ZHONG DING NORTH WEST

SPRING NEWSLETTER 2000

Impressions of Samye Ling - The Taiji Retreat, 24/26 March 2000

Back in January, Chris & I realised we did not have our usual holiday to look forward to in early Spring. Why not go to the Tai Chi retreat this year? We had always said to ourselves that we should go. O K, we duly booked, thinking...." there will be plenty of people there" - "we can skip classes if we feel tired, or skulk at the back and take it easy".........(oops !! )

Nearer the time, we found out that there were only a few of us going with John, including Instructor Terry. No chance to slack, then. Panic set in - you all know what a hard taskmaster that John Higginson is, don't you?!

In fact, it turned out to be an extremely useful and personalised two days of training for us all that concentrated on what each of us wanted to improve, or in the case of the two of us at least, an opportunity to try a major overhaul. Fine-tuning of the form was interspersed with Qi Gong and even some Chen style exercises - Chan Si Jing. For those of us who do not train as often as we should (sorry, John!), four or five hours a day can be quite daunting and the thigh muscles certainly felt the strain! Such concentration made us realise how many bad habits we had picked up along the way. The weekend allowed us to go from realisation to desperation to understanding, and to resolve to work on doing better. Whether or not this will lead to improvement, only those of you who know us will be able to judge.

But people will say..."you can train anywhere, can't you?" What is surprising is how much getting away somewhere for a couple of days allows one to relax and focus on the training. There is something about looking out of the window of a hall to see fields, forests, sheep and rabbits, the sun shining on the surrounding hills.

But that isn't just what the weekend is about. It is like staying in a Buddhist Youth Hostel. If you linger too long near the kitchen, someone will ask you to stack those plates up or wipe down the tables. But, why not?; it is all part of the relaxed and informal atmosphere of the place. You queue up for meals with other guests, alongside the monks and nuns, and help yourself. The food is basic but plentiful and very tasty. In fact Sunday's vegetable curry and dhal would have graced many an Indian restaurant!

The temple itself is an attraction in its own right. And we had our own guide in that John could provide in-depth explanations of the iconography of Tibetan Buddhism. There is something magical about the building, set as it is next to a copse of pine trees with crows cawing and prayer flags whipping in the wind that would occasionally catch the wind chimes that hang from the corners of the building.

Even two old cynics like us found the morning prayers quite an enchanting experience, although they do start at 6.00 a.m. Chris even got up again on Sunday morning to attend, and this was the morning the clocks went forward! As well as the prayers, there were regular meditation sessions that one could attend.

A splendid and enjoyable weekend which we would recommend to anyone. So where were the rest of you?? Get up there next year !! .......and thanks, John - it was a great weekend !!

Christine McCarthy Burnley, Lancs

Adrian James (Stretford Class)

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The retreat took place at Samye Ling Tibetan Buddhist Monastery in the Scottish Lowlands, with the t'ai chi teaching being held at the nearby village hall. As I arrived at Samye Ling after nightfall on Friday night, my first chance to see the famous Tibetan temple would be the following morning. On Saturday, a moderate wind sounded the musical wind chimes set at each corner of the magnificent temple building. After the morning's t'ai chi, John showed us round, and we visited the temple (accompanied by a chaffinch who sampled some of the offerings!) the gardens, and the abode of the water spirit where the White and Black River Esks meet.

The training included work on the hand form, some Chan Si Jing, and some flying crane qigong. On the Sunday afternoon, we trained in the garden outside the main house, observed by the resident flock of tame chaffinches.

Everyone on the retreat enjoyed the fine surroundings and warm hospitality of the monastery, and John's teaching, which improved our understanding of t'ai chi.

Ian Vaughan (Stretford Class)

ON QIGONG - An extract from Nigel's new book "Searching for the Way"

Qigong, which may be literally translated as "breath skill" but which more properly should be understood to be the training of vital energy, has been a part of the Chinese medical and exercise tradition for thousands of years. As well as being associated with the fields of medicine and physical fitness it is also found in connection with Buddhism, Daoism, and of course the practice of martial arts.

Exponents claim to be able to use their qi to cure illnesses, prolong life, and even to damage opponents; all of which serves to make qigong a field of study very attractive to a wide range of people. It also makes the art open to exploitation and misrepresentation.

In the majority of the systems of Chinese martial arts that I have studied, however, qigong in one form or another has played a part. As such, over the years I have learned quite a wide range of such methods…

…From Master Liang He Qing I learned the traditional taiji qigong of the Yang family. It was in the home of one of his senior students that the fine-tuning took place. Each movement combined stretching, breathing, and visualisations so that mind, body, and internal energy were all exercised in co-ordination.

At one corner of the ample concrete courtyard stood a lamp post which in the evening, when we normally trained, was lit and attracted swarms of flying insect life. The whole area was enclosed by a six foot wall, over which peeped the distinctive leaves of next door's banana tree.

At the front of the house next to where we trained was a lawn area surrounded with a variety of different palm trees, which was overlooked by the large French windows of the Malay-style, wood-panelled living room. All in all a very pleasant place to train the body's energy system.

"The place you practise qigong, or indeed any martial art," Master Liang explained, "is very important. If possible, return to the same place every day. That way you will build up your own positive energy field and you will benefit from the good qi there. Similarly, when you have finished practising do not leave the area straight away. Instead, after you have consciously sunk the qi to the dantian, you can walk around the training area and take in some of the good qi that your exercise has generated."

As we spaced ourselves out facing Master Liang, he instructed us that before we started we should relax our minds so that we felt happy and comfortable.

"Qi flows easiest when the mind is relaxed. First of all, let your eyes gaze out as far as the horizon. Then, slowly let your eyes focus back in until you are looking at a spot about an arm's length in front of you. This is in fact the distance an opponent would be away from you if we were doing martial arts. But for now just relax and let your attention move to the upper dantian (midway and slightly above the eyebrows and known in some spiritual disciplines as the third eye) and then down through the central dantian and into the lower dantian. To help you do this, swallow some saliva and with your imagination follow it as it sinks all the way down to the dantian."

Following Master Liang's advice, we each sunk into our own internal world as we proceeded to slowly and gently move through the qigong routine. There was no doubt that when you were finished you felt energised, and for that alone it was worth doing.

Whilst earlier in my martial arts career I had not seen much point in training qigong, preferring instead to concentrate on what I felt were the real fighting aspects of the arts, as I got more experienced and older I began to see the value of such gentle, restorative training methods. As a way to develop greater and more profound relaxation, qigong is invaluable; it also plays a vital role in increasing and enhancing the exponent's ting jing.

It is important, however, that you have the guidance of a teacher when practising these exercises, for there are often very detailed requirements…

…Perhaps the most profound form of qigong training, and one that every teacher I know wholeheartedly recommends, is seated meditation. This is what the Chinese simply refer to as quiet sitting. I am not going to say any more about this other than any student who wants to reach the highest levels of their chosen martial art must at some time sit down and confront the demons within. You might even find that this is, has been, or becomes the whole purpose of your training!

(N.B. This really is a good book, and an excellent introduction to meeting our far-eastern technical advisers, and their way of life. Nice one Nigel!!! )

NIGEL SUTTON' S U.K. SEMINARS, JUNE/JULY 2000

Nigel will be holding a series of workshops around the country during late June/early July. Proposed locations are London, Sussex, Devon, Birmingham and possibly Manchester or Huddersfield. Full details are not yet available, but will be posted around all classes and on the Zhong Ding web site as soon as they are available. So watch this space!

NEWS "SNIPPETS"

Many congratulations are due to Miles and Carol Craig (presently living in Belgium) on the birth of their son, Ewan, and to Karen and Chris Knowlan on the birth of their son, Aaron.

HIS HOLINESS VISITS MANCHESTER

Many people have made donations to and asked to be kept informed about the Khordong Monastery building project in India, and John is extremely happy to host his teacher, His Holiness C. R. Lama, to Manchester for three days of teachings during his 3-week visit to England in June. (Please ask for details if you are interested).

WORKSHOPS 2000

The latest workshop schedule is now out, and application forms are attached at the end of the newsletter. Please remember that, as usual, the reduced price offered is for Zhong Ding Members who have booked at least seven days in advance of the course.

The Schedule for Spring/Summer includes two sessions of Flying Crane Qigong, the full Taiji Fan form, Broadsword forms training (a follow-up to the recent successful form course) as well as San Shou (fast-form) solo and two-person training. There will also be two opportunities to train pushing hands, and a weekend workshop featuring the 9 Fighting Methods and applications.

A Massage course is also included which will be held on two separate days, with an additional 3-hour "taster" session - an excellent way to spend a weekend and really learn to relax.

Summer Camps: Instead of teaching in France this year, we will be holding two weekend Camps:- 3 days fully residential at the beautiful Tibetan Monastery of Samye Ling, Scotland, and 3 days camping in the Peak District - both during the last week of July. The first will be held over Saturday/Monday, and the second Friday/Sunday, (although people can attend for shorter periods if they wish).

Festival in Spain, June 2000: On 3^rd /4^th June, the Spanish Zhong Ding instructors are holding a taiji festival in Asturias, on the North coast of Spain. This will be a two-day event, which will consist of workshops and a competition, after which there will be a five-day course in a hotel in Gijon, where the mountains meet the sea. This really is a very beautiful area, whether you want to swim, surf or walk in the hills - or just sit and look at the scenery and wildlife! (The symbol of Asurias is the brown bear - still wild in the hills here!)

A Zhong Ding contingent from the U.K. will be attending what looks as if it will be an excellent week's training. If you are interested in joining them, full details and prices are given in a comprehensive brochure available from your instructor.

FORM MUSIC - AUDIO TAPES AND CDs

Digitally produced audio-tapes featuring two pieces of music to accompany the practise of hand or weapons forms are still available at the modest price of £6 (£4 for Zhong Ding members). They have beautiful full-colour covers, and the playing time is approximately 25 minutes.

WEAPONS

We currently have in stock a couple of GOLD and SILVER TAIJI SWORDS (£115 and £95 respectively), as well as TWO ENGLISH BATTLE SWORDS (£45) made by the sword-smiths of Toledo, Spain. All have well-balanced steel blades, which are even capable of cutting stone!

WHY NOT **** TREAT YOURSELF!

We also still have some of the heavyweight ' Telescopic' straight swords at £17.50, (rather than the two lower grade examples usually available in the shops these days). I also have a couple of the 'silk boxed' Deluxe chromed ornate enamel swords (£70). We also have Cane Walking Sticks and Straight Sticks (at £8 each), and Wooden Fans (£12 & £15).

BOOKS

A new series covering some essential books on different aspects of the art.

Hand Form

For beginners, we are very lucky to have two basic form books out of the hundreds available on Cheng Man Ch'ing form, (many of the others have bee written by people who have only learned from books themselves!). The first, Roots and Branches by Nigel Sutton (founder of Zhong Ding in Europe), is a good solid introduction and reference to our hand form, and contains line drawings of the postures. The second, Complete Taiji by Stewart McFarlane, has excellently photography of Zhong Ding students by Dorling Kindersley; each new posture has the previous few leading up to it at the bottom of each page.

These are in addition to those by the style's founder himself, which contain pictures of him (extremely useful for comparisons) and of his teachers and contemporaries:-

1. CMC The Supreme ultimate - (Cheng)

2. T'ai-chi The Supreme Ultimate - (Cheng and Smith) - the CMC bible.

3. Cheng-Tzu's 13 Treatises.

4. Advanced form instructions.

1. Basic form plus the first 29 pages of text are very interesting and inspirational.

2. The main hardback reference of our style.

3. As the title implies, also contains a translation of the 13 treatises/chapters and all the postures of the form have martial applications. Some push hands.

4. Line drawings and also excellent translations of some classic writings/advice.

A copy of the revised book-list is given below, plus one or two titles that are still in stock, but to be discontinued.

TITLE AUTHOR PRICE Recommended TYPE

ROOTS AND BRANCHES N.Sutton £ 7.50 ** Form(basic)

COMPLETE T.C. S. McFarlane £ 7.99 ** Form

TAI CHI CHUAN Cheng Man Ching £ 9.99 Form

THERE ARE NO SECRETS W.Lowenthal £11.50 ** Gen.

MASTER CHENGS 13 CHAPTERS £ 7.99 * Phil.

GATEWAY TO MIRACULOUS W.Lowenthal £11.50

APPLIED TAI CHI CHUAN [2^nd edition] N. Sutton £ 9.99 ** Basis Of The Zhong Ding School

Searching for the way N.Sutton £12.50 * New Meet Nigel (Mr. ZD's) Teachers!

INNER WAY Xu S. Song / N.Sutton (Pocket classic )£ 5.00 ** TC Phil.

INNER WARRIOR Lau K H/N Sutton( " " ) £ 5.00 * TC Phil.

ESSENCE W.Liao ( " " ) £ 4.99 TC Phil.

HEALING MEDITATIONS T. Thondup( " ") £ 5.99 New Healing

LAZY LAMA's MEDITATION GUIDE Ringu Tulku£ 2.99 New Meditation

Books below may be in stock!

CHENG TZU'S 13 TREATISES Cheng Man Ching £18.50 * Form& Philosophy.

TAI-CHI Cheng Man Ching & R.Smith £18.50 * Complete

T.C. THE SUPREME ULTIMATE L.Galante £10.99 Gen. & Form(basic)

TCC FORM TO FUNCTION N. Sutton £ 8.50 * Pushing Hands

C.M.C. ADVANCED FORM D.Wile. £ 8.99 * Form & Phil.

TAI CHI TOUCHSTONES D.Wile £ 9.99 * T.C.Phil.

T.C. QUESTIONS & ANSWERS Chen Wei-ming £ 6.99 * Phil.

C.M.C: ESSAYS ON MAN & CULTURE £13.99 Phil.

ESSENCE OF T.C.C. trans. Loo/Inn £ 9.99 Phil.

LAO-TZU Cheng Man Ching £10.99 Taoist

T.C. WEAPONS Dr Tseng Ju-Pai £ 7.95 Weapons

I CHING ( " " ) £ 4.99 Taoist

SHAMBHALA Sacred Warrior path ( " " ) £ 4.99 Phil.

TAO TEH CHING ( " " ) £ 4.99 Taoist

PRACTICAL CHIN NA Zhao Da Yuan £14.95

T.C.CLASSICS W.Liao £11.99 Phil.

ZEN MIND, BEGINNER'S MIND Suzuki £ 5.99 Meditation

ZHONG DING MEMBERSHIP AND INSURANCE

We have added a 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.

Instructor Insurance: Please Note: In order to qualify for insurance through the Association, all instructors are required to attend a minimum of two instructor-level courses each year with a technical panel member or overseas technical adviser.

NB: Memberships are collected 1-2 months early, so that they can be processed - however, they will still run from the expiry date shown on your card. Also, 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.

"SENI 2000"

The national trade-show for the martial arts, Seni 2000, was held over the weekend of 6^th/7^th May at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham.

The event brings together most of the major suppliers of martial arts clothing, weapons and equipment under one roof, and the trade stands feature everything from the usual books and videos, to rarer items such as antique weaponry. Representatives from the governing bodies of many different martial arts were on hand to give help and advice, and two display areas and a raised boxing ring were the venue for exhibitions of, amongst others, Taijiquan, Choi Kwang Do, Wing Chun, and Capoeira. Workshops were also on offer from some internationally famous martial artists.

This show now seems to have become established as an annual event and is expanding each year. Entry is free, and there's something for everyone - definitely worth a visit!

And finally …
Don't forget this is YOUR newsletter. It needs you to provide stories, training tips, event reports and up-dates to the calendar. Also, if you have access, do use the Z.D. web site. It can be reached on: www.zhong-ding.com

There is information on Zhong Ding's technical advisers - and much, much more! Try it!.

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 6-7 New Mills Leisure Centre, High Peak Andy Hague

Hebden Bridge 7.30-9.School Foundation. Birchcliffe Ctr. Birchcliffe Rd Anne Whitehead

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

Stretford 7-8.30pm North Trafford College, Stretford Vicky Holden

Friday Stockport 6.30-7.30 Outline H.C; Rock Bldgs.11 Mersey Sq. Ben Jones

Stretford 7.30-10.30 Ring for information John Higginson

Lancaster Wednesday Tel. 01524 847528 Chris Kaighin

[Please ask for DAYTIME CLASSES and new classes]

Registered Instructors: John Higginson (4th Duan); Vicky Holden, (3rd Duan)

Chris Kaighin (2nd Duan); Colin Hoddes, Terry Higgins, Ben Jones (1st Duan);

Andy Hague, Anne Whitehead (Advanced student)

Also:- Private tuition available - Individual or group. Ring: (0161) 860-4111

LIST OF AREA CONTACTS (Zhong Ding classes for those away from home)

South West (Devon, Somerset, Cornwall, Dorset) John Fowler (01803) 613267 Colin Stephens 558523

South Coast (Sussex, Hants; Surrey) Glenn Pelham-Mather (01903) 715286

Home Counties (London, E. Anglia, Kent) Brian Woodruff (0181) 841-1054

East Midlands (Notts; Lincs; Staffs; Derby) Ian Cassetari (01623) 489739

West Midlands (Leics; Staffs; Shrops; Warks) Bob Wesley (0121) 344-3679

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

España: (Asturias, Cantabrica) David Rodriguez (0034) 98-523-6218,

(Asturias, Leon) Eduardo Monteiro (0034)98-525-5120,

(Asturias) Javier Mesa (0034) 98-525-2871.

(Madrid) Nino Rodriguez (0034) 91-656-7177

Germany: Jamie Dibdin (0049) 406-970-3650/Giles Busk 040-850-0311.

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

Greece: Evangelos Manitakis 003097 240198 or evangelos@hotmail.com

For other areas of U.K. and abroad (Europe, Far East, USA) please ring 0161 860 4111

Or E:mail zhongdao@globalnet.co.uk

ZHONG DING NORTH WEST 'DIARY'

2000 SPRING/SUMMER

May

12^th Push Hands 8 -10.30 Manchester

13 Qi Gong 10-1; Massage 3-6 - Manchester

14 San Shou course - Mansfield

20/21 Taiji Fan course - Manchester

27 Qi Gong 11-2; Push Hands 3-6

28+ ?? Instructors course 2000 - 3

June

3/4 España Taiji Festival & Courses

10/11 [ " " " " ]

17 Dao(Broadsword) day - Manchester??

18 Massage course - Manchester

[20/22] H.E.Kyabje C.R.Lama - Manchester

24/25-27 " " - Oxford

July 1/2 8/9 " " -[30-9]Wales

1/2 Nigel Sutton in Birmingham

15 9 fighting methods & Applications

16 Massage course - Manchester

22/23/24 Samye Ling Monastery (2 person San Shou) - Scotland

28/29/30 Camp - Derbyshire

August

5/6

12/13 Instructors course 2000 - 4??

Also:- ALSO LOTS OF OTHER THINGS GOING ON SO ASK IF YOU'RE INTERESTED.(Including trips to far east and other destinations).

Also:- Private tuition available - Individual or group.

Qualified instructors may be provided for courses, seminars or demonstrations on all

aspects of Tai Chi . PLEASE ASK FOR DETAILS. [Phone 0161 860-4111]

**** LEARN TAIJI FROM AN AUTHENTIC SCHOOL WITH CLASSES ****

**** THROUGHOUT EUROPE AND THE ORIENT ****

ZHONG DING NORTH WEST UK

MAY WORKSHOP SCHEDULE 2000

Here are the May workshops of 2000. These courses are an excellent opportunity for students of all levels to strengthen their understanding of taiji and qigong.

TAIJI PUSH HANDS

8pm - 10.30pm, Fri 12^th May 2000

FLYING CRANE QI GONG-1

10am - 1pm, Sat 13^th May 2000

FLYING CRANE QI GONG-2

11am - 2pm, Sat 27^th May 2000

TAIJI PUSH HANDS

3pm - 6pm, Sat 27^th May 2000

Cost: £12 per session - Zhong Ding members - booked in advance (£16 non-members)

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

**** LEARN TAIJI FROM AN AUTHENTIC SCHOOL WITH CLASSES ****

**** THROUGHOUT EUROPE AND THE ORIENT ****

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

and enclose a deposit of £5 per class

BOOKING FORM ZHONG DING TAIJI COURSES - MANCHESTER May 2000

[Please tick boxes]

I (name) _____________________ Tel No. __________________ would like to reserve ____ places

. Address___________________________________________________________________________

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BOOKING FORM ZHONG DING TAIJI COURSES - MANCHESTER May 2000

[Please tick boxes]

I (name) ______________________ Tel No. __________________ would like to reserve ____ places

Address____________________________________________________________________________

TAI CHI SUN (FAN) COURSE

20^th - 21^st MAY 2000

This two-day workshop will provide an opportunity for students to learn the complete taiji fan form.

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

TIME: Saturday, 1.00 pm - 6.00 p m, Sunday 10.00 a.m. - 4.00 p.m.

COST: £65.00 (£45 Zhong Ding members booked in advance).

Fans will be available to purchase before hand-please ask.

Tel: 0161-860-4111 for more information

***** LEARN TAIJI FROM AN AUTHENTIC SCHOOL WITH CLASSES *****

***** THROUGHOUT EUROPE AND THE ORIENT *****

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N.B. PLEASE BOOK EARLY TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT

BOOKING FORM: FAN COURSE 20^th -21^st MAY 2000

I (name) ______________________________________ Tel no: ____________________________

would like to book ____ places on the course and enclose a £20 deposit.

Address: ____________________________________________________________________

Please return to : J.Higginson 74 Greatstone Rd. Firswood, Manchester M16 0HD

LEARN MASSAGE

FOR RELAXATION, STRESS-RELIEF AND WELL-BEING

Sunday 18^th June and Saturday 16^th July, 2000

This course will give a basic but sound introduction to anatomy and massage for the complete beginner, or may serve to consolidate and advance skills already learned (it's also an excellent way to spend a weekend in a relaxed friendly atmosphere!).

Over the two days, the course will cover a basic massage, although each day will be individually self-contained for those who are not able to attend both sessions.

N.B. There will also be an 3 hour 'taster' session in May featuring 'neck and shoulders' for stress relief.

The course instructor is a qualified 'remedial' and 'sports injuries' masseur who has also taught at a North West massage school. He is also a master instructor for the internationally famous Zhong Ding Applied Tai Chi School.

COST: £45(£38 ZD members booked in advance); £25/£20 one day.

TIME: 10am-5pm

VENUE: 74, Greatstone Road, Stretford, Manchester, M16 0HD

As places are limited, to reserve a place send a £20 deposit to above address. Payable to "John Higginson"

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BOOKING FORM (please return) Massage course: June - July. 2000

I(name) _________________________ _____ would like to reserve _______ places for the course/s

Tel. no. _____________________________ Address ___________________________________________________

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BOOKING FORM (please return) Massage 'taster' session: May 2000

Tel. no. _____________________________ Address ______________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

2000 Summer Tai Chi Retreat

At Samye Ling Tibetan Monastery

Friday 21^st - Monday 24^th July 2000

Push Hands San Shou Qigong Fun

Tai Chi tuition and 3 Days' Full Board - from £95 inclusive (or £35 per day)

***Everyone is welcome to join us at this beautiful location***

ACCOMMODATION

Accommodation will be full board at Samye Ling Tibetan Centre nestling in the Scottish lowland valleys, with its renowned huge Tibetan-styled temple. The food is vegetarian, largely grown on the land there, but they also run a small cafe amongst the outbuildings. Meals are also available at a nearby hotel. The centre is about 150 miles from Manchester (3 hours approx.)

EVENTS

There are plans to meet on Friday evening, continuing over the weekend and finishing Monday afternoon. The focus of the course will be on restoring and maintaining the natural balance between body, mind and spirit, with practice of the tai chi solo and 2 person forms, sensitivity, awareness training, and Qigong. Meditation instruction will be available for all. As this is a working monastery one is welcome to join in any of the traditional meditation sessions.

WHAT TO BRING Just yourselves, and maybe some warm clothes for the evenings, and a towel (bedding provided).

P. S. Wellies, Macs and walking boots are optional (but this is the country!), also a torch and alarm may be useful.

Kids and families welcome.

COST

The basic cost of full board and tuition is £95/£110 (members/non-members) for the full 3 days or £35/£40 day - this is in small dormitories (of about 5 beds). Double rooms will be £6/ person/night extra, and Singles £11 per night extra.

Anyone coming just to holiday will be asked to pay the boarding fee only - starting at £15 per night depending on the room type, this includes staying longer either before or after (please enquire).

Please book as early as possible for ease of organisation and to ensure a room.

Sharing of transportation will be co-ordinated in the week before the course.

Please pay deposit of £25 to John Higginson, 74 Greatstone Road, Manchester M16 0HD (Telephone 0161 - 860 - 4111)

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BOOKING FORM 2000 SUMMER TAI CHI RETREAT

FULL WEEKEND - Please book _________ place(s) for me on the 21^st - 24^th July

____ adults ___ children (training) ____ adults ___ children (not-training)

Arriving _________Departing __________

NAME :____________________________________ TEL: ________________________________________

ADDRESS:________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

ZHONG DING TRADITIONAL CHINESE MARTIAL ARTS ASSOCIATION

2000 Zhong Dao Taiji Camp

In the beautiful Peak District

Friday 28^th - Sunday 30^th July

Tai Chi Push Hands Qigong Fun

Taiji Camp - 3 Days - £60/75 (or £25/30 per day)

All are welcome to the training camp.

SITE ARRANGEMENTS

By demand we're back at Lime Tree Camp Site in the Pennines near Buxton once again for fun, training and the usual good time. The site is highly recommended by both the English Tourist Board and the AA, and is included in the 1999 Good Camps Guide, having excellent showering facilities, shop etc. (including cooked breakfast etc. at the nearby café). In order to secure places at this site, deposits and numbers must be sent off as soon as possible. Accommodation is also available at hotels and bed and breakfast houses nearby. Brochures and prices on request.

Camping is £4/night plus £1 for a car. Anyone coming just to camp (not train) will be asked to pay just the camping fees.

EVENTS

There are plans for a variety of events starting on Friday morning at 8.00 a.m., continuing over the weekend and finishing on Sunday evening. As there will be several instructors present at the camp, all levels will be catered for. This year will be a special 3-day camp that will focus around the two-person form, amongst other things.

There are local caverns in the area so, weather permitting, we may try to organize a trip for those wishing to see them.

By popular request we may again invade Buxton swimming baths again. As the classics say:-

"Be still as a mountain, move as a great river"

So bring swimming attire, musical instruments for the evenings (and ear plugs ). P. S. Wellies and macs are optional.

If you bring any animals with you ( human or otherwise ) they must be kept under control. LO Andy!

!

FOOD ETC.

There'll be several camp kitchens and we have a village hall again. Meals are also available at a nearby pubs, restaurant etc.

Sharing of Tent space and transportation will be coordinated in mid July. Please let me know if you have spare seats in cars.

Please pay deposit of £25 (or £10 per day) as soon as possible (Telephone 0161 - 860 - 4111)

to John Higginson, 74 Greatstone Road, Firswood, Manchester M16 0HD

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BOOKING FORM 2000 TAI CHI CAMP

Please book place/s for me on the 28^th - 30^th July

_____ adults, ____ children (training)____ adults, ____ children (not training)

Arriving _____ Departing _______

NAME______________________________ADDRESS: _____________________________________________________

TEL NO: ___________________________________ Lifts or tent spaces offered or required :- ________________ Baa