Tai Chi Chuan

Jon was first introduced to Tai Chi during the early 1990’s on one of his then frequent trips to the Far East. He had tried Aikido some years previously so had some rudimentary knowledge of martial arts. Learning the art is not easy and requires dedication and practice.

In the late 90’s it became a lifesaver spurred on by friends in Taiwan; he had suffered a spinal injury and was left with painful sciatica.
Regular, dedicated practice over several months saw the sciatica diminish and within a year the condition had normalised (much to the surprise of the orthopaedic surgeon).

London's Olympia - July 2010

The Retirement Show celebrated its fourth edition this July in the Olympia Grand Hall, London. The show included many attractions including fashion, arts and crafts, cookery demonstrations, an activity stage and seminars.

As the promoters say "The Retirement Show is a unique forum for all those who are retired, semi-retired or who just aspire to retire. It's the perfect opportunity for visitors to find out how to make the most of their retirement, and at the same time, have a great day out."

The Tai Chi Union of Great Britain (www.taichiunion.com) were again asked to present and host some activities giving a taster of what Tai Chi is all about. Along with my colleagues Steve Davies and Daniel Vatier we gave demonstrations of Tai Chi forms, practice drills and had no problem in persuading our audience to join in with some simple exercises.

Tai Chi really is a great exercise regime for those of us advancing in years. It's good for posture, flexibility, respiration and, something I've noticed particularly giving classes on cruises, balance and coordination.