Taijiquan Training at Classes in Swansea
When students first come to the classes here, we introduce them to the basic principles and movements of taijiquan. Relaxing, alignment with gravity, moving from the centre and structural alignments are explained, demonstrated and practised. More about these later. At Chanquanshu we work on the basis of teaching one movement per week on average, with the emphasis being on quality and understanding of movement and function not quantity of moves learnt.
"Learning form and movement without understanding function and intent is like fruit made of wax. Looks good on the outside but nothing inside. It is not real, only an imitation."
Li, Long-dao.
Bearing this in mind, we first concentrate on relaxing. This encourages more efficient use of structure and movement and doesn’t waste energy. It relaxes the tissues and allows free flow of energy to and from all body parts including the internal organs. One thing I’ve picked up and am fond of telling people is that although you try to relax to the best of your ability you should realise that relaxing is something you don’t do. Relaxing is taught through various exercises both solo and with a partner for feedback.
Once the students has the basic idea and feel of relaxing we then talk about balance and alignment with gravity. Our students learn to distinguish between true balance and managing off-balance through some simple exercises and can then transfer these feelings into their practice.
Moving from the centre has a major place in taijiquan practice and application and before we even begin the form we teach an appreciation and feel of centre movement. Students begin to learn what it actually is to move from the centre. To have each movement literally start from the centre of your body is something that not everyone truly does. A lot of people I hear talk about moving from the centre but when you watch them move they are completely oblivious to this part of their body. In fact, I would say that some don’t even know they’ve got a body and have no proprioperceptive awareness. Many people who practice taijiquan don’t know where their body is in space or how it relates effectively to gravity and the earth and yet this is where the power and initiation for our movements comes from.
Some time is spent with the students in taking them through basic structural principles of taijiquan with the main emphasis to begin with placed on the lower body. Some of this is explained as we teach the opening of the taijiquan form (Taiji Qi Shi) and all these principles follow on and are explained in context for the subsequent postures and linking moves.
It must be said at this point that the student will not be anywhere near competent in these principles, they are taught to give an understanding of how and why taijiquan works as a tool for health and relaxation. The students should understand after their first lesson that it’s not what moves you do, it’s HOW you do them, that’s what makes it taijiquan. As long as you adhere to the principles of structure and movement, understand intent and function then no matter what style of taijiquan you do or what form you learn, it WILL be taijiquan.
Most people in practising their form simply do choreography, they run through the postures with no focus on body, breath or mind. They have learnt the ‘form’ and think that they know taijiquan. This is quite obviously not the case. There are many aspects to taijiquan training and it takes more than learning the hand form to be able to perform and teach the art proficiently. The body, mind and nervous system have to be retrained to move in accordance with the principles. One of my pet peeves is people who have learnt a taijiquan form saying “I know taijiquan” or “I’m a taijiquan teacher”. The reason I dislike this so much is probably because I am guilty in my early days of teaching choreography. I might as well have been teaching line dancing or some such thing. My teachers just didn’t know how the principles applied to the postures. They had read or been told about the principles but they hadn’t experienced them. It was when I met my present teachers Gordon Faulkner, and later Peter Ralston, that I really appreciated the art of movement that is taijiquan. What I had been teaching was a complete joke. Some teachers know their stuff and some don’t I suppose. So anyway, enough of my faults for now and back to the training!
Some of the areas we cover in our sessions are:
Some of the Taijiquan Hand Forms taught at Chanquanshu: 24 step, Long Form (108 step), 13 Step Inner Structure, Original Wudang, Cheng Hsin sets, 13 step Fast Form) all teach something different. Everyone starts with the core 24 step Beijing Form
Zhan Zhuang (Standing Practice)
Daoyin Yangsheng Gong
Applications and Function for those who are interested
Dan Tian Training
Leg Strength Training (The Crawl, for more competent students, Lower Taijiquan Forms)
Sensitivity
Yielding (basic, mosquito, sensation awareness, unconditional, active or yang yielding)
Perceptive Skills (Ting Jing, outreaching)
Grounding Skills and Ground Relations
Relaxing
Philosophy & History
Energy Flows according to TCM
T’ui Shou & Joined Hands Practices and so on.
Posture testing is done throughout including Zhan Zhuang. Martial applications and function are only introduced at a later stage if the student is interested. It should be noted that to introduce martial applications too soon, will result in taijiquan becoming gongfu. When the body and nervous system have been trained and changed such that a completely new way of moving and relating is realised, Only then can you really introduce function and application keeping the body relaxed and effortless and relating appropriately to the opponent / partner.
Leg strength is a feature of the school and while learning the form, students will be asked to move lower and lower while maintaining correct structure. The Chinese believe that the Qi comes from the Dan Tian but that the Li (strength or power) comes from the thighs and this is why they al the Chinese perform low - to access and train Li. We teach this way because this is the way the study in China. Gordon Faulkner travels to China every year to study with some of the top Chinese masters and passes on their teaching methods to our schools. We are in every way possible, a traditional school adhering to the Chinese methods and practises. In recognition of Gordon’s expertise he is Ru Shi Di Zi (usually called a closed-door disciple) with two of China’s most respected masters Master Zhang Guangde (Daoyin Yangsheng Gong) and Grandmaster You Xuan De (Wudangshan Sanfeng Academy Hubei, original Wudang Martial Arts). His leg strength has to be seen to be believed. At the school we don’t like people to “walk through the forms”, training can be rigourous.
Yielding and sensitivity skills keep us in touch with what’s happening, TCM can clarify things for us and learning the energy flows from Daoyin practice furthers our knowledge that little bit deeper. So, as you can see, there’s plenty to do at the classes and for those who’d like to become teachers, look to a minimum of 15 years. If you have any questions at all please contact Mike Hart on 01792 415310 / 07901 870499 or email
I’ll probably continue this section later on and go more into the interactive and grounding skills, so I hope you’ve enjoyed reading the article and browsing the site and hope to hear from some of you soon. If you think you’re up to the classes come and join us, there’s an information pack on the downloads page
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