Archives

On this page you will find previous activities and events we have been involved in.

2011 Summer Retreat - A Resounding Success

This year our annual retreat took place just outside Winchester on the weekend of 5th – 7th August.

We were fortunate in that the weather was quite kind to us and, despite the odd shower, we were able to spend most of our time outdoors in the beautiful and relaxing surroundings.

Good times, good food, and good Tai Chi were enjoyed by all and we are already organising our 2012 Retreat.  So, whether you missed out this time or you are hoping to come back again and spend another relaxing weekend away with old friends, you will soon be able to enrol for 2012.

In the meantime, if you’d like to register your interest so that we can send you an information pack once it is available, just click here.

Fund Raising for the Royal Berkshire Hospital

On Saturday 11th June we gave a demonstration of Tai Chi at the Annual Summer Fete organised by the Royal Berkshire Hospital League of Friends.  The event was held in the Victoria Recreation Ground in Tilehurst and attracted large crowds.

Pride of place went to our Purley-based Inspire 4 Life Silver Surfers who performed Yang style Tai Chi before inviting interested onlookers to take part and try it out for themselves.  We were delighted to see people of all ages took up the invitation with energy, enthusiasm and – in a couple of cases - ice creams, too!

The demonstration finished with a display of Chen style Tai Chi by students from our Lower Earley centre.

(A new Beginners class started on Wednesday, 22nd June, at the Barn, Goosecroft Lane, off Beech Road, Purley-on-Thames.  If you would like to be notified when the next new class is scheduled, please call Sue on 0118  972  8978.)

Legoland Jedi Knight Training April 2011

Just before the Easter weekend we were invited back to Legoland to help train the next batch of young Jedi knights as part of the latest Star Wars extravaganza and laser show. With over 18,000 visitors on the first day alone there was no shortage of recruits and we are delighted to report that the event was deemed a great success by all concerned. A whole phalanx of hidden Jedi is now fully trained and ready to answer the call whenever it comes.

BERKSHIRE TAI CHI AT LEGOLAND [October & November 2008]

For six days at the end of October and the beginning of November, Berkshire Tai Chi was invited to help Legoland, Windsor, set up its very own Jedi Knights Training School as part of the Berkshire theme park’s Star Wars Fireworks Spectacular.

Aspiring young warriors between the ages of 3 and 12 were able to try their hand at fencing with light sabres, and developing their inner calm and mental focus with a set of Tai Chi- and Chi Kung-based exercises.

Many parents expressed surprise that in just 15 minutes their otherwise boisterous children could become so quiet and focused simply by performing a few simple exercises.  In fact, several of the adults enjoyed them so much they ended up joining in themselves!

TAI CHI WEEKEND RETREAT [March 2008]

This year from 28th - 30th March we ran our first Tai Chi retreat in Dorset.

In the peaceful surroundings of an 18th century country mansion a small group of students and instructors from across Berkshire met up for an intensive couple of days training.

Despite some very disappointing weather, we were able to run a full programme of events, including Form work, Pushing Hands practice, Chi Kung and Silk Reeling.

We hope to run a similar residential study weekend again in 2009 – ideally with some sunshine thrown in!

VISIT OF GRANDMASTER CHEN [JUNE 2007

Master signing his latest book A slight postural adjustment Master gets Phil under control Hugh and Alistair get serious under Master’s watchful eye

This June saw the return of Grandmaster Chen to Berkshire. This is the ninth year we have been fortunate enough to have the opportunity of training under this world-famous Master.  This year Master turned 60 so it remains to be seen how many more years we will have the pleasure of his company.  His current schedule is punishing with 10 months out of the year being spent travelling around the world.

Classes held this time around included Standing & Fajin, Laojia Yilu Form, Tui Shou and Yijinjing.

TAI CHI FOR PRIMARY SCHOOLS [FEBRUARY 2006]

In February Berkshire Tai Chi was invited to run a series of Tai Chi classes for primary school children.

We put together a programme for Lambs Lane Primary School in Reading, which included both soft exercises and formal Tai Chi instruction, depending on the age of the children concerned.  We also ran a supporting training session for the staff so that they could lead a short daily Tai Chi class, themselves.

Teachers wishing to find out more about this activity and how we could help them in their own schools are invited to contact us.

BALANCE FOR LIFE (on-going)
A NEW PROGRAMME IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE CHINESE INTERNAL ARTS ASSOCIATION]

At The Tythings , Reading Road, Yateley Green.

On Thursday, 5th January 2006, we started a new 10-week programme as part of the National Falls Prevention programme. This "Balance for Life" course was originally devised by Eva Koskuba and Dawn Hatton (and subsequently revised by Lourdes Crabtree) to help older practitioners improve their balance and mobility.

Classes run for one-hour and are open to anyone who is concerned that, with the passing of time, their balance and co-ordination are deteriorating. Sessions are informal and relaxed, and consist of a tried-and-tested combination of gentle soft exercises from China, which are based on both Chi Kung and Tai Chi patterns. [Participants are asked to regularly monitor their progress and contribute to the development of our database.]

For the more adventurous there is also a Yang style Tai Chi class.

Times are as follows:
10:00 - 11:00 Soft Exercises
11:00 - 12:00 Tai Chi Form

GRANDMASTER CHEN XIAO-WANG’S 2005 BERKSHIRE SEMINARS]

In the first week of June 2005, Berkshire’s tai chi students once again had the privilege of training under the personal guidance of Grandmaster Chen. It was an intensive week, which saw classes on Yin Yang Chi Kung (Yijinjing), Spear Shaking, Applications and, of course, the Lao Jia Form.

With his customary patience and good humour, Master Chen guided his students through the traditional Chen syllabus and left them not just with many happy memories of their time together, but also many corrections and refinements to build into their practice from now on.

CHINA 2005

February 2005 marked an important point in our Tai Chi journey, when we were privileged to go back to the source of Chen style Tai Chi and train with Grandmaster Chen Xiao-wang in his ancestral village; Chenjiagou in Henan Province, Central China.