December weapons practise postponed

The weapons practise session scheduled for Saturday 5th December at the Masonic Hall has been cancelled. We'll discuss at class on the 3rd whether to reschedule for another date.

Aberdeenshire Workshops 27-29 November

This weekend's workshops with Caroline are as follows:

Fri 27th 7-10pm: Ta Lu & stepping partnerwork. Jasmine tea will be provided.
Sat 28th 2-5pm: Short Form & associated partnerwork. Students from any Great River or Northern Lights Short Form classes are welcome
Sat 28th 6.30-9.30pm: T'ai Chi Weapons
Sun 29th 2-5pm: Long Form
Sun 29th 6.30-9.30pm: Dance (San Shou), Spirals, Slipping

The venue is Fetternear Hall and each session costs £12 / £8.
Please bring some food to share between the sessions on Saturday and Sunday.

pushes and pulls

Just off for a 121 with Mark now, with lots of questions about Sword and Dance for this weekend's workshops in Aberdeenshire. I am really looking forward to coming up. Right now I have quite a tickly cough and a cold, but I am hoping to be less snuffly at the weekend. I wish I could get to the Thursday night practice sessions in Inverurie when I come up, but my work does not allow it. I am glad that it is starting a bit later, so that all those who travel or have late jobs can get along to it. Also, it is good that the rota means each week is really different; partnerwork at the end rather than the start, for instance. This can also help those who come later not to miss the vital push hands work.

The last 2 months have been very busy for me as I have taken on arts work to meet a specific financial deadline. The extra work is fun and rewarding, but has often meant I have only been able to get to the second half of Mark's classes, for form, San Shou, silk reeling, etc. Just pushing hands 3-4 days a week for over and hour each time with my colleagues is such an essential art of my learning. Two months 'reduced service', even with the push hands I do at my own class and elsewhere, has certainly showed. I was delighted to return to it this weekend and last. So, here's a word from recent experience to all Great River students, whether instructors in their own right or not... even if it means skipping some other cool thing, having a packed dinner rather than a meal, or not popping to the shops that day... don't let your push hands training slip! It's the heart and guts of our T'ai Chi, without it we are paper tigers.

Weapons Day Tomorrow

is at St Mary Magdalene Church Hall, Trinity Road, from 10.30am - 1.30pm.

No Sunday drop-in 22 & 29th November

There will be no Aberdeenshire Sunday drop-in session on 22nd and 29th November.

Life

...has been extremely busy and full, so I haven't had a moment to blog, or even upload a few pics from the last workshop, my apologies! Sam Masich is staying with me for a couple of days and so we did our usual thing today of going off to look at some great art. I hadn't been to the National Gallery for over 10 years, to my shame. I was blown away by 'The Ambassadors' and remembered it well from my last visit. Holbein stood out by a huge margin, for me. We will be going to Dulwich Picture Gallery tomorrow, which even though it is here in South London, I have never yet visited. They have a show on of master's drawings from all eras, and as I am drawing again these last few years, I am really looking forward to it.

I am also making quite alot of crafts, as that's the best way to relax when I travel. If anyone finds any bird of prey feathers on their hikes, would they save them for me? Also, really nice sticks of driftwood, up to 1 foot long, are on my must-have list... I really am easy to please, a few sticks and scraps and I'm off. I send love and best wishes to all the Scots and London students from rainy Tooting.

www.dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk
www.nationalgallery.org.uk

Aberdeenshire weapons practise

There's a weapons practise session from 7pm tonight (14th November) at the Masonic Hall, Inverurie. Jasmine tea will be provided and we'll share the price of the hall (£30).
The next session is booked for Saturday 5th December.

November Workshops

To add to Davina's post below, all beginners/shortform students of Northern Lights T'ai Chi classes are also welcome on the Saturday.

Long Form this week - venue change reminder

This weeks Long Form class is at the Wyness Hall (Garage Room). It's booked from 7pm.

Aberdeenshire Workshops 27-29 November

The next workshops with Caroline are as follows. The venue is Fetternear Hall and each session costs £12 / £8.
Fri 27th 7-10pm: Ta Lu & stepping partnerwork. Jasmine tea will be provided.
Sat 28th 2-5pm: Short Form & associated partnerwork. Students from any of the Great River Short Form/Beginners classes will be welcome
Sat 28th 6.30-9.30pm: T'ai Chi Weapons
Sun 29th 2-5pm: Long Form
Sun 29th 6.30-9.30pm: Dance (San Shou), Spirals, Slipping

Please bring some food to share between the sessions on Saturday and Sunday.

Hallowe'en workshop

Mr Pumpkin Head joined us for the workshop last Saturday. Thanks to Alison for bringing him along.