The Man Without Fear
	Fear is the only darkness.

classes     taijiquan     self defence     qigong     tai chi for health     about us     reviews     a-z

Assistant teacher

Chris is an assistant teacher for tai chi for health.


Volunteer Coordinator

As Volunteer Coordinator, Chris ensures that all teaching assistants have an equal opportunity to engage with students and deliver the material in an appropriate way.


Indoor student

Chris is an indoor student, studying directly with Sifu Waller.


Taijiquan

Chris is working through the taijiquan green belt syllabus.


Tea Club

Chris is a member of the Tea Club.


2021 attendance

Chris has attended the required number of workshops for grading.
 

The martial arts were not developed for the defence of soldiers fighting on battlefields. Neither are they sports. The combat that martial artists practice is free of restraints. Martial arts have one objective only: to neutralise an attack by any means, and as rapidly as possible.

(Howard Reid)
 

White

Qigong

Assignment #1 - Q & A
Assignment #2 - Attitude & etiquette

Yellow

The ball game
Monkey paws
Partner work
Psoas exercises
Pushing legs
Single pushing hands

Challenge – full circle qigong (30 mins x 4 weeks)
Challenge – standing qigong (4 postures) (20 minutes x 4 weeks)
Challenge - yielding exercise challenge (30 mins x 6 weeks)

Assignment #1 - Q & A
Assignment #2 - Attitude & etiquette
Assignment #3 - Q & A
Assignment #4 - Attitude & etiquette

Orange

Long Yang form (section 1) (regular)
Constructive rest
Fear of falling
Horse stance
How to escape from a hold
How to punch
Knife drills
Leg stretches (2 sets)
Partner work mistakes
Playing the attacker
- commitment
- range & reach
Punching rehab
Shuai jiao applications (set 1)
Yielding basic skills

Challenge - form challenge (60 mins x 4 weeks)
Challenge - knife drilling (30 mins x 4 weeks)
Challenge - shuai jiao applications (30 mins x 4 weeks)
Challenge - yielding basic skills challenge (30 mins x 6 weeks)

Assignment #1 - Q & A
Assignment #2 - A & E

Recommended reading - The Sword Polisher's Record

Green

Long Yang form (section 2) (regular)
Bracing
Cat-stepping
Chin na applications (set 1)
Floor work
- basics
- back-to-back
Hitting a focus mitt
Horse stance qigong
How to slip a hold
Loose striking
Penetrating defences (intro)
Standing post with arms

Challenge - chin na applications (30 mins x 4 weeks)
Challenge - form challenge (section 2) (60 mins x 4 weeks)
Challenge - horse stance qigong (5 mins x 12 weeks)

Assignment #1 - Cat stepping

Recommended reading - There Are No Secrets

Blue

Long Yang form (section 3) (regular)
4 directions with a partner (no contact)
70/30 stance
Countering
- 3 B's: blocking, blending & balance
- 4 stages
- fence
- X-shape
Monkey paws (5 hands)
Shuai jiao applications (set 2)
Silk arms
Qigong development
Tao yin/Taoist Yoga (3 sets)

Challenge - form challenge (section 3) (60 mins x 4 weeks)
Challenge - qigong development (40 mins x 4 weeks)
Challenge - shuai jiao applications (30 mins x 4 weeks)
Challenge – silk arms (30 mins x 6 weeks)

Assignment #1 - Martial concepts theory

Recommended reading - The Essence of Tai Chi Chuan - The Literary Tradition

Purple

Long Yang form (revision & corrections)
Chin na applications (set 2)
Floor work
- kicks
- tackling
Martial concepts & qigong
Penetrating defences
Silk arms #1
Square on the inside, round on the outside
Stick drills (3 sets)
Stretches & joint work
Yielding exercise - finishing off

Challenge - chin na applications (30 mins x 4 weeks)
Challenge - form challenge (60 mins x 4 weeks)
Challenge - penetrating defences (30 mins x 6 weeks)
Challenge - stick drills (30 mins x 6 weeks)
Challenge - yielding exercise - finishing off (30 mins x 6 weeks)

Recommended reading - The Art of War

Brown

Long Yang form (mirrored)
3-D
Biomechanical advantage
Central equilibrium
- fixed feet
Chair game
Chin na applications (set 3)
Core strength (3 sets)
Crescent moon
High circle qigong
Immovable elbow
Kicking game
- evasive body focus
- sustained & varied kicking
Martial sets: a precursor to form application
Massage
Monkey paws (stepping)
Moving qigong (complete set)
Qigong on one leg
Qigong revision
San sau
Slam ball challenge
Strategic stepping
Striking pads
- focus mitt, squashy pad, round pad
Yielding exercise
- take to the ground

Challenge - chin na applications (30 mins x 4 weeks)
Challenge - form challenge (mirrored) (60 mins x 4 weeks)
Challenge – san sau (30 mins x 6 weeks)

Recommended reading - The Book of Five Rings & The Way of Chuang Tzu   

Black (1st dan)

Sabre form (regular & mirrored)
2-person cane drill (regular & mirrored)
3-tier wallbag
5 bows
5 bows exercise
5 elements
6 balanced pairs
60/40 stance
Anti-sparring
Being hit
Biomechanics (qigong)
Breath meditation
Chops
Combat stance
Countering punches, kicks & grapples
Countering/pushing peng
Cultivating peng
Da lu
Double pushing hands
Dying ground
Everybody falls
Fa li
Floor work
- control
- expedience
Form applications (section 1)
Gravity striking
Keeping the pressure on when attacking
Long Yang form (lines of force version)
Loose striking
The power/function of 'li'
Pushing peng exercise
Pushing peng (partnered)
Pushing peng (striking)
Qigong revision
Ready/guard stance
Silk arms (peng)
San sau (peng)
Speed striking
Sustaining peng throughout your counter
Sword drills
Tactics used by other arts
Using 3-D to gain optimal power

Challenge - 2-person cane drill (regular & mirrored) (60 mins x 4 weeks)
Challenge - da lu (60 mins x 4 weeks)
Challenge - double pushing hands (60 mins x 4 weeks)
Challenge - floor work endurance (10 mins)
Challenge - lines of force form (regular & mirrored) (60 mins x 4 weeks)
Challenge - sabre form (regular & mirrored) (60 mins x 4 weeks)
Challenge - section 1 form applications (120 mins x 24 weeks)
Challenge - silk arms (peng) (60 mins x 4 weeks)
Challenge - san sau (peng) (60 mins x 4 weeks)
Challenge - sword drills (30 mins x 4 weeks)

Assignment #1 - The Sword Polisher's Record
Assignment #2 - There Are No Secrets
Assignment #3 - The Essence of Tai Chi Chuan - The Literary Tradition
Assignment #4 - The Art of War
Assignment #5 - The Book of Five Rings

Black (2nd dan)

Walking stick form (regular & mirrored)
4 ounces exercise
5 animals
5 centres
5 elements stepping
8 powers striking
13 postures
Crude fa jing
Cultivating sung
Elbow
Finishing-off
Floor work
- chin na
- dying ground
Folding
Form applications (section 2)
Freeform triangle
Groundpath
Holding down the pillow
Kicking
Meditation on body sensations
Meditation on emotions
Moving with kwa
Neigong (1-10)
Neigong (extras)
Newton’s Laws of Motion
Punching from the centre
Pushing hands development
Reverse breathing
San sau (variations)
Silk arms (variations)
Small stick drills
Small stick flexibility drills
Spiral body
Yin

Challenge - san sau (variations) (30 mins x 4 weeks)
Challenge - section 2 form applications (120 mins x 24 weeks)
Challenge - silk arms (variations) (30 mins x 4 weeks)
Challenge - small stick drills (60 mins x 4 weeks)
Challenge - walking stick form (regular & mirrored) (60 mins x 4 weeks)

Assignment #1 - The Way of Chuang Tzu
Assignment #2 - Moving Zen
Assignment #3 - The New Lao Tzu
Assignment #4 - Zen in the Art of Archery
Assignment #5 - 5 Elements of Effective Thinking

Greyed out items meet the required standard of skill.

school database

Page created 18 April 1995
Last updated 23 February 2021

▲