Newsletter 2021-1

A fresh start

We have had a good start to the year with many new students starting at HQ and various branches. Thankfully, we have navigated through the last few months without too many interruptions, unlike last year. We had several regional seminars & gradings as well as Tai Chi Student Camp in Christchurch and Tai Chi seminar in Auckland last weekend. We are now readying for our annual seminars and tournament in two weeks.

Focus in Training

At the regional seminars, we worked on the fundamentals such as: controlling the centre axis, lines, angles & curves; balancing; relaxing & timing every move. The Black Belts worked on the Labyrinth & Circle Forms, wave action and internal energy.

As for Tai Chi, we concentrated on feeling, timing and using Yi. We continued to work on sticking, listening, following and changing. 

It is good to see everyone, particularly the Black Belts and Tai Chi instructors, making real breakthroughs.

Sing Ong Tai Chi

The Christchurch Student Camp was huge as usual but it was also zoomed to those who could not attend in the North Island and overseas.

Professor Yek (Tai Shi) taught us more about internal energy training, in introducing the “The Passes and Nine Orifices” and linking them to the Conception, Governor and Penetrating Vessels. He also elaborated on the Ten Characteristics of Tai Chi Chuan and how it combines art, science, philosophy & strategy.

We also had a huge number enjoying a wonderful dinner at the North & South Cuisine Restaurant to celebrate Tai Shi’s 80th birthday. The Yek family is very happy to have so many students celebrate the event with them.

At the Auckland Seminar, Tai Shi explained how slow or fast should we practice Tai Chi Chuan forms. It is fascinating to learn about the real meaning of “Hands become no hands, the whole body is hands.” As usual, Tai Shi demonstrated this amazing skill in pushing hands with the senior instructors.

Annual Seminars & Tournament

Our annual seminars & tournament weekend is the closest thing to our annual camp. It is a special experience to train with people from all over NZ and sometimes overseas. The total energy generated by the participants often creates a fertile environment for learning and enjoyment. It is always great to catch up with old friends and make new ones.

In Tai Chi Chuan, we will work on using Yi in everything we do. We will also work on pushing hands drills. The instructors will work on sword & fixed pushing hands. 

At the Kung Fu session we will work on, “How to refine techniques and mental focus.” In the Black Belt seminar, we will work on Nei Jing & the Circle Form.

The tournament is an opportunity to test our discipline, moral values as well as our techniques whether it is in pattern competition or infighting. In our tournaments, honourable conduct and learning from the experience is more important than just winning.

Our rules for fighting are designed to reduce the chance of bad injuries. However, competitors must control their power and techniques to be sure that the possibility of injuries is minimal.

We have made a short video to explain the rules of the fighting competition: https://youtu.be/wTKGDyxf0qo

The programme will be:

Saturday 5th June

9:00am to 11:00am Tai Chi Seminar

11:00am to 12:30pm Tai Chi Instructor Seminar

2:30pm to 4:30pm Kung Fu Seminar

4:30pm to 6:00pm Kung Fu Black Belt Seminar

Sunday 6th June

9:00am Start of Tournament

Entries:

Students: Must apply through your instructors. 

Instructors: Please check the weights, height, rank and age of contestants and send in the entries by the due date for draws & schedule to be planned.

New classes & branches

We are starting Tai Chi Chuan classes to join the thriving Kung Fu classes in West Melton just after Queens Birthday weekend, it will be taken by Sonya McCleary Laoshi. Brent Davidson Laoshi is also starting a new Tai Chi Chuan class at Winton where we also have a strong Kung Fu branch. Mr Kirk Maxwell has finally found a good location for the Whangaparoa branch. Mrs Averil Drake is also starting Kung Fu classes up in Westport. I am sure the new classes will be very successful with the very good instructors.

Enjoy your training and we look forward to seeing you Queens Birthday Weekend.

May Qi be with you,

Grandmaster SC Chan

Newsletter 2020-4

CMA 20-04 09th Dec 2020

Black Belt Grading and Awards

The annual Black Belt grading started with a chilly morning for the candidates. The 1st grades were well prepared and performed with strong spirit all day. The 2nd and 3rd degrees wrote very good essays on the higher principles Shao Chi Chuan and were able to answer the oral questions very well. The 1st grades too had to answer the oral questions on technical matters, training responsibilities and protocols.

There was great support by Instructors and students from Invercargill to Auckland and places in between. It was great to see the endurance and determination of the 1st grades and the skills demonstrated by the seniors in the advanced forms and other tests. It is also heartening to see the enthusiastic participation by the students and instructors who had come to the event.

Over a hundred instructors, students and guests celebrated our 45th anniversary with a very nice dinner at the North & South Gourmet. After dinner we adjourned to HQ for the awards with short speeches by Master Kinney, Master Simons and myself.

Mr Dave Clarke, talked about the Penelope Lake Award which was instituted after the tragic death of Penelope to commemorate her, as well as to honour a person who has given more than the call of duty in training for the year. Jo Lake, one of the assistant instructors at the Terrace Tai Chi Chuan Branch taught by Aaron Lavack Laoshi is this year’s very deserving recipient.

We congratulate the following for their good performance and successful promotion.

1st Degree:
Nick Scott (Papanui)
Kent Gallagher (Greymouth)
Brendon Russ (Greymouth)

3rd Degree:
Mr Chris Mackenzie (Cashmere)
Mr David McQueen (North Canterbury)

4th Degree:
Mr Philip Marshall (Kelburn)
Mr Nick Haslett (Papanui)
Mr Nic Morrison (HQ)

It was a very nice get together to mull over the performance of everyone at the grading, events during the year, our 45 years of training and the direction for the future over a few drinks.

Once again, I would like to thank the students and instructors for their support at the grading and their outstanding loyalty in the past 45 years. Our future depends on your enthusiasm and continued support to continue improving and growing Chans Martial Arts.

Christmas & New Year

We will be breaking up for Christmas and New Year Holidays very soon. HQ will have its last training for the year on the 22nd of December and have the 1st day back on the 5th of January. If your classes are not yet running by the 5th of January, you can ask permission from your chief instructor to train at HQ till your regular classes resume. 

It is a good idea to have a plan for training during the holidays. A three 30 minute sessions a week with: 1) stretching, 2) patterns & 3) bag work, will help to keep you in good shape and to hit the ground running when classes begin in 2021.

Focus in training

Continue to work on centre axis control, and on the ‘rounded’ shape to get more relaxed in your techniques. Enjoy your feel of sequential flow, leverage and delivery. Try not to blast, pull or push in the side kicks. Train with balance support and slowly extend your leg fully with 20 or more repetitions a time.

The simplest way to work on the ‘fighting mentality’ is just by visualising your opponent in all your drills. The sustained mental focus in training can calm the mind in a way that is similar to our breathing exercises. The advanced practitioner should work on Yi and Qi once the above are mastered.

These are the essentials of “The Stress-Free Way.”

Finally, we wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Better New Year!

May Qi be with you,
Grandmaster SC Chan