Vitality
Tai Chi Chuan
Vitality
Autumn classes starting in September 2003My name is Ger Griffin and these pages are designed to provide more information about the Tai Chi classes that I run in the Blackrock and Dalkey areas. I hope to be running classes in the Stillorgan and Deansgrange areas in the near future. If you are interested in taking classes in these areas, please email me (vitalitytaichi@yahoo.com) and I will notify you when the arrangements are in place.
Beginning students learn the 16 move Wu-style short form, the correct body alignments for Wu-style Tai Chi Chuan practice, simple ‘Pushing hands’ drills and basic Daoist breathing practices. To bring the form alive in the body, we also look briefly at some of the Form’s self-defence applications.
The focus of the my teaching is health; bringing about body awareness and providing you with some tools that may help to reduce stress in your daily life or to cope with stress when it rears its head. The practices are a foundation for future martial training, if that’s where you feel your path lies. For Tai Chi Chuan to be an effective martial art, you must have both a stable body and a stable mind.
For those who wish to progress with Tai Chi Chuan practice after completing the Wu-style 16 move form I also teachv The basic Wudang-style short form (as taught by Dan Docherty)v The advanced Wudang-style short formv The Wudang-style long formv The Wudang-style sabre formYou also learn some of the more intricate pushing hands drills and continue to develop Daoist breathing practices.
I teach classes in 6-, 8- or 10-week cycles. This enables students to make steady progress.
Where and when are the classes?Tuesday eveningHunter Theatre, Newpark Sports Hall, Newtownpark Avenue, Blackrock.Beginners class 7.00-8.15Improvers class 8.15-9.30The next cycle is an 8-week cycle beginning on 30th September 2003.Please note that enrolment for these classes is through me and not Newpark Adult Education Centre.How do I enrol?To book your place, contact Ger Griffin on 086 856 4571 or by email at vitalitytaichi@yahoo.com, I will send you out an application form. Places are strictly on a first come, first served basis – so book early to avoid disappointment.What is Tai Chi Chuan?Tai Chi Chuan was originally practiced as a martial art hundreds of years ago in an age without guns. Most people now practice it as a type of moving Chinese Yoga. It is the national health exercise of China, with 100 million people performing the hand form each day. Tai Chi combines healthful, energy development practices with fighting movements. However, you don’t have to be a martial artist or even engage at the martial level of practice to benefit from Tai Chi Chuan. Let’s face it, most of us want to be healthy; not all of us want to know how to fight. Practitioners enjoy healthy bodies and alert minds.What are the benefits of Tai Chi Chuan?Western-style exercises mainly focus on working the muscles and the lungs. Tai Chi Chuan focuses on the whole body, not just the musclo-skeletal system. On the physical level, Tai Chi Chuanv Rebalances the bodyv Loosens the muscles and so improves their efficiencyv Lubricates the joints and improves flexibilityv Elasticises and strengthens the tendonsv Massages and strengthens the internal organsv Improves vascular function and cardio-pulmonary functionv Improves circulationv Has been shown to increase bone densityv And moreWith regular practice, we find ourselves energised and alert. A strained and tense body produces a strained and tense mind. A mind that is strained and tense rarely inhabits a body that is fully relaxed. In Tai Chi Chuan, we work on stilling the mind. Among other benefits, a relaxed mind allows us to concentrate on what we want for extended periods of time and to think clearly in stressful situations.What is hand form?The hand form is probably the signature practice of Tai Chi Chuan. Often in films or documentaries on China, you see large groups of people in parks moving very slowly and gracefully in what looks very much like a co-ordinated dance – they are sometimes jokingly referred to as moving statues.The hand form is a series of interconnected postures, derived from some of the martial techniques of Tai Chi Chuan. Performed in a slow and meditative manner, the form helps us to develop vitality, stamina, flexibility, coordination and composure.What is ‘pushing hands’?Pushing hands drills do not always involve just pushing and are not restricted only to the hands. They are sets of two-person, partnered exercises designed to train various aspects of Tai Chi Chuan; balance, co-ordination, angle, focus, flexibility and so on.What is Taoist breathing?Today, we are only too aware that we are what we eat. What we put into our bodies in terms of food, determines our well-being and what we can expect from our bodies in terms of energy. Well that same principle can be applied to how we breathe. If we only ever take short, gasping breaths, only use a small portion of our lungs to breathe, or hold our breathe, it is very difficult for us to relax.Basic Taoist breathing introduces a method that allows you to breathe with the ease you did as a child, using your belly, sides and whole back. Your breath will gently massage, and so begin to strengthen, your internal organs. You’ll enjoy a greater lung capacity, improved vascular function, and soothe over-stained and tense nerves.What is Wu-style?Wu-style Tai Chi Chuan is named after the founder of the style, Wu Jien Chuan. Liu Hung Chieh, my teacher’s teacher, learned from Wu Jien Chuan and Bruce Frantzis, my teacher, learned from Liu Hung Chieh.The Wu-style of Tai Chi Chuan has a smaller frame (range of movement) than the more common Yang-style. The smaller frame places less physical demands on a person’s body. This makes it useful to those recovering from injury or illness or who are taking to exercise after a medium to long absence.Do I have to be fit to do Tai Chi Chuan?No, it is a valuable exercise system for those who are coming back to exercise after a long break or for those who have been ill. It is also a valuable exercise for those who exercise using only muscles and lungs as in Western-style exercise and who want whole body fitness, including joints, ligaments, tendons, internal organs and so on.Am I the right age for Tai Chi?There is no age limit for practice. Tai Chi Chuan is a gentle form of exercise concerned with becoming comfortable in and with your body.OK, so what equipment do I need?You don’t need any special equipment to practice – just wear some loose, comfortable clothes and flat shoes.Who is Ger Griffin?I began as a couch potato who in her early twenties decided to get a little bit fit. My first choice was Yoga because of it seemed gentle and so a good way to start on the road to fitness. I was off the couch and developing a taste for a new lifestyle, which I was spending less hypnotised and anaestheticised by the TV. I was hungry for more. However, it was difficult for me to find an intermediate Yoga class. For a while I rejoined the same beginners classes and re-learnt material I had seen before. Then I tried some different Yoga teachers to see if I could make progress in a different style. Unfortunately their approach didn’t suit me. I didn’t seem to be making much progress until I decided to try a different form of exercise.At the time, when I thought of Tai Chi, I thought it was like the Chinese version of Yoga. I was attracted by the slow-moving, graceful ballet of the form and the calm demeanour of the practitioners. I visualised myself with this grace and poise and thought it must be wonderful to be so calm in a world that is so chaotic.I began studying Tai Chi Chuan with Dr. Alan Peatfield in UCD and I was hooked. I had found the exercise system for me. Through Alan I met Dan Docherty and Bruce Frantzis.As I continued my study of Tai Chi Chuan, I began to enjoy the daily benefits of my practice. I had a greater level of fitness, I had more energy, I was more flexible and daily tasks now took less effort to accomplish. Little by little I found the foundation practices of Tai Chi Chuan seeping into my daily life and improving it. I hope that I can pass this knowledge on to others, so they too can enjoy the benefits that this health system imparts.I still continue to train in Tai Chi Chuan and have developed an interest in the two other Chinese internal arts of Ba Gua Chuan and Hsing I Chuan.Thanks to all my teachers, both formal instructors and training partners. I am grateful to all for sharing what you know with me and for being part of my journey from couch potato to European Tai Chi Chuan Champion.Training with my teachersOn a weekly basis in Ireland, I train with Owen Mulcair, Dr. Alan Peatfield and Practical Tai Chi Chuan UCD. When they are in Europe, I train with my international teachers, Dan Docherty and Bruce Frantzis. I also continue to train with instructors in England who have spent a lot of time learning Bruce’s Taoist energy arts.Awards and achievementsInstructor’s Level Four Diploma, Practical Tai Chi Chuan InternationalGold Medal in Ladies Open Weight Fixed Step Pushing Hands* in First European Tai Chi Chuan Championships 2000Gold Medal in Ladies Open Weight Fixed Step Pushing Hands Discipline in British Tai Chi Open 2001Gold Medal in Ladies Open Weight Moving Step Pushing Hands in British Tai Chi Open 2001Silver Medal in Ladies Open Weight Moving Step Pushing Hands in British Tai Chi Open 2000Silver Medal in Ladies Open Weight Fixed Step Pushing Hands in British Tai Chi Open 2000Bronze Medal in Ladies Open Weight Moving Step Pushing Hands in First European Tai Chi Chuan Championships 2000Bronze Medal in Open Hand Form in British Tai Chi Chuan Open 2002Bronze Medal in Intermediate Hand Form in British Tai Chi Chuan Open 2002Bronze Medal in Open Sabre Form in British Tai Chi Chuan Open 2002Bronze Trophy in Ladies Open Weight Fixed Step Pushing Hands in Danish Tai Chi Open 2000* Competitive pushing hands is a type of Chinese wrestlingLinks