Learning internal kung fu is different to attending a night school course or a keep fit class.
The mandate is far broader.

With a keep fit class you can attend intermittently, and train as much or as little as you like.
It makes no real difference.
The student is just a number in the register.

When learning kung fu you are expected to have a different attitude.
There is a detailed syllabus offering a clear pathway of progression, and a specific code of conduct.
Students are asked to train between classes and attend regularly.

There are 5 levels of Tai Chi Instructor in the UK these days:

1. Health-only Tai Chi Teacher
   - 5 years experience
   - these are the majority
   
2. Tai Chi Chuan Instructor
   - equivalent of 3rd dan black belt in any martial art
   - 5 years experience
   - these people are less common
   
3. Tai Chi Expert
   - 15 years experience
   - 10,000 hours tai chi chuan practice
   - 10 years teaching experience
   - fewer to be found
   
4. Tai Chi Master
   - 25 years experience
   - 30,000 hours tai chi chuan practice
   - 20 years teaching experience
   - pretty rare
   
5. Tai Chi Grandmaster
   - extremely rare

Peter Southwood has graded Sifu Waller as being a Tai Chi Expert based upon his practice quality and experience.

Qigong operate on two levels simultaneously; they encourage the healthy flow of energy and they strengthen the structure of the body.

This process of building strength is seen by many people to arise from the energy flow alone but this is rather misleading.
Qi does not move the bones, muscles do. Nerves direct the muscles and energy fuels the entire system.
Without energy, nothing would happen, but without muscles there would be no strength.
Muscles turn energy into motion.

This is not to be confused with gym work or weight training. The degree of muscle usage in qigong must be minimal.
The aim is to employ the tendons, ligaments and fasciae for increased strength and support.

You must only use the degree of muscle strength necessary to hold the limb in place; and this is always far less than you first realise.

Start your quest for internal power by standing still; qigong is the foundation of tai chi.

It involves static postures and slow-motion movements that are easy to perform.
The static postures are held for lengthy periods, often up to an hour.
The moving sets are small groups of exercises, with about 10 repetitions each.

The danger with internal power is that beginners often think they are using it, but are simply using external strength instead.
The ability to throw around body weight is no reflection of internal skill.

Internal power is real and tangible. It can be tested, explored and practiced.
But it has to be soft.

Most neigong are quite convoluted and esoteric.
They are like zen koan; becoming more fascinating as your understanding deepens and you are capable of seeing more.

Be patient. Be discerning. Watch your own practice carefully and address the means, the how.

It is important not to mistake the menu for the food. An exercise or action designed to cultivate a neigong is not the neigong.

It is only when no doing occurs and the effect is present that the neigong can be said to exist.
A person with a neigong has the effect all the time.
It does not come and go. It is part of their everyday movement.

This is why it is considered to be internal power. Neigong is inherent. It remains. It is a part of you.

Modern culture encourages the individual to parade themselves publicly, to broadcast their skills and draw attention.
This is not what The Art of War and The 36 Strategies recommend.
It is not good to be noticed.

Anonymity is a common taoist theme.
By remaining humble and quiet, unremarkable and unnoticed, a person can proceed through life freely.
Drawing attention is perceived as being unwise because you cannot determine whether the attention is good or bad.

When you lack composure, you are easily startled.
This leads to hurrying. And anxiety.

Instead of patiently waiting to see what unravels, you dither, hesitate and anticipate.

Rushing indicates a lack of competence.
It is obvious that the student has not put in the practice.

When you rush, you force.
Forcing causes your opponent's nervous system to inadvertently tense-up in reaction to your urgency.
This alerts them to your intention and makes them harder to manipulate.

When you can employ the use of the three dimensions skilfully, you will move in harmony with the assailant.
There will be no blocking. No opposing of force. 
You will instinctively feel the way to go, and you will adjust to the changes as they occur.

The Yang style was created by Yang Lu-chan.
Yang Lu-chan rose to fame in China by teaching his tai chi to the Manchu Emperor's elite palace guards.

The mind mobilizes the qi.

Make the qi sink calmly;
then the qi gathers and permeates the bones.

The qi mobilizes the body.
Make it move smoothly, so that it may easily follows the mind.

The intention and qi must interchange agilely,
then there is an excellence of roundness and smoothness.

This is called "the interplay of insubstantial and substantial."

The mind is the commander, the qi the flag, and the waist the banner.

The waist is like the axle and the qi is like the wheel.

The qi is always nurtured without harm.

Let the qi move as in a pearl with nine passages without breaks so that there is no part it cannot reach.

In moving the qi sticks to the back and permeates the spine.

It is said "first in the mind, then in the body."

The abdomen relaxes, then the qi sinks into the bones.

The shen is relaxed and the body calm.

The shen is always in the mind.

Being able to breathe properly leads to agility.

The softest will then become the strongest.

When the shen is raised, there is no fault of stagnancy and heaviness.
This is called suspending the headtop.

Inwardly make the shen firm, and outwardly exhibit calmness and peace.

Throughout the body, the intention relies on the shen, not on the qi.
If it relied on the qi, it would become stagnant.

If there is qi, there is no external strength.

The jing is sung, but not sung; it is capable of great extension, but is not extended.

The jing is broken, but the intention is not.

The jing is stored by means of the curved.

The energy is released by the back, and the steps follow the changes of the body.

The mobilization of the jing is like refining steel a hundred times over.
There is nothing hard it cannot destroy.

Store up the jing like drawing a bow.

Mobilize the jing like drawing silk from a cocoon.

Release the jing like releasing the arrow.

To fa jing, sink, relax completely, and aim in one direction!

In the curve seek the straight, store, then release.

Be still as a mountain, move like a great river.

The upright body must be stable and comfortable to be able to sustain an attack from any of the eight directions.

Walk like a cat.

Remember, when moving, there is no place that does not move.
When still, there is no place that is not still.

First seek extension, then contraction; then it can be fine and subtle.

It is said; “If the opponent does not move, then I do not move. At the opponent's slightest move, I move first."

To withdraw is then to release, to release it is necessary to withdraw.

In discontinuity there is still continuity.

In advancing and returning there must be folding.

Going forward and back there must be changes.

The form is like that of a falcon about to seize a rabbit, and the shen is like that of a cat about to catch a rat.

(Wu Yu-hsiang)

The first weapon ever used by humans was probably a blunt instrument such as a short stick or a bone.
It would have been something that was to hand.
We adopt the same approach and train with sticks because they can be replaced by any suitable object you might find.

The ancient wandering taoist carried only a staff with them for protection.
A simple stick is an ideal weapon for a tai chi person to use.
It is simple, practical and defensive in nature.

What is most notable is the effect.
Internal power is surprisingly powerful with the effect far outweighing the cause.

Some neigong are ‘doings’, others are not.

The more advanced a person becomes at tai chi, the more powerful the neigong.
Each quality is built upon the preceding ones and is only possible because of what the body can already do.
Clearly the first neigong are very simple.

The word ‘posture’ is quite misleading because its meaning is widely misunderstood.
Posture actually refers to the way in which a person is stood or moves.
The onus is upon the nature of their action, rather than a shape.

Thought tends to create fixed structures in the mind, which can make dynamic entities seem to be static.

(Will Keepin)

'13 powers', '13 principles', '13 patterns' or '13 ways' would be a more accurate description.

These are the 6 balanced pairs:

1. Hands & feet
2. Elbows & knees
3. Hips & shoulders
4. Back of head & coccyx
5. CV1 & crown
6. Buttocks & armpits

They are sometimes referred to as the '6 harmonies'.

Taoism is quite clear when it comes to mastery.
You must address your own concerns before attempting to control or manipulate other things.
Scholars of the tao question the very notion of mastery.

Neigong is ‘internal work’; a unique process of moving the whole body as one unit.
Rather than rely on tensed muscles, neigong teaches the student to remain physically relaxed and composed at all times, and move every body part together.
This is not as easy as it sounds.

Everything is changed by neigong. Every qigong exercise, form posture and movement is altered.
The body literally re-grows from the inside out.

Sifu Waller had a kind of internal arts open-house in the late 80's/early 90's, with students from all kinds of martial arts calling at his house. He met them at work, in classes, in bookshops, at workshops. They came and they trained. Shaun Ullah converted his living room into a dojo of-sorts, complete with wallbag, heavy bag and weaponry. This was a time of great sharing and discovery, with Sifu Waller at the centre yet taking no credit.

 (Michael Dutton)

Sifu Waller had a kind of internal arts open-house in the late 80's/early 90's, with students from all kinds of martial arts calling at his house. He met them at work, in classes, in bookshops, at workshops. They came and they trained. Shaun Ullah converted his living room into a dojo of-sorts, complete with wallbag, heavy bag and weaponry. This was a time of great sharing and discovery, with Sifu Waller at the centre yet taking no credit.

 (Michael Dutton)

Muscles serve two main functions:

1. They help to hold the skeleton upright
2. They move the bones

If you encounter resistance but continue to push against growing pressure, which of these functions is being served?

Peter Southwood's main baguazhang influence is a man called Wang Shujin.

A kung fu student needs to have good character. They are held to a higher standard than other people.

Courtesy, manners, politeness and honesty are standard. Moral conduct and restraint are also expected.
It is important to take responsibility for what you are learning and show consideration to others who are less fortunate than you.

These may sound like old fashioned values but the martial arts tradition is an ancient one; and its values have proven their worth over the centuries.

Right conduct, courage, benevolence, respect, honour and self discipline are all a given in our classes.

Increased effectiveness is produced by gravity and heaviness in the striking limb, rather than pushing harder or striking faster.

Spontaneity is the key to fa jing. 

A tense body - with habitual holding patterns - will not provide an adequate conduit for kinetic energy to pass through.
If you can feel your own body moving, you are too tense. You should feel only the movement itself.

A free body is capable of striking instantly and spontaneously.

Fa jing looks fast but it is not a matter of speed. It is loose and sudden, not fast.
By relaxing the muscles and joints fully, the body is capable of spontaneous movement.
This is what makes fa jing seem fast - no preparation, no tensing-up beforehand.
Instant energy release.

The more advanced application of shuai jiao is abrupt and damaging.
The aim is to take the skills and reduce the time it takes to employ them.

Ultimately, it is is all about spontaneity.

There is nothing mystical or unscientific about 'fa jing'.
Despite the exotic Chinese name, it is simply a question of body mechanics, gravity, distance and timing.

It will not develop overnight but the seeds should emerge as the belts darken in colour, grow during the black belt level and flourish within the advanced syllabus.

Sifu Waller's main kung fu teacher is called Peter Southwood.Sifu Waller taught in Peter's class (Pathways To Change) and trained with him privately every week between 1990 - 2004.In 2004 Sifu Waller moved to the North East but still sees Peter as often as possible.

Over the years Sifu Waller has been to many workshops with Peter and is a regular guest at Peter's house.
They have explored the art at length and had countless debates/discussions/conversations concerning the nature of tai chi.
Much of our syllabus is derived from Peter's teachings.

Grappling can be used to counter punches and kicks.
It ties the attacker up and allows the student to take their root.

Internal shuai jiao uses the skills learned in pushing hands: balance, listening, rhythm, stickiness and timing.
Various jing skills can also be used.

The tai chi forms contain many shuai jiao applications.

Our school practices the Jiang Rong Qiao style of bagua, which is martial in nature and also good for health.
Baguazhang/bagwa/pakua means '8 trigram palm'.
It is a style of kung fu based upon the I Ching.

Sifu Waller holds a post-graduate professional teaching qualification.

Qualified instructor:

1. Pathways To Change (1995 - 2004)
2. The Tai Chi Union for Great Britain (2004 - present day)
3. Newcastle Tai Chi (2004 - present day)

You have said it, but you have not understood.

(Jesus of Nazareth)