Martial routine
   
     

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Martial art

Start with the fitness routine. If you can handle that, you have the physical foundation upon which to build your martial skills.
Unless you can perform the qigong and tai chi for health material with ease, you are not yet fit enough for tai chi.


A martial athlete?

Combat is not easy and there is a risk of injury if the student is unfit. This is true of any martial art. To reach a high level of skill, the student needs to take a lesson from sport.
They must become a lot fitter, but not necessarily a martial athlete.



How much should you do?

The key thing is to practice what you have been taught. Practice often enough to remember the art.
Train frequently enough to progress at the speed you want, relative to your own individual ambitions and expectations.


Little & often

Rather than train for a lengthy period of time, aim to practice little & often. 20-30 minute increments, with rest breaks in-between is ideal.
Instead of pushing your body hard and putting it under duress, just do a little exercise. Resting will keep your concentration sharp and offset fatigue.


Pain

Sore muscles are fine but aching joints are not. If you experience any lasting discomfort, see your instructor immediately.


Invest in form

Students normally underestimate the significance of form. Bad form = bad tai chi. It is that simple. Your form reflects and determines how you move, how you use your body.
Invest as much time as you can in form practice. The better your form, the easier all aspects of the tai chi will be to pull off.


Beginners routine

About 30 minutes a day. Full circle qigong (30 mins) should be performed weekly.


Coloured belt routine

The next level of training involves a lot of applications, along with martial drills. These need to be practiced frequently. Significant progress with form is also required.


Black belt routine

If you make it past the foundation level, you will need an established home training routine in order to maintain and improve your standard of fitness. Being in condition is a must.
Neglecting your fitness means injury. The routine must include everything you have previously studied, plus everything new... It may take 2 hours to perform...


Instructors

An instructor's routine exceeds anything shown above.
The Tao Te Ching teaches: master self before attempting to master others.
As an instructor, if your own training is lax, you are not doing the art (or yourself) justice. You owe it to your students to set the example. Your skills cannot ever be mediocre or unrefined.


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Page created 2 March 1995
Last updated 16 June 2023