Boot camp | ||
classes qigong tai chi kung fu about us reviews a-z
Weekend
morning training
Start time 6:15 AM at our house.
There will be training for most of the morning and food.
We aim to finish late morning.
Experience for yourself
Boot camp is an opportunity to experience what home training actually feels
like when you do it properly.
A few hours of dedicated training will make you feel amazing.
It may even inspire you to start practicing at home yourself.
Revise
This is a good opportunity to practice all of the qigong exercises and a lot of
partner work.
When you do tai chi, you shouldn't sweat.
Sweating is a sign that energy is being dissipated.
It comes from tension and it's as if you are depleting your bank account.
Doing tai chi, you want to accumulate energy, not spend it.
So, if you sweat, you should stop and rest.
(Cheng Man Ching)
A long workshop
Please note that boot camp is akin to two workshops taught back-to-back.
Sifu Waller will be offering corrections, insights, tips & pointers
throughout the morning.
Duration
Boot camp runs between 6:15 AM and 9:30 AM; just over 3 hours training (with
a tea break). After 9 AM people's attention span
starts to diminish and the quality of the training gets worse.
Breakfast
At 9:30 AM Rachel serves breakfast and Sifu Waller retires for the morning.
A healthy morning
Most people do not train at home, so
boot camp involves an uncommon amount of training for the average
student.
The actual practice takes about 3 hours in total.
This is interspersed with constructive rest,
reading, eating,
drinking green tea and walking in nature.
Plenty of qigong
A less experienced student is not adept
with tai chi so they need to do a lot of qigong.
It provides the necessary fitness benefits by serving as a stopgap
pending higher level tai chi skill.
Schedule
Typical itinerary:
Full circle qigong (30 mins)
Self-massage
Ba duan jin (8 exercises)
Moving qigong
Plate exercise
Standing post
4 directions - forwards & backwards
4 directions - to the side
Opening & closing - to the side
Cloud hands
Moving qigong (8 exercises)
Stretches & joint work (12 exercises)
Leg stretches
Long Yang form (regular & mirrored)
Constructive rest
A walk outdoors
Watch & learn
This is a rare opportunity to see how a high-level practitioner performs the
art.
Required equipment
Wear kung fu trousers, a T-shirt and a fleece (if required).
Additional equipment:
Yoga mat
A book from the reading list
Waterproof coat
Outdoor shoes
1 litre of water to drink
Under no circumstances
should students wear a changshan, tai chi
T-shirt or teaching assistant T-shirt to our house.
Nothing has ever changed in this regard. Wearing the right gear is an
insurance requirement.
Attendees
Places are limited to 7
students.
Food
Sifu
Waller and
Rachel seek to eat healthily, so
please do not bring any meat snacks, junk food or energy drinks.
Bring bottled water.
If you have any special eating requirements, please advise Rachel by
e-mail well in advance.
Fee
£25.
Payable in advance, at your earliest convenience.
I barely felt any aching or stiffness in the following days which was a
change from previous boot camps. Although I felt alert and full of energy
when I left the session I felt an unusually high level of tiredness later in
the afternoon. To the extent of being unable to stay awake and falling
asleep for two hours in a chair at a relatives house! I also slept very well
that night.
Training outdoors and going through a thorough morning routine is inspiring.
With a noticeable feeling of increased energy and mental clarity it becomes
clear how much benefit there is in daily morning training. You quickly
forget about the 6:30 start once you begin training.
I've struggled to stick to daily morning training thus far but since boot
camp I've managed a short morning routine every morning. Only three days in
but perhaps this is the turning point!
The boot camp offers something quite different to class and workshops. I
would recommend it to all eligible class members.
(Marc)
Many thanks to Sifu and yourself for a very well thought out boot camp.
It was very useful to work through so much material in a relaxed atmosphere
and get a true feeling for what a full tai chi workout entails. I was
definitely tired but relaxed by the finish! Thanks also for your kind
hospitality which also contributed to a very enjoyable morning.
(Martin)
Worth reading
•
Visiting the instructor's home
Page created
18 April 1995
Last updated
2 June 2014
▲