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| Masterless (2) | ||
| Written by Rachel | ||
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Connections & associations
Peter presented Sifu Waller with tai chi questions/riddles/contentions/problems to solve.
These served to encourage creativity.
Only by expanding how he saw the art
could Sifu Waller reasonably produce workable options.
The problem of yielding
Although Sifu Waller had a powerful expression of tai chi by
the mid 1990's, he was far from happy with the resultant art.
It simply did not conform to The Tai Chi Classics well enough.
Looking at examples of tai chi taught/practiced by other schools Sifu Waller
could see a familiar theme: the lack of viable yielding.
Even simple exercises such as pushing hands were typically performed with an
unnecessary degree of muscular tension.
Li was commonplace in
tai chi. Jing was not.
The student must become completely soft for the process to take effect; then
the student becomes a tai chi boxer. She must push hands as if no one were
there.
Few are capable of putting this idea into practice because it is hard to
literally accept. Most students harbour the notion that not using force or
resistance is a metaphor; a measure of the spirit of the thing rather than a
literal statement of method.
(Wolfe Lowenthal)
A
conundrum
This 'yielding problem' was no accident. Peter Southwood had knowingly set his lineage
student a monumental problem to solve...
This carefully planned, deliberate ploy would prove to be the challenge of a
lifetime; taking his student from instructor to master over the span of two
decades.
Only by working exceptionally hard, adhering unwaveringly to the 'authenticity'
criteria and pressure testing the results continuously
could Sifu Waller hope to produce the necessary outcome.
The process of solving the conundrum was the
path to mastery.
What is missing?
The standard tai chi teachings were not enough; there were too many
gaps and holes in the knowledge.
Form, pushing hands and combat seemed separate, abstract,
unrelated concerns.
Many tai chi students/teachers sought answers from the
external martial arts.
Having trained previously in those methods, Sifu Waller knew the
folly of looking there for insights.
The answers were within the tai chi, the
classic texts, the essence of the art and the way in
which the human body functions.
Building your own art
To resolve the yielding problem, Sifu Waller expanded his knowledge of
body mechanics, biology, structure, physics and read increasingly stranger
Taoist texts.
He was determined to shed all manner of muscular tension and produce a far more
'natural' expression.
Untold hours of daily practice and study were
required; 10,000 hours became 30,000.
It took about 13 years to produce a solution of
satisfactory quality.
The end result was the creation of a
range of drills focussed upon the practical step-by-step development of yielding.
Shun tradition?
In order to better convey his new approach to
tai chi, Sifu Waller adopted a non-traditional mode of instruction.
He actively taught, explained, demonstrated,
illustrated.
Every skill was supported by spontaneous, ready examples
highlighting what works and what does
not, how and why.
This website fleshed out the classes.
A new syllabus
Peter Southwood worked with Sifu Waller to develop his new
syllabus. The aim was to combine the traditional old/classical Long Yang
style tai chi chuan skills and insights, along with qigong, fitness, neigong,
bagua, chin na and shuai jiao. A very heavy emphasis on
practical kung fu skill acquisition, good health and functionality.
A compliment
Peter was deeply impressed by the final product and astonished that year after
year brought new insights, refinements and an ever growing repertoire of skills.
Sifu Waller had dismantled and re-built tai chi chuan in a manner that suited his own
subtle approach.
In Peter's eyes this was a considerable and uncommon achievement.
He gave his one and only compliment. When the new syllabus was
complete, Peter gave it his seal of approval.
Higher dan
After a 25 year teacher/student relationship, Peter Southwood
awarded Sifu
Waller his rank in the Year of the Tiger
(2010).
Qualifying accomplishments:
Sifu Waller's experience and hours of practice
His enormous website giving unparalleled insight into Long Yang tai chi chuan
Exceptionally skilful shuai jiao, chin na, jing and form applications
His grasp of whole-body strength, how to cultivate it, refine it and teach it
An incredible sense of human biomechanics; particularly with regard functional day-to-day usage and combat
His study of Taoism and The Tai Chi Classics and his skill in infusing the art with the requisite principles
The production of a professional-quality syllabus, complete with logical, comprehensive grades, belts and assessment
The development of a massive range of
bespoke drills/exercises
designed to convey/practice the tai chi
skills
Peter Southwood gave Sifu Waller
his I Ching pendant. It represents constant, continuous, unbroken change.
This is my husband in a nutshell.
(Rachel)
What did Sifu Waller develop?
Please note that this is simply a list of items. It is not
representative of content.
For any given item on this list, Sifu Waller can
offer extensive tuition,
explanation and usually countless lessons:
2 person cane drill dismantled
3-D
3-tier wallbag
4 directions with a partner (no contact)
4 ounces exercise
5 centres
5 challenges
5 elements striking
Adapt, change & improvise
Balance, rhythm, timing
Becoming the centre
Being hit
Being in the back
Biomechanics
Cat-stepping
Central equilibrium – maintain the centre
Combining chin na, shuai jiao & jing
Consciousness
Consolidation
Countering a knife
Countering punches, kicks & grapples
Countering/pushing peng
Cultivating sung
A detailed breakdown of all 50 neigong in a massive 'Book of Neigong'
A detailed breakdown of all jing
Disarming
Disintegration
Dying ground
Entry methods
Escapes/knife
Everybody falls
Eyes-closed walking
Finishing-off
First hand/second hand
Floor work
Floor work (control)
Flowing chin na applications (misplacing the bones)
Flowing shuai jiao applications
Form
Form application (cane)
Form application (power)
Form application (walking stick)
Form applications (at least 7 per movement of the Long Yang form)
Form in self defence
Freeform
Freeform grappling
Gravity striking
Heavy bag
Holding down the pillow
Improvised weaponry/knife
Internalising
Jing/leverage principles (misplacing the bones)
Kicking
Kinaesthetic awareness
Kinetic pathway
Knife drills dismantled
Large rhythm, small rhythm
Latent movements
Leverage principles (misplacing the bones)
Long Yang form dismantled
Loose striking
Martial concepts
Martial principles & practice
Meditation insights
Melee
– yielding/chin na
– yielding/countering
– yielding/shuai jiao
Monkey
Neigong dismantled
Newton’s Laws of Motion in tai chi
Notable improvements to ba duan jin, reeling silk and moving qigong through
increased use of the 'crouch' and other neigong concerns
Overwhelming attacks
Partner work dismantled
Peripheral vision - mugger scenario
Posture testing
Power generation
Projections
Proprioception
Pushing hands (all variations) dismantled
Pushing peng (partnered)
Pushing peng (striking)
Pushing peng exercise
Qigong dismantled
Rolling
San da stage 1: freeform application
San da stage 2: freeform combat
San sau against a knife
San sau dismantled
Shih (martial advantage)
Shuai jiao against a knife
Shuai jiao applications (in addition to those taught by Peter)
Shuai jiao: elbow & bump
Shuai jiao: footwork
Shuai jiao: mutual arising
Shuai jiao: throws
Shuai jiao: use of legs
Small stick drills
Small stick drills dismantled
Small stick flexibility drills
Snake
Sparing yourself
Speed striking
Spiral body
Spiritual inquiry
Stepping
- 90°
- avoiding line of force (solo & melee)
- diamond stepping
- leading & following (eyes-closed)
- relative distance (tig)
- riding the attack
Stick drills dismantled
Striking methods
Sword drills dismantled
Syllabus design
Tai chi for health syllabus
Tai chi principles (incorporation)
Tai chi chuan syllabus
Teaching methods
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
Tools
Travelling
Walking stick form dismantled
Whole-body movement
Wu nien
Yielding basic skills
Yielding exercise
Yielding/chin na
Yielding/chin na against a knife
Yielding/countering
Yielding/knife
Yielding/shuai jiao
Yin
Yin body
Yin/yang
Although this list looks big, please keep in mind that much of it is not
explored until the higher grades.
Sifu Waller is willing to offer
people countless opportunities to step up and excel. But they must do the
work. Most don't. A lot of students want him to 'learn it' to them.
(Rachel)
Adapted from
Sifu Waller's writings by
Rachel
Page created 3
June 2011
Last updated
2
May 2015
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