Authentic Tai Chi classes in
Welwyn and St Albans
HERTS School of T'ai Chi Ch'uan
We have a full curriculum of Tai Chi courses...
Tai Chi Form" = Tai Chi Chuan/Taijiquan = Solo practice.
The Tai Chi we teach was developed by Professor Cheng Man-Ch'ing - the first person to teach his Tai Chi outside of China. Cheng Man Ch'ing's form is sometimes called the 37-posture Yang Short Form, There are other Yang styles, and other styles whose lineage is via other ancient families, eg Chen or Wu. China once banned Tai Chi, but now has an "official" 24-posture form.
We teach the form in three stages: Beginning Form, Fundamentals Awareness, and Intermediate Form (the highest level).
Beginning Form = Introducing principles
This allows you to start getting the benefits of Tai Chi through regular practice of Cheng Man Ch'ing's form*. We teach the form in three thirds, which we refer to as B1, B2, & B3. Each third is taught in a 10 week term, in bite size chunks each week. Even just B1 introduces all the internal Tai Chi principles.
Fundamentals Awareness = Embodying principles with less effort
We revisit Beginning Form with a focus on increasing self-awareness through self-observation. We make it easier to embody the Tai Chi principles both in our practice and in our everyday life. Sometimes we teach Fundamentals Awareness straight after B1, then the postures of B2 and B3 are taught with Fundamentals Awareness.
Intermediate Form = Moving meditation
This deepens the meditation. It makes minor refinements to smooth out the transitions between individual postures. The form then becomes one continuous flow - an exchange of Yin and Yang that is like simply breathing.
Push Hands = Twey Shou/Tui Shou = Tai Chi conversation
This practices how to stay relaxed in real life interactions.It challenges us to continue to embody internal Tai Chi principles whilst interacting with another person. We learn to connect, listen, & respond, without feeling anxious or being defensive. It's how to have a better conversation - hence why we call it 'Tai Chi conversation'. .
We teach Push Hands as a 2 person practice to those who have done Fundamentals level.
Click here for a picture showing how we learn to calmly connect, listen & respond
Sword = T'ai Chi Chien/Taiji Jian = Tai Chi dancing
Sword Form is a Tai Chi practice that has the quality of 'dance' - and everybody should experience the joy of dancing! We learn to move with the sword just as you would when dancing with a partner – with physical and mental freedom, and 'as one'. Sometimes you are leading the sword, and sometimes (when it moves with gravity or with its own momentum) you are following – always moving from the Tantien and fully 'in principle'.
We teach Sword Form (a solo practice) and Fencing (a 2 person practice) only to experienced students.
The Eight Ways of Tai Chi = Introducing principles (via imagery)
Practising the 'Eight Ways' brings the same benefits as people get from learning to practice Beginning Form at B1. The only difference is that we get to embody the internal principles more directly via imagery. The imagery calls your body to move in accordance with Tai Chi principles - there are no mechanical instructions or precise indications. As a famous Tai Chi saying puts it: “The [image in the] mind moves the Qi and the Qi moves the body”.
We occasionally teach this as a deepening practice for experienced Tai Chi students, or a great introduction for those who have never done Tai Chi before, and who would have difficulties learning the form.
Qigong = Ch'i Kung = Roots & Branches = Health & Well-being
We have a separate page on our Qigong.