Boot camp
   
     

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Weekend morning training

Start time 6:15 AM at our house. There will be training for most of the morning and food. We aim to finish late morning.


Experience for yourself

Boot camp is an opportunity to experience what home training actually feels like when you do it properly. A few hours of dedicated training will make you feel amazing.
It may even inspire you to start practicing at home yourself.


Revise

This is a good opportunity to practice all of the qigong exercises and a lot of partner work.
 

When you do tai chi, you shouldn't sweat.
Sweating is a sign that energy is being dissipated.
It comes from tension and it's as if you are depleting your bank account.
Doing tai chi, you want to accumulate energy, not spend it.
So, if you sweat, you should stop and rest.

(Cheng Man Ching)


A long workshop

Please note that boot camp is akin to two workshops taught back-to-back. Sifu Waller will be offering corrections, insights, tips & pointers throughout the morning.


Duration

Boot camp runs between 6:15 AM and 9:30 AM; just over 3 hours training (with a tea break). After 9 AM people's attention span starts to diminish and the quality of the training gets worse.


Breakfast

At 9:30 AM Rachel serves breakfast and Sifu Waller retires for the morning.


A healthy morning

Most people do not train at home, so boot camp involves an uncommon amount of training for the average student. The actual practice takes about 3 hours in total.
This is interspersed with constructive rest, reading, eating, drinking green tea and walking in nature.


Plenty of qigong

A less experienced student is not adept with tai chi so they need to do a lot of qigong. It provides the necessary fitness benefits by serving as a stopgap pending higher level tai chi skill.


Schedule

Typical itinerary:

  1. Full circle qigong (30 mins)

  2. Self-massage

  3. Ba duan jin (8 exercises)

  4. Moving qigong

  5. Plate exercise

  6. Standing post

  7. 4 directions - forwards & backwards

  8. 4 directions - to the side

  9. Opening & closing - to the side

  10. Cloud hands

  11. Moving qigong (8 exercises)

  12. Stretches & joint work (12 exercises)

  13. Leg stretches

  14. Long Yang form (regular & mirrored)

  15. Constructive rest

  16. Partner work

  17. A walk outdoors


Watch & learn

This is a rare opportunity to see how a high-level practitioner performs the art.


Required equipment

Wear kung fu trousers, a T-shirt and a fleece (if required).
Additional equipment:

  1. Yoga mat

  2. A book from the reading list

  3. Waterproof coat

  4. Outdoor shoes

  5. 1 litre of water to drink

Under no circumstances should students wear a changshan, tai chi T-shirt or teaching assistant T-shirt to our house. Nothing has ever changed in this regard. Wearing the right gear is an insurance requirement.


Attendees

Places are limited to 7 students.

Food

Sifu Waller and Rachel seek to eat healthily, so please do not bring any meat snacks, junk food or energy drinks. Bring bottled water.
If you have any special eating requirements, please advise Rachel by e-mail well in advance.


Fee

£25.
Payable in advance, at your earliest convenience.
 

I barely felt any aching or stiffness in the following days which was a change from previous boot camps. Although I felt alert and full of energy when I left the session I felt an unusually high level of tiredness later in the afternoon. To the extent of being unable to stay awake and falling asleep for two hours in a chair at a relatives house! I also slept very well that night.

Training outdoors and going through a thorough morning routine is inspiring.
With a noticeable feeling of increased energy and mental clarity it becomes clear how much benefit there is in daily morning training. You quickly forget about the 6:30 start once you begin training.
I've struggled to stick to daily morning training thus far but since boot camp I've managed a short morning routine every morning. Only three days in but perhaps this is the turning point!
The boot camp offers something quite different to class and workshops. I would recommend it to all eligible class members.

(Marc)



Many thanks to Sifu and yourself for a very well thought out boot camp. It was very useful to work through so much material in a relaxed atmosphere and get a true feeling for what a full tai chi workout entails. I was definitely tired but relaxed by the finish! Thanks also for your kind hospitality which also contributed to a very enjoyable morning.

(Martin)
 

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Page created 18 April 1995
 Last updated 2 June 2014

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