British Open Tai Chi Championships Results Thursday 17 May 2012 at 7:05 pm
The British Open Tai Chi Championships was held on15 April 2012 here are the resultsBritish Open ResultsMS word doc
Executive Committee and Election AGM Minutes Saturday 12 May 2012 at 12:39 pm
Minutes of the Annual General Meetingof the Tai Chi Union for Great Britain
Held on 14Th April 2012 at
449-453, Bethnal Green Rd., London E2 9Qh.
MINUTES_2012.doc
MINUTES_2012.pdf
BALLOT_PAPER_-_2012.doc
BALLOT_PAPER_-_2012.pdf
Master Fu Qing Quan UK visit Sunday 29 April 2012 at 12:57 pm
tructor Kevin McQuaid sent an event for the listings: inaugural May Festival of Classical Yang Style Taijiquan in the tradition of Grandmaster Fu Zhongwen.He also lets us know about the October Festival:
As part of his first UK tour, Yong Nian Taijiquan UK are pleased to announce that Master Fu Qing Quan (James Fu) will be visiting us in Glossop at the end of October / early November 2012.
Exact details of the tour will be made available nearer the time.
During his visit, Master James is particularly interested in re-connecting with previous students of his father Sifu Fu Sheng Yuan.
Because of Master James’ standing in the Taiji world, this visit is expected to be incredibly popular so to register an early interest email postmaster@yongnian-taiji.co.uk
New Book: Snake Style Tai Chi Chuan Sunday 29 April 2012 at 11:40 am
Union Instructor David Radford has just reviewed this new book, which he says is interesting and perhaps even a little controversial. His review is on the IP Family Home page.
Snake Style Tai Chi Chuan
The Hidden System Of The Yang Family
by Bob Boyd
The Yang family taught two separate tai chi systems. One for the public, another just for heirs. When Robert Boyd became a Disciple of fifth generation Yang family heir, Ip Tai Tak, he was allowed to learn the family system -- the snake style. Now he reveals this duality and introduces the snake style openly to the public.
The London Wushu Open Sunday 29 April 2012 at 11:34 am
The bi-annuinal Seni Expo is coming to London's Excel arena on the 2nd of June this year.
It will feature the Tai Chi International Tournament as part of The London Wushu Open & Fighters' Open.
The tournament welcomes all Tai Chi styles and all schools or individuals to participate. The London Wushu Open has been running for a number of years now.
For both competitor registration forms or spectator tickets, please email. or Call 020 8348 6306.
MsL Performing Arts Exchange; SENI - The International Combat Sports Show
Health Qigong Record Sunday 29 April 2012 at 11:30 am
Union Instructor Tary Yip sent us this news:
300 Health Qigong & Tai Chi enthusiasts representing 200 Qigong & Tai Chi schools across the UK (a few passionate enthusiasts even travel across the channel from as far as Ireland, Spain and Italy) got together to take part in the record setting attempting at Bourne Hall, Surrey London. The Amazing event was a celebration for the countdown to the London 2012 Olympics, It was also a record setting attempt for the biggest mass display of one system of Qigong (Health Qigong) and one discipline of Tai Chi (Yang Style 24 Step) in the UK & Europe's Qigong & Tai Chi history.
We have made history, that's official - London 2012 Health Qigong & Tai Chi Festival
Glennis Rogerson Olympic Torchbearer Monday 19 March 2012 at 10:29 pm
Union instructor Glennis Rogerson of The Palms Tai Chi Club is carrying the Flame through: Skegness on 27 Jun 2012.
Glenis told me a little more about herself:
I am carrying the Torch in Skegness. I was ill for 50 years though kept working [accountancy, law and teaching] until 1980, then an accident when a car bumped into my moped. I already had some arthritis etc and this got worse. I started a Youth Club [have been a youth leader for almost 38 years] in my village and in 1990 moved to Skegness. In 1990 I wrote down all I ate and discovered it was coeliac disease and dairy foods. Unable to walk for 14 years it was dairy foods. Now no wheat, rye, barley, sucrose, dairy foods, herbs, spices, pineapple, bananas or alcohol.
Now with a diet upside down I tried to be positive. My immune system is far better without these foods. I went to a new GP in Skegness who told me “I was too allergic for the NHS and to go to Complementary Medicine”.
I went and found someone, in 1995, not knowing anything about Complementary medicine. She helped me out and later suggested I learnt. So I did and in 2002 gained my PhD in Immunology.
I do have Rheumatoid and Osteoarthritis and Osteoporosis and this horrible diet alas I cannot take any pain killers so have to use Complementary Medicine to keep pains away. I have taught Tai chi since 1998 with the WI and now lead Palms Tai Chi Club in Skegness. I also teach aromatherapy, Chinese Medicine, Herbal medicine etc to anyone who wants to learn at minimal cost of nothing. I love helping other people. It gives me great joy to do so. All subjects I teach can be insured so people can use the qualification professionally.
I cannot walk, sit or get to bed without pain and even typing this causes a lot of pain yet I know without my Tai chi and without aromatherapy and massage I would be much worse.
I won my black sash last year and got my License to be a leader from the International Budo Association about two weeks ago. As I have said I cannot move without any pain and will be carrying it in a wheelchair. But I love my Tai chi and it keeps me mobile even with pain. It is all I have without any painkillers.
AGM 2011 Minutes Saturday 17 March 2012 at 11:50 am
Member intending to attend the 2012 AGM can download the minutes from last year: TCUGB AGM 2011 Minutes
Reminder: The Annual General Meeting of the Tai Chi Union for Great Britain will be held on Saturday 14th April 2012 at Wu’s Academy Unit 2a, 1st Floor, 449-453, Bethnal Green Road, London E2 9QH commencing at 3.00pm Download Full Notice and Agenda (PDF)
TCUGB Spring Newletter Sunday 26 February 2012 at 1:15 pm
Here is the TCUGB Spring Newletter 2012 in pdf format.
i-Chi new online course Thursday 23 February 2012 at 9:48 pm
Union instructor Matthew Rochford sent us news of a new online course:After many many hours of work (not to mention the decades of Tai Chi training) Tai Chi Nation have launched their online Tai Chi training course, i-Chi
Free content is available as well as a Level One Course (£39, introductory offer). The course is based on the 37 Short Form plus several complimentary exercises, meditations, talks and e-books.
There is some free content as well as a full course
London 2012 Health Qigong & tai Chi Festival Thursday 23 February 2012 at 9:40 pm
London 2012 Health Qigong & tai Chi Festival
The Health Qigong & Tai Chi Festival is offering a unique opportunity to explore some of the world's most popular Qigong exercises and the excellent health Benefits they bring. The event is also a celebration of the forthcoming London 2012 Olympics successfully passed over from Beijing to London and cultural diversity in the UK and most of all a celebration of English heritage go hand in hand beautifully with Chinese Culture.
During the event we will have highly respected Health Qigong Masters from China and the UK conducting the taster sessions and we will have masters demonstrating Tai Chi Qigong & Martial Arts in our opening ceremony.
We are also attempting to set a UK & European record of mass display of Health Qigong in the Bourne Hall Park, all participants will join in the display after the taster sessions. we are aiming to achieve a record of 200 people mass display. There will be local and national media present to report and film the display, and local MP, Mayor of Surrey and official delegation from China are also invited to attend to support the event
We would like to invite all tai Chi teachers, their students and enthusiasts of Tai Chi and other exercises to particpate and support our course in raising the awareness of the importance of health and wellbeing through Health Qigong & Tai Chi.
Free Silk Qigong & Tai Chi training suits (priced at 60 pounds)
As a no profit-making event, we are only charging a small fee to cover the hiring of the venue, we have also received generous sponsorship from the Chinese Health Qigong Association & Tai Chi Link Martial Arts supply. we are sponsored beautifully made Silk Creme white Tai Chi & Qigong training suits.
Enthusiasts who book and paid for the Health Qigong Festival event (and agree to participate in the mass display) before 20th March 2012 will get the Suits Absolutely Free on the day.
For more detail please visit Health Qigong - Healthqigong
Instructor Opportunity Essex Thursday 16 February 2012 at 6:03 pm
A request by Gerry UnderwoodI would like to let your members know about a new fitness studio opening in Epping, Essex.
We are a chiropractic clinic which has been running in the town for 20 years. We see upwards of 200 patients a week and we are in the finishing stages of expanding our clinic with a purpose-built fitness studio.
We plan to offer classes to our patients and the local community.
A survey of our patients showed that many wanted to see pilates, yoga and tai chi at our new studio but I'm struggling to find a good tai chi teacher.
The ideal person would be driven, dynamic and willing to build a clientele. We would charge a rate per hour for use of the studio but in turn would offer advertising and leaflet space within the chiropractic clinic. The Studio and its classes would also be advertised in the local press and on its own website. We will also email our chiropractic client list with the classes available.
It would, in effect, be the instructor's business within our business. He/She would take bookings and payment directly.
Yoga type mats and blocks will be provided as well as a water fountain and the use of an i-pod speaker system.
Anyone interested can contact me directly via email or 07729 236663.
AGM 2012 Monday 13 February 2012 at 8:23 pm
Annual General Meeting of the Tai Chi Union for Great Britain will be held on Saturday 14th April 2012 at Wu’s Academy Unit 2a, 1st Floor, 449-453, Bethnal Green Road, London E2 9QH commencing at 3.00pm
Download Full Notice and Agenda (PDF)
Site Downtime Thursday 09 February 2012 at 07:54 am
Our webhost is moving data centers, it is expected that the Union site will be unavalible from 10pm 10th Feb to 06:30am 11th Feb.
Angela's Tai Chi School's coffee morning Saturday 04 February 2012 at 2:03 pm
Union Instructor Angela Howarth sent us this news.
Angela's Tai Chi School in Liverpool is holding a Tai Chi coffee morning in aid of Alder Hey's Imagine Appeal (Children's hospital in Liverpool). This is the second year we have had one of these events and it is an opportunity to raise funds for charity and raise awareness of Tai Chi. Last year we held our first fundraiser in aid of Marie Curie and raised £420. This was done in memory of one of our members who had died a few months earlier from cancer.
As this was so successful we decided to make it an annual event picking a different charity each year. The coffee morning lasts for an hour and a half. There are refreshments available including plenty of home baked cakes. After Christmas I ask people to donate unwanted Christmas gifts and these are used for a prize tombola. This year I am also going to put together a hamper from some of the gifts and have a raffle.
During the course of the morning we do some Tai Chi demonstrations and also encourage those who have attended to have a little go at some Qigong and Tai Chi exercises. It's a lot of fun and a good way to introduce new people to Tai Chi. This year we have used for the first time our new school logo on the invites. This was designed by the son of one of my students. If anyone is in Liverpool on the 15th February then please feel free to come along and join us. It would be lovely to see you.
If you are a Union Instructor running an event that might sit outside our normal event listing please send it to John Johnston
More on the Scam Thursday 02 February 2012 at 8:09 pm
Instructor Ray Pawlett wrote to tel lus a bit more abut the scam:• Somebody from an unspecified foreign country contacts you for a fairly substantial amount of lessons for their son/daughter. In my case the value was around £500.00
• You give your prices and they agree to it. They also agree to pay up front and give time for the cheque to clear. It sounds perfect!
• A “problem” happens with the guardian of the child which results in a mix-up whereby the child's travel expenses have been included with your cheque.
• You are asked if it is OK to pay the guardian the difference. You are given the impression that it is small money, perhaps £30 to £40 and it does not seem an issue
• They send you a cheque in the post. In this case it was for £2,500.00 representing an overpayment of £2,000.00
? At this point it was obvious that something untoward was going on – the cheque looks dodgy and an overpayment has been made. The Police were contacted.
• If you carry on from here what happens is that you take the cheque to the bank and it clears.
• You see that the cheque has cleared, everything looks fine so you pay the difference to the child's “guardian”
• In actual fact, the cheque has cleared in the bank but no funds have transferred – or will transfer. The bank realises this after a couple of weeks and the cheque “bounces”
• You lose the money. In my case I would have been making a loss of £2,000.00
It is made very enticing by the fact that a cheque appears.
The Policeman told me that it is happening a lot throughout the country. He called it “the classic Nigerian scam”.
The whole feel of it is "a bit dodgy", but we are all so keen to make a little cash that it is easy to get caught into it.
The alarm signal for it is the overpayment. If anybody is offering a substantial overpayment like this it is a scam!
Update 2012-02-09 Gareth Davy sent us more info:
On some occasions, the scam involves smaller amounts including cash. The same procedure is followed, but the 'over-payment' may be just a few hundred pounds.
An agreement is made to meet the 'guardian' and hand over the cash ('spending money') in return for another cheque to cover that amount, so everything seems in order.
Of course, the cheque is another dud and you've lost some cash!
These messages go to all types of teachers. I used to be a personal fitness trainer and we were hit with waves of these messages a few years ago.
They also send them out to multiple recipients in different locations, so the 'child' seems to be visiting different places at exactly the same time.
Considering this 'cash' variation of the scam, the rewards from multiple victims are still potentially worthwhile to the scammers and, being cash transactions, untraceable.
Another Scam Warning Tuesday 31 January 2012 at 2:39 pm
Members should be on the look out for more scamming email in their inboxes. These seem to follow the usual pattern, a son/daughter looking for private lessons, with an interest in gaining your bank details.
24th FESTIVAL OF CHINESE MARTIAL ARTS & BRITISH OPEN TAI CHI CHAMPIONSHIPS Saturday 21 January 2012 at 7:21 pm
At Blackbird Leys Leisure Centre, Pegasus Rd., Blackbird Leys, Oxford; Sunday,April 15th, 2011 (doors open 9 am for competitors, 10 am for spectators).
RULES OF THE FESTIVAL OF CHINESE MARTIAL ARTS & BRITISH OPEN TAI CHI CHAMPIONSHIPS Word Doc | PDF
24th FESTIVAL OF CHINESE MARTIAL ARTS & BRITISH OPEN TAI CHI CHAMPIONSHIPS ENTRY FORM Word Doc | PDF
