Tai Chi Chuan

Tai Chi Chuan means ‘Supreme Ultimate System’. At Cambridge Kung Fu we seek to teach this amazing system as it was originally intended; focussing and balancing your body, mind and spirit to develop a fully integrated system for living a long, healthy, happy and successful life.

Although an extremely effective martial art, Tai Chi Chuan (T’ai Chi/Tai Ji) is usually practiced with the emphasis on improving and developing the health of the practitioner.

The main part of the system, and what most people think of as Tai Chi, is a long sequence of movements (the form) practised as a slow continuous flow. All the movements are designed to improve your use of your body. With us you will learn this Tai Chi form which combines many different movements that together produce benefits for your whole body. 

For details of our upcoming events please check out our Events & Updates page on FuTube.

Tai Chi Philosophy

The early Taoists sought to cultivate the Tao within themselves. Taoism centres on the concept of effortless action and the power it engenders. Water symbolises the idea of strength in softness; it cannot be broken, yet wears down the hardest of objects just by flowing around them. Taoist thought pervades Tai Chi; the interplay of Yin and Yang, the forces of change and harmony are found in the changing postures and the quality of the movements. Body weight shifts from one leg to the other, awareness moves from inside to out, empty changes to full, open to closed. The forces work simultaneously creating a continuous and ever-changing dance of energy. 

“Plants, when they enter life, are soft and tender,” says the Tao Te Ching, “when they die they are dry and stiff.” In Tai Chi, learning the qualities of softness and understanding its power are essential parts of practice.

The 70% Rule of Exercising

In Tai Chi and Chi Kung exercises we follow the 70% rule. In other words don’t push anything beyond 70% in your body or mind, never push or force things to occur.

By completing any Tai Chi or Chi Kung technique to only 70% of your current capacity you can;

•     Absorb and understand what you learn more easily therefore increasing your knowledge.
•     Reduce your internal resistance and maintain the effort for longer therefore increasing your stamina.
•     Store your energy for a time when you really need it.
•     Increase your capacity as you practise, without stress.

If you think about what your 100% would be on any exercise, then aim for 70% of that. If you are just getting started or recovering from an injury reduce to 60%, 50% or less. Aim to achieve what you can comfortably achieve, without putting undue stress or strain on your body, and get used to it. You will soon find that your 100% mark has moved up, and therefore you have a new 70% level to work at.

We do not currently have any Tai Chi classes running, and are instead focussing on private training only.

Tai Chi Instructor Team

The Tai Chi we teach was taught by Grandmaster Brian Jones, who himself trained under a variety of distinguished instructors, including Grandmaster Leong Fu, Master Tjoa Khek Kiong, Grandmaster Grecco Wong, and Prof. Tatsuo Suzuki. From these instructors Brian studied a variety of Tai Chi styles, as well as other arts (such as Black Tiger, Wing Chun, White Crane, Tik Po Sum/Iron Body and more) and has incorporated their influences into his own styles, to ensure that they continue to develop and grow as ‘Integrated Kun Tao’.

Master Ricky Crofts continues Brian’s legacy, teaching strudents and instructors from around the world.