Ongoing Classes in Stroud
Summer Breaks
There will be two breaks this Summer;
1) Wolfe Lowenthal's Workshop:
I will be attending Wolfe's workshop in the US. There will be no classes from 26.06.19 to 14.07.19.
Classes will recommence on Monday 15.07.19 and run to 31.07.19.
2) August Break from Classes
We will have our usual break for August and the first week of September.
There will be no classes from 01.08.19 to 08.09.19.
Classes will recommence on Monday 09.09.19.
New Beginners' Class
A New Beginners' Class to learn the 37 movement solo form of Cheng Man-ching will be starting on Thursday mornings from January 24th 2019. The class will be in Lansdown Hall, Stroud (map below), from 11.30am to 12.30pm (one hour). This is the ideal class to begin learning Cheng Man-ching's tai chi form from the beginning.
First class is free, then £5 per class.
Monthly Partner Work Class - the last Sunday of each month
From June 24th 2018 there will be a Partner Work Class on the last Sunday of each month from 10.30am to midday in the Gold Room, on the ground floor at the Centre for Science and Art, Lansdown, Stroud, GL5 1BB (map below under 'Monday Class'). This class will be for students who have learned the hand form (i.e. students from the Monday, Wednesday evening and Thursday classes).
Cost - £5 per class.
After studying the hand form, the next step is to learn Sensing Hands, which enhances the understanding of the form.
This class is to learn and practise the Cheng Man-ching fixed step Sensing Hands, and the moving step Da Lu, along with subsiduary exercises to explore basic partner work principles such as sticking, following, neutralising, relaxing (sung) and sinking (chen).
In Long River, the partner work is practised softly and co-operatively. Therefore it is suitable for all levels of fitness.
The emphasis will be on developing the correct form and the correct touch to aid the understanding of internal energy (ting jin and dong jin) in the interaction with another person.
'The heart of the exercise - what it means in terms of health, in terms of martial ability and as the foundation for enhanced spiritual understanding - all is mainly in the doing. Practicing over a considerable amount of time, with the principles of softness, relaxation, non-competition' (Wolfe Lowenthal, Tai Chi Thoughts May 2018).
Weekly Classes
All the weekly classes below teach the Yang style short form of Cheng Man-ching.
The first class is free, after that it is £5 per class (£7 if you stay for the sword class on Monday, or Wednesday evenings).
£5 covers up to 4 weekly classes per week, increasing to £7 per week for those additionally studying sword.
There will be two breaks this Summer;
1) Wolfe Lowenthal's Workshop:
I will be attending Wolfe's workshop in the US. There will be no classes from 26.06.19 to 14.07.19.
Classes will recommence on Monday 15.07.19 and run to 31.07.19.
2) August Break from Classes
We will have our usual break for August and the first week of September.
There will be no classes from 01.08.19 to 08.09.19.
Classes will recommence on Monday 09.09.19.
New Beginners' Class
A New Beginners' Class to learn the 37 movement solo form of Cheng Man-ching will be starting on Thursday mornings from January 24th 2019. The class will be in Lansdown Hall, Stroud (map below), from 11.30am to 12.30pm (one hour). This is the ideal class to begin learning Cheng Man-ching's tai chi form from the beginning.
First class is free, then £5 per class.
Monthly Partner Work Class - the last Sunday of each month
From June 24th 2018 there will be a Partner Work Class on the last Sunday of each month from 10.30am to midday in the Gold Room, on the ground floor at the Centre for Science and Art, Lansdown, Stroud, GL5 1BB (map below under 'Monday Class'). This class will be for students who have learned the hand form (i.e. students from the Monday, Wednesday evening and Thursday classes).
Cost - £5 per class.
After studying the hand form, the next step is to learn Sensing Hands, which enhances the understanding of the form.
This class is to learn and practise the Cheng Man-ching fixed step Sensing Hands, and the moving step Da Lu, along with subsiduary exercises to explore basic partner work principles such as sticking, following, neutralising, relaxing (sung) and sinking (chen).
In Long River, the partner work is practised softly and co-operatively. Therefore it is suitable for all levels of fitness.
The emphasis will be on developing the correct form and the correct touch to aid the understanding of internal energy (ting jin and dong jin) in the interaction with another person.
'The heart of the exercise - what it means in terms of health, in terms of martial ability and as the foundation for enhanced spiritual understanding - all is mainly in the doing. Practicing over a considerable amount of time, with the principles of softness, relaxation, non-competition' (Wolfe Lowenthal, Tai Chi Thoughts May 2018).
Weekly Classes
All the weekly classes below teach the Yang style short form of Cheng Man-ching.
The first class is free, after that it is £5 per class (£7 if you stay for the sword class on Monday, or Wednesday evenings).
£5 covers up to 4 weekly classes per week, increasing to £7 per week for those additionally studying sword.
Wednesday 11.30am - 12.30pmStarted January 31st 2018 - New Form Beginners' Class
Venue: Lansdown Hall, Lansdown, Stroud, Gloucestershire, GL5 1BB (in hall on 1st floor) |
Wednesday 7.30pm- 9.00pmStarted September 2016
Venue: Centre for Science and Art, 13 Lansdown, Stroud, GL5 1BB (in Blue Room at top of stairs) |
Monday Evening Class
The Monday evening class (below) has an additional half hour for partnerwork, followed by a further half hour to learn sword form and fencing. The first 45 minutes will be for the study of the form. There will be a tea break, followed by half an hour of partnerwork, and half an hour of sword study.
Cost of the class for the first 90 minutes is £5
For those staying on for the full two hours the cost is £7
Wednesday Evening Class
The first hour of the Wednesday evening class is for study of the hand form, with a short introduction to sensing hands. The last half hour of the Wednesday evening class is to learn the sword form.
Cost of the class for the first hour is £5
For those staying on to study sword the cost is £7
Please note that the partnerwork (sensing hands and da lu) and sword study part of classes is only open to students who have at least a year's experience of hand form. If in doubt please ask me.
The Monday evening class (below) has an additional half hour for partnerwork, followed by a further half hour to learn sword form and fencing. The first 45 minutes will be for the study of the form. There will be a tea break, followed by half an hour of partnerwork, and half an hour of sword study.
Cost of the class for the first 90 minutes is £5
For those staying on for the full two hours the cost is £7
Wednesday Evening Class
The first hour of the Wednesday evening class is for study of the hand form, with a short introduction to sensing hands. The last half hour of the Wednesday evening class is to learn the sword form.
Cost of the class for the first hour is £5
For those staying on to study sword the cost is £7
Please note that the partnerwork (sensing hands and da lu) and sword study part of classes is only open to students who have at least a year's experience of hand form. If in doubt please ask me.
Monday 7.30pm - 9.30pmStarted January 2016
Venue: Centre for Science and Art, 13 Lansdown, Stroud, GL5 1BB (in Gold Room on the ground floor) |
Thursday 11.30am - 12.30pmStarting January 2019
Venue: Lansdown Hall, Lansdown, Stroud, Gloucestershire, GL5 1BB (in hall on 1st floor) |
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These include beginners' classes to learn the 37 posture Cheng Man-ching hand form (Wednesday and Thursday mornings). And more advanced classes, that have been running longer, to study and refine the hand form (Monday and Wednesday evenings). In each class we will begin with some warm ups based in qi gong, and then learn the form.
It is recommended that you wear comfortable loose fitting clothing, and flat soled shoes if you have them (tai chi slippers are ideal but not essential). When there is sufficient interest from people who have learned the Cheng Man-ching form and who would like to deepen their practice and learn sensing hands and Da Lu (moving step sensing hands), and then sword form and fencing, advanced classes will be set up. Currently there is a partner work and sword study class on Monday evenings, an introduction to sensing hands and sword class on Wednesday evenings, and a monthly partner work class on the last Sunday of each month. |
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