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Liability
Our insurance company states that
tai chi students can only train material appropriate to their level of
fitness and ability.
This means that the syllabus must take the
student's condition into account at all times.
Although this may sound restrictive, it is actually quite sensible and
safety conscious.
Naivety
If a student is not fit enough to undertake certain aspects of the syllabus -
but erroneously believes themselves
capable - they run a serious risk of injury.
As a business we cannot cater for wishful thinking.
Fitness is provable.
Good intentions are your own concern.
Martial fitness
All martial arts require the student to be fit
for combat.
Tai chi students train: massage, leg stretches,
qigong, neigong, form, partnered work, martial sets &
drills, combat and weapons.
The training is done carefully, gently - in a
controlled manner - without exertion or
strain.
The
physical
If you pass the physical you can start
tai chi training.
Beginner
This is easy non-martial stuff.
Just some qigong exercises that require
limited mobility and
coordination, along with basic partner work.
A student must pass the material ASAP if they hope to undertake
martial training.
A taste
Sifu Waller offers beginners the occasional taste of
combat. But he is limited by the student's own level of
fitness...
Rigorous martial arts training assumes a reasonable degree of fitness - by our
standards - not by yours.
If a student struggles to make steady progress
through the basics we must conclude that they are not suited to
martial arts training and the martial
opportunities will end.
Warning
If a student starts to develop a
health problem such as a 'stoop' they will
initially be told about this.
Should the individual choose not to address the matter, they will begin working
on the problem in class (rather than undertake tai chi training all evening).
The final stage would entail a move to qigong & tai chi.
Tai chi
Every student who trains
tai chi has proven that they know the basic qigong
exercises and partner work.
Sifu Waller assumes that they are training at home and improving their skills.
If a student demonstrates ineptitude or neglects their fitness, they will be
required to rehabilitate with the qigong & tai chi students until this problem
has been remedied.
Be realistic
Set aside talk about relaxation,
qi,
softness and other concerns...
Your body is flesh and bone.
It is moved by muscles.
In order to be strong, agile, flexible and adaptive in
combat - you need to
strengthen your body.
Hard work
Most new starters are not prepared for the amount of
physical work
involved in learning a martial art.
The public image of tai chi creates a false sense of effortlessness.
Few people expect to train hard.
This is naive.
Martial art
To get fit for combat a martial arts
student must commit to different training
methods designed to encourage the maximum muscular development for the least
amount of time commitment and effort.
Also, they cannot afford to bulk up. Body building will impede
mobility and agility.
Suppleness, nimbleness, flexibility and cardiovascular
fitness are vital.
If a fighter is panting for
breath after 10 minutes of cardio, they are not
fit enough for combat.
Get fit
The aim is to supplement traditional
training methods with a targeted selection of
strength training methods that address the areas qigong
neglects.
Leg stretches, psoas
exercises, dynamic stretching,
punching/kicking drills, endurance/stamina exercises, baoding balls, hand
power grip exercises, sticks (of various lengths
and weights),
wallbag work and heavy bag work all combine to comprehensively increase your overall strength and fitness.
Why bother?
Qigong, form, partner work and the forms in our
syllabus will undoubtedly provide you with the
skills necessary to perform tai chi
adequately.
But this training is 'internal'.
For your tai chi to become martial you must supplement it with additional
strength training concerns. This is the 'external' component.
e.g. Wang Shujin carried two iron bird cages at arm's length from his home
to the training area every morning in order to increase his power.
This exercise is now known as the 'farmer's walk'.
Iron Age
A lot of modern people like to train with weights.
Most
martial artists do.
Weight training does not equal
fighting skill.
Delavier advocates undertaking weight training specifically chosen to
supplement your art.
This usually means just only a few exercises each session; usually working a large
number of muscles at once.
Working out at the gym will not help in this regard.
A standard gym workout or machine-based practice
runs counter to what we are looking
to accomplish.
Will weights help with your tai chi? Not really. Most people just
become tense.
Moderation
It is OK to train a wide range of exercise methods without ruining
your tai chi.
The key concern is moderation.
Avoid over-doing it: over-stretching,
straining or exerting.
Be mindful of posture, poise and
tension.
Congruent
Sifu Waller has designed the syllabus such that everything works
together.
There is no discord between different facets of the
curriculum.
Every exercise, drill and
form works in conjunction with everything else.
The entire syllabus follows the teachings of Taoism
and The Tai Chi Classics.
All areas of study are in harmony.
Shuai jiao
To be permitted to engage in the complete range of shuai
jiao skills, considerable suppleness is a must.
When we are young, we can
enjoy lots of external movement. When we are older, we become less active
and can't as easily enjoy large movements, speed, high impact, and quick
twisting of the muscles. Unfortunately, this is exactly the time our bodies
really need good exercise to maintain youthful energy and health. Most of
the exercise systems available in our society can't satisfy this need.
(Adam Hsu)
Many beginners think that
they do not need to warm-up. Skipping a warm-up will automatically result in
pain later on, and that will restrict your fighting abilities. A good
pre-workout warm-up protects against future aches and pains. Furthermore, it
is also an immediate factor in improving performance.
(Frederic Delavier)
The risk of injury in combat sports is especially high. To prevent injury,
do the following: 1) Learn to warm-up well before any exercise, 2) Do
everything possible to accelerate recovery between workouts.
(Frederic Delavier)
Strength training
must adapt to the fighter's needs, not the other way around.
(Frederic Delavier)
Programs for fighters should
consist mostly
of compound exercises. These allow for intense work on a maximum number of
muscles in a minimum time.
(Frederic Delavier)
Page created
11 June 1996
Last updated
30 November 2023
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