Somatics

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Somatics-Reawakening-Control-Movement-Flexibility/dp/0738209570/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1196445438&sr=8-1

Click above for the link to this excellent book, on amazon.co.uk it is searchable. I'll write more later about Somatics, but I really recommend reading this book about human movement in general and how we lose and may regain awareness and control of our soma, (our body and its natural functions and movement). It also describes almost all of the physical and mental processes in T'ai Chi but in illuminating western terms.

Eat Bitter

One of my 121 students has kindly recently bought me a book of the Chen Old Frame Form that I am currently learning with Master Wang Hai-Jun. In the rather good preface, the author refers to a phrase 'Eat bitter' which appears to be a common exhortation in his tradition. Mainstream culture really only acknowledges the nice and the easy, anything that needs dedication or (heaven forbid) any pain or discomfort either physically, emotionally or mentally is to be distrusted.

In an article last year I read that culinary tastes across Europe and America are changing in one very similar respect, 'bitter' is becoming less and less common and people avoid it in prefering only the sweet. On our tongues we have receptors for sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami (glutamate). All other flavours are actually aromas, and are sensed by olfaction. Not long ago bitters were taken as apperitifs in drinks, as well as herbal tonics. We speak of 'bitter medicine', that which tastes unpleasant but does us such good. If I remember rightly from school RS lessons, in Passover the Jewish tradition is to eat bitter herbs in remembrance of their exile and enslavement in Babylon. Even on a purely culinary level, it's sad that we are losing appreciation for such a large element of human sensing and taste.

I'll stop there just as I begin to sound like an old fogey.

Applications Day

This Thursday after class Chris Pippard of Isleworth T'ai Chi Ch'uan asked Mark if he would teach a day workshop just of applications from the Form(s). I was glad he'd asked as several students of mine had asked about this, and I had never got around to asking myself. Mark's students can get a good bit of time for applications in the Sunday drop-ins, late Thursdays and 121s such as Dave's and my Dance lessons. However, more is good! Mark would like to do a Sunday session, say 1-7pm, like our regular partnerwork days. It is likely to be held at a Tooting venue, although Derinton Road may be busy on Sundays. The choice of dates is as follows: Sunday 24th February, 13th April, or 25th May 2008 so that it will take place the same weekend as a partnerwork workshop. Please let me know your preferences so that we can book the most popular day. Also this will give Scottish students plenty of time to arrange if they would like to come down to London for the events. I will also arrange one of the sessions during Mark's next weekend visit to Aberdeenshire to be on applications, so that those who cannot travel will not miss out.

Most postures of the Form have numerous applications, and even in beginners' all classes we briefly show at least one, lest our Form become vapid arm waving... However, if like me you are as interested in the martial aspect of T'ai chi as in its other sides, then this day is for you. There will be ample demonstration, time for questions and hands on time with a partner. As always the atmosphere and attitude we seek to encourage is one of friendly camaraderie and exploration. Students from other schools are also most welcome, please get in touch first to check suitability.

Huntly Area Classes and Northern Sabre

The Saturday class in the Brander Library will stop for Xmas on 8th December and the Wednesday class in The Tin Hut, Gartly will end for the Xmas break on 12th December.
This is quite early as I shall be feasting and celebrating well with my relatives in Oz, hoping at last to have Xmas dinner by my cousin's pool, denied to me last year when it snowed in Melbourne on Xmas Day... (well, sleet).
Oh, and Heather has asked me to remind you that the Sabre class on Saturday is from 7 - 10pm with tea and cake!

Aberdeenshire Sabre practice reminder

There's a sabre practice session at 7pm this Saturday, 1st December, at the Masonic Hall in Inverurie.

Partnerwork Days In London with Mark Raudva

I have just confirmed these dates with the Derinton Road Community Centre in Tooting, our usual venue for these popular workshops. Please do come along to practise and learn pushing hands, TaLu, Wapu, knocking, rooting, sticking, spiralling and much more. There are several people studying The Dance too. All dates are Saturdays from 1-7pm unless otherwise stated, bring a packed lunch, tea is provided. Mark holds about 8 of these sessions a year.

2007: December 8th
2008: February 23rd (12.30-6pm), April 12th, May 24th, July 5th.

Huntly Area Classes

Please note there will be no class this Saturday at the Library.

I have notified current students individually, but any potential new students should come along on 1st December, not this Saturday. Phone me (Ev Cairns) on 07799521632/01466720351 for more information. Classes will take place on Wednesday at the Tin Hut as usual.

Hackney Round Chapel Classes

Hackney Round Chapel classes have now moved permanently to Wednesday nights 7-9pm and 9-10pm for Sabre. The last class of term is 12th December and we return in the New Year on 9th January 2008.

Sabre supplier

http://www.wushudirect.co.uk/
This is the suppier where we get our practice sabres, (they are listed as Longquan Yang style broadsword-lacquered) thanks to Ev for forwarding it. For those of you nearing completion of the Northern Sabre Form, and wondering what you want for Christmas, you could do worse than get one of these for around £70. We do not recommend any other shapes of sabre as our Form differs significantly from those more commonly practiced and the weighting of other sabres is significantly different. I removed some of the 'special shiny gold metal' fittings and added soft leather over the handle taken from a charity shop-bought leather skirt. I made silk scarves of just the right size from some habutai I had at home. You could buy silk kerchiefs or silk by the metre in any colour at John Lewis, I am sure. I will post a picture later.

Tai Chi in Tokyo - Betty and Jim Bruce of Inverurie, Aberdeenshire

We visited Tokyo in October to see our first granddaughter, Cibelle, who was born one week before we arrived. While walking her in the neighbourhood we saw a poster inviting anyone to come to a Tai Chi class at 6:30pm on a Friday evening. The class was organised by the Minato International Association in the sports hall on the 9th floor of the Minato City Hall. Admission was free but the notice asked everyone to bring a snack worth around 200 Yen (less than £1.)

We were welcomed with enthusiasm and some surprise that Tai Chi was practised in Scotland. The class members were keen to hear about the style of Tai Chi and the philosophy followed by our Scottish school. Between 30 and 40 attended the class but this would have been more had it in not been for the arrival of a 48-hour typhoon bringing heavy rain. Dress was casual but some had come directly from work in business suits. They just took of their jackets and shoes and went straight to it.

The master, Akira Kishuma, welcomed us in English and gave us a brief introduction. A class member told us that the master would not volunteer any comment to an individual on their Tai Chi but would answer any questions at a group or individual level. Warm-up exercises were followed by repetitions of a 24–posture form. No partner work was practised. We were invited to go to morning Tai Chi, which the master leads every morning at 6:30am, at Hikawa Jinjya Shrine but the typhoon weather and our return to Scotland intervened.

We practised Tai Chi in a local park and were delighted to observe, one day, a Japanese businessman set down his briefcase, jacket and tie and practise his Tai Chi. We were impressed by his balance, slow movement and his sense of calmness.
Photograph: Betty and Jim Bruce with Tai Chi Master, Akira Kishuma, in Tokyo.

Aberdeenshire Workshops 2008 etc

I have arranged the dates for all the next year's events. Contact me directly by email whenever you have a query about anything on this blog. Sometimes I post new entries with up to date info, but do not go back to erase old and out of date info, mainly due to 'spending time at the laptop aversion'. If you are in doubt, feel free to get in touch.

Mark's Easter 2008 workshop will most probably be 7 days long as folks may be coming over from USA, Ireland and up from London to join us. Over the week everyone will get plenty to be working on as well as lots of individual tuition. More importantly, we can all collaborate on the good work and putting our energy into such a rare and excellent thing: 7 uninterrupted days of T'ai Chi in great company. Monday to Friday will be held at Fetternear Hall, near Heather's near Inverurie, Aberdeenshire. The venue for the Saturday and Sunday will be a different local hall as I could not get Fetternear due to a bowling championship and a ceilidh. The workshop will cost £25 / £15 per day. There are kitchens at the halls so we will bring food to share.

My new dates for December 2007 are Friday 14th-Monday 17th, a day later than planned due to a great old T'ai Chi friend visiting from Germany. I have booked flights today.
Plans are as follows:
Friday: 121s pm, Talu eve.
Saturday: Long Form pm, Northern Sabre eve.
Sunday: Partner Work pm, Short Form eve.
Monday: daytime 121s, evening 'Thursday Class session'
I will be returning home on Tuesday morning.

Partnerwork Day - Talu, push hands, and more

Knocking and Ta Lu at a partnerwork day.

All are welcome to my teacher Mark Raudva's next partnerwork day held in Tooting, at the Derinton Road Community Centre, 1-7pm Saturday 8th December, the last of the year. Bring a snack, tea provided. We will most probably be looking some more at Ta Lu, as well as much else. These days are fun, friendly, busy and inspiring, email me for more details. If you have a few weeks or many years' experience, you will find these workshops really engaging. They applicable to any level and are open to players of all styles.

Barge piled high with cleared reeds on the navigation canal next to the River Wey.

Hofesh Shechter

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7LPDf6rO0A
Here's a link to a wonderful dance by Israeli-born London choreographer Hofesh Shechter (http://www.hofesh.co.uk/) who my new flat mate just introduced me to. I hope to go see this work 'Uprising' as soon as I can. The video gives a good flavour of it, apparently: powerful masculine energy, struggle and joy all in one.

London T'ai Chi

I had a great time in London at T'ai Chi classes. My thanks to Scott for keeping classes going in Huntly. Heather and I now are in possession of swords and look forward to the next sword form class. - could be serious digit free territory here !

Tendrils

One of a series of images from a photography competition staged by the University of Dundee’s School of Medicine. More here