The Perfect Workout

I don’t do short forms in Tai Chi. The Yang Chen Fu 108 for me along with the family neigong and qigong is the perfect morning ‘monk style’ workout that can be explored in a multitude of ways and the afternoon ‘warrior’ workout of the weaponry, Long Boxing and Sanshou set is perfect. Repeated techniques cover moving on the spot (grasp sparrow’s tail) with the 4 major jins (ward off, roll back, press, push), and rolling arms moving forward (brush knee), backward (repulse monkey) and sideways (waving hands like clouds). Other techniques cover the other jins and angles in a … Continue reading The Perfect Workout

Releasing Energy

Understand how the body naturally builds up and releases energy and you understand how to use it in qigong and Tai Chi. This also applies to the internal energy in all martial art technique. Your morning stretch is different to your exercise stretches. This is because you build up your energy in your stretch and then release it to wake up. Notice the feeling that goes with the release. You do the same when you sneeze, yawn, when you go to the loo, when you ejaculate and even when dealing with emotion and pain. Understand this and you go a … Continue reading Releasing Energy

Keys To Success

Keys to success in training: Work out what you genuinely want to achieve from your study and periodically review it.Don’t take on aims and objectives that others give you.Plan your training schedule for the optimum way to achieve those aims.Don’t waste time training in anything that doesn’t take you in the right direction.Never over or under train.Train every day. Sounds easy but you will inevitably have to fight against pressure from others who want you to do what they want, both at home and in the Dojo. You will also have to deal with your enemies of laziness, distraction and … Continue reading Keys To Success

Don’t Be Diverted

If people knew the power they had, the world would be a far better place. Instead like lemmings we allow our minds and emotions to be diverted by those who currently hold power at our behest. Separate the masses and turn them on each other and they never look at the manipulators, the gaslighters and greedy narcissists. We used to say that if the information was available that people would become self educated and work together to make the world a better, compassionate and kinder environment. When that happened with the advent of the internet, we were diverted and turned … Continue reading Don’t Be Diverted

Soft Front, Strong Back Reviews

3 BOOK REVIEWS- When we published this book I bought 300 to do as signed copies and have a few spare as gifts etc but surprisingly, nearly all have gone, so if you are in the U.K. and want one of the remaining copies, order it here on this link https://py.pl/1m5JAm Here are a couple of reviews you might find interesting….. Francis Briers – I got my copy of my long time teacher, Steve Rowe’s book and have started to read it today. What strikes me is how vulnerable Steve has been in writing honestly about himself and his life. … Continue reading Soft Front, Strong Back Reviews

Sharing Is Caring

In the 80’s I was an Operations Manager in a security company with around 500 staff in all manner of contracts. Often at night I’d drive around the sites to visit our guards who were on minimum pay and 12hr shifts on various duties, many were Indian and Pakistani. They would always insist on sharing their meagre rations that they’d bought in to last the shift and would be very offended if I refused. In the beginning I felt embarrassed and tried to refuse but soon realised how important it was to them to share. Food is the staff of … Continue reading Sharing Is Caring

Sepsis Can Be Fatal!

Sepsis can be fatal! This only took a couple of hours, in 2015 I got in the car for the 2hr trip from Jizerka to Prague feeling fine. By the time we arrived at Prague I could barely walk and felt really ill. The plane journey was horrific and I collapsed at Gatwick trying to get into the car. It took over an hour to get me into the ambulance as my heart was giving out. 2 failed surgeries at the NHS hospital and whilst they prepared for the third I knew I would die if I stayed. Luckily my … Continue reading Sepsis Can Be Fatal!

I Never Wanted To Be Here

I never wanted to be here…..My body, thoughts and emotions just never ‘fitted’;I was never happy;As I child I didn’t fit in with my family,Always wondering what the hell I was doing here;Everything was clumsy and wrong;I certainly didn’t fit into school and never got along with teachers or education;Seen as a ‘rebel’ it wasn’t intentional I was dysfunctional according to the social norms;I ran with the other ‘rebels’ because there was nothing else to do but even that wasn’t me;I didn’t love or hate I was simply in the wrong place. I was drawn to oriental philosophy because it … Continue reading I Never Wanted To Be Here

Use Your Calendar

In my 50 years of training I always put the years training and seminar dates in my calendar first and then worked everything else around them where possible. Every year in June I do my following year’s calendar and give the dates out to all my students well in advance so they can do the same. Anyone that trains with me knows that every seminar will contain a lot of information that will never be given again. I view my calendar a month in advance, then each week and each day to remind me of what I’m doing and teaching. … Continue reading Use Your Calendar