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Cornwall Tai Chi

Category: Weekend Courses

  • Sticky hands

    Sticky hands

    Sticky Hands, also known as Yīfù shǒu (依附手), is one of the classic partner exercises in Lee Style Tai Chi. We teach it to beginners early on, because it introduces the principles of Tai Chi and prepares you for more advanced work. It looks simple, but there is a lot in it.

    What you do

    Two people stand facing each other and touch on the back of the wrist. They then begin to move their arms and bodies together in slow, spiralling movements, each following the other and keeping the connection unbroken. The aim is to stay soft, stay in touch and notice what is happening. You maintain your balance, meanwhile uprooting your partner but the golden rule is you cannot use force to do it.

    Developing sensitivity

    Because you are always in contact, you learn to read your partner through your hands: where their weight is, which way they intend to move, and when they are about to change. That takes real sensitivity to their movements and intentions, and it is a skill you can only build by doing it. It’s like an unspoken language, the movements are like suggestions and responses, it’s two way and you get real live feedback with everything you do.

    Cultivating qi

    Staying connected to a partner also teaches you to circulate your own qi, and to use it to guide the movement between you. The spiralling movements help the flow of energy through the body and link the upper and lower body together. The exercise wporks on a Taoist principle called Wuwei which means non-doing, it’s a less is more type of philosophy that allows your natural responses to take over instead of the conscious mind. When you relax and concentrate in this way while still adapting to the changes of a real interactive situation it develops your Qi flow.

    Timing and the mind

    You also have to move in time with your partner and keep a steady rhythm, which needs concentration and teaches you a sense of timing that carries into the rest of your Tai Chi. There is a mental side as well. You have to stay present, let go of distracting thoughts and remain calm when your partner pushes at you. Many people find that this calming ability carries over into work, relationships and everyday life.

    The five principles

    1. Yielding. Let your partner’s energy come in without resisting or pushing back. Soften your joints and go with the push, like a tree bending in the wind instead of breaking.
    2. Listening. Pay close attention to your partner’s movements and respond to them, like a dance partner. Try to read their intentions, as a detective would.
    3. Sticking. Keep contact and follow when your partner moves, with your hands and your body. Think of two magnets, attracting and releasing while staying connected.
    4. Neutralising. Redirect your partner’s energy so you avoid being trapped and losing your root, circulate it trying various directions and see the effect.
    5. Rooting. Stay grounded and stable, like a tree with deep roots. It is what lets you do the other four without being pushed off balance.

    What it does for your Tai Chi

    A partner finds the stiff places in your body very quickly, so your balance and rooting improve. Yielding to a push makes you more flexible and loosens your joints, and learning to relax and breathe while someone pushes at you reduces stress. The skills carry straight back into your solo practice, where your movements become more aware and more fluid, and you start to see what the movements are for, including their self defence applications. Solo work and partner work balance each other, just like yin and yang.

    The funny side

    Tai Chi is a serious practice, but it doesn’t have to be solemn, and Sticky Hands is where most of the laughter in class happens. Sooner or later you will meet these three partners:

    1. The wobbly partner is less stable than a Jenga tower. Stay steady and gentle, because you may both be trying to find your balance at the same time.
    2. The overly aggressive partner seems determined to push you across the room. Resisting is tempting, but it is the opposite of the exercise. Yield and redirect, and if all else fails, a well-timed tickle will usually defuse the tension.
    3. The distracted partner is checking their phone or daydreaming about lunch. Bring their attention back gently, or use it as practice for your own sensitivity and adaptability.

    If you are trying it for the first time

    • Go slowly and use as little force as you can.
    • Tell your partner if anything hurts, and ease off if they tell you.
    • Swap partners often. Everyone feels different.
    • Expect to feel clumsy at first. Everyone does.

    Sticky Hands is where Tai Chi stops being something you do on your own. It teaches you sensitivity, balance and patience, and it will probably make you laugh at yourself along the way. Come along and try it. Everyone in the room was a beginner once.

  • What is Tai Chi?

    What is Tai Chi?

    Tai Chi is a series of slow, flowing movements done one after another without stopping. Watched from the outside it looks gentle and unhurried, but it works the whole body: legs, back, joints, breathing and attention all together. Anyone can learn it, young or old and fit or not, because you work at your own pace and nothing is forced.

    Where does it come from?

    Tai Chi grew up in China. Legend credits a Taoist hermit called Zhang Sanfeng, said to have watched a crane and a snake fighting in the Wudang Mountains. The first written records point to the Chen family village in Henan province in the 1600s. In the 1800s a man named Yang Luchan learned the art there and took it to Beijing. From Beijing it spread across China and later the rest of the world. Today millions of people practise it, from parks in Shanghai to village halls in Cornwall.

    Its roots are in Taoism, an old Chinese way of looking at life that values balance, simplicity and going with the grain of nature rather than against it. You can see this in the idea of Yin and Yang, two opposites that need each other: soft and firm, rising and sinking, stillness and movement. Every Tai Chi movement swaps between the two. The Taoists also talked about Wu Wei, which means doing things without strain. In practice you learn to move with less effort and less tension, and that tends to carry over into everyday life.

    How does it work?

    Chinese medicine describes the body’s life energy as Qi (said “chee”). When Qi and blood flow freely, the body stays healthy. When they get stuck, problems follow. The slow, steady movements of Tai Chi, together with relaxed breathing, are meant to keep that flow going and nourish the whole body from the inside.

    You don’t need to take the Chinese view on board to feel the effects. The weight shifts from leg to leg and builds strength. The turning and stretching loosen stiff joints. The steady pace calms the breathing and settles the nervous system.

    What are the benefits?

    People come to Tai Chi for different reasons, and the benefits tend to grow the longer you keep at it. Regular practice can help with:

    • Balance and steadiness. Studies show Tai Chi cuts the risk of falls in older people. That’s one reason the NHS recommends it.
    • Stiff joints and aches. It’s gentle enough for people with arthritis and long-term back or knee trouble.
    • Strength and posture. Your legs get stronger, your back gets straighter, and you move more freely.
    • Stress and sleep. Many people find they feel calmer, sleep better and think more clearly.
    • Heart and circulation. Research links it to lower blood pressure and better general fitness.

    Part of a family

    Tai Chi belongs to a group known as the internal arts of China, along with Qigong and Bagua. They’re called “internal” because the focus is on what happens inside: breathing, relaxation, and the connection between mind and body. Strength and speed matter less. Many people practise them well into old age for exactly that reason.

    Come and give it a try

    You don’t need any experience, special kit or a particular level of fitness, just comfortable clothes and flat shoes. We run friendly local clubs in Truro, Falmouth and St Agnes, and newcomers are always welcome. Come along, try a class and see how it suits you.

    Sign up for classes with Truro Tai Chi club