Rachel
Instructor
     

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Qigong & tai chi teacher

Rachel received an 'instructor' qualification in 2014. She is qualified to teach qigong and tai chi.


Tai chi chuan syllabus (13 areas of study)

Rachel has passed these belts:

  1. White 1

  2. White 2

  3. Yellow 1

  4. Yellow 2

  5. Orange

  6. Green

  7. Blue

  8. Purple

  9. Brown 1

  10. Brown 2

She is working through black belt (1st dan).


Tea Club

Rachel is the founder of the Tea Club.
 

As they dragged him away, Rorschach spoke to the other inmates.

He said, "None of you understand. I'm not locked up in here with you. You're locked up in here with me."

 (Watchmen)
 


Tai chi chuan syllabus


White 1

Qigong exercises
- standing qigong/3 circle qigong
- full circle qigong
- form posture qigong
- ba duan jin (8 exercises)
- moving qigong (8 exercises)


Reeling silk exercises
- plate exercise
- 4 directions - forwards & backwards
- 4 directions - to the side
- Opening & closing - to the side
- Cloud hands


Pushing peng (intro)
Standing post

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


White 2
Partner work
-
4 directions with a partner
- central equilibrium – maintain the centre
- eyes-closed walking
- palm at 3 distances
- peripheral vision - mugger scenario
- posture testing
- yielding exercise

- 90°
- diamond stepping
- leading & following (eyes-closed)
- relative distance (tig)
- avoiding line of force (solo & melee)
- riding the attack
The ball game
Monkey paws
Pushing legs
Single pushing hands

Challenge – full circle qigong (30 mins x 4 weeks)
Challenge – standing qigong (4 postures) (20 minutes x 4 weeks)


Yellow 1

Long Yang form (section 1) (regular)
Ba duan jin #2 - alternate version
Constructive rest
Horse stance
How to escape from a hold
Moving qigong (complete set)
Partner work mistakes

Challenge - form challenge (60 mins x 4 weeks)
Challenge - yielding exercise challenge (30 mins x 6 weeks)

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

Recommended reading - The Sword Polisher's Record


Yellow 2

Bracing
Fear of falling
Floor work
- basics
- back-to-back
Hitting a focus mitt

Horse stance qigong
How to punch
Playing the attacker
- commitment
- range & reach
Psoas exercises
Punching rehab


Challenge - horse stance qigong (5 mins x 4 weeks)
Challenge - qigong and reeling silk in 30 mins (30 mins x 4 weeks)

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

Recommended reading - There Are No Secrets


Orange

Long Yang form (section 2) (regular)
High circle qigong
How to slip a hold
Knife drills
Loose striking

Yang style bow stance (intro)
Yielding basic skills

Challenge - form challenge (section 2) (60 mins x 4 weeks)
Challenge - knife drilling (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 Essence of Tai Chi Chuan - The Literary Tradition


Green

4 directions with a partner (no contact)
70/30 stance

Cat-stepping
Countering
- 3 B's: blocking, blending & balance
- 4 stages
- fence
- X-shape
Leg stretches (2 sets)
Monkey paws (5 hands)
Qigong development

Challenge - qigong development (40 mins x 4 weeks)

Assignment #1 - Cat stepping

Recommended reading - Peak


Blue

Long Yang form (section 3) (regular)
Floor work
- kicks
- tackling

Stretches & joint work
Yielding exercise
- take to the ground


Challenge - 3 sets of qigong in 30 mins (30 mins x 4 weeks)
Challenge - form challenge (section 3) (60 mins x 4 weeks)

Assignment #1 - Martial concepts theory

Recommended reading -
 Chinese Boxing   


Purple

Long Yang form (mirrored)
Chair game
Martial concepts & qigong
Square on the inside, round on the outside
Stick drills (3 sets)
Taoist yoga (3 sets)

Challenge - form challenge (mirrored) (60 mins x 4 weeks)
Challenge - stick drills (30 mins x 6 weeks)

Recommended reading - The Art of War   


Brown 1

Long Yang form (lines of force version)
3-D
Central equilibrium
- fixed feet
Crescent moon
Da lu
Kicking game
- evasive body focus
- sustained & varied kicking
Massage
Sword drills

Challenge - da lu (60 mins x 4 weeks)
Challenge - lines of force form (regular & mirrored) (60 mins x 4 weeks)
Challenge - sword drills (30 mins x 4 weeks)

Recommended reading -
 The Book of Five Rings 


Brown 2

Long Yang form (fingers as fists)

Being hit
Breath meditation

Combat stance
Core strength exercises
(3 sets)

Double pushing hands
Monkey paws (stepping)
Qigong on one leg
San sau
Slam ball challenge

Striking pads
- focus mitt, squashy pad, round pad

Challenge - double pushing hands (60 mins x 4 weeks)
Challenge - fingers as fists form (regular & mirrored) (60 mins x 4 weeks)
Challenge – san sau (30 mins x 6 weeks)

Recommended reading - The Way of Chuang Tzu
 


Black (1st dan)

2-person cane drill (regular & mirrored)
3-tier wallbag (4 sets)
5 bows
5 bows exercise
Chin na applications (3 sets)
Finishing-off
Gravity striking
Loose striking

Immovable elbow
Keeping the pressure on when attacking
Neigong (1-10)
The power/function of 'li'
Pushing peng (partnered)
Pushing peng (striking)

Pushing peng exercise
Ready/guard stance

Silk arms (1-6)
Speed striking
Yielding exercise
-
finishing off

Challenge - 2-person cane drill (regular & mirrored) (60 mins x 4 weeks)
Challenge - chin na applications #1 (60 mins x 4 weeks)
Challenge - chin na applications #2 (60 mins x 4 weeks)
Challenge - chin na applications #3 (60 mins x 4 weeks)
Challenge – silk arms (30 mins x 6 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)

Sabre form (regular & mirrored)
Long Yang form (5 bows)
Biomechanical advantage
Chops
Floor work
- chin na
Meditation on body sensations
Neigong (extras)
Newton’s Laws of Motion
Qigong revision
Shuai jiao applications (2 sets)

Strategic stepping
Tactics used by other arts
Using 3-D to gain optimal power

Challenge - 5 bows form (regular & mirrored) (60 mins x 4 weeks)
Challenge - floor work endurance (10 mins)
Challenge - sabre form (regular & mirrored) (60 mins x 4 weeks)
Challenge - shuai jiao applications #1 (60 mins x 4 weeks)
Challenge - shuai jiao applications #2 (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


Black (3rd dan)

Walking stick form (regular & mirrored)
Long Yang form (moving from centre version)
5 elements
Anti-sparring
Countering punches, kicks & grapples
Countering/pushing peng
Cultivating peng
Everybody falls
Floor work
- control
- expedience
Form applications (section 1)
Freeform triangle
Leverage principles (misplacing the bones)
Neigong (11-20)
San sau (peng)
Silk arms (peng)
Small stick drills
Small stick flexibility drills
Sustaining peng throughout your counter
Yielding/chin na

Challenge - chin na relay (5 minutes)
Challenge - moving from centre form (regular & mirrored) (60 mins x 4 weeks)
Challenge - san sau (peng) (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 - small stick drills (60 mins x 4 weeks)
Challenge - walking stick form (regular & mirrored) (60 mins x 4 weeks)
Challenge - yielding/chin na endurance (10 mins)


Assignment #1 - 36 Strategies
Assignment #2 - Commentaries on Living volume 2
Assignment #3 - Peak
Assignment #4 - Tao of Being
Assignment #5 - The Little Zen Companion


Black (4th dan)

Jian form (regular & mirrored)
Long Yang form (folding version)
4 ounces exercise
5 animals
5 centres

6 balanced pairs
Countering a knife
Cultivating sung
Disarming
Dying ground
Elbow
Escapes/knife

Fa li
Floor work
- multiple opponents
- tactics
- dying ground

Folding
Form applications (section 2)
Groundpath
Holding down the pillow
Kicking
Meditation on emotions
Moving with kwa
Neigong (21-30)
Punching from the centre
Pushing hands development
Yielding/shuai jiao

Challenge - folding form (regular & mirrored) (60 mins x 4 weeks)
Challenge - jian form (regular & mirrored) (60 mins x 4 weeks)
Challenge - section 2 form applications (120 mins x 24 weeks)

Challenge - shuai jiao relay (5 minutes)
Challenge - yielding/shuai jiao endurance (10 mins)

Assignment #1 - Tai Chi Theory & Martial Power
Assignment #2 -
Back to Beginnings
Assignment #3 - Chuang Tzu in a Nutshell
Assignment #4 - The Art of War (Cleary/Shambhala)
Assignment #5 - Tao Te Ching (various translations)

Greyed out items meet the required standard of skill.


school database


Page created 18 April 1995
Last updated 13 December 2023