Tai Chi Overview

Chen style Tai Chi Chuan or Taijiquan is valued for health, relaxation, personal development and martial arts. It is believed to be the original codified version of Tai Chi and is considered suitable for all ages. Chen-style focuses on softness with calm relaxed movement, balance, good posture and a quiet mind. Developing awareness of inner body feelings and of mental/emotional states is seen as an important aspect. Our activities include:

Regular classes aim to cover Tai Chi in all these aspects while some are more appropriate to specific interests – such as the 50+ classes or the Fall Prevention classes.
Consequently it is worth considering some of the more focussed interest areas where Tai Chi is of value:

Tai Chi for Health

– walking, balance, mobility in the 50-90 age group, falls prevention, low impact exercise. We have many testimonials from people who have found improved balance and agility following their Tai Chi practice. Developing habits of good body usage in earlier years – from teens onward – can enable practitioners to learn to look after themselves whatever they do and to manage health issues as they arise throughout their lives.

Click here for more information on health and mobility.

Tai Chi for Personal Development

– learning about ourselves and others, we learn to survive and to survive well into long and happy lives by developing our spiritual and emotional growth path. Tai Chi is fundamentally linked to the world views of Taoism and Zen meditation and so is a very practical and pragmatic approach with connections to modern day psychology/psychotherapy as well as neurophysiology.

Tai Chi for Other Martial Arts

– we believe that whatever your art, Tai Chi can add to your practice. Ian graded 4th Dan under both Shihan Hirokazu Kanazawa and Sensei Vince Morris and has done a variety of other cross training before moving to Yang Style and then to Chen Tai Chi.

Falls Prevention

At its core Tai Chi is concerned with enabling people to learn how to stand and move in stable relaxed fashion, i.e. learn how to not fall over. Ian has been involved in a number of Tai Chi Falls Prevention programmes and presently runs a weekly 50+ class aimed at developing habits of good balance and mobility in older people.

Click here for Falls Prevention white paper.

Tai Chi for Sports

– golf, swimming, dance, football etc. A number of students over the years have come from sports backgrounds and noticed an improvement in their sport e.g. a reduction in golf handicap or an improved running style.

Tai Chi for Business

– Re programs of health and well-being at work and as a management tool. The practices of meditation and strategy used in Tai Chi are considered to be useful in the daily business activities and in planning for survival and growth in the longer term.

Tai Chi Consultancy

We offer an advisory service to Health and other professionals interested in the use of Tai Chi in their area of work. E.g. Health service providers, GP Trusts, NHS, private organisations – Carer and Disability groups – for falls prevention, stress management, health and mobility programs. This can cover:

  • Tai Chi – what it involves, why it may be beneficial
  • Developing the understanding of Tai Chi in the western world.
  • How does it interface with Western Science?
  • What are the aspects relevant to Health and Caring professionals?

Ian is a long term Tai Chi practitioner and teacher with experience in falls prevention work. His background encompasses a range of hard science, bio-science and soft therapies which inform his approach and aid his ability as a Tai Chi Consultant to medical professionals and other health care stakeholders.

Consultation by the hour, or by the day
Program planning
Program set-up
Program participation, supervision, execution