Dragon River school of Tai Chi Chuan

Chen style Tai Chi Chuan, classes in Nottingham, Mansfield, Ravenshead & Alfreton

Health, Wellbeing 
AND Self Defence?

DRAGON RIVER 
TAI CHI CHUAN
- Its not what you think

HAPPY NEW YEAR FOLKS!

Looks like we'll all be seeing the inside of my kitchen for a bit longer yet, and we can't even train outside for the moment - although the weather isn't brilliant for that in January ☹️.

So stay healthy, keep your chin up and spring will be here before you know it 😉.
In the mean time - Zoom sessions start on Monday 4th January! 

Let me know if you'd like to join but haven't tried it before, and I'll send you an email invite.



Zoom sessions are Mondays, 9:30-10:30am, and 7-8pm.

Both will be from my luxury studio (formally known as my kitchen) and you really don't need much room, on account of my kitchen being only a bit more than 2 metres wide - so everything we do will fit into that space.

If you'd like to join us, send me your email address (text 07981 488890 or email [email protected]) and you'll get an email invite sometime on Sunday afternoons, with links to both sessions.  
Just click on the one you want to join about 5 minutes before it begins, and enter the password from the email - that's all there is to it.

A camera and microphone is nice so I can see and hear you, but you can join the session without them.

Laptops and tablets work pretty well, but even smartphones are OK at a pinch. You can install the app, but you don't have to.

The sessions are £4/session, and you can pay by internet banking, or save the cash and give it me when we're back in class again. If you're furloughed or otherwise struggling to afford it, no worries - just pay what you can. It's a real faff to work out what money came into my account from which person, so I'm just treating the £4/session as a suggested donation rather than a fixed charge.
Personally, I'd rather you keep up practice than give up and possibly never come back when this is all over.


Remember there are loads of videos on my Youtube channel including forms, warm up routines and foundation exercises - just look on YouTube for Dragon River Tai Chi and they should all spring up.

And remember - there's the Store page for videos to buy - and treasure forever.



Whether you join us online, practice at home with the YouTube videos, or take a break and do something else for a bit, stay healthy and remember - Be like water, but don't forget your towel.

Dave.

Current Classes:

Nottingham:

Monday evenings, Daybrook Baptist church hall (On Mansfield road, Daybrook)


Derbyshire:

Tuesday afternoons, Alfreton Leisure Centre


Ravenshead: (just south of Mansfield)

Tuesday mornings, The Centre at St. Peter's church hall, Ravenshead


Mansfield:

Monday mornings & Tuesday evenings, St Peter's Centre, Churchside, Mansfield



More details about all of these on the "Current Classes" page - click here


Upcoming events:

No upcoming events


Recent Photos:


What is Tai Chi? & what isn't it?

What Dragon River Tai Chi ISN'T:

Mystical and Esoteric - everything we do is explained in practical terms and basic mechanics

Simple - sorry, there's a fair amount to take in, but hopefully you'll enjoy the varied things we do to learn them

Focussed on gaining 'belts' - just learn & improve at your own pace

Something you can learn in 12 weeks - although the basics are straightforward, Tai Chi is something you can keep improving throughout your life

Entirely based on solo work- sometimes you'll be working with a partner too

Overly serious and po faced - you may smile once or twice, or wince at my bad jokes

Just about waving your arms about - There's MUCH more to Tai Chi than just striking a mystical pose in red pyjamas!


What Dragon River Tai Chi IS:

Practical - everything we do is based on biology and body mechanics

A physical challenge (at least, if you want to work hard - you can) - there's a fair chance you might ache a little after the health & self defence focused session!

A mental challenge - just like most things that are worthwhile - a little patience and persistence is handy

Like the best things in life - something you sometimes do with a partner

A proven method of self defence, where technique and softness generally take precedence over size and strength (although the daytime classes don't tend to cover this aspect)


But overall, its Fun to learn and practice, and in over 20 years practice, I can honestly say I always feel better after a training session, no matter how tired, stressed, or generally rough I felt beforehand - hopefully you will too!


What do you learn in a class?

We generally focus on the health benefits of Tai Chi but some classes also practice the self defence aspects and benefit from the enhanced fitness generated by the more strenuous routines of the Chen style hand and weapon patterns.


All students generally start with the Chen style Foundation *form and then the short Chen 18 posture form, also incorporating Reeling Silk body mechanics exercises, Chi Kung breathing exercises & Push hands (2 person drills developing sensitivity, rooting and timing).


*Form - a pattern of linked postures that form the basis of what most people think of as Tai Chi - except there's a little more to it than just waving your arms about.


After that, it depends on the focus of the class, but some options are:

Liao Jia Erlu (long) & Pao Chui (fast) forms, along with more complex Push hands, weapons & self defence practice, and the occasional meditation if we have time.


See the "Current Classes" page for more details of sessions currently running and what they focus on.




Who am I?

Classes are taught by me - Dave Ashbey - training in Tai Chi since 1993, and teaching since the mid '90s.

Me in China, 2003, posing for a quick pic in the training hall of the village where Tai Chi was invented - before the headmaster noticed!


If you're interested in finding out more, send me an email at [email protected] 


or call me on 07981 488890 to ask any questions you might have.  Remember - there are no daft questions!


Alternatively, take a look at my Youtube channel videos or Facebook page.


Welcome

Upcoming Events

No upcoming events

Recent Videos

2533 views - 0 comments
2639 views - 0 comments
5355 views - 0 comments

Recent Photos