A hearty welcome to the latest edition of the North West Newsletter. This month includes the usual informative articles, (thanks to Anne from Bacup), news reports and book reviews, as well as workshop details for the autumn period.

As you read this edition, the Zhong Ding 10^th Anniversary celebrations will already be underway in Malaysia, and you will probably become aware of the disappearance of some familiar faces as an exodus to the far east begins! In addition to training sessions with some of the Association’s most notable technical advisers, a celebratory banquet is being held and a series of demonstrations will form part of the event, which it is hoped may be available on video at a later date. Watch out for a full report of the celebrations in the next edition of the Newsletter.

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Despite the unseasonably cool summer this year, both the Rencontres Jasnieres meeting in France and the annual Zhong Ding Summer Camp were blessed with perfect summer weather!

JASNIERES: At the French camp held in the Loire Valley in July, John Higginson taught a 3-day workshop covering the entire two-person san shou fast form, before taking his place as one of the 16 international "animateurs" for the 3-day festival itself. The san shou course was fully booked, being well attended by instructors and students from many countries across Western Europe. First-time visitors to the meeting discovered just how quickly the standard of their tai chi could improve at such an intensive training camp, which offered the opportunity to participate in a three-hour session of free pushing hands each afternoon with some of the best tai chi exponents in Europe!

SUMMER CAMP: The annual 3-day Summer Camp was held in the beautiful Peak District National Park over the weekend of the August Bank Holiday. The event was well attended by instructors and students from the North East, North West, West Midlands and Devon, with a surprise visit from Chris Turner, our visiting Zhong Ding representative from America! The main emphasis of the training was on san shou and sword, with one session concluding in the magnificent grounds of Peveril Castle. In addition, meditation sessions were held before breakfast to get each day off to a relaxing and focussed start.

This was the fifth year in which a successful summer camp has been held and it is proposed, in addition to next year’s camp, to hold a special tai chi event in the Scottish Highlands in the summer of 1999 – further details are given later in the newsletter.

SWORDS: We have managed to get (at a large discount!), a few of the ‘Gold’ and ‘Silver’ Taiji swords based on a Taiwan design, but made by the sword-smiths of Toledo, Spain, (as wielded by Zhong Ding’s founder, Nigel Sutton, as well as John Higginson and several other Z.D. instructors!) The ‘Gold’ ones are £119 (instead of £150), ‘Silver’ £99 (instead of £115). There are also the English battle swords at £50. All of these Spanish made swords have excellent balanced blades that will even cut stone!

We also still have some of the ‘heavy’ Telescopic straight swords at £20, (rather than the two lower grades you normally find in the shops these days at the same price), and a few of the chrome-plated broadswords at £40.

TAI CHI – A JOURNEY OF DISCOVERY?

After doing tai chi for about three years, I have found it not only a physical adventure, but also an emotional, mental and spiritual one too. This, you may think, sounds very grand, but if you are prepared to look deeper than the basic moves of the form, then you find yourself looking into a tai chi mirror, whereby your form development mirrors exactly where you are in your life. Sounds good doesn’t it, but do we like what we see?!

Most of us when ‘beginners’ will have experienced feeling totally useless! Thoughts of "I’ll never be able to remember these moves", "How come other people do it so easily?" "Will it take a long time to get this tai chi thing?", "Relax - what does that mean?" and even "I can’t do it", all come to the surface. But, as we practise and stick at it, the form begins to get a little easier and at least we get to know which move comes next and which direction we’re going in. When we start to realise and ‘know’ all the moves, the learning and understanding really begins. This realisation is a pretty big one, because we know it really can be a life-long learning, and there is no way we can do classes for a couple of terms, and having completed the moves of the form say "Tai chi, I’ve done that!"

If we decide to keep going we have to start looking at our ‘blocks’ in order to move forward. We start to question why certain parts of our bodies don’t relax as easily as other parts, and realise that this is how we carry ourselves in day to day life. Why are our shoulders so tense, our chests tight, our backs stiff and inflexible, our knees aching?, etc, etc. How do we react when our teacher pulls us up on our form? Do we react positively or negatively? Do we have the humility to take the ‘criticism’ as a positive way forward in our learning, or do we become stubborn and refuse to admit that yes, we can do better?

Although the form itself shows us ‘where we are’, partner-work and especially pushing hands magnify it rather quickly! Many people do not like pushing-hands exercises at first, largely due to having to make physical contact with another person, which can and does bring up many issues. Basically, we find it difficult to allow anyone into our ‘space’; it causes us to feel threatened, tense and uncomfortable. The pushing-hands exercises immediately mirror these feelings as our shoulders lock, our chests tighten and the chi rises! We also become very defensive and all our tai chi principles go out of the window! But if we wish to get past this predicament we can, with practise and understanding, bring back the tai chi into our pushing-hands.

‘Letting go’ has to be one of the biggest problems, for if we let our partner’s energy flow through and be directed back out without tensing up or being aggressive, then we can really begin to see the deeper learning of tai chi. It is very empowering to be able to direct energy outwards in a positive way (i.e. non-aggressive and non-ego-based), and it has positive effects not just physically, but on all levels also. If we are really developing in our tai chi, then we should see a change in all aspects of our life, not just in our physical health.

For those who think they’ve ‘got this tai chi thing’ in its physical package, look around at the other aspects of your life and see if tai chi is in there too!

For those who feel things aren’t moving quickly enough or progress is slow, just take a moment to look at how much work you are putting into it and whether you are willing to change in order to move forward.

Like the saying "Be still as a mountain, move as a great river" – the river is forever flowing and changing in order to reach its destination.

Happy journey everyone!

By Anne Whitehead, tai chi student, Zhong Ding Tai Chi, Bacup.

Autumn Workshop Programme (For full details and booking forms, see attached leaflets)

Master Lau Kim Hong: Master Lau will be making a most welcome return visit to Britain during October. Keep in touch for details!!!.

27^th September: We are planning to take a group of students to the competition in the Wirral – this is an excellent opportunity to see many different types of Chinese arts and to take part if you would like (to deepen your level of relaxation and focus). Ring Geoff for details (0161-764-1379).

3^rd October Is a ‘push hands’ workshop, covering all aspects of this essential part of the T.C. coriculum.

23^rd-25^th October: The magnificent Buddhist temple of Samye Ling, with its resident peacocks, will provide the backdrop for a relaxing weekend of tai chi and meditation in the beautiful Scottish Lowlands. Accommodation is full board, and transport is shared to help keep costs to a minimum, so join us for a weekend focussed on restoring the natural balance between body, mind and spirit.

7^th-8^th November: This weekend workshop provides students with their only opportunity this year to learn the entire 54-step straight sword (jian) form handed down to Grandmaster Cheng Man-Ch’ing by the Yang family. Study of the jian helps to develop the tai chi essentials of sensitivity, agility and flexible footwork. This workshop is open to students of all levels, and two instructors will be provided to enable students to work at the most appropriate pace.

26^th September & 28^th November: These two workshops, in Birmingham and Manchester, are the latest in the series of one-day broadsword (dao) and fast form (san shou) workshops designed to allow students space to both learn and expand on their knowledge of these forms and their function. Students are welcome to concentrate on either of these disciplines as they wish (or both for the energetic!), and san shou exponents are welcome to work on both the solo forms and two person set.

28^th -30^th December: A very welcome return for the famous Christmas Intensive Workshop, where students are invited to "drop in" over the festive season for a session or two, (or the full three days for those wishing to escape from their relatives!) to work off the Christmas pud. This most enjoyable festive workshop has been missing from the annual programme for the past five years, as John is usually in India during December, and may very well not reappear for the next five years, so catch it while you can!

Zhong Ding Spain: John will be making a return visit to his students of the Coordinadora de Tai Chi Chuan Y Artes Associadas in Asturias during November, and is even now brushing up on his two words of Spanish! No pesetas! Hombro relaja! Just the same as English (he thinks!) So if you would like a break come and join us!

It has been proposed that we arrange a residential holiday to include several days Taiji. We have found a place of outstanding beauty in the Scottish highlands, however we will need an idea of the numbers interested to assess its viability. It will probably take place in August and families will be welcome. Please contact John before Xmas for more information.

‘Applied Tai Chi Chuan’ by Nigel Sutton. The revised and extended second edition of "the Zhong Ding handbook" is now in stock and selling fast! Copies available from John.

INSTRUCTOR COURSE, 1998: Congratulations to all participants as we near the end of this year’s intensive instructor course. The standard is excellent, which bodes well for the future. The next instructor day is on 4^th October – ALL HOMEWORK IN BEFORE THEN, PLEASE!!!

S. West(Devon, Somerset, Cornwall, Dorset) John Fowler 01803 400814 Colin Stephens 01803 558523

S. Coast (Sussex, Hamp; Surrey) Glenn 01903 715286

Home Counties(London, E. Anglia, Kent) Ben Clarke 0181 998 8028 Brian 0181 841 1054

East Midlands(Notts; Lincs; Staffs. Derby) Miles Craig 01332 735740 Steve J. 01623 750472

West Midlands -(Leic; Staffs; Shrop; War;) Bob Wesley 0121 344 3679

North East(Yorkshire) Ian Gillespie 01484 655429, Craig Jackson 01484 318463

Other areas (UK) and abroad (Europe,Far east & USA) ring the N.W. Secretary or Senior Instructor 0161 860 4111

Or E:mail zhongdao@globalnet.co.uk

INSTRUCTORS:[ John Higginson (4^th Duan); Vicky Holden(3^rd Duan)

Geoff Taylor, Damon Townsend Chris Kaighin( 2^nd Duan); Colin Hoddes, Ben Jones(1^st Duan); Tommy Trueman, Imelda Maguire, Pete Hinde (Adv.students)