Martial Tai Chi in Dublin?

Long Legged Mack Daddy

Does anyone know if there is anyone in Dublin teaching Tai Chi, but with more of an emphasis on the martial / self defense applications rather than the health benefits etc?

Niall Keane

We do (Wudang Sanshou / Practical Tai Chi Chuan)

www.sanshou.webs.com

Classes run in UCD during term time (free if you join sports centre)
Monday 8-10pm coach: my good self
Thursday 8-10pm (coaches: Paul Mitchel - European Kaoshu, 3 time European Tui shou and world Shaui Jaio champion & Shane McLoughlin - European Tui Shou champion)
Weekends - training time organised by club. Plus a monthly seminar 4-5 hours

Classes run in Blanchardstown
Sunday - 5.30-7.30

We're fairly "Daoist" in that we train alot more during the week in groups organising what days and locations suit between ourselves each week.

Paul and Shane are set to run a class up in UCD over the summer too.

There's a "Wudang Sanshou" YouTube channel with fights, drills, forms and techniques - useful as a revision for solo practice and a Facebook group plus a "UCD Tai Chi Chuan Club" Facebook page.
All have lots of info.

Dan Docherty's site is Also full of useful info just google "practical tai chi"


I can be contacted on
sanshou.eire@gmail.com

Stephen_King

Niall Keane wrote: »

We do (Wudang Sanshou / Practical Tai Chi Chuan)

We're fairly "Daoist" in that we train alot more during the week in groups organising what days and locations suit between ourselves each week.

So getting together for a bit of informal training makes one a 'Daoist' ?
Not trying to be funny, just asking..

Niall Keane

I was "trying to be funny", alluding to the Daoist concept of "acting in accordance with ones own nature" and "being at one with the moment"

Given the roots of Tai Chi Chuan are immersed in Daoist concepts, that there is no "belt system" nor "formalised teaching structure" as evident in many arts, that historically the art has been handed down master to desciple in individual or small groups (the earliest mention of Nei Jia training states how the writer was trained in the grounds of a near-by temple, my own Sifu Dan Docherty trained of course on his teachers (Cheng Tin Hung) rooftop where he held formal classes, but also CTH brought him and some others on walks out to the countryside around HK to practice in secluded places.

Tai Chi Chuan has a vast circulium, in order to receive a "Zhen Chuan" (true transmission) regular "public" classes are not enough time wise even with the best intentions in the world.

Let's look at this practically, so say I walk into UCD and want to spend time on "nine palace tui shou", well the drill is excellent for developing awareness of high and low, coordinating sweeps and learning to cross your opponents centre, turning his away as you do. Also it teaches the four directions powers their counters and recovery options.
Now what I've said above will mean fk all to most people on this public forum, if I was to use tai chi jargon such as ting hua Fa to further explain its relevance, they'd be lost entirely, though some may in error consider direct translation sufficient?
In other words there are many levels to this single drill, at first the footwork alone confounds most people, in a public class when new people come I generally pair them up with more experienced, to speed up their learning of the skill and allow the seniors to explore basics at a deeper level now they must "show / teach" someone else, this is ok, but it also means that they have less time to train in a freer fashion, only when as they rotate they meet people of their own skill level. (obviously everyone gets freedom to explore in wrestling an sparring but to collect skills some of the drills need as much freedom)

To get serious results in Nei Jia you have to train everyday, and I don't mean just forms outside of class, solo practice alone leads to delusion. It has to be supported with partner work, drills, wrestling, sparring.
Traditionally you have mountains to go and spend a few months or years on, some still do (not talking about the wushu temples) but modern life as it is, most people probably won't do this, so with disciples of the art I've always encouraged them to train whenever or Whereever, and I meet them too, so it's not quite "informal training" with your buddies, but a structured regime under the guidance of a coach BUT in different locations (and surfaces) and at different times.

Perhaps what I said required some historical knowledge of how the art was passed down, the philosophy of Daoist thought , and how the two are emerced, indeed how such unrigid, lose structure of learning brings the ability to accept and follow change at a deeper level which of course is fundamental for a tai chi fighter.

Once Cheng Tin Hungs uncle had a Wandering Daoist Chi Gung Expert teach him some excercises, afterwards, the uncle said how much he wished to be a Daoist. And live like the man, free!
The Daoist said "come with me now so"
The uncle paused and protested that he had a family etc. and wasn't free to do so.
The Daoist turned, his parting words:
"you have already failed!"

irateghost

I was wondering as a post script to the ops question does anyone know if any of jim uglows students train or teach in dublin (or ireland for that matter).

Dyr

So OP, did you ever check that wing tsun club out?