Original Yang style
Tai Chi Chuan
Portugal- Porto Duoro
Fall 2019
On Saturday November 30th we will organise a free trial lessons in Porto.
When interestend to join feel welcome to ascribe below and we will send more information.
For lessons after. Check our more "plan" in the menu.
Experience
Tai Chi Chuan finds its inspiration in nature and every day environment. It recognizes the flow of changes in seasonal- and life cycli, animal activity and spirit. It sees the characteristic treats of flora and fauna in whole with human life. Tai Chi Chuan identifies principles in nature, which engender movement from stillness with endless change and variation. One technique becomes five and five becomes hundred.
Instigated with the mind and intend the practice of Tai Chi Chuan and its principles appeals to a higher sensitivity in both bodily and mental awareness. This awareness is shaped and directed in solid stillness and in movement, in connection with a partner or an object like in weapon exercises. Over time a practitioner incorporates an inner natural strength. This strength is embedded in the bodies soft connecting tissues, energized when being relaxed yet awake and lively.
Without the experience and practice all principles and concepts associated with Tai Chi Chuan are merely a cognitive imagination. It’s real value is in it's practice and the experience.
Learn
Tai Chi Chuan has its roots in Daoïst meditation and in self-defense and they are both still part of the teachings presented by ITCCA today. Yang Cheng-Fu is recalled to have said: ‘Tai Chi Chuan is meditation in movement.’ The mind gets calmer while moving and doing the form. The supportive mental and energetic techniques contribute to a better health.
The training comprises of several distinct skills.
Daoïst health-exercises
The Daoïst health exercises consist of a set of 24 repeated standing exercises practiced with the eyes open. Although these exercises are embedded in Yang Style traditional principles, the exercise are much comparable to the in China more widely known ancient old YiJin-Jing exercises used for muscle tendon stretching and to develop inner breathing. The movements strengthen the tendons and sinew system, allows flexibility to the muscles, enhances blood circulation nurturing the marrow of the bones, the brains and organs. All parts of the body move together, not isolated. Movements are dynamic with intend but carried calmly with a relaxed attitude. When fulfilling the whole set the upper body and spine has moved into all directions. Likewise all acupuncture points are energized.
Daoïst meditation and self massage
The principles concerning the body posture in the sitting mediation are similar to the uprightness in Tai Chi form practice and standing meditation. Daoïst sitting meditation is not specifically about a mental self-reflection or calming the mind to be at peace, it’s a corporate experience involving breathing exercises to circulate the Qi (vital energy), guiding to a spiritual awareness were the mind no longer dictates the movement, a state of being sometimes described as ‘empty’.
The Daoïst self massage is supportive in connecting the Yi (intend) and Chi in the whole body and in brings the body in a relax state.
Mostly done while sitting.
Relaxation and opening the tissues brings a natural delicate softness in the flow of breathing. Naturally the flow of breath will be longer and deeper.When the body is not relaxed the breathing exercises can be experienced as forceful. Respiration and exhalation will be short.
Qi Kung, Baqua Qi Kung, Yi Kung
These exercises belong to the secret tradition of the Yang family to develop Qi and intend. They were only taught to family members in olden times. It’s practiced in stillness and or with movement in the upper and lower body whilst maintaining the back upright. It can be associated with post standing (Zhan Zhuang) practiced by divers inner martial arts. It creates awareness of a central equilibrium and a sensitivity to tension in specific areas in the body.
Tai Chi (long) Form
The Tai Chi Chuan form exists out of 3 parts (Earth, Men, Heaven). Learning the whole form choreography can take up to a year or 1,5 year.
For beginners learning the form we distinct:
- part 1 -
Form A - First part till ‘Raise two hands’
Form B - First part till ‘One hand- ten strokes’
- part 2 -
Form C - Second part till ‘Cloud hands’
Form D - Second part till ‘One hand- ten strokes’
- part 3-
Form E - Third part till Gold Pheasant
Form F - Third part till return to origin
Every Tai Chi Chuan posture is in essence energetically perfect. To prepare the body you will first learn to find a balanced position in opening the joints (or meridians) in stillness as well as the transitions from posture to posture. Accordingly we test with a practice partner and explore its stability and balance, later we test the ‘Internal Principles’ and learn to develop the inner strength dynamically in partner exercises.
In the tests we use a gentle continued push or pull. When in answer on the push or pull muscle strength is required or resistance is triggered to maintain the balance, the position is not yet correct.
The more advanced learners will in the end test more energetically. The touch will be very light.
Six Internal Principles
The internal principles enable us to understand the how and why of the movements.
Weapon Forms
There are three types of weapons distinguished and forms trained in traditional Tai Chi Chuan.
“First their is chaos, all is invisible.
Than there is silence, and all clears up”
Dao Jin
Plan
Trial lessons
Porto
Nov. 30th 2019
The trial lessons will give you a general understanding of what we teach and how we teach. When interestend to join feel welcome to subscribe below for one of the day's.
Teacher: Matthea van Staden
Introduction
lessons
Porto
Fall 2019
The introduction course will start Saturday the 26th of October last lessons of this course is at the 21-th of December. After the Introduction Course regular lessons will be continued for those interested.
Teacher: Matthea van Staden
Tai Chi Retreat
near
Coimbra
NEW DATE will be published at 01-01-2020
One week of training without distractions. The retreat will combine two parallel classes. A class for beginners starting and / or learning the form and for student who know the full form.
Teachers: Stefan Diderich,
Matthea van Staden
Trial lesson
in
Braga
-no new date planned-
On Wednesday we will give introduction lessons for people generally interested in our Original Yang Style for ITCCA and for people interested to attend classes after in Lisboa, Porto or Braga.
Teacher: Matthea van Staden
Teachers
Matthea van Staden
Matthea van Staden runs a school in Delft / The Netherlands. Together with her college Rui Bandeira she is happy to extend her teachings to Portugal and built a network in the country. In the beginning and first year she will travel from The Netherlands to Porto on regular basis to teach. Rui Bandeira will focus his teachings on Lisboa
Matthea van Staden is being educated in the Dutch Branch of ITCCA /Martin Klett and via intensive courses by Andreas Heyden & Master Chu King Hung. All teachers of ITCCA follow private exams and lessons with Master Chu King Hung.
Stefan Diderich
Stefan Diderich runs a school in Rotterdam /The Netherlands and teaches in Copenhagen/ Denmark. As a teacher he will support in Portugal during the retreats and other specials occasions.
Stefan Diderich is being educated in the Dutch Branch of ITCCA /Martin Klett and via intensive courses by Andreas Heyden & Master Chu King Hung. All teachers of ITCCA follow private exams and lessons with Master Chu King Hung.
Master Chu King Hung
Master Chu King-hung was born 1945 in China and came in China in contact with T'ai Chi Ch'uan as a young boy. At the age of 12, when his family moved to Hong Kong, he began an apprenticeship with Master Yang Shou-Chung which would last for 26 years. He learned the complete tradition of the Yang family and was then authorized by his master to teach the Yang style in its original form in Europe.
Starting in London Master Chu managed to find an appropriate way to teach the Original Yang Style T'ai Chi Ch'uan in Europe’s many different cultural environments and continuous so today.
ITCCA gives room to practicians who like to benefit for personal health and those who are more deeply interested in the martial background. Evidenced based for all practitioners alike when following the principles it will generate as Master Chu calls it ‘happy-chi’. In practice it calls up a smile.
