Many years ago, maybe just like you, I signed up for my first Tai Chi class in a local village hall.
Little did I imagine that several years later I would be travelling back and forth to China and teaching Tai Chi & Qigong for my job!
The saying 'Today is the first day of the rest of your life' was certainly true for me as I walked through the doors into that hall. It shaped my future.
As soon as I started learning Tai Chi I became passionate about it and began attending classes 3 nights a week and practicing whenever I could in my free-time. Soon I was introduced by my local teacher to Grandmaster Wang Hai Jun, three-times all-China national champion and I began training with him for 10 hours each month in London, in addition to my local classes. Over the years I have also trained with Grandmaster Wang in residential camps and seminars in England Scotland, Ireland, France, Poland, Spain, Switzerland and China.
Teaching Qualifications
I have Taijiquan Instructor's qualifications for various 'empty hand' Tai Chi forms, long and short / single and double Tai Chi weapons and Tuishou -pushing hands / partner work.
I also hold teachers' qualifications from the British Health Qigong Association and Ludong University, China for several other Tai Chi and Shaolin Qigong sets. I also have a 4th Duan Wei Qualification awarded by the Chinese Wushu Association.
My weekly classes are covered by full indemnity insurance and I am also first aid trained.
I have completed several training trips to China, the longest continuous stay was for 7 months at a Martial Arts school in the hills of Shandong province. I and trained 5 days a week for 6 hours a day. It was quite a shock to the system! In summer we trained outdoors in 35 degree heat and in winter we shovelled snow from the training ground as our warm-up. In addition to the physical training, I also studied the Chinese language, Martial Ethics and Tuina - Chinese acupoint massage. I returned to China for several month's residential Tai Chi training in 2011, 2012 & 2013.
In 2013 I took part in China's biggest International Tai Chi competition in Jiaozuo. It's an event which is held every two years and attracts approximately 3800 entrants from over 20 countries. It lasts about a week, spread across several sports arenas. You could say it's the 'Olympics ' of Tai Chi. I was entered in two events and I won the gold medal for the Women's Traditional Chen Tai Chi Hand Form and the Silver Medal for Chen Style Sword Form.
