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School News

TEACHERS & ASSISTANTS WEEKEND

In November the RDTC Teachers and their Assistants had a residential weekend at Poulstone. It was a rare opportunity for us to get together and make connections between the different RDTC Centres and the people responsible for communicating RDTC to others. Apart from the great food and welcome at Poulstone, we spent time playing our Forms together and exploring partner Tai Chi. At a certain level of practice we need to meet others of similar ability and receive a greater variety of styles and ways of Pushing Hands. It is here at the cutting edge, when we meet another, that our true Tai Chi Chuan can be tested. It was a great weekend and thank you to all who came and for those that could not, see you next year! Check dates at the back.

VIDEO OFFER!

We have fewer requests for videos these days and we would like to clear our stock. So we are releasing the Shibashi Video, Short Form Video, Long Form Video and Sword Form Video for £5 + £2.50 p&p - each These are only available from us here so just call 01989 740 590 with credit card details or post your requests to RDTC, PO Box 149, Hereford, HR1 9EU. Hurry whilst stocks last!

NEW EXERCISE FILMS FROM RDTC!

Speaking of videos and things, I am planning on making some new exercise sequences to help you with your practice. I hope next year to be releasing the Vancouver Sequence - a strong set of Chi Kung exercises, together with the Five Element Exercise Forms - beauty, health and inspirational, and finally a series of exercises for developing different aspects of health and well being - the RDTC Releasing Sequence + sequences for posture, help with breathing, connecting with Heaven and Earth, your Chi and more!

RICHARD’S CIRCLE MEETINGS

For those of you who don’t know, these annual meetings are for those who want to continue the work of the Deepening courses and the living of Tai Chi. Because Marigold and I no longer run the retreat centre Poulstone Court, we needed to reorganise the administration of these meetings. We needed to be clear who is interested in being a part of these circles and who is not. To do this we asked relevant students to opt in with an annual booking/ membership fee. It has worked well and thank you to all of you who have considered it. Fees from those not choosing to come will be used to help those attend who are financially challenged or to pay any cancellation fees due.

RDTC CLOTHING

As you will see I have included details of RDTC Clothing. If for some reason you did not get this then please ask your instructor or get in touch with us and we will send you one. You will find a range of Short Sleeved and Long Sleeved RDTC Seal T-Shirts, along with sleeveless fleeces, to take you through the winter, spring and early summer mornings - inspiration on your chest!

RDTC NEW DEEPENING COURSE FOR 2008/9

In the last newsletter I flagged the new Deepening Course which will take students through the four essential principles of Rising Dragon Tai Chi. I am very happy to say that this course is now full, in fact overflowing, so much so that we nearly have enough people to run a second course! All we need is another 4 people to reach the minimum number for it to go ahead.

This course is open to all students who study with the School, no matter how inexperienced in Tai Chi Chuan. All that is required is that you have a wish to explore the essence of Tai Chi in your daily life.

When we study Tai Chi Chuan, we first learn the sequence. Initially most people think that is it but soon come to realise, once they have the sequence, that there is more. It is a state of genuineness, of presence, that allows us to really see what we are doing. It is difficult to be good at something if you cannot see the mistakes you are making. The ability to improve is about becoming present to what is happening and in touch with a genuineness that allows us to see that we are not truly represented in a move.

This Deepening course will help you become more of yourself. It will help you become present. It will help you put the essential principles not only in your Form but more importantly into your life.

As I said there is the Form of Tai Chi Chuan and the Form of Life. What do I mean? There are many places in life that become routine where we go into automatic. There are many places in life where we are personally excluded because of a “have to” or because we are under someone else's authority. We give away our authority or just disappear! How can we be genuine in these places? For me the issue of freedom is not so much in realising we do have a choice, but exploring this where we feel we do not. To learn to be genuine where we feel we cannot be, to learn to make another's choice ours, to learn to come into harmony with that which isn’t - this is learning to be free.

The essential principles of RDTC are not another prison. They are not another thing to be learned. They are not another Form. Why? Because they already exist in you just behind the thinking and just behind the fear and just behind the blame. We have walked away from this place of aliveness and it is time to walk back.

So if you are interested in becoming more alive, if you are interested in learning to rediscover the Tai Chi in you, if you want to have more of you present in your life, then this course is for you! If you would like to receive an invitation personally to consider it more fully, you can email me at richard@risingdragon.co.uk, or write to RDTC, PO Box 149, Hereford, HR1 9EU, or if your teachers have some of the new Deepening II invitations, ask them for one. I have included the new dates for this course on the back of this newsletter.

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Have a wonderful winter and as the spring rises again, so may you!

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