Beginning Tai Chi:
Tai Chi (short for Tai Chi Ch'uan) is for people of all ages.
The 108 is a set of 108 moves that are generally accepted as the fundamental set for Beginners to learn. Our Beginner classes provide instruction to help folks learn these 108 health-oriented movements. Our focus is to help you learn the choreography of the 108. Through our classes you have the opportunity to learn how to move your whole body, how to shift your weight and the set of 108 beautiful movements well enough to follow a group of people doing the set.
Our Beginner courses vary in length, but generally run for about four months duration. After completing a Beginner class, folks may choose to join our Continuing classes.
Continuing Tai Chi:
Our Continuing classes are for everyone who has learned the 108.
In our Tai Chi there are no levels or belts. Our Continuing classes are on-going. They are sessions in which we all work together to deepen our knowledge and understanding of Tai Chi. We began learning Tai Chi as a set of external body exercises. Over time we learn Tai Chi has application as internal exercise and we learn how to stretch and relax, how to sit. Tai Chi is both meditation and movement.
Each of us has a unique body. Tai Chi helps the mind and body work in harmony. This helps us learn how to adapt the various moves to meet our own particular needs.
Lok Hup:
Lokhup or Huayue Xinyi liuhe bafa (fist of the 6 harmonies and 8 methods of the heart and intention of the Hua mountain summit) dates back to 1000 years ago. Lokhup is used as a building block in tai chi. It is composed of 66 moves.
In this class, we teach the moves as we do with the tai chi set, concentrating first on part I, which has similarities with the tai chi set. When this is completed, we begin to work on the second part.
Sabre Set:
This is another internal art, like tai chi, lokhup and sword sets. The sabre functions as an extension of the arm, providing added length and weight and thereby facilitating the use of the spine by the practitioner and increasing internal movement. The sabre set practice ultimately improves the practitioner's tai chi form.
We use wooden sabres as this set is not intended for fighting.
Xing Yi:
Is known as an "internal martial art". It specializes in very focused movement, coordinating the whole body in the execution of swift steps. Unlike the long and complex Taichi forms, the various movement sequences of Xingyi tend to focus on just one or a few, repeated movements. However, there are exceptions, and the sequence created by master Sun Dit, who taught it to master Moy Lin-shin, is one of them. Simply called "a Medley of Xingyi Techniques" (xingyi za shi chui - 形意雜式捶), it comprises 73 movements.
Qigong Practice:
This Qigong practice is for all who have attended Daoist Qigong workshops Levels 1 and 2 or higher with Eva Wong or one of her accredited instructors.
Our Nanaimo Qigong workshops have gone to Level 5 at this point so this is an opportunity to begin the program right here.
