Tai Chi Chuan

Tai Chi is a centuries old fighting system which has seen numerous transformations throughout it's long and colourful history, unfortunately, today it is being taught in classes throughout the West as little more than a low impact cardio exercise. Though it may be so that these gentle, turning and stretching movements can provide some relief from bad backs and other modern day maladies, hidden within these graceful, flowing postures is a truly effective system of combat. At the White Cloud Martial Arts Academy it is this aspect of Tai Chi Chuan which is taught, with postures stripped down and their real implications laid out for students to see and apply.

The forms, slow and gentle to the casual observer, are done in such a way as to allow the practitioner to concentrate on what is happening within their own bodies; that their balance is exactly where they want it to be, that their weight is distributed where it is needed and is moving in time with the rest of the body. The end result is that when a fist hits, the whole body hits with it.