already learnt there was still a lot of learning going on. It appears that the seniors (or most f them at least) have been labouring under a misunderstanding about Cloud Hands. I'm glad to say I was able to clear that up for those in attendance. After we'd been though this bit of the form and worked on correcting things, one of the group said to me that she'd always thought that it felt awkward doing it the way that she had been. There's a good example of why I've been trying to encourage all of you to question what it is you are doing and why. Generally (physical infirmaties notwithstanding) no part of the form should feel awkward to perform. Each move should flow, in of itself, and from the previous form to the following one. If it doesn't (even if you do have some physical reason for it not doing so) then there is probably something that can be done to make it work better.

The lesson? If in doubt, ask.

The 'AA Crew' being a little short of numbers, spent some time working with Jan and Steve. It was, I think, the first time that they have had to do any coaching, and I hope it wasn't to scarey an experience for them.

The junior group a battling on, showing great spirit.

I've been asked to try and produce some form of audio descriptive CD for a couple of students. Basically, the idea is that you play the CD as you are practicing and it offers audio clues as to what you are supposed to be doing as well as setting the pace. It would be intended as a aid to practice rather than a straight teaching aid/replacement. For this to work, it requires that the student has 'learned the words', that is has learned the names of the Form and the sequence in which they are played from one of the Form descriptions you can find here. I'm planning on trying to compile one of these CDs for Part II. If anyone thinks that they might benefit from something similar, perhaps for a different bit of the form, or even a different form, then please let me know and we'll see what can be sorted out.

One final note, I've just taken delivery of the last lot of shoes for Julie, Marie, Tony and Emma. so make sure all of you who have till to pay for them empty your piggy banks for next week.

Have a good week, have a good practice.

--
Stuart

Bob, the 'Windy Ninja'

2007-01-17T13:15:00.000Z

I think any of you that know Bob will agree that the time for him to change his nom de plume from 'The Shadowy Ninja' to 'The Windy Ninja' has long since come. So let's hear a big... erm... err... cheer, that's it ...

In other news, first I'd like to apologize to Peter, a new starter from last week, for missing him off the people welcomed in my last entry. In addition, I'd like to welcome John, Peter's father, who joined us for the first time last night and to say welcome back to Christine, the 'last man standing' from last term's beginners group.

Last night's class was a big sucess, I think (except for Mick trapping my fingers in the car door) as all of the beginners have not only made a good start with their Tai Chi Walking but have also started to look at the Form proper. For those of you in that group, if you go to the Handouts page on the web site you will see 4 documents listed under the heading Tai Chi Walking that will help you with your practice. On the same page you will see some 'Form Guides'. Those entitled Right Ward Off and Grasp the Bird's Tail - Reach Out and Roll Out cover those bits of the form you were introduced to last night.

The Tuesday Improvers group have also made a bit of a leap forward having finally seen off all of the Monkeys, they have conquered their fear of (slant) flying and have progressed in to a bit of Part II that mimics Part I.

Welcome ...

2007-01-11T15:21:00.000Z

... or welcome back.

So, here we are once again at the start of a new term. Firstly I'd like to welcome the new member of our Tuesday group (in no particular order) Mick, Marie, Katie, Julie, Sam and Tony. Here's hoping that you are able to get from the classes all that you are looking for.

I'd also like to say 'welcome back' to those of you returning for another 12 weeks of fun and frolics.

There were a number of faces missing from the Wednesday group, many, it appears, at home ill. I hope you're all feeling better soon.

It was a little sad not to see any returners from the beginners group but, if any of you are out there and are planning to return, drop me a line and let me know.

For the new joiners - I was asked about shoes. Shoes are available in sizes 37 (UK size 4) to 46 (UK size 12) at a cost of £7/pair. If anyone wants any, could you let me know as soon as possible so I can order them. If I can get the order off before midday Monday there's a fighting chance of having them here for next week's classes.

If you haven't found them yet, the handouts for the Ba Duan Jin can be found here. It is in PDF format for which you'll need Adobe Acrobat which you can download from here.

I'd just like to offer a quick note of thanks to the Improvers in my Tuesday group for looking after themselves this week whilst I got through all of the Week 1 stuff with the new beginners. The normal level of abuse will be restored for next week.

Finally I'd like to offer a 'well done' to my Wednesday group who, I think, will agree, had a good class this week. A special note goes to Andrea's crew who got through the planned revision and did some learning too.

As always, feel free so leave comments here if you have any questions about the class or anything in this post.

A Reminder

2007-01-08T12:42:00.000Z

I thought I'd just take this opportunity to wish you all a Happy New Year and to remind you all that the new term starts this week.

Note:
Beginners (Tuesday): Classes start at 19:00 not at 17:00 as published on the Google Calendar. Thanks to Mike for pointing that out.

Please try and get to class early so we can all get the chat about the holidays out of the way without cutting (too much) in to class time. 8-)

See you all soon.

Moving Up

2006-12-19T15:34:00.000Z

I'd been asked now by a number of people why there was no one moving up from the Beginners' class next term. Though I'd explained to those who asked directly, I obviously didn't make my reasons as generally known as I'd thought.

For the avoidance of doubt the reasons are simply logistical...

The reason that no one is being moved up to the Wednesday class is that there simply isn't space to teach another group in that class. Currently the Wednesday class is made up of the 'seniors', a group just about to start Part III, and 2 groups learning Part II (but at different stages).

It's my hope that, at the very least, the 3 groups currently studying Part II will all begin studying Part III as a single group. Obviously, though, this is some way off.

I hope that this gets everyone in to the picture and that no one feels that they are being left out or in any way slighted or hard done by.

Looking for a photographer

2006-12-18T15:11:00.000Z

I'm trying to help a friend.

I, or rather they, need someone to take some photographs at a small family event near Lincoln on 4th Jan.

There wouldn't be much by way of payment, but they would get a place at the meal following (nice 7-course meal, I understand).

The photographer needs to be confident and able to control and organise people for staged photos as well as being able to catch on-the-fly moments.

If you are, or know someone who is, this kind of person and can do the deed on the day, please contact me at sejhemming@gmail.com.

A big 'Thank You'

2006-12-12T09:53:00.000Z

I just wanted to say a big 'Thank You' to all who turned up last night, both current and past students.

I hope that you all enjoyed the night as much as Clare and I did.

Perhaps next year we'll find a venue that can seat that many comfortably and without the staff having to sit on my lap to serve!

Hopefully I'll see you at class this week, but in any event I'd, like to wish you all ...

Merry Christmas/Happy Hanukka*
and
Happy New Year

*delete as appropriate 8-)

--
Stuart

Christmas Meal - Menu

2006-12-06T12:00:00.000Z

As promised, although a little later than planned ...

Starters
Special Spring Rolls
Sesame Prawn Toast
Five Spiced Chicken
Spare Ribs in Kam Do Sauce
Crispy Seaweed with Grated Scallops

Second Course
Crispy Aromatic Duck
(with a special home-made sauce, spring onion, cucumber and pancakes)

Main Course
Fried King Prawns in Peking Sauce
Sweet and Sour Pork Cantonese Style
Fried King Prawns Szechuan Style
Deep Fried Shredded Beef with Chilli (yum! My favourite!!)
Sizzling Beef with Ginger and Spring Onion
Sizzling Chicken with Chilli and Black Bean Sauce
Fried Chicken with Cashew Nuts Kung Po Style
Chef's Special Mixed Vegetables
Fried Noodles with Beansprouts
Special Fried Rice

Dessert
Banana Fritter
Coffee with Cream and Mints

We're booked for 20:00 (or 8pm for those of you who still work in old money). Check the blog later in the week to see if enough people have decided to meet elsewhere first to find out when and where. However, failing that I look forward to seeing you all at Mr Man & Mr Pang's on Monday.

Time to cough up

2006-12-04T09:20:00.000Z

OK boys and girls, with only a week before the Christmas do it's time for you all to reach in to your pockets again.

If you've not yet paid the balance of your meal money. then I need it this week please.

Where have all the students gone

2006-11-28T13:25:00.000Z

I know that it's a little after the event, but one way or another it's been a very full week since last week's classes, so here goes...

I was a little disappointed on Tuesday when just about everybody failed to show for class. Of the beginners group only Christine made it in, hopfully we'll see more of you this week.

Whilst disappointed, I was still happy to be able to start the senior group of Tuesday's class on the road to learning Part II.

I'm obviously suffering from the on-going effects of old age because whilst I remember being very pleased with all of the groups in last Wednesday's class I can't remember why! Sad isn't it? Just don't laugh, it'll happen to you one day too.

Playing Grasp The Bird's Tail

2006-11-16T09:00:00.000Z

During discussions about the simplified form a misunderstanding about the use and positioning of the arms during Grasp the Bird's Tail was highlighted.

It quickly became obvious that this misunderstanding was borne from something I had said sometime previously.

I'd like to diect those of you involved in the discussions to the Form Guides on the handouts page of the web site. In particular, the first 3 of the 'Grasp the Bird's Tail' set.

I think that the 'problem' caused by my previous explanation is related to the 'intent' entry in the document 'Grasp the Bird's Tail - Sink Back and Turn'.

If you've any questions after reading through these documents, get in touch.

Better late than never.

2006-11-07T09:44:00.000Z

It's not that I didn't want to comment on last Wednesday's class nor was it the case that I just couldn't think of anything to say, it's just that, well, the day job does have a habit of getting in the way.

It's funny how the same things seem to come up in each of my classes, the following is a case in point; it concerns practice.

In a different place, perhaps in another time, those wishing, as you do, to study Tai Chi might have had to work hard just to be accepted by a school. Then, having been accepted they would have found themselves totally immersed in not just the form, but all of the associated teachings, they would have had no choice but to practice and, in practicing, to learn.

Here and now things are different. You come to class because you want to, but a class lasts for 2 hours and then you, like me, go back to the day job and your everyday lives. You do what you do until the next class comes around. Now, I'm not suggesting that you don't practice; it is very clear that some of you do, both regularly and often. But I wanted to say this, if you were, for example, going to tennis lessons rather than Tai Chi classes, you wouldn't expect to become proficient even after months of classes if you only had a single 2 hour class once a week and never picked up a tennis bat at any other time. If you wanted to develop that killer backhand you'd have to spend hours practicing. There's no reason for thinking that your understanding of Tai Chi will grow on its own. It requires that you practice and in practicing, question what it is that you are doing and why. Through questioning your understanding increases.

I've heard, on a number of occasions, statements like 'I thought that once we'd done it a few times and you were happy we'd ...'. The truth is, I'm never happy. I'm never happy with my own understanding of the form, with my technique or my ability. I'd be surprised if any of you could truely say that you were with yours, and if you did then I venture to suggest that you don't yet really understand what it is you're doing.

Now, I'm not suggesting that you as individuals or as a group are in any way unready or unfit to move forward, on the contrary, the work many of you have done, in both classes, has lead you to a point where you can expect to move on. I'm nothing short of delighted at how you as individuals have, at times, grasped a difficult transition or element of the form. But at the same time none of you should be surprised if I want to take you back to some, seemingly, basic practice for some reason. Only one time in a dozen or so is it because I've not prepared a lesson plan 8-).

OK, I've banged on about this enough. Going back briefly to the tennis lesson analogy, if you want to win you need to practice, I can't make you do that. I don't want to make you do that, this is, after all, a recreation class.

You'll get out of Tai Chi just what you put in and I hope that you each get a great deal out of it.

Was it something I said?

2006-11-01T10:32:00.000Z

Well, it was either than or I need to think about changing my aftershave.

Last night's class had more people missing than attending. I'm starting to feel unloved.

However, for those who were at class there was a lot of good work done. We spent the whole of the class looking at Parry, Block and Punch, working on the choreography as well as looking at the martial aspects and some of the more 'intellectual' elements of the form as it applies not just to that bit of the form, but to Tai Chi in general and to how one should approach one's practice.

I think I've said before that the senior group in my Tuesday class have worked well togther and that was evident again last night. I hope that the aspects of last night's class that you felt applied to you as an individual are useful in your practice and that the group elements, including Bad Tracy, Naughty Tracy's incredible dancing knee, were enjoyable.

For those of you who didn't make class last night, worry not, the only 'beginner' to make it to class was David who spent the evening working with the seniors, so you've not missed too much.

If those of you who didn't make it to class and who haven't let me know whether or not you're coming to the Christmas do could get in touch and give me a 'yea' or 'nay' before the end of the week, that would be good.

Bob the Unbearable

2006-10-31T09:23:00.000Z

I thought it only fair to warn you, especially those of you attending Tuesday's class, that Bob - The Shadowy Ninja is going to be unbearable.

It appears that Bob is taking his Tai Chi very seriously having bought a copy of Tai Chi Classics (Shambala Press: ISBN 1 57062 749 5) which contains "Translations of three essential texts of Tai Chi Ch'uan...". Sadly, for the rest of us, one of Bob's favourite sayings is found in the book having been attributed to Master Wu Yu-hsiang (1812-1880)...

When changing position, you should move like a cat...

Expect to hear more from the man himself tonight.

Who'd've thought it.

2006-10-26T15:14:00.000Z

Half way through the term and for the first time we had a full complement of students for Wednesday's class.

Where to start? Well let's start with the Christmas Bash. As you'll know, the planned meal at The Conduit looks like a non-starter simply 'cos it'd need all of the currently registered students to agree to that one night to get the numbers and I can't really see that happening. So, a majority decision was taken on Wednesday (OK, apologies to those of you who attend class on Tuesday, but time's getting tight) to go for a night out on the 11th as planned but at a different venue.

Of the venues floated, Mr Pang's (Wharf Rd) and The China Inn (Avenue Rd) seemed the most popular, so I'm going to make sure that one or the other of them will take us and can do us a meal for around £20 a head. I've had the 'yea' from all of the Wednesday crew who're coming so I just need confirmations from any Tuesday students that want to attend that Chinese food is OK and you are still up for the 11th.

Those of you who want to attend, can you please let me have a £10 deposit next week.

So, on to the Tai Chi. Another really successful night, I think. Everyone seemed to get some learning done.

I'm not going to breakdown who did what this week, if you were there then you know, if you weren't you prolly don't care. I will say this to John, Elaine and Jan though. You should be thinking now about how you feel about playing the form for the rest of us, which I like to do as a formal end to the Part II training, so we can get you started on ... (big build up) ... (exciting, isn't it?) ... Part III.

That's enough for now.

Have a good week.

Just a quick follow-up

2006-10-25T10:54:00.000Z

Last night was another quiet one with many of you off doing fun things in places like North Yorkshire (??) but a hardy few made it to class.

Two of the faces in class last night were Bad Tracy, Naughty Tracy, who has - Shock! Horror! - been letting work get in the way of class. The other was Sudesh who has finally broken the Curse of the Tuesday Night.

The junior group have been making first-class progress with the form and have now covered most of what is known as Grasp the Bird's Tail. The handouts for the 2 new elements can be found here and here. In addition to this they've done quite a bit of walking practice and can expect to learn the next stage of this exercise in the next week or so. So, those of you who have missed one or 2 classes need to rush to class next time lest the others all point and laugh.

The senior group have made considerable progress through Part I and I would expect to be able to see them 'Show and Tell' for the rest of the class soon.

Good news, bad news

2006-10-25T10:43:00.000Z

Actually, there isn't really any good news.

I went to see the chap who runs The Conduit yesterday and it appears, although I wasn't aware of it at the time, that the Monday (or Tuesday or Wednesday) date for the Christmas bash is only available if we have a minimum of 24 people as they will be opening the place up just for us. So far I've had only 7 replies from people saying that they will definitely be going.

If we can't get 24 people together then we have to go on one of their official nights, which are:

Saturday 9th Dec
Friday 15th Dec
Saturday 16th Dec
Friday 22nd Dec

I'm pretty sure that any date other than the first of those will be too late for most of you, so come on people, fingers on keyboards, get in touch and let me know that you will be coming on the 11th.

This is your chance to eat good food in good company (mine). How can you pass up an opportunity like that?

Deck the Halls with Boughs of Holly

2006-10-20T12:52:00.000Z

Note, this event is not just for current students. If you're an ex-student and are still subscribed to the blog, why not come alone and meet some of the new faces and catch up with some old friends?

As promised, I've got the menu for the proposed Christmas get together.

The menu is in PDF format and can be found here.

The price is going to be around £20, I won't have an exact figure until I speak to the chap on Tuesday but this is a good guide price.

As for dates, well, I previously suggested that the week commencing Monday 11th was favourite and having spoken to many of you this appears to be the case. I know a number of you are going to be going away or are otherwise engaged towards the end of the week, so I'm actually proposing that we go with the majority decision choosen from Monday 11th, Tuesday 12th or Wednesday 13th. My personal preference is the Monday.

Have a look at the menu and think of a date. If you can let me know your date preference over the weekend, or at least before close of play on Tuesday that would allow me to make a booking. I'll be looking at collecting, say, £10 as a deposit.

Either comment here or mail me at info@yuangchi.com

How was it for you?

2006-10-19T07:23:00.000Z

For one reason or another, I've not really had the opportunity to blog about my Improvers class, but after last night I think something needs to be said.

I don't know what it was that caused it, maybe just the phase of the moon or something, but last night's class was one of the most positive I've had for somewhile.

Let's start with Jan and Barbara. They've been working, mostly on their own, for a few weeks now on the early stages of Part I. Last night they picked up Slant Flying after their brief introduction to it last week. Those of you who have already passed that point will remember how difficult it can be making that big turn behind yourself. J & B made a really decent fist of it almost from the word Go.

Steve and the AA Girls, after spending a couple of weeks or so on Cloud Hands, started to tackle the first kick sequence. I've found, since the first time I had to teach it to someone, that if there's anything that will stump students it's the first kick sequence in Part II, or more correctly, the transition into it. Steve, Andrea and Angela (and Robin who was sadly absent last night) have really got together well as a group and have helped and encouraged each other on and I think that it is this that has made it possible for them to attack this transition so successfully.

Jan and John have been working on improving their Part II performance for a while now. They, along with Elaine - who is off somewhere warm this week - have done a lot to gain a better understanding of what it is they are supposed to be doing and last night was a good example of that as they questioned what they were doing and gained some useful (I hope) insights.

The seniors, sans Carole, had an evening of review and reflection playing the whole form through. It's sometime hard to appreciate that whilst we can review and revise what we're doing in respect of one particular part of the form or another we sometimes need to just do it, through and through, over and again, before we can start to get real benefits from playing the form.

Well done everyone who was there last night.

One last thing, although I didn't need the cattle prod, I promised to show you the new one I'd got. Here's a picture.

Not a witty title

2006-10-18T07:49:00.000Z

I couldn't think of a witty title. Sorry.

Last night was a bit of a quite class with a number of people missing for one reason or another. I hope that those of you who were off ill are feeling better and those who just had to be somewhere else, well, I hope you had a drink for me whilst you were out.

Last night the senior group spent a lot of time working on the first half of Part I. We spent some time looking at ways to increase the level of coordination between the upper and lower body. We did this using a technique that my senior students in the Improvers class have been using for a while, with varying degrees of success. The technique (if that's not giving it a greater degree of importance than it deserves) is to visualize turns in the body being driven or lead by movement in the elbows.

When the form requires that the centre is turned, we (generally) do this by pushing one hip backwards. On its own this leads to twisting. To avoid twisting we need to move the upper body at the same time and at the same pace. Without a fair bit of effort, people seem to find this kind of coodination difficult. But by visualizing the turn being driven by the elbow moving backwards on the side that the hip is moving backwards we naturally turn the upper body to match the movement in the hips.

In black and white this sounds a little unnatural, but as you sit reading this, play Part I through in your head and think about each transition that has you moving your centre from square to 45 degrees or back again. Now thing about that you would normally be doing with your arms at this point. You should see that that idea of coordinating the 2 movements is not forced.

Our beginners have been doing more - and I'm sure it seems to them, endless - walking practice along with learning more of the form. There are handouts for the 2 transitions covered last night here and here.

I know next week is school half term in Lincolnshire (and prolly Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire too). However there are classes next week as normal for us. I know some of your are taking your families off to far away places like Spain and Filey 8-), so enjoy yourselves and I hope to see you when you get back.

Thinking about Christmas

2006-10-11T07:25:00.000Z

The season is almost upon us again and so my mind is turning toward another opportunity for us all to get together for a meal. Margaret has already identified a likely venue, The Conduit, in the market place in Grantham.

As yet we've not given any thought to possible dates, but I would think that sometime one or around the week of 11th December. So, if you have any dates you can't make around that time, let me know so that we can try and avoid them.

Before you ask, I don't have costs yet, but I think we're looking at around £20/head.

Follow-up from last night

2006-10-11T06:49:00.000Z

Last night saw our beginners intorduced to the form and, as promised, there are handouts for Right Ward Off and Reach Out and Roll Out. I understand that there may have been a problem with accessing some of the stuff from last week. If you have a problem with any of the links then please let me know and I'll sort it out.

In addition to the Form, the beginners got their first taste of proper walking practice and also learned the 3rd lot of exercises from the Ba Duan Jin.

The senior group are to be congratulated; watching them practice it was nice to see each of them contributing to the learning of the others.

Shoes. Want some?

2006-10-05T10:33:00.000Z

In the next couple of days I'm going to be placing an order for some Tai Chi slippers. If you want some (price £7.99) then let me know soonest either by commenting here or mailing me at info@yuangchi.com. (Barbara, you need not reply, I know about you).

For the beginners

2006-10-04T08:24:00.000Z

Last night saw the first 'proper' class for our new starters. It also saw the arrival of another new face (welcome, Tim).

As I promised last night there are new handouts for the walking sequence on the handouts page of the website.

For the other group, there was much practice done on the later part of Part I. Remember boys and girls, I want you to practice that part of the form during with week, especially to look at tightening up and strengthening both the transitions in to and out of Play the Pipa. If you are practicing alone, then try to do so in front of a mirror so that you can watch what it is you are doing with your hands. Remember what I said last night about reducing the amount of 'arm waving' you are doing.

A Brief History of Yang-style Tai Chi

2006-10-03T11:05:00.000Z

A couple of people asked me last week about the history of Yang-style. There is an awful lot of stuff in the Internet on the subject, Google is your friend here. But, for those of you who just want a quick potted history, I've put a document on the website here. It is, unsurprisingly, the document entitled A brief history of Yang-style Tai Chi.

Just a Quick Hello

2006-09-29T07:58:00.000Z

Not much to say ATM, I just wanted to say 'Hello' to those interpid folk who have recently joined the beginners class. Welcome all.

As you've no doubt guessed this is the school blog (weB LOG) such as it is. Feel free to have a wander around and have a look at past entries.

Over the next few weeks you will, I hope, see a number of articles here that are designed to add to the stuff you learn in class as well as details of any other events that crop up (Christmas is approaching fast - Party Time!). If you want to post a comment to any of the articles have a look here to see how to go about it. You could try posting a comment to this entry, just to say hello.

Well, back to work ...