Monsieur Poulpe (octopus)
	With limbs like boneless tentacles.

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Helper

Marc is a tai chi for health teaching assistant. He has over 10 years practice behind him.


Taijiquan

Marc is working through the taijiquan blue belt syllabus.


Baguazhang

Marc is working through the baguazhang brown belt syllabus.
To pass this belt, Marc needs to demonstrate aptitude with 2 sets of shuai jiao applications and 3 sets of chin na applications.


Coffee Club

Marc is the founder member of the Coffee Club.


2021 attendance

Marc has attended the required number of workshops for grading.
 

His ability to take adequate care of himself.
Not a hypochondriac or obsessed with his appearance, but not ignoring things either.
With the result that he hardly ever needed medical attention,
or drugs or any sort of salve or ointment.

(Marcus Aurelius)
 

Taijiquan syllabus

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

Baguazhang syllabus

Blue

6 direction changes
8 mother palms
9 palaces
Body overturning drill
Circle walking
Crane stepping
The crouch
Figure of 8
The gaze
Lion stepping
Partnered circle walking
Shuai jiao applications (sets 1 & 2)

Challenge – 6 direction changes drilling (20 mins x 6 weeks)
Challenge – 8 mother palms drilling (20 mins x 6 weeks)
Challenge – 9 palaces drilling (20 mins x 6 weeks)
Challenge – circle walking drilling (60 mins x 6 weeks)
Challenge – figure of 8 drilling (60 mins x 6 weeks)

Worth reading:

• Chinese Boxing by Robert Smith

Purple

8 directions stepping
16 elbows
60/40 stance
Chin na applications (sets 1,2 & 3)
Drilling (spiralling forward)
Kicking exercise
Mud stepping
Pressing (splitting)
Rolling (circular coiling)
Plate exercise (baguazhang version)
Toe in, toe out
Wrapping (embrace)
Yielding/chin na
Yielding/shuai jiao

Challenge – 8 directions stepping (120 mins x 6 weeks)
Challenge – 60/40 stance circle walking drilling (120 mins x 6 weeks)
Challenge – 60/40 stance figure of 8 drilling (120 mins x 6 weeks)
Challenge – yielding/chin na drilling (5 minutes)
Challenge – yielding/shuai jiao drilling (5 minutes)

Worth reading:

• Bagua Linked Palms by Wang Shujin

Brown

Single palm change - fixed frame (regular & mirrored)
Double palm change - fixed frame (regular & mirrored)
Striking palm change - fixed frame (regular & mirrored)
Piercing palm change - fixed frame (regular & mirrored)
Flicking palm change - fixed frame (regular & mirrored)
Body overturning palm change - fixed frame (regular & mirrored)
Shaking body palm change - fixed frame (regular & mirrored)
Turning body palm change - fixed frame (regular & mirrored)

Challenge – body overturning palm change - fixed frame drilling (60 mins x 12 weeks)
Challenge – double palm change - fixed frame drilling (60 mins x 12 weeks)
Challenge – flicking palm change - fixed frame drilling (60 mins x 12 weeks)
Challenge – piercing palm change - fixed frame drilling (60 mins x 12 weeks) 
Challenge – shaking body palm change - fixed frame drilling (60 mins x 12 weeks) 
Challenge – single palm change - fixed frame drilling (60 mins x 12 weeks)
Challenge – striking palm change - fixed frame drilling (60 mins x 12 weeks)
Challenge – turning body palm change - fixed frame drilling (60 mins x 12 weeks)
Challenge – self defence relay (against all baguazhang students)

Fitness requirement:

• Core strength (3 sets)
• Leg stretches (2 sets)
• Psoas exercises
• Taoist yoga (3 sets)

Worth reading:

• The Power of Internal Martial Arts by Bruce Frantzis

Black (1st dan)

3-D
5 animals
Balance, rhythm, timing
Becoming the centre
Chin na applications (misplacing the bones)
Countering punches, kicks and grapples
Dying ground
Elbow
Entry methods
Escape from a hold
Everybody falls
First hand/second hand
Folding
Kicking
Monkey
Monkey paws
Mutual arising
Shuai jiao applications
The way of the bear
The way of the bird
The way of the monkey
The way of the snake
The way of the tiger
Yielding/countering

Challenge – 5 animals palm change drilling (60 mins x 12 weeks)
Challenge – chin na applications (30 minutes x 12 weeks)
Challenge – countering punches, kicks and grapples (30 minutes x 12 weeks)
Challenge – escapes relay (5 minutes)
Challenge – form drilling (monkey)  (60 mins x 12 weeks)
Challenge – monkey paws (30 minutes x 12 weeks)
Challenge – shuai jiao applications (30 minutes x 12 weeks)
Challenge – yielding/countering drilling (5 minutes)

Worth reading:

• Effortless Combat Throws by Tim Cartmell

Greyed out items meet the required standard of skill.

school database

Page created 18 April 1995
Last updated 25 February 2021

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