LotusLeaf Tai Chi

Gung Hei Fat Choi or Happy New Year!  It’s now the Year of the Tiger until February 2nd 2011.

We had a wonderful meal at The Dragon’s Den in Monmouth with 12 people coming.  The restaurant if full of lovely carved objects and even the chairs and tables were carved with Dragons and other such creatures.  The food was so well presented it was almost too good to eat (almost, but we all managed to ruin the look!) Thank you to The Dragon’s Den for such a beautiful and tasty time.

Then on 21st February in Saint Mary Street, Chepstow, outside of another lovely Restaurant -The Shangri-La- Yi Quin Martial Arts and Lion Dance group performed a mesmerizing dance down the street.  Ocean and I got great views, on particular close look when the silver lion came and ‘nuzzled’ Ocean in the middle of the dance!  I have never seen his eyes so wide!

It is a great privilege to have such cultural things in the local area.  I can not advise strongly enough to take advantage of these events and go see them.

Talking of Lion Dances, as I have mentioned to most of my students, I found this amazing video of a Malaysian Lion Dance which is well worth looking at.

I will be holding two Fan Form workshops at Woolaston Memorial Hall, nr Lydney on Saturdays 20th February and 13th March 2010.  Everyone is welcome as we will be practicing the basics of this great form and starting from the beginning.  Cost is £5.00 per current student of £7.50 if you don’t train with me at the moment.  Session starts at 12.15 and runs until 1.45pm.  Please contact me for further details.

Chinese New Year Meal:

We’re having our usual celebration to bring in the year of the Tiger, this year at Monmouth’s The Dragons Den restaurant on 12th February at about 7pm.  You still just have time to let me know if you would like to come!

Woolaston Club - There will be no session on 16th Feb (our usual 3rd week of the month) and no session on 16th March for the same reason.

Ross-on-Wye Club – There will be no session on 1st March due to double booking of the hall, still, if you turn up you can watch an interesting film instead…..

Joys Green Club - Sessions as normal throughout February and March

Well done to everyone fro their hard work during training, keep it up!

Tai Chi

With eyes closed
I could be anywhere, yet I am everywhere and nowhere.
I am the pigeon, the wild goose
I push the waves, touch sea and sky
and I am nothing.
I march with the ball of the sun
I am the blackness of space.
Empty with the eternity of stars within me
and yet I hold the ball of the Earth
and I am the suns rays
filling all, illuminating all
with the untouchable nothingness of light.
The energy flows
from Dantien to hands
which carry magnets in the palms.
Balanced soul, body and mind.
The music plays to deaf ears
the light plays upon blind eyes
I am here in this room
yet I am a million miles away.

2005

A poem written by myself when I first started training ’seriously’ in Tai chi, based mainly on the 18 movements of Tai Chi and Qigong (ShiBaShi).

It has been a long time coming but we have finally got round to updating the website.  Most of the information that was on the old one is still here but we now have the opportunity to add lots more through this new blog.

We hope to, not only keep you up to date with training information but also add gems of interesting facts, stories and poems, as well as occasionally bring in the world outside Tai Chi.  Not only al of this but you are able to comment on mine or other peoples’ words by clicking on the ‘Add Comment’ button below – it’s all very exciting.

So, visit us often and keep informed and in touch.  Happy training to everyone.