New Teacher

[Indo]

Just started training with Robert-Agar Hutton last month and advanced instructor with TTCU at Gloucester Tai Chi. What a breath of fresh air to meet a teacher that repects the traditional roots but has the future of Tai Chi firmly in his teaching.
Training is completely martial and how it applies in modern times. We spend time actually disecting the past forms to see if they apply to todays fighting attitudes. Robert is also a Karate Jutsu Instructor so you have both the hard and soft in the teaching. His attitude has even led me to redesign some of my Qi Gong Teachings to make them more effective for todays student needs.
I am respectful of the history of Tai Chi and Qi Gong, but unlike many that practise the 'Traditional' forms I beleive there must be a progression, advancement and re-development for anything if it is to survive and grow. Forms become formless...so must the thinking.


INDO

[chikung4health]

Good luck with your training. I know RAH quite well and he is a good instructor. You'd be welcome a bit further down the country (about 50miles) to attend any of our qigong workshops.

[jbarry]

I too had those thoughts and made many discoveries but when I met a Tai Chi teacher with good traditional training and lineage I learned that I was wandering from the path. Tai Chi technique of his N. WU style is unique indeed and quite difficult to learn but presents a wonderful journey. I don't like to mention names but check out someone from the Wang Pei Sheng lineage. Lke many TC styles say, it is important to understand and follow the written TC classics.

[Indo]

Originally Posted by chikung4health

Good luck with your training. I know RAH quite well and he is a good instructor. You'd be welcome a bit further down the country (about 50miles) to attend any of our qigong workshops.

I would be very interested in attending some training with you, i will watch your website to see if a suitable date arises.

[Indo]

Originally Posted by jbarry

I too had those thoughts and made many discoveries but when I met a Tai Chi teacher with good traditional training and lineage I learned that I was wandering from the path. Tai Chi technique of his N. WU style is unique indeed and quite difficult to learn but presents a wonderful journey. I don't like to mention names but check out someone from the Wang Pei Sheng lineage. Lke many TC styles say, it is important to understand and follow the written TC classics.

Hi JBarry,
I will have a look at your suggested teacher.

[RobertAH]

Originally Posted by chikung4health

Good luck with your training. I know RAH quite well and he is a good instructor. You'd be welcome a bit further down the country (about 50miles) to attend any of our qigong workshops.

Hi INDO and Hi Andy,

Andy and I have known each other for a long while and I'd have no hesitation in recommending anyone to go and train with him.

All the best.

Robert.

[RobertAH]

Originally Posted by jbarry

I too had those thoughts and made many discoveries but when I met a Tai Chi teacher with good traditional training and lineage I learned that I was wandering from the path. Tai Chi technique of his N. WU style is unique indeed and quite difficult to learn but presents a wonderful journey. I don't like to mention names but check out someone from the Wang Pei Sheng lineage. Lke many TC styles say, it is important to understand and follow the written TC classics.

Hi JBRRY,

I agree that traditional training is important - although I have mixed views on the subject of lineage having been party to too many conversations where the 'great and the good' argued over whose 'lineage' is valid and whose is not...

However I also believe that it is the duty of any instructor to be able to do the following:
1) Adapt their teachings to the needs of individual students whilst remaining true to the underlying basic principles of the art.
2) To add to the body of knowledge that is the art rather than simply being a slave to tradition for traditions sake.
3) To be aware of and to apply current knowledge from the fields of medicine, science, biomechanics and exercise physiology - as far as they may be aware of them... There are exercises that we used to do 40 years ago that were 'traditional' but that we now know are wrong and have been superseded by safer methods - simple example, think of full head rotations, back in the day they were fine - now they are contra-indicated.

All the best.

Robert.

[jbarry]

I am not saying that what you or anyone else is doing is bad, many people are frustrated with the martial abilities of Tai Chi especially since it had a repuatation as one of China's greatest hand to hand combat systems. I personally stay current on most open systems in the world and until I stumbled across this lineage I can now admit to myself that it is different from any other martial art I have seen or experienced. It reminded me not to make to many assumptions about how I think something SHOULD be or how I would like it to be. Sure I think there can be some improvement (oral tradition is their way) but it was more advanced than I thought and in the hands of a skilled practitioner is quite capable. My experience is with a teacher in the Western PA, US area and some of you may know who I am talking about but I do not wish to bring unwanted attention to him. I believe there is a branch in the UK also.