taiji

Our teachers

Pam Hill (Bodhiccha)

Pam Hill is from New Zealand. She is a pupil of Wee Kee Jin and a certified instructor in the School of Central Equilibrium founded by him. This school teaches the Yang style short form of Chen Man Ching, as developed by Master Huang of Malaysia. Master Huang developed the form as a martial art and brought into it some elements of White Crane karate, but the form as we teach it remains close to that taught by Chen Man Ching.
Master Huang also devised the five primary loosening exercises which we use as a form of chi gung. There is an emphasis on stability and precision in the form and on the “inner way” – paying attention to the internal movement of energy, and the release of the relaxed force or fajin as a self defence art. (For more information about this school of taiji see the home website www.taijiquan.co.nz or the UK school website www.taiji.org.uk .
All students will experience the usual health benefits of taiji and we are happy to explore this aspect of our teaching with students who have particular needs or difficulties.
For more experienced students our classes include instruction on the martial arts side of taiji (known as taijiquan) using the gentle partner work called “pushing hands”.
Allan Cunningham is a senior student of the School and assists with the classes in Glasgow.

Tom Williams

There are a range of Taiji styles and the form that is taught in Tom’s class is the Short Yang Style. Tom came across Taiji while living in Australia in the early 70s and has been learning, practising since 1979 – he has taught the form since 1990.
As a result of Tom’s background as an acupuncturist and Chinese herbalist, the emphasis in the class will be learning and understanding Taiji and Qigong within the context of Chinese medicine.
Students will have the opportunity to learn the first section of the form and later the whole Short Yang Form. In addition, the class will teach a range of simple Qigong exercises and each session ends with a short period of meditation.