Palm changes are essentially form. We practice 8 different palm changes.

Palm changes are quite short in length.
They teach the body how to move in a bagua manner and enhance your ability to walk the circle.
A student learns how to coordinate changing, stepping, turning and arm movement.

We teach shuai jiao for self defence, drawing applications from the form.
There are no competitions, weight categories etc.

All students are expected to apply shuai jiao in self defence as they proceed through the syllabus.

Most students begin standing by ‘hugging a tree’/‘holding a balloon’ at chest height.
Essentially, the arms are positioned in a circular shape and the fingers are lightly opened.

This innocuous exercise quickly becomes a challenge.
The skill is to maintain the posture without in any way ‘holding’ the posture.
Muscle usage must be minimal. Psychological ease and relaxation are paramount.

The posture must be natural and comfortable. Do not strain the knees by squatting.

The idea is to let go.

This is not easy. A lifetime of tension will pain you and the temptation will be to hang on.
Liz Koch, author of The Psoas Book maintains that you must reach a stage where the body feels safe and begins to shake.
This shaking is quite disconcerting. It is not muscle fatigue. It is the product of deep relaxation.
All the stored tension in the joints and vertebra is being let out.

The shaking cannot be forced or contrived. It is accomplished by not-doing.
By stopping the habit of tension.
By letting go.

Daily standing for 15-20 minutes will produce the required outcome providing internal relaxation takes place.

Chin na is the art of seizing the opponent abruptly and painfully during grappling.
It is intended to break bones, tear muscles/tendons/ligaments and inflict pain through sudden leverage.

Locks and holds are not used because they require commitment.

Form is not slow-motion kata. It is not moving yoga. Tai chi has internal content.
To gain the internal, it is necessary to address how the movements are performed.

A beginner is taught to move their arms and legs in a particular way.
This lays the groundwork but is more about spatial orientation than anything else.
The student learns which way to face, where to step and what to do with the hands.
There is no internal work occurring at this stage.

To understand form, consider a caterpillar or a snake and how they move.
Every action is generated by an undulating wave that causes every part to shift in the required direction. Form is like this.

Instead of moving the localised limb by itself, the framework twists and the striking tool is spun outward.
The movement of the limb is in harmony with the torso and power is developed.

Physics is important in tai chi.
The body parts must be aligned at all times with strength in mind.
Aesthetics are not the concern in real tai chi; priority is given to alignment and the way in which the body is used.

Each movement within the form offers a whole array of potential strikes and skills.
The emphasis is placed upon the movement itself.

The so-called posture simply serves to shape movement. It is not a static pose.

It is not a fixed application.
The form is not as specific as other martial arts kata. It is much more embryonic.
Every movement provides angle, direction and power.
The exponent finds strength in every nuance.

The skills and insights learned through standing and moving qigong must be incorporated in your form practice.