Mark's T'ai Chi teaching aid videos uploading right now

Hi all, we hope you are well and enjoying the fine weather if you are having it. Here, Mark has just checked through every video I have of him, and I am uploading them right now to the Dropbox, having renamed them all consistently. If you find that you have videos are are not in the Dropbox, please let me know, and send them along to me. Perhaps you filmed something once on your phone. Now would be a great time to help me collate everything. Mark is less happy with the Heartwork videos, so from tomorrow these will be the first that we re-film. He says his T'ai Chi has improved since he first did the Salutations. I shall upload the new films as we make them and post news here as soon as they go up.

Karen is hopefully lending me a stand for my phone tomorrow so I can film all the daily Chi Kung bits I have planned, but in the meantime I will go ahead with just putting my phone on a shelf and winging it method that works so well... Mark has also said for you to get in touch with me with specific request for any films, and we will try to make them for you over the coming week. We are doing a bit every day, rather than try to do everything, including teaching online, all at once. Th enew films of Heartwork will be made and uploaded some time this week. The principles of non-doing and not using force apply just as well to our dealings with ourselves as with the wider world. So, we hope this finds you well and rested, and we send our very best wishes to you.

Details of how to make voluntary contributions for past and ongoing work for these resources are available tonight on the Dropbox too, in pdf and Word docs.

Tooting class is running this week

The venue has told me they are still open and have upped their already good cleaning regime. There is plenty of room for us to practice solo T'ai Chi and not be too close as regarding the coronavirus. I will listen to the students' thought on whether we continue or not during the crisis period. I have hand gel with me at all times and observe all the sensible precautions.

I have been asked by so many folks to teach sessions online. On Thursday I will have a chance to look at filming and online class methods, so give me a few days to come up with something. Hopefully next week I can have something sorted for the beginners' resources.

Do get in touch any time with queries. my number is [07732 659104]

Posture sheet for the Dance

Several years in the making, a combined effort by the Aberdeenshire senior students, myself and Mark, has finally produced a posture list / reminder sheet for the Dance. It is not a standard posture list, as available on the web, as these do not take into account the modifications that Grand Master John Kells made to the form. It is a descriptive list with A and B side postures alternately printed on the left and right so they interlock, as in practice. It will not be made available on the web so email or ask in person or me to email it to you, put it on your USB stick or make an old-fashioned print out! It is available as and open source Word-type document.

Dance practice in Aberdeenshire last week.

videos, print outs and other handy resources

Next week I'll post a full list, but this is just to say that over the years I have amassed some useful things that might help your T'ai Chi study. Years ago Mark used to give hand-outs to new students, and nowadays via the magic of the interweb these can be delivered to you by electronic means. There are also videos of all the forms we study, Heart Work, warm ups, some of the weapons and empty hand partnerwork, and posture lists for everything except The Dance, so far. I filmed the Chi Kung set that I teach, as well as Five Elements Chi Kung, both of which I learned from Kajedo who learned them from the Kobayashis, as far as I know. We also have some wonderful writings from John Kells, important points of study from Dr Chi and other T'ai Chi Masters, a reading list and other things that can also be found on Mark's website.

So if there is anything you need, drop me an email and at some point a 'yousendit' link will arrive in your inbox, full of goodies.

See you at Power on Sunday.

Dance (San Shou) videos

Films of both A and B solo forms, plus the dance with partner are available to all Mark's and my students studying the Dance just now. Let me know if you don't yet have these movies, and I will email them to you.