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The teacher
Eskimo hunters are trained to
discriminate between dozens of types of snow, and are always
aware of the direction and speed of the wind.
Traditional Melanesian sailors can be taken blindfolded to any point in the
ocean within a radius of several hundred miles from their island home and,
if allowed to float for a few minutes in the sea, are able to recognise the
spot by the feel of the currents on their bodies.
A musician structures her attention so as to focus on nuances of sound that
ordinary people are not aware of, a stockbroker focuses on tiny changes in
the market that others do not register, a good clinical diagnostician has an
uncanny eye for symptoms - because they have trained their attention to
process signals that otherwise would pass unnoticed.
(Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi)
Professional
Sifu Waller is a full-time professional tai chi instructor.
He has been training martial arts since 1975, tai chi since
1990, baguazhang since 1994.
He has over 30,000 hours of practice
behind him.
His classes are held in the North East of England.
More information:
First
teacher
Sifu's first tai chi teacher was called
Peter Southwood.
Peter was a student of
Chu King-hung and others -
following the Yang Sau Chung line.
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Qualified to teach
Sifu holds a post-graduate teaching qualification.
He is registered with
The Tai
Chi Union for Great Britain as an advanced instructor.
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10,000 hours
Sifu Waller has trained martial arts for approximately 3-7 hours a day
(and occasionally longer), 365 days a year, since the early 1980's.
His main focus since 1990 has been tai chi.
He has somewhere between
20,000 - 30,000 hours of practice under his belt.
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Scholar
Tai chi is based upon a complex theoretical foundation, explained in the taoist classics and the tai chi classics.
A tai chi instructor is usually also a
scholar. Without
an understanding of the crucial works, much is lost.
Sifu Waller holds an honours degree in Literature and a post-graduate
certificate in English.
He is very well read.
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Empiricist
Empiricism relies upon experience and pragmatism, rather than theory.
Sifu encourages students to adopt a scientific approach to tai chi.
If something works, you can feel it.
It hurts/it compromises you/the muscles are aching/your posture is stronger/your
balance is better.
There is a tangible real-world result.
In class, an atmosphere of investigation and discovery is cultivated.
Science is relevant to tai chi.
The word 'physics' comes from the Latin 'physica'
- which came from the Greek word 'phusika' - meaning
'of nature'.
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Tai chi
Sifu teaches:
tai chi taught as a complete system of health, meditation and self defence
tai chi tailored for the over 50's
Students may also learn
qigong, neigong, meditation, taoism, zen, baguazhang, shuai jiao, chin na
and strength-building exercises.
For martial students, sifu offers uniforms, etiquette,
grading and combat.
Expect a mature, friendly, safe training environment.
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Martial arts
Sifu started training in the mid 1970's.
He practiced judo, karate, aikido, ju jitsu, wing chun, hwa rang do, iaido and pencat silat.
Then he discovered tai chi and
stopped practicing these external systems.
More?
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Chin na
Sifu's first taste of
chin na came from Yang Jwing-Ming in the
early 1990's.
Much of the syllabus utilises chin na.
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Fame & fortune
In this modern world of self-promotion and vanity,
sifu keeps to himself.
He is an obscure instructor teaching in the North East of England, and plans
to keep it that way.
There are no DVD's in the pipeline. No public exhibitions or workshops.
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Influences
Much of the
syllabus has been
developed from/inspired
by the teachings of
Tony Buzan, Cheng Man Ching,
C K Chu, Chu King-hung,
Chungliang Al Huang,
Edward De Bono,
Bruce
Frantzis, Huanchu Daoren,
Liz Koch,
Krishnamurti, Lam Kam Chuen,
Paul Lam, Bruce Lee, Dave Lowry, Miyamoto Musashi, Ron Sieh, Mike
Sigman, Sun Tzu, Geoff Thompson, Yang Jwing-Ming and others.
Taoism and zen have also helped to shape the way in which we approach
things.
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Home
Is sifu obsessed with tai chi?
No.
He's loves the art, but there is more to life than training.
Sifu spends much of his time having fun with family and friends.
Significant other?
Sifu's fiancée is called Rachel.
Page created 8 May 2000