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T'ai Chi for Arthritis |  |
Alistair went to Oxford on 30th and 31st October to work with Dr Paul Lam, the Australian T'ai Chi Master, who has developed a T'ai Chi programme for Arthritis sufferers (www.taichiforarthritis.com) based around Sun style T'ai Chi. Dr Lam is a very inspiring and humble teacher who's first words were, "I don't like to be called Master Lam, please call me Paul". During the two days we learned a 12 posture Sun style T'ai Chi form that he has developed in association with The Arthritis Foundation of Australia and the American Council on Exercise. Dr Lam, a General Practitioner who has himself suffered from Arthritis from an early age, pointed out that 1 in 7 people develop arthritis and 85% of those explore alternative therapies. During the two days, Alistair was fortunate enough to be accredited by Dr Lam to teach this form as part of his T'ai Chi for Arthritis programme and more information about classes specifically tailored for arthritis will appear shortly.
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| Yang Cheng-Fu's form is a series of soft flowing movements |
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The Taiji form is a sequence of movements performed in a slow controlled manner, which eventually instills a feeling of calmness. Indeed, Taiji has been described as a moving meditation. However, you will discover as you progress, that it is very much more than this.
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Which Style Will I Learn? |
There are different styles of Taiji, amongst which are Chen, Yang, Wu, Wuu, Sun and Li. Even within these main divisions, there are derived styles and variations. Some forms concentrate on the martial aspects of the art, whilst others concentrate solely on promoting good health. Others, however, take the mid line and work on both aspects. It is these forms which are probably the most beneficial and complete styles.
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How Long Will It Take to Learn? |
The study of Taiji can take a lifetime and you will probably still never reach perfection! Master Christopher Pei has said that if we had 100 years to study Taiji, we would spend one year learning the form (the sequence of movements) and then spend 99 years refining it! The important thing to remember about learning Taiji is, the more effort you put in, the more benefit you will take out. In the beginning everything will seem strange and new, but like any activity, it becomes easier to understand as you progress. Remember - you are doing Taiji for yourself and are not competing against anyone else, therefore you can be as good as you want to be.
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For further information, and to contact the East Winds
School of T'ai Chi Ch'uan, Angie Thomas.
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