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Our 6 week introduction to tai chi courses

The six week introduction is an opportunity to experience Tai Chi with the option of moving into the main class held on Tuesday evenings in Newbury. 

During the sessions you will learn about Chi Kung (standing meditation), the warm up exercises we use and the tai chi foundation form. All three sections are integral to learning the three pillars Tai Chi

  • Centralising Energy
  • Circulating Energy 
  • Applied Energy 

The format of these sessions will be the same as the regular  Tuesday  class. This means you will be familiar with the class structure should you decide to continue. At the end of the 6 week introduction the aim is to allow practitioners to get a taste of some of the principles behind tai chi and help alignment of the body to help energy flow, balance and strength. 

First Section :  Standing Meditation  – 15 mins , 8 postures

  • Improve alignment of the body through posture correction 
  • Improve strength of the body by aligning to use core 
  • De-stress the mind by focusing on quietening the mind
  • De-Stress the body by developing strength through relaxation. Removing tension from our postures. 

Second Section : Warm up Exercises – 15 mins 

  • These Daoist Exercises focus on balance and moving the body with minimal effort.
  • These warm up exercises also help identify where balance may not be optimal. Regular practice of the exercises help to strengthen the body to allow balance to become more natural.  

Third Section : The Form  – 30 mins 

  • The most recognisable element of tai chi. At its most basic, it is a series of movements linked together that puts the body into various postures. 
  • Traditional Tai chi however also emphasises the purpose of each and every movement and posture. 
  • The Tai chi principles are hidden within the form. Unlocking the body’s potential and energy is achieved through understanding of the tai chi principles. Through these principles, the body becomes strong, the mind is calm, and the spirit is vibrant. 
  • Beginners start to learn the Master Ding Academy Foundation Form. This is a simplified form that contains al the basic movements that are used to prepare the student for the 108 movement Yang Style Long Form when they are ready.

A bit more about our tai chi:

  • Yang Style traditional tai chi with a direct lineage to the Yang Masters through Master Ding (1st disciple of Grandmaster Ip Tai Tak)
  • Beginners learn the foundation form and progress to the 108 movement long form when ready.  
  • Traditional Yang Style starts through the physical alignment of the body through standing meditation and posture testing and later moves towards more spiritual aspect to unify the mind , body and spirit.
  • Discipline is required to practice outside of class and bring t’ai chi into your lifestyle to truly access all the benefits that t’ai chi offer.  
  • Please also have a look at the website which will give you more information about tai chi. Traditional Tai Chi 
  • Ailments – there are many benefits to t’ai chi but it’s important to note that these are achieved through regular practice of quality t’ai chi and the art of t’ai chi cannot directly guarantee a personal result. 

A bit more about the 6 week course: 

  • Courses are run periodically on Monday’s by MDA Instructor Tan Bowles and Periodically on Friday’s by MDA Instructor William Mak. 

For further information please see contact details page. 

FAQs

Why Is it a 6 week course ?

I have found that it takes approximately 6 weeks for me to convey the essence of Traditional Tai Chi as passed down from the direct lineage of the Yang Family through their first disciples Grandmaster Master Ip Tai Tak and Master John Ding. 

Tai chi is more than just movement and “passively feeling the energy”. It is a very rich art where its subtleties cannot be conveyed in a single lesson. 

I do not offer free taster classes as I am not able to convey the beauty of the art of tai chi in a single lesson. My students are my priority to help them access the many benefits of tai chi by passing on my knowledge. 

I recommend the six week introduction to tai chi course to experience a glimpse of tai chi’s potential and potency. 

If you are curious about the class structure then this is described in the main section above.

Traditional Tai Chi Chuan is fully system covering both health and martial applications to achieve tai chi.  

One of the uniqueness of the MDA organisation is the ability of Master John and Master Alan Ding’s ability to apply the higher aspects of tai chi. To truly overcome hardness with softness requires training in a different way to remove tension from the body while still allowing the body to express strength. As student’s progress, it is this aspect that is more important. The ability to use all of the capabilities that tai chi enables to do the things that we want. This include the ability for self defence. To get to this state means developing a strong body and still mind. 

  • There are a lot of adverts online promoting tai chi and promising radical changes with little effort and incredible benefits. 
  • If that has led you here, then it’s a great first step. Sometimes the first step is the hardest. Developing consistent motivation is also a skill. To being you must to take the first step. 
  • It can be difficult to keep motivation and consistency up and sometimes the mind is biggest barrier to achieving our potential.  Therefore 9 minutes a day is a good starting point to build your habit. Tai chi involves changing your lifestyle to bring in its practices. This takes time but the benefits are worthwhile. 
  • Your body will develop an internal strength as your alignment and posture improves. 
  • Your mind is activated to learn the forms and then quieten to develop calmness under pressure.
  • You will learn to use your body in a way that lessens reliance on physical strength and tension within the body.
  • Balance improves by strengthening the legs, connecting the waist to the upper body so that they operate a single unit. This manifests as gentle flow when moving.     
  • Tai Chi is an internal art and its holistic approach starts strengthening from the inside so you can cultivate your energy to do the things that you want. 
  • Stronger Body through better posture and alignment. 
  • Better balance by strengthening the body (Centralising Energy)  and understanding how to move the body efficiently to move as a single flow with minimal effort (Circulating Energy) 
  • Calmness and De-stressing the mind through standing meditation (Centralising Energy), Practice of the form to fill the mind up with the challenge of learning a sequence of  physical moves. (Circulating Energy). Understanding how the physical body relates to the mind. First through form practice and then by applying pressure to the individual postures and then eventually the movements to be able to absorb and redirect external pressure while keeping the mind and body calm. (Applied Energy). This is a repetitive process that slowly allows the mind to let go of stress and leaving the spirit free to pursue its purpose. 

This is a common question that people ask. Usually this is a question on perspective and how our mind prioritises our time.  

  • Set yourself a long term goal. e.g “Get fit so that in future years, my health does not hinder me from attempting or achieving the things I want to do. Like going on long walks / travelling the world  / going to a concert / learning an instrument / painting / visiting my friends or family.”
  • Start with the smallest amount that your mind / motivation will accommodate. Even if this this is only 1 minute a day. Think about a 24 hour a day and ask yourself if spending just 1 minute of your time a day is worth it for your future self ? 
  • Once you are able to consistently practice for 1 minute a day, for a couple of weeks, then slowly increase this time. This can be in 30 second or 1 minute increments. Don’t increase too fast or you will encounter your mind putting blockers in your way. You are trying to create a healthy habit, like brushing your teeth. 

For our Master Ding Academy school of tai chi, we focus on the traditional tai chi chuan that comes directly from the Yang family through the first disciples Yang Sau Chung, to Grand Master Ip Tai Tai, and Master John Ding.  

  • This authentic art focuses on internal strength. 
  • Starting physically with aligning the body posture. 
  • A deep understanding of the form that allows the practitioner to understand how the movements relate to internal power and strength.  Tai chi is so much more than just forming shapes with the body or “feeling the energy” in a passive way. 
  • Centralising Energy – Cultivate your energy to  build internal power that will enable you to feel better and actively manage your wellbeing. 
  • Circulate Energy – Through the  foundation form and 108 movement long form – understand how to move your body to maximise efficiency and increase your balance, calm the mind. Over time practice of the forms becomes like moving meditation.
  • Applied Energy – learn how to apply your internal strength in the real world. Whether this is DIY, taking a walk, self defence, the ability to understand how to use your internal strength is important.  
  • Losing weight with tai chi can be done, but it does require a consistent regular daily practice. However for most people it is recommended that the focus for tai chi is a longer term more sustainable goal.  

If you have done some tai chi before, or other external or internal arts then you will find our Traditional Tai Chi Chuan approach an opportunity to experience the highest levels of the internal art. 

The Master Ding Academy has a comphrehensive system to master the Internal Arts. 

The process for the new practitioner is still similar but there is more practice around the finer aspects of the art from applications to advanced Chi Kung.

Applications in tai chi centre around remaining calm through a still mind and using softness against a hard force. This doesn’t mean that tai chi is always yielding and can only be used for defence. This misconception is to misunderstand the principles of tai chi. 

Tai chi is a gentle low impact exercise.  If you have mobility on your feet then tai chi helps you strengthen your balance and increase your flexibility in your joints. 

I have found age is not a limiting factor in this respect. Some people have better mobility that others but everyone can benefit from an aligned posture that minimises pressure on joints by using the whole body. 

In fact the, the oldest new starter I have had is 88. As long as you have a desire to learn something new and put in a bit of practice then you should find tai chi offers something for you.  

Yang Style tai chi is famous for its potency as a martial art.  However these days the art is mainly known for its health benefits. 

The Master Ding Academy focuses on the the key concepts and principles of tai chi and the development of key skills like: 

  • Listening Energy (Teng Jin) 
  • Sinking Energy (Chum Jin) 
  • Explosive Energy (Fa Jin) 

Guided under Master John Ding who was the first disciple of Grand Master Ip Tai Tai, who was in the turn the first disciple of Great Grandmaster Yang Sau Chung. Both are famous for their postency in self defence, truly being able to demonstrate softness overcoming hard force during martial applications.  

The Master Ding Academy promotes the Yang Style tai chi that has a direct lineage to the Yang Masters.    Master John Ding is the first disciple of Grand Master Ip Tai Tai. 

There are many styles of tai chi but it is important to find a teacher that can demonstrate and guide you through the principles behind the movements.

  • it is not always possible to start tai chi in our youth, and sometimes we explore tai chi as a means to improve symptoms of ailments. 
  • In this respect tai chi can be an excellent addition to helping improve one’s health. However it is important to adopt a more consistent approach to tai chi. 
  • Tai chi is a fair art and gives as much as you put in. Therefore to get the most of  your tai chi, you will need to practice regularly at home to have the desired effects. 
  • Having said this, tai chi is great for strengthening the internal alignment. Tai chi Chi Kung is a low impact standing static posture. However when there are injuries or ailments, it will take time and effort to re-align the body to remove tension. 
  • Some movements may be restricted and it is important to adjust the form to not aggravate an injury.  Regular practice over time allows the body to naturally strengthen and slowly the body re-align more to lessen stress on single parts of the body to utilise the whole body together.  
  • When using tai chi to relieve stress, the practitioner can often find it hard to “switch off”. Regular training in chi kung (standing meditation) is required to quieten the mind and learn to let go. It does not always come naturally so we must train even when the conditions may not be right. It may not always be possible to find the optimum time to practice, so sometimes it is just a case of starting from wherever we are. 

People feel energy in many different ways.   Some will feel energy from their environment or get that feeling through attending classes.  

In traditional tai chi, there is a lot of focus on centralising and cultivating your energy so that you can actively access this energy through your own practice. 

To the beginner, this can initially feel a bit more difficult as it involves standing in 8 postures in a static position. What appears to be an easy exercise , involves trying to relax that body and remove physical tension. It also trains the calming and quietening of the mind to remove mental tension.  Learning to let go of our mental tension takes time and discipline. However with time, the body should feel more energetic, the mind should feel freer and able to let go. You will find stress and tension become less affecting.  

Practice regularly, and you will be able to use tai chi to give you a boost in the mornings ready to start the day.   

 

Tai Chi is complementary to most disciplines as it focuses on aligning the body in a soft and gentle way. 

For disciplines like Yoga , Pilates, Reiki, many practitioners have often found tai chi to be complementary and beneficial to enhancing their other disciplines. 

Finding time for ourselves is often a common problem in today’s lifestyle. However spending time on ourselves has never been more important.  With work, family,  and other commitments it can be difficult to find time to recharge.

The 6 week introduction to tai chi course is an opportunity to being the journey of carving out some time to spend on yourself. For most students this is the hardest part. 

However many of the health benefits of tai chi are achieved through regular daily practice. Just a little at a time. When students ask how much should I practice, I recommend:

  • Start with the part of tai chi that you like..This could be the form , or the chi kung standing meditation or the exercises. 
  • Start with a small amount and don’t set an expectation for yourself. If you can only manage 1 -3 minutes at the beginning then that’s fine. 
  • For Chi Kung (standing meditation)  – then for a beginning 30s – 1 min per posture should be a general target. However feel free to adapt. If adopting a mindset of 15 seconds per posture, or just 2 postures out of 8, helps to get you practicing a little tai chi, then that’s fine. 
  • Don’t look for the perfect moment to do tai chi. If you wait for the perfect moment, then it may never arrive. Part of developing discipline to train will allow you to do tai chi wherever you are able. Finding a spare moment when you are waiting for the kettle to boil, or a few minutes before the school run. Steal a bit of time here and there and after a while you get used to finding time within your day.
  • Keep your practice as simple as possible.  In a 24 hour day, find a little time for yourself to kick off that practice. Even a couple of seconds or a couple of minutes is enough to put the mind and body in a different place. Again over time, the mind realises that once started, you can extend the time if you want really want to. Adapt your practice so that if you don’t feel great, you might only do the minimal amount of practice, but equally if everything feels good, you can expand your practice to encompass a bit more.
  • Some students find using a habit builder app or a tai chi meditation timer useful.