Monica was our teacher today, and we started with our usual warm-up.  First of all we did Tao Yin, or breathing exercises.  After this we did the Form up to 20, then repeated the Form but opposite to the usual way, left instead of right, etc.  The Dance came next, concentrating on keeping the movements low.  After the break we did "stick twirling", which causes us all to be well spaced from each other!  Staffs followed, revising especially movements from 10 onwards.  Next came several exercises based on self-defence, starting with Active Mist and finishing with the one with movements at different speeds which always makes the pulses race!    Last of all we did the Chi Cut Off, which is very calming.  A varied and beneficial session.

Today our teacher was Janet, the first time she has taken the class and she did really well!  We started with Happy Days, then moved on to the  Tai Chi Walk which took us through all the forward and backwards steps.  After this we did the Form up to 50, which we practised several times.  Breathing exercises came next, all with lovely names - Eagle Stretches its Wings, Supporting Clouds, Salute with Hands, Flying Fox - then we did a good breathing and balance exercise to finish that section.  After the break we did the Dance up to 20, then moving the silks with stances.  Finally we did the Silks  Form before the Chi Cut Off.  A very enjoyable session!

Monica was our teacher today, and after warm-up  we practised steps, with the emphasis on keeping movements low.  This really works the muscles of the legs and ensures that full benefit is made of all the exercises.  We then did the Form up to 20 and put into practice the low movements.  After this we did a breathing exercise called Drinking Horse which really worked the lungs!  Stances with silks came next, moving from Cat into Dragon.  After the break we moved on to sticks, starting off with arm movements, spinning and twisting the sticks, then we did the Staffs form.  A series of self-defence based moves came next, starting with Shou Pei Fa, followed by Active Mist, then Poison Hands which was done slowly, then medium paced, then fast!  Finally we did the Dance up to 20 before Chi Cut Off.  Another beneficial and varied session!

Monica was our teacher today, with Alan taking us through the warm-up.  We then did the Tai Chi Walk, which took us through all the forward movements, Hawk, Crane, Dog, Duck, Snake and Dragon, together with great amusement!  The Form came next, up to 20, and then the Dance up to 10.  Then we moved onto sticks, starting with spinning sticks by hand, resulting in your blogger managing to hit herself over the head!  The  Staffs form followed, up to 20, concentrating on the middle section. Our new members had a practice session with Alan covering stances, then we all did stances forward and back, eventually with arm movements.  We finished with the Chi Cut Off after another very enjoyable session.

Today we were pleased to welcome another new member!  Monica was our teacher with Alan taking us through the warm-up.  First of all we practised foot movements, keeping the feet in contact with the floor, moving in all directions and keeping the weight on the heel.  The first part of the Form came next, up to 10.  We then moved on to Staffs, first doing co-ordinated stances and arm movements before the actual Staffs Form, which we did several times.  Silks came next, first getting the Silks moving together with stances, then the Silks Form up to 20.  The final exercise was based on self-defence, and concentrated especially on the leopard stance.  We finished with the Chi Cut Off after a very enjoyable and beneficial session!

We were pleased to see three new members today, who were most welcome!  Monica was our teacher and we started off with the warm-up routine.  Then we moved on to Happy Days, to demonstrate three sectional breathing, and followed this by practice of stances and arm movements using silks.  Staffs came next, which we went through several times, then we did the Form up to 20.  An exercise called Active Mist came next, which we did up to 30.  This was followed by Tao Yin, or breathing exercises.  After this we did an exercise based on self-defence movements, the middle section of which is done slowly at first, then more quickly, and finally fast, which always raises a smile!  The Dance came next, up to 17, and finally the Chi Cut Off.  Our new members did really well in an enjoyable and varied session.

Our teacher today was Alan, and after warm-up we started with Happy Days.  The Form came next, 50 to 72, which we practised several times, before doing the complete Form.  Revision of stances came next before the Form once more.  We then went on to four breathing and balance exercises, the first one called Eagle Stretches Its Wings, followed by the Dolphin Roll!  A balancing exercise came next, followed by Flying Fox.  This was followed by Staffs up to 13, which again, we practised several times.  Finally we did the Dance before Chi Cut Off at the end of a very enjoyable and varied session.  New members would be most welcome, so if you want to try out these deceptively slow and simple movements with the strange names, and be surprised by the beneficial effect, do come and join us!

Today our teacher was Monica, and after warm-up we moved on to a series of new movements with Silks to improve our leopard stance.  The Silks form came next, up to 20.  This was followed by the Sticks form, then the Staffs form, which we practised several times.  We then did the Form itself up to 20 and then the  Dance, into which we tried to incorporate the flowing actions required.  Two self-defence sequences followed, the first with movements which were new to us, and in the second, "Active Mist", we went up to 30.  We finished with the Chi Cut Off after a very enjoyable and varied session.

Alan was our teacher today, assisted by Janet.  First of all we did the warm-up where we exercise the whole body gradually from the head to the ankles!  This was followed by Happy Days, then we moved on to the Form.  We revised movements 50 to 72 before practising the Form from the beginning, then went over different sections as required by members of the group.  After the break Janet took us through several Tao Yin, or breathing exercises, which incorporated resistance movements to enhance the effect of the deep breathing.  Staffs came next, up to 10, then Sticks up to 17, both of which we repeated in order to improve!  Finally we did Silks before the Chi Cut Off.  A good session on a very hot day!

Today our teacher was Alan, assisted by Janet.  During warm-up Alan demonstrated a good exercise for the back which was easy to do and most beneficial!  We started with Happy Days to get our Chi moving, then a series of exercises based on self-defence which incorporate both defensive and attacking moves.  This was followed by the Silks Form.  We practised several times up to 16, concentrating especially on the last few movements for those of us (me) who kept getting it wrong!  Then came breathing and balance exercises with Janet and we all seem to be making progress with these.  The Clock Face came next, which is a good exercise to improve stances.  We finished with the Form, revising several of the sections, then did the complete Form up to 72.  Another very enjoyable session!

Our teacher today was Monica and we started with our usual warm-up, followed by a three sectional breathing exercise to gather our Chi.  First of all we did the Staffs Form, starting with 10 then up to 13.  Revision of the Poor Peasant came next, to practice correct movements whilst keeping the  body upright.  We then moved on to Silks, getting the Silks moving by alternating between Cat and Dragon stances and incorporating arm actions.  The Silks Form itself came next, up to 16.  We followed this with the Form, up to 20.  Lastly we did the Dance, followed by the Chi Cut Off.  A varied and satisfying session!

Monica was our teacher today, and after warm-up we moved onto Happy Days.  We then did the Unbending Arm, which is an exercise to demonstrate Chi.  The Staff Form came next, starting with the first 10 movements and eventually completing 13.  This form demonstrates actions to ward off an aggressor.  Following on from that, we did the Stick Form, practising several times, and finally going up to 17 movements.  During the break we sang Happy Birthday to Dinni who is one of our long time members!  After that we  did Tao Yin, or breathing exercises, and a yoga movement which promotes balance and breathing.  Next we went on to the Form, revising the first 20 movements.  We finished with the Chi Cut Off after a beneficial and enjoyable session!

Over the last two weeks we have been pleased to welcome two new members to our group!  Today our teacher was Alan, assisted by Janet, who took us through the warm-up.  This was followed by Happy Days, after which we did the Unbending Arm exercise plus two further exercises demonstrated by Alan to show the power of Chi to our new members.  We then revised the main stances to ensure that we all get full benefit from them.  The first part of the Form came next up to 6.  After the break Janet took us through several Tao Yin, or breathing exercises, always good to do.  We then went back to the Form, our new members concentrating on the first 10 under Alan's guidance, and Janet took the rest of the class up to 60.   Silks came next, first of all energising the Silks then the Silks Form, with varying degrees of success!!!  We finished with the Chi Cut Off after a very enjoyable session.

Monica was our teacher today, and after warm-up we moved straight on to the form of Staffs.  We concentrated on movements up to 10 until we were all proficient!  A good breathing and balance exercise came next, followed by Happy Days.  Then came stances with silks in order to warm up the silks and ourselves!  After that came practice of the Dragon stance to ensure that we were using the correct foot positions to move through all the forms.  The Silks form came next, up to 16, Monica reminding us of the foot positions, which gave better balance and easier movement.  Another good and benefitical session.  We hope that more new members will join us for our beginners session next week, the 19th May!

Today our teacher was Alan, assisted by Janet.  Following warm-up we did Happy Days, which is a good breathing exercise.  After that we practised stances, something which we do regularly for our beginners and to ensure that we all get the maximum benefit by doing them correctly.  We then moved on to the Dance which Alan took us through slowly and carefully, first of all up to the first 20 movements, and eventually going up to 50.  After the break Janet took us through four breathing and balance exercises, each of which we repeated several times.  Then came the Form, first of all concentrating on movements 50 to 60 then going from the beginning to 72.  We then did an exercise based on self-defence before finishing with Chi Cut Off.  A stimulating and enjoyable session.

Today, Monica was the tutor. Following the warm up we concentrated on the 'Staff Form' untill the break.

Silk Form and the Dance, both up to 20 completed a most enjoyable and beneficial session

Our teacher today was Alan, assisted by Janet.  After warm-up we moved on to Happy Days, and this was followed by the Dance.  We went up to 50 but were all quite rusty so spent some time revising the later movements and eventually were much improved so did the complete Dance up to 50.  Janet then led us through a series of four exercises which co-ordinated breathing and balance with stretching.  The Form came next and we concentrated first of all on movements 60 to 72 as we had not done these for a while, then 30 to 72, eventually performing the Form from the beginning up to 72.  We finished with the Chi Cut Off after a very enjoyable session.

The first week back after the Easter break and our teacher was Monica, assisted by  Janet.  After warm-up we moved on to Staffs, which was new to us, and we eventually progressed to movements up to 10.  Sticks came next, up to 20, concentrating on movements 12 to 20.  We then practised two self-defence moves, the first at different speeds and the second done in four directions.  We then did an exercise co-ordinating leg and arm movements with the Silks, then moved on to the Silks Form up to 20.  This was followed by the Dance up to 17, which we went through several times.  Lastly we did the Form up to 20 with Monica giving the names of the groups of movements this time from Gather Celestial Energy to Drive the Tiger Away.  We finished with the Chi Cut Off breathing exercise Five Lotus Petals to close a varied and enjoyable session.

Our teacher today was Monica and after warm-up and breathing exercises to gather our energy, we started with Sticks.  We did the movements up to 20 then Alan took our newer members up to 12 and Monica took the rest of us up to 20.  This included the Flying Riding Horse, which is proving difficult to master!  We then revised the movements up to 12 together.  Silks came next starting with the stances Cat and Dragon and arm movements to get the silks flowing.  We also did the Silks form up to 22, repeating it several times to help our proficiency.  After that we moved on to a self-defence exercise which we have done before, and is done at different speeds.  After the break we concentrated on two  more self-defence exercises with Monica demonstrating the uses of the movements with the assistance of Janet.  In the first one we went up to 17 and the second exercise incorporated the opposing movements to the first self-defence exercise we did today.  Finally, we did the Dance up to 17.  We finished off with the Chi Cut Off breathing exercise after a full and interesting session.

Today our teacher was Alan, and we started with warm-up and breathing exercises to gather our Chi!  We then moved on to Happy Days, which is a good resistance breathing exercise.  Practice of the Form 60 - 72 came next, followed by the complete Form.  After that we revised moves 30 to 50, in particular 33 - 36, The Cobra Unwinds.  Janet then took us through several Tao Yin - breathing and balance - exercises.  After the break we concentrated on Silks, stretching Alan's patience by making moves more complicated than they are!  However, no-one tied themselves in a knot and that was a big plus!!  We finished with the Chi cut-off to complete an enjoyable session.

Today our teacher was Monica and we started off with the warm-up, including floor exercises, which caused much laughter!  We then revised stances for the benefit of our newer members, followed by breathing exercises to improve our Chi!  A martial art type exercise came next, done slowly, then medium pace and finally quickly, which certainly meant that everyone had a thorough warm-up!  Sticks followed with Alan taking beginners and Monica showing the rest of us new moves, including a Flying Horse, which was very interesting!  Stances and arm movements using Silks came next, followed by the form of Silks itself practised several times.  After that we did the Form up to 20, then the Dance, building up to 17.  A very enjoyable session with much variety!

Today we were pleased to welcome four new members!  Our teacher was Alan, assisted by Janet.  After warm-up we moved on to breathing exercises, starting with Happy Days, then an interesting and powerful one called Six Rabbits!  To follow we did the first sequence of the Form called Gather Celestial Energy.  Then came demonstrations of how we had gathered Chi, or energy, which are fascinating, especially to new members.  We then did the Form up to 20 together, then Alan took the new members to learn more precisely the beginning of the Form and Janet took the rest of the class to do the Form up to 50.  Practice of stances came next, with Alan stressing the importance of doing these properly to work the ankles, knees and hips, and the muscles in between!  Janet then took us through a sequence of Tao Yin - breathing exercises - which also stretched the waist, sides and back.  Following this we did the Form 60 to 72 several times to practice the stances and hand movements involved, after which we did the Form from 1 to 72, our new members joining in and doing very well indeed.  We finished off with the Dance up to 12, then the Chi Cut Off.  A varied and stimulating session enjoyed by all!

We welcomed Sue, a new member, today!  Our teacher today was Monica.  After warm-up, we concentrated on three sectional breathing and did various exercises with a partner, first to demonstrate the three sections of the body involved, then resistance exercises to feel the effect of pushing out the breath.  Next we moved on to stances.  It may feel intimidating to new members to hear words like "dragon", "duck", "snake", but these are just names of some of the different stances, which at first may not look too different from each other.  With practice however, the differences become more apparent and you can feel the different muscles involved which you have worked on and feel the benefit in your whole body!   These are also the stances used in the Form, the Dance, and other forms of Tai Chi which we practice regularly.  We finished off this week with the Form up to 20 and then the Chi Cut Off.

Today our teacher was Alan and we started off with warm-up exercises which work on all the  body from head to ankles!  Happy Days came next, a good breathing, balance and stretching exercise. We then formed a circle and each member gave the name of a stance for us all to do, an informal way of practising stances and causing much hilarity!  The Form followed, up to 20, our new members learning quickly.  After the break we did the Form up to 72 followed by Sticks up to 20, which passed without mishap!  The Dance came next which  Alan guided us through carefully up to 12.  After a busy and enjoyable session we finished with the Chi Cut Off.

We had a new member today, so welcome to David!  Our teacher was Monica, and we started off with warm-up exercises, including some interesting floor exercises!  Next came Tao Yin - breathing exercises - followed by Chinese Yoga movements.  We practised stances next, moving through Cat, Duck, Snake to Dragon, then reprised the Unbending Arm and other exercises to demonstrate the power of Chi.  The Form came next, up to 20, Drive the Tiger Away, followed by the Dance up to 10.  A good session, interspersed with laughter, then the Chi Cut Off to finish.

Please remember that the next session on Wednesday 24th February will be at 3 pm until 4.30 pm to allow the funeral cortege of  Corporal Liam Riley to pass through Killamarsh.

Our teacher today was Alan and after warm-up exercises we went on to practise The Archer arm movement.  This movement is to be incorporated into Poor Peasant and has been causing some consternation!   At Alan's suggestion we practised it with silks in order to regulate the movement, then we did Poor Peasant with The Archer, with more success than previously.  We then moved on to  Sticks 1 - 12 and could clearly see how this is derived from self-defence.  Tao Yin breathing exercises came next, led by Janet to work on, and improve, three sectional breathing.  Finally we revised the Form from 60 to 72, then the complete Form, refining movements 36 to 40, before going through the complete Form again.  Another varied and enjoyable session.

Today we were pleased to see two new lady members of our group!  Our teacher today was Monica and after the warm-up and breathing exercises, including Happy Days, we did three demonstrations of the power of Chi.  We then moved on to the first movements of  Sticks, up to 12, which were accomplished without mishap!  Movements based on self-defence came next, the first performed at three speeds, slow, medium and fast, to the accompaniment of much laughter!  The Dance came next, up to 17, which we practised several times.  To work on stances we then did Poor Peasant, without arm movements before doing the Form up to 20, Drive the Tiger Away.  We finished an interesting and varied session with the Chi Cut Off.

Today we were pleased to welcome four new members to our group!  After the warm-up exercises we did Happy Days then the first exercises of the Form, Gather Celestial Energy to build up our Chi.  We then revised the Unbending Arm to demonstrate the power of Chi, which never fails to impress all of us!  Janet then took us through four different breathing exercises, one of which is designed to work on balance as well as breathing.  We then had a break, after which we went right through the Form up to 72.  The class then split into two with Alan working with our new members and Janet leading the rest of the group up to 50, which took us up to the Chi Cut Off and the end of an enjoyable session.

We then had our Annual General Meeting.  Margaret read out the minutes from last year, which were approved.  There was some discussion regarding finances and funding for our teacher and Margaret is to make one or two final checks but everything is satisfactory.  Gifforde has decided to stand down as Chairman and he was warmly thanked for his contribution.  Margaret and Eileen were thanked for all their hard work as Secretary and Treasurer and Alan for his voluntary work as teacher.  Without the three of them our group would not have been able to continue.  Sandra will replace Gifforde as Chairperson, and as there was no other business the Meeting ended there.

Don't forget this week we are having our AGM. If you have something to say, now's your chance. The meeting will take place during the break, and the class will over run past the normal 2.45pm finnish.. This will give anyone the chance to bow out before the end without missing the meeting.

Our new teacher, Monica, came today.  She is very enthusiastic and seemed to go down well with everyone.  The next time she will be with us is in two weeks and she asks that as well as silks, we bring sticks.  Helmets are optional!  After warm-up we revised three sectional breathing with several exercises, some new to us.  Next came Poor Peasant which we went over thoroughly and incorporated arm movements, which caused some confusion in co-ordinating arms with the stances, but we did make progress!  During the break we had our photograph taken and hope to see it soon in the Leader!  We then did Silks, which was different from the form we have done before, but we achieved the new form up to seven.  After that we did the Dance, concentrating on the first 17 movements, then the first movements of the Form, Gather Celestial Energy.  We finished with the Chi Cut Off as usual.  Everyone felt that they had worked hard and enjoyed the session!

Please note, a new lady, instuctor will be taking the class this coming week. Due to her commitments she may be late, therefore Alan will start the class as per normal and hand over, this means we may finish at 3.00pm.

The first session of Tai Chi in 2010 after being snowed off last week.  We had a new member this week, Eric, who was most welcome.  We started with warm-up exercises, which were much needed after the Christmas break!  Alan took the class and we started off with Happy Days.  We then did exercises 1 - 3 Gather Celestial Energy, then progressed to the first 10 movements of the form.  After practising various stances we did the whole of the Form.  After the  break, Janet took us through several breathing exercises, then we split the class with Alan giving our new member one to one tuition of the first movements of the Form and Janet led the rest of us through the Form up to 60.  We then revised the Form from 60 to 72 with Alan and then did the complete Form, finishing off with the Chi Cut Off.  A most enjoyable session which everyone felt had been beneficial!

Wishing a Happy New Year to all the class.

See you all on the 6th

As it was the last class before Christmas there were only eight of us today, but an enjoyable session covering our usual warm-up, then several breathing exercises (Tao Yin), some Chinese yoga (K'ai Men), then we  revisited the Form,  numbers 60 to 72, then 30 to 40 of the Dance, followed by the complete Dance.  We then finished with the Chi cut off breathing exercises.  We have a break now until the next session on Wednesday 6th January 2010.