Music /National newsletter
Nigel Sutton
Eurowirral /Secrets by Pete Gateley
Things to come
Shirts / Weapons / Insurance
Importance of effort by Javier Mesa
Jasniéres 99" by Neil Macphail
Classes and contacts
Diary/ Book list
Courses

Digitally produced audio-tapes featuring two pieces of music to accompany the practise of hand or weapons forms are now available at the modest price of £6.00 (£4.00 for Zhong Ding members). The C.D. version costs £8.00 (£6.00 for Zhong Ding members). They have beautiful full-colour covers, and the playing time is approximately 25 minutes. (Please note that all copies of the instructor version of the C.D. with additional music, have now gone!)

The second edition is hot off the press, and features reviews of the British Council for Chinese Martial Arts National Championships and the 1999 Celtic Zhong Ding Camp, together with articles by Zhong Ding’s Chairman Vincent Jones, Ace Editor Spanner, and the South West’s Dean Dalrymple. There’s also a guide to performing the Ba Duan Jin qigong and a page featuring Internet News.

Nigel Sutton, the founder of Zhong Ding in Europe, visited the U.K. during September, conducting seminars in Birmingham, Nottingham, Manchester, Huddersfield and York on the northern leg of his tour. In Manchester, as elsewhere, the theme was refinement of the hand form using a variety of different visualisations, and the development of fa jing through long weapons training - and a large number of students of all abilities took part.

The hand form work produced some interesting variations on Cheng Man-Ch’ing’s original creation, as participants variously tried to perform the movements on their heels or tip-toes, spiralled their arms and even created their own ‘free-style’ form. Even the most inexperienced of students found something to inspire them to research the form from a different perspective.

Some senior students also spent an entertaining evening attempting to develop flexible footwork with the aid of a series of stepping patterns and CD of ‘Mambo No 5’. (Yes, really). The same students later adjourned to a social club with Nigel to watch one of their number, (a Zhong Ding Instructor from Huddersfield) performing with his band, the Monty. The act required the said Instructor (who was Craig Jackson, actually) to wear little more than a smile, and despite the anaesthetic effect of several alcoholic beverages, a number of students were left deeply scarred by the experience. However, the stepping patterns were a huge hit with members of the public who mistook an impromptu training session for the latest line dance and attempted to join in.

Nigel may now have returned to Malaysia with his family, but on the dance floors of Britain a seed has been sown…

There was a rare sighting of those "Sussex Boys" Steve Burns and Glen Pelham-Mather, and "Sussex Girl" Susie to the north of Watford during September as they ventured to Merseyside to win a handful of trophies at this year’s ‘Eurowirral’ British Open Chinese Martial Arts Tournament.

The Tournament, which aims to promote Chinese culture as well as Chinese martial arts, was held on 12^th September 1999, at the Leasowe Recreation Centre, at Leasowe on the Wirral. The competition included categories for Tai chi hand/weapons forms and push hands, Wing Chun barehand, chi sau and dummy, as well as semi and full contact fighting.

Steve and Glen took gold and bronze respectively in their push hands weight categories. Steve also reached the final of the full contact competition, but disappointingly had to withdraw due to an injury sustained in his push hands final, and so took the silver medal. Susie won gold in the female push hands category, beating Wudang and Hao style competitors convincingly in what was her first competition – (not bad for a bunch of Southerners!)

NB: Steve has just finished his BSc. in ‘Sports Development’ (and is currently working on his MSc.), and we have invited him to run a course in Manchester, which will include some of the latest information from the field of sports and health. This ought to prove extremely interesting, and more details will follow when they are available.

SECRETS by Pete Gateley

If you have read Wolf Lowenthal’s book, "There Are No Secrets", you will probably recognise this phrase as the one Professor Cheng Man-Ch’ing used in his description of Tai Chi Chuan. In the book, Lowenthal tells how Professor Cheng maintained that there were no secrets in Tai Chi Chuan, but would then add, "But if there were a secret it is......."

Thus secrets are not really secret, but are readily available information, open things, but things that tend to pass unnoticed. Take the above example of the hands not moving. It seems, on the surface, to be an absurd statement; we all know that the hands move in Tai Chi. They move as we do, roll-back, push, press, single-whip. We may think the hands move in every move we make. Well, maybe - but we shouldn’t make them move at all. All movement in Tai Chi should begin with the waist turning, all movement should start at the Dan-Tien. Nothing moves without being initiated by the movement of the waist; then, if the waist turns, the hands turn. The legs do not step unless the movement is initiated by the waist, so all movement comes from the Dan-Tien.

This is an important point to bear in mind when you practice the form and an essential part of good Tai Chi, but it is a point that is appreciated only when experience is gained over a period of time. It is said that your teacher could tell you everything you need to know about Tai Chi

in your first lesson, but it wouldn’t do you any good because you wouldn’t recognise what was being told to you. This can be true of many things that one sets out to learn. In general we accept this. When we learn something at school or university or night classes or whatever, there is usually an end in sight, or some point where we can say we have learned enough and we metaphorically put down our pen. Tai Chi is not like this, there is always more to learn, always more to refine. It does not end, it should become more and more refined and the secrets become more obvious.

(Courtesy of Zhong Ding West Midlands Newsletter)

November sees the final workshops with John Higginson in 1999 before his departure on December 2^nd for two month,s training with his teachers in the Far East. On November 6^th, a Pushing Hands day will feature both fixed pattern and free style training, and the San Shou workshop on the 7^th will provide an opportunity to train both solo and two-person forms. Staff and Spear training on the 14^th will focus on basic drills to enhance ‘fa jing’. The Syllabus Day on the 20^th is a must for both beginners and advanced students alike, providing an opportunity to train a mixture of the basic syllabus and also look at more advanced aspects. Written feedback (at no extra cost!) is available to members who would like to know a little more about their strengths and weaknesses. This workshop also provides an excellent opportunity for both junior and full instructors to get together to see what they should be looking for and trying to encourage in their own students.

Applications are invited, before the end of November, 1999, from all serious advanced students and instructors to enrol on the Instructor Training Course for 2000. The aim of the course is to raise the standard of instruction available within the organisation nationally by means of teacher training and, more especially, by providing a space for instructors and advanced students to train the syllabus intensively together. The course covers the full taiji syllabus of hand and weapon forms and partner-work, together with the study of teaching skills, wu de, and first aid. Those participating are expected to commit themselves to attending for a minimum of one day every two months.

The Grand Championships for the year 2000 are scheduled for February 20^th, at Stockland Green Leisure Centre, Stockland Green, in Birmingham. After the success of the 1999 Championships, several new categories are planned for next year’s event and full details will be circulated as soon as they are available.

Competition and Festival in Spain, June 2000 Details in next newsletter.

SHIRTS

We currently have a limited number of the Espana Zhong Ding shirts with a beautiful photo of the Man himself on the front. These are excellent value at £8.50 (£6.50)

We still have a few of the ‘GOLD AND SILVER TAIJI SWORDS based on a Taiwan design, but made by the sword-smiths of Toledo, Spain,. The ‘GOLD’ SWORDS are £115 (instead of the usual £150), and ‘SILVER’ SWORDS are £95 (instead of £115). There are also ENGLISH BATTLE SWORDS at £50. All of these Spanish-made swords have superbly-balanced blades that will even cut stone!

We also still have one CHROME-PLATED BROADSWORD at £40. If you are after a specific item it pays to keep in touch! We also have WOODEN FANS at £19.95 and a couple of CANE WALKING STICKS and STRAIGHT STICKS at £8.00 each.

We have added a new category of North West membership for people who are not actually members in our region, but who wish to receive our newsletter. This is because a significant demand has developed for our excellent news-sheet from other Zhong Ding regions (and also from non-Zhong Ding members!). It will cost £5.00 per annum to receive the newsletter for the year (usually three or four issues), to cover the cost of production and postage.

NB: Your membership card should contain your photo and a ZDNW stamp; if it doesn’t, please return it together with a passport-sized photo so it can be stamped as an official authorisation.

Instructor insurance: In our continuing attempt to raise and ensure the standard and quality of Zhong Ding instructors, it has been noted that a few people who teach under the Z.D. name have not yet attended at least two Instructor level courses during the year. This was a condition introduced last year by Nigel Sutton for those wishing to continue to be registered and insured as Zhong Ding instructors. (Please take note if you are currently teaching taiji for the organisation).

THE IMPORTANCE OF EFFORT by Javier Mesa,

All of us who practise the noble art of taijiquan are interested in developing at least one of its many aspects: skill, growth of patience, finding one’s centre, becoming a martial artist, improving as a person, forming relationships, obtaining a certain spiritual sense, or maybe even competing.

However, on reading a book or an article or attending classes, few people comment on using the practical application of the art to reach these objectives. We are more impressed with words about the wonders of taijiquan (which are of course true!) or by the beauty, gracefulness and apparent ease of its gentle movements. But nothing worthwhile can be achieved without the daily and diligent practise of the art and its principles.

We often attend classes or courses, and emerge with aching legs (a reward for our hard work!) or maybe we are slightly more aware of where our tensions lie; then we go home to rest and promptly forget! But what about the objectives for which we started to practise? We always want ‘the best, the quickest, the easiest and (if possible) the cheapest’, and therefore we forget to practise until our next class, so allowing all the benefits of the art to escape from our hands!

Even if at times we feel overwhelmed by daily tasks, by lack of time or the stresses of life, who is unable to take just a little time to feel "suspended from above", to "sink the chest", relax the shoulders, keep the back straight and relax a bit more? The practise of these and other principles leads to increased skill, better health and deeper relaxation, so "what’s the problem?" Surely we can still take life a bit more calmly!

The same thing happens when traditional weapons are used. Some people become alarmed, as they consider it violent or only suitable for people of an advanced level - but why? It is still taijiquan, with all its principles and its benefits for health and relaxation, and its philosophy and spirit are still there. Nothing has moved or changed, or migrated to another place; there’s simply something else in one’s hands with which to explore the art. Weapons practise enables us to progress in our approach, since our vision of the art will be wider and we are encouraged to work with greater attention. Thus we discover more of the subtleties of the art, and our practise will begin to increase in quality.

The same thing can be seen with the practise of fast forms, push-hands methods or free pushing hands; they all pursue the same end, the same principles, exactly the same as at the beginning. Therefore everything is the same: TAIJIQUAN. The only thing that changes is the quality with which it is done, and this comes only through practise and learning.

There are some people who are lacking in character and motivation, and it may be difficult for the instructor to transmit to them his love of and interest in taijiquan. Such people start classes, but it isn’t long before they stop attending without ever having had a real taste of the art, so they give up empty-handed instead of enjoying a "mountain full of treasures".

"There are three important factors in learning the art: correct teaching, natural talent, and perseverance. There can be no success at all without perseverance. Every day that we practise the form, we lay down a layer of skill as thin as tissue paper, but with time, even thin sheets of tissue can pile up high. Persevere." (Extract from The Inner Way).

When learning taiji, we must be careful to be satisfied with small successes, instead of demanding immediate results. Those who want immediate results often fall into the trap of neglecting the details and learning a large number of techniques quickly; such people will copy the outward aspects of the art whilst ignoring the inward aspect, and are in danger of missing the whole point of taijiquan.

Results can only be reached in a natural way, after many days, months and years. Taijiquan can’t be compared with western techniques, where everything is easily explained and proved, and few things require such a subtle and deep study. ("But the most important thing is if you don’t use your brain, you can’t train!") (Courtesy of Zhong Ding Espana Newsletter)

"Jasniéres 99" by Neil Macphail

The Camping site is on the beautiful Lac de Varennes that shares its shores with an extensive outdoor sports park entrance free to campers.

I found the training in the two-person form, John and Vicky gave, very rewarding. As you get into it you realise how soft and free flowing the form can be when working with a good partner, and with a bit of experience. You also realise that when you think you have a bad partner, it's your own inadequacies that are causing the problem. Progressively you pick up the moves and realise all the opportunities for locks and holds that are built into them. (More later). Learning proceeds with making a move, which your partner then learns to counter. Then, you learn to counter that counter. So in the end none of the moves ever complete and they all blend together. Harder still is to be soft and sensitive enough to stick and follow and counter with your partner's energy. I'm still working on this!

I found there were three approaches to Tai Chi, depending on the primary interest of the school. I found schools who put pushing hands first, other schools that put fighting first in the form of self-defence (William Chen's school) and some like ours where the form came first. They all practised all three and just put their emphases into one area. They are all Tai Chi and all share the same concepts and ideals and hope to reach the same levels of expertise. William Chen, particularly, emphasised the importance of the Form to improve the other two areas but his school’s emphasis on self-defence is probably more for commercial reasons in the US.

There were people of all nationalities at the camp. Enormous Viking Danes and German Attilla the huns, matador size Spanish and everything in between. They were all very friendly and willing to share their experiences of Tai Chi and life. I got on particularly well with the Dutch.

Classes (N.W. area) Instructor

Monday Altrincham 7.30-9pm. St. John’s church, St. John’s Road Colin Hoddes

Tuesday Stretford 7.30-9/9-10.30pm Firswood Com.Ctr. Greatstone Rd John Higginson

Wednesday New Mills 3-4 & 6-7 New Mills Leisure Centre, High Peak Andy Hague

Thursday Bury 7 - 8.30/8.30-10pm Holy trinity school, Cecil St. Terry Higgins

Friday Stretford 7.30-10.30 Ring for information John Higginson

France: Willie Nelson (0033) -0-553-547-634

Or E:mail zhongdao@globalnet.co.uk

13 Hand Form am/ Fast & weapon Form pm - Birmingham

STAFF & SPEAR

Cost: £15 per day - Zhong Ding members booked in advance (£25 non-members)

Venue: Scout Hut, (next to 184) Kings Road, Firswood, Manchester M16

Please return to: Mr.J.HIGGINSON 74, GREATSTONE RD. FIRSWOOD, MANCHESTER M16 0H

BOOKING FORM ZHONG DING TAIJI COURSES – MANCHESTER November ‘99

[Please tick box]

and enclose a deposit of £5 per class. Address__________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

BOOKING FORM ZHONG DING TAIJI COURSES – MANCHESTER November ‘99

[Please tick box]

and enclose a deposit of £5 per class. Address_________________________________________