Eight waves School of Martial Arts has always been interested in improving the health of both individuals and the community. One of the key arts we use to achieve this is Tai Chi Chuan. Though Tai Chi is itself a devastation martial art, many people who study it do so for it’s health benefits alone and we have had a great deal of success with people coming to us with physical, mental and age related health problems.
We have contributed to the NHS staff well being programme and have used tai chi for those recovering from drug and alcohol addiction and soon we will be running supported sessions for Torridgeside link specifically for the benefit of those with mental health difficulties. We are very much looking forward to contributing to the health of the community in this way.
Though we have always been aware of the benefits of this art for many people I have recently been enriching my study with exploring the benefits of Tai Chi for the elderly with specific reference to Parkinson’s disease and Dementia. You may have heard recently of ballet classes being used for Parkinson’s sufferers and Tai chi offers similar benefits of focused movements, gentle repetition and stimulating the mind.
Both the NHS and the Telegraph have articles available extolling the virtues of tai chi for the elderly
Telegraph 12 December 2014 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/elder/9187133/Tai-Chi-named-as-perfect-exercise-for-the-elderly.html
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/fitness/Pages/taichi.aspx
though I believe that it can be of benefit to all ages and levels of fitness. I have competed at international level in Tai Chi with people of all ages who had to be considered athletes, some of whom were also gymnasts. It can be as gentle or as physically demanding as you need.
This is our programme of study.
Beginners (All levels)
Basic Qi Gong
10 Step Introduction Form
Transition forms
Intermediate
Qi Gong
Yang Style 24 Step Form
32 Step Sword Form
Advanced
Qi Gong (including iron shirt)
42 Combined Competition routine empty hand
42 Combined Competition routine Sword
Advanced options
yang Style Sabre
Tai Chi Kung Fu Fan
48 Step Combined Routine
Sun Style empty hand
Sun Style Sword
Introduction to Hsing I
Pushing hands
martial applications
Of course we can’t cover all of these in each class so the focus often shifts however all of the above can be taught in classes, seminars or courses. If any of this catches your interest or if you think your organisation would benefit from experiencing any of this please get in touch.