Chris Meistre

I finally found a Kungfu school in Port Elizabeth that offers both Tai Chi and Kungfu as seperate but integrated teachings.  Most Kungfu styles do incorporate a bit of Chi management, but I’ve always felt both needs to be treated as seperate, but they need to be integrated as well.

The style is called Wudang Wushu, and Sifu Jurgens Lamprecht founded the South African Wudang Wushu Institute.  The website is available on http://www.wudangwushu.org/.  Dr Margo de Kooker is in charge of the Port Elizabeth school.  We went there last Tuesday to go and have a look how it is in joined in on the first class.

It’s very different to the way our previous Kungfu school use to teach, and it’s something to get used to.  One main difference is that they tend to concentrate on the forms (a set of various moves performed one after the other) a lot.  So within 2 lessons we were taught about 4 different forms.   I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with it though, because you get use to all the techniques in these forms and you learn them a lot quicker.  In the previous school we went through a lot of self defence grabs first before we started with the technical side of Kungfu techniques.

The people there seem very excited about the lessons, so it’s a nice group of people.

Last Monday we started with our Infinite Tai Chi DVD. The first sections have all got to do with preparing yourself (body and mind) to start with the actual Tai Chi forms. It was during one of these sessions that I realised perhaps not everything can be taught using distance learning. Or at least, you need the right person to teach you.

The first couple of stages of exercises were:

• Breathing – a few exercising on getting you to breathe right
• Moving hands like clouds – moving your hands from side to side while focusing on your hands with your eyes
• Balanced walking – slow and steady walking feeling your weight shift from one leg to the other
• Strength and grounding parts 1 and 2 – a few exercising to help strengthen your body

All of the above were done with relative ease.  It is amazing that you can feel these slow moving exercises actually working your muscles.

The following evening we did the same things and then moved on to see how the first few steps of the Tai Chi form are.  It’s extremely difficult following what’s happening on the DVD and doing it at the same time.  There is no pause to explain to you what has happened or why you’re doing something.  It’s one move after the next, and with the camera angles it’s extremely difficult to see where your legs are supposed to go.

I’ve decided to first watch the complete DVD, as perhaps there is another section that goes into more detail.  I’m aware of the fact that Tai Chi forms are not really broken up on a step by step basis, and that everything must flow into the next move.  I however think that for illustration purposes this DVD could’ve done a lot more to make it easier to understand.

After watching the DVD I’ll also go through the book I have to see how we can make this one out.

Ever since starting Kungfu, I also wanted to start Tai Chi. At that stage in my life, time didn’t permit me doing another martial art, and we already incorporated some of those teachings in our lessons.

As I’ve been feeling that the Ninjitsu Distance Learning has been working for us, I thought I’d give Tai Chi distance learning a shot as well. I know that something needs to happen in my life to ground me again spiritually, and I want to start this journey.

Again I needed a partner to make sure we keep each other motivated, and my wife was more than willing to join me. So I ordered a DVD called Infinite Tai Chi for Beginners – by Jason Chan.

I also came across the website www.cloudwater.com which also offers an online course in Qigong and Tai Chi. They’ve got a free 8 part course that I signed up for, and already received 2 parts of that. What I find nice about their training is that they’re not providing a “watch and do” course, but rather, “watch, feel and then do”. Instead of just showing you how to do a move, they show you certain tricks so that you can feel the way that masters in this art feel even though you’re just starting out. It’s worth a try and once we’ve done the 8 part course I’m very likely to subscribe for the complete one.