I was delighted to hear the other day that 2 of my students are intending to learn Chen style Taiji Double-Fan form with Eva Koskuba in the Autumn – the class runs on  the weekend 7/8 November
& Sunday 14 February 2016 – great fun!

Also another student tells me he intends to enrol on the Three-year Taijiquan Instructors Course with Karel Koskuba and Eva – I did this course and found it really brought my practice on by leaps and bounds so great choice and good luck!

Details of both courses are available on the CIAA website.

Not really martial arts or Tai Chi – but some hopefully useful life strategies and observations drawing on some martial arts and mindfulness approaches. For example:

Panic early enough to do something about it – make a plan and use it to monitor progress.

Do not leave things to the last minute – this saves preparation under pressure when mistakes are easily made and ensures that if you do need help then it is more likely to be available.

Prepare this evening for tomorrow – this saves preparation under pressure when mistakes are easily made and it interferes with other time-pressured tasks.

Trust other people to do the best they can – micro-management, backseat driving or looking over someone’s shoulder waste time and tend to bring out the worst in people who think you don’t trust them – and they are right.
Read the full piece here.

There seem to be many types and many purposes for doing meditation. As with most things some types are promoted as wonderful but are actually low level – you should decide for yourself which is which and what suits you.

I first came across meditation in the spiritual/psychological areas, but as you have probably gathered it is also a major component in many martial arts, both as a means of achieving better physical performance and as a way of dealing with the emotional stress of violence.

So I think we can consider the technique in terms of what one wants to get out of it – but more usually perhaps when starting, people try many different things to find out what they get out of them – it is useful to try a variety in order to understand the subject.

Personally I have found 2 variants particularly useful and you may like to try them amongst others.

Zen meditation
The type I was taught is where one sits somewhere comfortable, often on a cushion in-front of a wall about 2 feet away. Settle your gaze on the wall in an un-focused way then observe the thoughts that arise. When a thought arises “let it go “so use the wall like a screen onto which the images of your thought are projected then wiped off. When the next image arises wipe it away – ” let it go ” – do not get involved in the thoughts/images, just let them go and wait until the next arises – do not go looking for these thoughts. After a while no further thoughts arise and there will be only a calm mind.

Adapted Zen
For me this is a way for the conscious to contact the sub-conscious as a powerful way of resolving my understanding of a particular situation or question.

Lie down somewhere comfortable and dark. Become aware of and relax your whole body. Use the Zen technique to clear your mind – then ask yourself the question you wish to resolve, e.g. what is going on here in this situation? What do I really feel about this situation?

Allow the question to just sit as an image – generally I find in a few minutes a thought arises which is a true answer and has a resonance with my situation and feels right in my body – there is an all-over feeling of relief and letting go – an ah! moment. (Satori in Japanese)

This is not magic but the creation of new connections and you should be careful to ask questions to which you can reasonably expect that you have the ability to find the answer, since my rational for this process is that it allows you to use the sub-conscious mind – so only information you already have can be used. However I expect you will find that you have a great deal more than you are consciously aware of.

There seems to be a close similarity in meditative processes to the ritualistic physical routines of dance and martial arts, where the conscious mind is calmed or taken out of the loop so that the sub-conscious can do whatever it needs/wants without the interruption of conscious thought.
Other related activities including religious rituals and mental exercises such as path-working or self-hypnosis, all calm the chattering mind by giving the conscious mind a powerful pattern to follow, thus seeking to direct the sub-conscious in a specific way.

All have their place and their value depends on the individual and what you are seeking to do.
A final diversion – my understanding is that the sub-conscious is the real-time person and a very powerful but general bio-computer, whereas the conscious is a modelling tool ( like a video/games card ) that doubles as a post event display of real world activities and as an off-line system for intellectual modelling as a problem solving tool.

This raises the question which is the real me? And the answer may well be that the real me is the sub-conscious – but that is like asking what is a car – the engine or the tyres?

I think a more useful question is really – how can I get my conscious and sub-conscious working harmoniously together without conflict? And meditation seems to help.

If you want to practice meditation with others or learn other techniques then there are many opportunities although it is my experience that most will have some religious or other spiritual agenda – if you want that, fine, if not you could still learn from them.

Meditation is also the approach I take in my Tai Chi – where I find the quiet internal preparation and mindful observation both internally and externally to be important to practice.

We have recently added some useful material for beginners or those considering starting Tai Chi classes – this is all listed on our Tai Chi Classes page but can also be linked from here:

• The Dynamics of a Tai Chi Class – what Beginners can expect
• Guidelines for practising Tai Chi and Tai Chi Exercises
• Levels of Exercise – Why not go all out
• Alternative Health Exercises – Tai Chi inspired videos to watch
• FAQs
• Student Testimonials

Covering exercises, spiralling movement, qigong, meditation, Tai Chi principles and Alexander principles.

The seminar will be run by Ian Deavin and Judy Hammond and participants will be engaged in a fascinating mix of meditation and movement, creating inner body awareness and developing a practical and spiritual mind/body link of considerable strength.

Qigong is a basic training method of Tai Chi coupled with body spiralling, also found everywhere in the movement of dance and the natural world. Principles of Alexander Technique posture and relaxation aid in achieving good balance and relaxed easy movement – developed by Tai Chi practitioners into a way of creating powerful body centred action.

Venue: The Letchworth Centre for Healthy Living
Rosehill Hospital, Hitchin Road, Letchworth, Hertfordshire, SG6 3NA
Cost: £45 per seminar for bookings up to 1 week before the seminar. £55 after

To book contact The Letchworth Centre for Healthy Living on 01462 678804

Please wear suitable loose clothing and flat soled trainers or similar

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Read the full article for further explanation.