FAQs (class members)
 
     

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Common questions

Beginners
send
e-mails with a variety of questions. This is a sample:

  1. How do you pronounce Waller?

  2. Why don't we offer pay-as-you-go?

  3. Why do members pay by standing order?

  4. Why don't we offer tai chi in the park?

  5. Why don't we teach on Bank Holiday Mondays?

  6. What exactly am I paying a monthly fee for?

  7. What if I don't like the fee structure/policy?

  8. Why have I been moved to qigong & tai chi?

  9. Kung fu for the elderly?

  10. Can I train bagua?

  11. Should I learn tai chi chuan, bagua and hsing i?

  12. Why doesn't Sifu care about YouTube clips?

  13. What kind of Yang style are we training?

  14. How much training should I do at home?

  15. Should I train when sick?

  16. How can I speed up my progress?

  17. Why don't you produce more DVDs?

  18. I have backache, what can I do?

  19. How long will it take me to become an expert?

  20. Can I train the 3-tier wallbag?

  21. Will you teach me yoga and core strength?

  22. Why do tai chi students pay more money to work with Sifu Waller?

  23. How do I move up a grade?

  24. I want to move from qigong & tai chi to tai chi chuan

  25. I want to move from tai chi chuan to qigong & tai chi

  26. How do I become an instructor?

  27. Do you offer boot camp?

  28. Do you offer evening or weekend private tuition?

  29. I want to be an indoor student

  30. Will background reading help my practice?

  31. I don't want to train at home in case I do it incorrectly

  32. Belt policy?

  33. What inspired Sifu Waller to study tai chi?

More information:

  1. School database

  2. A-Z


How do you pronounce Waller?

It is common for students to mispronounce their own instructor's name. This does not look good. It makes the student look stupid. People often say "Wol-ah" or some other erroneous mispronunciation.
Consider: caller, taller, smaller, hauler, mauler, brawler, Waller.
http://rhymebrain.com/en/What_rhymes_with_waller.html

Sifu Waller was named after his ancestor Nicholas de Valer.
Waller is the Anglicised version of the Norse name "de Valer".
de Valer is associated the French word 'valers', meaning value or worth.


Why don't we offer pay-as-you-go?

Pay-as-you-go was offered by Newcastle Tai Chi for a few years. However, sporadic attendance and intermittent, unreliable income made it difficult to sustain classes, rent the hall etc, and we were at risk of closure.


Why do members pay by standing order?

In 2008, the students of the school were faced with school closure and asked Sifu Waller if they could figure out a way to keep the school open.
Students set up an online discussion forum and brainstormed ideas. They ultimately decided that the best approach was to pay by standing order, regardless of attendance.

Whilst not ideal, it meant that the school was up and running, as and when they were able to attend lessons.


Why don't we offer tai chi in the park?

We used to. Between 2020-2023 we had weekly park sessions on a Sunday morning. By the end of 2023 interest was dwindling. 2024 started poorly, with few Sundays attracting sufficient numbers.
It was cancelled due to lack of interest.


Why don't we teach on Bank Holiday Mondays?

We used to. When we used MEA House and Shakespeare Hall (Durham), we rented the hall, drove to the venue, prepared the facility and heated the room. A lot of people committed to attend on Bank Holiday Monday, but few actually did.
One Bank Holiday there were quite literally no students in attendance. This wasn't good.

Our contract with St Andrew''s Church hall doesn't include Bank Holiday Monday rental. The church often wants to organise community events and knowing that the hall is available on a Bank Holiday Monday is convenient for the church.


What exactly am I paying a monthly fee for?

See the list... It is not a weekly tuition fee (
pay-as-you-go). It's an annual membership fee. The fee is paid regardless of attendance/class availability. Members are paying for the hall rental, the hosting of this website, the authoring of these pages, opportunities and personal attention, in addition to tuition.

In a nutshell, you're paying for the class to be up and running as and when you can attend.


 


What if I don't like the fee structure/policy?

That's perfectly okay. There are many other classes in the North East. Clearly, ours is not a good fit for you.


Why have I been moved to qigong & tai chi?

Tai chi students who do not attend lessons frequently will be moved to qigong & tai chi. This is for your own wellbeing rather than a penalty.
We must also adhere to the insurance requirements. It is not possible to train any martial art with a low level of commitment. All martial arts have a risk factor attached.
Poor attendance coupled with limited home practice is a recipe for injury
. Students who are moved should change their T-shirt to white.


Kung fu for the elderly?

Some martial arts schools offer programs tailored for children or for the over 60's. We do not. Teaching martial arts to those age groups requires specialised training and insurance cover for this type of practice. Unfortunately, we're neither trained nor insured to teach children or seniors. Most adults can train qigong & tai chi though.

Judo, karate, taekwondo, aikido etc have large international organisations. Schools often operate under a centralised governing body (rules, syllabus, grading etc). Such martial arts groups have a structural framework that accommodates all sorts of qualifications, specialisms etc. Tai chi taught as kung fu is whole different story. There is literally none of the above. And very few tai chi schools even tutor a real martial syllabus. Therefore, kung fu-oriented qualifications are rare. There are no qualifications for teaching tai chi as kung fu to senior citizens.

Now, if you consider another style of kung fu such as wing chun, it may be a different situation. However, a wing chun qualification for teaching kung fu to seniors is not very useful to tai chi. There's no shuai jiao in wing chun, nor fa jing, and not necessarily chin na either.

 

To get the most out of martial arts training, finding a tailored program for older adults is essential. Some standard features that may be important for older adults include shorter classes with more repetitions, modifications for those with disabilities, and instructor certification in geriatric martial arts.

(Graying With Grace)


 


Can I train bagua?

No. We are not offering bagua tuition.



Should I learn tai chi chuan, bagua and hsing i?

That's up to you.
Ask yourself: How much time do you intend to allocate to 1) Lessons/tuition, 2) Home practice, 3) Partnered practice in all three arts?
Also: How good do you want to get at each?

To become adept at just one art, a considerable daily training commitment is necessary.
Don't kid yourself. YouTube is filled with naive guys who kid themselves. You cannot get good without notable practice.
Committing to just one art is a tough call for most people. 2 or more is less realistic.


Why doesn't Sifu care about YouTube clips?

If you e-mail Sifu Waller to say that you have been watching YouTube clips, what does that say to your instructor? It tells him:
- that you have been sat hunched over the PC rather than practicing tai chi
- that rather than read this 900 page website you are trawling for examples of other people's tai chi
- instead of working on your own tai chi you are watching somebody else's practice
- you are watching YouTube instead of studying the books from the reading list


This is not an auspicious e-mail to send.


What kind of Yang style are we training?

Long Yang.

Do some research e.g.
Articles
The development of Yang style taijiquan
Traditional Yang style training sequence
Advanced taijiquan
Long Boxing
Jing
Neigong 
Combat
Speed


How much training should I do at home?

That depends upon you. If you have enthusiasm and want to train, then do so. If you do not want to train, then do not train. Nothing should be forced.
 

How long does it take to learn to play the guitar? How many lessons are needed to speak Japanese? Obviously it depends upon your purpose. Do you want to be the next Segovia or Clapton, or just to play a few simple tunes? Do you intend to translate haiku, or are you simply preparing for a two-week vacation? Although the skill of your teacher and your talent level will certainly influence your progress, the duration and intensity of your study will be determined ultimately by the level of expertise that you seek.

(Michael Gelb)

More...


Should I train when sick?

This depends upon what is wrong with you and whether or not it is appropriate to be exercising. In Asia you would try to go to classes even if you had broken an arm or leg.
It may not be possible to practice, but you can still learn through observation (mitori geiko). In the West, you must do what you feel is best for you.
Sifu Waller trains no matter what. He was very ill in Malaysia, has suffered broken bones, torn ligaments, migraines, various injuries, wisdom teeth extraction etc... and he never stopped training at home.
On many occasions Sifu Waller has taught lessons whilst being quite ill and no one even noticed.


How can I speed up my progress?

Learn the foundation skills thoroughly. Know all of the qigong exercises, the entire pattern of the Long Yang form and all of the basic partner work drills. Competence with the basics is the key.
Practice, practice, practice. Get to class early, attend workshops, train at home, watch our DVDs, read the books, find a home training partner, become an indoor student.


Why don't you produce more DVDs?

DVDs take a lot of time to film, produce and burn. We have a very small number of students to sell them to and virtually no chance of making a profit from DVDs.
Besides, many students fail to make use of the titles we are already offering...



I have backache, what can I do?

Go see a doctor. Constructive rest every day for at least 20 minutes each time.



How long will it take me to become an expert?

Expertise requires 10000 hours of good quality on-going practice. Improving, deliberate practice, with regular corrections and continuous progress. Calculate:

  1. The number of hours per year you attend class

  2. How often you train at home

  3. How much time is spent on research and study

Do the maths...


Can I train the 3-tier wallbag?

Yes, tai chi students can train this. Buy a 3-tier wallbag and open finger bag gloves first.
Explore the 3-tier wallbag with Sifu Waller 15 minutes before any workshop you have signed-up for (weather permitting). Tuition is contingent upon proof of progress.


Will you teach me yoga and core strength?

Neither yoga nor core strength exercises are on the syllabus. Psoas exercises are in the curriculum.

We used to teach both yoga and core strength exercises but very few people bothered to learn the exercises or train them at home.
Other students learned the exercises instead of qigong and form, which somewhat defeats the point of attending a tai chi class.

Nowadays, we will only teach yoga and core strength exercises very selectively.


Why do tai chi students pay more money to work with Sifu Waller?

Surely the question answers itself? Rachel teaches qigong and tai chi.

Sifu Waller teaches:

  1. Chin na (seizing)

  2. Shuai jiao (take downs)

  3. Tai chi chuan (dynamic balancing boxing)

  4. Neigong (whole-body strength)

  5. Jing (whole-body power)

  6. Weapons

  7. Martial skill

  8. Biomechanics

  9. Self defence

  10. Martial principles

  11. Qigong

  12. Form

  13. Pushing hands

  14. Principles

  15. Taoism

  16. Brain work (meditation, awareness, metacognition)

  17. Zen

The practice, assessment and tuition is significantly more in-depth. Also, Sifu Waller is a master of tai chi. Rachel is not.


How do I move up a grade?

Get to class as early as you can. Print off the progress page for your current grade and ask Rachel (beginners) or Sifu Waller (tai chi only) to tick off the items you are competent with.
Seek tuition for unfamiliar topics. Practice between lessons. Aim to train with other students between lessons.
Remember that your progress is your responsibility, not ours: "You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink".


I want to move from tai chi chuan to qigong & tai chi

Just let Rachel know about this.


How do I become an instructor?

Qigong & tai chi:
- practice daily at home between lessons
- a track record of long-term weekly class attendance
- show aptitude with all items in the qigong & tai chi syllabus
- be capable of answering detailed questions concerning the principles and wisdom of tai chi
- extensive shido-geiko experience in class
- private lessons with Sifu Waller
- regular workshop attendance
- a good relationship with other students
- be a strong communicator
- have patience
- a sense of humour is essential


Tai chi:
- as above but much more earnest
- show aptitude with all items in the tai chi syllabus
- internal martial arts combat skill
- courage and compassion

We offer an extensive teaching training program that is free of charge.



Do you offer boot camp?

Yes.



Do you offer evening or weekend private tuition?

No.
Boot camp and indoor tuition take place at the weekend.



Will background reading help my practice?

Sifu Waller believes that mind/mental training is paramount. He commits a considerable amount of time to this endeavour.
 Although the mind leads the body, reading must supplement (not replace) the
physical training... Compliment practice with principles and insight.
The greater your understanding, and the more receptive your mind is, the more easily you can learn.


I don't want to train at home in case I do it incorrectly

This is a very neat piece of reasoning but it is also flawed.
When a child learns how to write stories at school, do they quit because they make spelling mistakes, grammatical errors and cannot express their thoughts skilfully?
When a person learns a new language, do they expect to be fluent immediately? Do they quit because their French is not as good a natural-born French person? Or do they persevere and improve?


Belt policy

When you need a new belt, the process is simple:

1) Ask Rachel if she stocks the belt colour you require.
2) If Rachel doesn't stock the colour you need, purchase it online. Perhaps from Blitz or CIMAC.

Do not take a hand-me-down belt from another student. Get you own.


What inspired Sifu Waller to study tai chi?

Sifu Waller watched David Carradine in the TV series Kung Fu in the early 1970's and this prompted him to commence martial arts practice.
It also inspired an interest in the philosophical/spiritual side of training.
He later saw The Silent Flute and eventually the BBC documentary The Way of the Warrior.

More...


school database


Page created 26 November 2007
Last updated 12 October 2023