Our Tai Chi Training Journey in Lockdown

Written by Julie Barker: Chairperson Fibro Active

As some of the more established readers know that tai chi has become an integral part of our programme at Fibro Active. We also run a number of classes for the community through the Age UK; Strictly no Falling programme. It all started 5 years ago when our fledgling group members asked to try tai chi. After a few of us attended a taster session with Chris Davenport, and liked his class, we signed up for the next course. We found it so beneficial that we brought Chris into the group as part of the programme. To help sustain the group sessions, Jane and I trained as instructors with Dr Lam’s Tai Chi for Health Institute and we were able to offer a mixed ability class for group members.

In the meantime, Chris was training as a Level 1 Deyin Institute instructor and we started to attend his Yang classes. Fast forward to 2019 and we explored the idea of training at the Deyin Institute but dismissed it because it just wasn’t feasible with chronic illness, all the travel, recovery time and expenses, on top of running the group, tai chi classes and Jane’s job. Not to mention her husband who was fast becoming a tai chi widower.

Fast forward to the start of lockdown. For most people it was a very tough time. However, we soon embraced Zoom, I know, Marmite! And we turned it into a positive. We turned it into a life line for group members and tai chi students and it gave us something to focus on to get us through the isolation.

Then a year ago, the Deyin Institute advertised their next Level 1 instructor course and they we able to offer it on Zoom, as well as face-to-face, depending on the lockdown situation. We weighed up the options and went for it. Jane and I signed up for the course and we suddenly found ourselves at the next level, training with world renowned Master Trainer; Tary Yip, based at the Chinese Arts and Culture Centre in Telford.

First, we needed to ensure we knew the technical requirements, so we booked on a 12-week pre-course and that was our first experience of our own training on Zoom, and of the sword form in a nut shell. This class was led by world renowned Master Faye Yip, Tary’s wife. We also decided to sign up for Tary’s Thursday evening classes to keep up with our personal development as Chris’s classes had closed in lockdown. We had an hour of Yang 24 Step and an hour of Ma Wang Dui a form of British Health Qigong. Signing up for the 24 step also allowed us to see what was required for the instructor course.

We had our first module weekend in September 2020. We went through the Yang 8 Step tai chi and Traditional 8 Brocades qigong set. We were also divided into smaller training groups to meet regularly on Zoom to practice. It was a nice surprise when we found one of our group members, Ben Fowler only lived 10 minutes away in Shardlow.

Module 2 was in November and it was Yang 16 Sword form. Luckily one of our training group member’s instructors is a level 2 sword and she agreed to run a short 6-week course to get us to a confident level for the module. After the weekend, Jane and I regularly met up with Ben on our local park, playing with wooden swords and ‘running through’ the other forms. One day a cyclist emerged from the corner of the Rugby Club, just as my sword was chopping down a couple of feet away. His face was a picture as he panicked and pulled on the brakes, nearly causing a crash with his two mates! I’m sure he needed clean underwear after that encounter.

The end of January we attended a 3-day training module on the Yang 24 step. This is our most confident form and the form most practiced worldwide. However, I was a bit cautious going into this one because I knew how I normally feel at the beginning and end of day 2. Going into day 3, my energy levels were depleted but if had been training face-to-face, I don’t think I would have made it.

In April we had our final technical module the Yang 16 step. This weekend was the toughest. Not because of the form but because we were going into this weekend fatigued, mostly due to the constant, intense training, it had taken over our lives for 8 months. We were all getting Zoom fatigue too. It’s very limiting looking at a 2D screen. Also, peer feedback was introduced and that gave everyone’s’ confidence a knock. Jane’s self-esteem hit rock bottom and she turned to Sharrie at Think Hypno to support her through the rest of the course.

The weeks leading up to the assessments in July weren’t without incident. I thought I had a hernia after a long day’s training. I made a GP appointment and was told I had Diastasis Recti, yes, I had literally bust a gut! I ended up resting for two weeks and wearing a hernia support, very flattering. Not! But it keeps me held together. Jane’s Great Dane, Perse ran sideways into Jane’s leg, leaving her in an ankle support and needing physio. It could have been a lot worse if Jane didn’t do tai chi.

The final weekend was planned as being onsite. Not only did we have to pick ourselves up from the previous module but this brought a whole new aspect to our anxiety and it was taking us completely out of our comfort zone. I have never seen Jane so down on herself. She had lost all belief in her abilities from being triggered in the April module even though she was having hypnotherapy sessions. We had craved face-to-face, but we had become comfortable with spending the whole course on Zoom. Now we had to get our head around being with other people and having to perform directly in front of our master trainers, without the safety of being behind a screen. Furthermore, we had to stay in a hotel with very little rest and recovery compared to being at home on Zoom, and what about coronavirus? Most of us were double vaccinated but we hadn’t been away from home since before lockdown. There were all these anomalies to get our heads around before assessment day, then we had to remain composed on the day!

The worst thing for me was doing a flow test. Don’t let me put you off. I was more anxious about the test than the assessments. Oh boy, I gagged so much, I was sick and then after going up my nose, I had a huge nose bleed. Jane called me mardy! So, after the trauma of my flow test and as we had all tested negative, we travelled together in Ben’s car to Telford. Just before we got out the car, I gave them both a panda card with positive messages as I knew they were both nervous.

(I’m Jane and I’m proof reading this, but I wanted to say how very touched I was by Julie’s thoughtfulness, it really gave me a boost when my confidence was so low, I kept it on my dressing table at the hotel! And it is now on my dressing table at home.)

Keeping to social distancing rules, the weekend went smoothly and four of us were made into a covid committee, so I got out my temperature gun and pointed it at everyones’ forehead as they entered the building.

The Saturday was easier than expected and I didn’t deplete as much energy as I was anticipating. We just had enough left in the tank to find somewhere in the evening to eat and to explore the entertainment complex surrounding the hotel, which was very impressive.

The day of the assessments started straight away with our group going first. I was trussed up in supports and compressions under my Kungfu suit. Jane had an ankle support on. We presented the first three forms and listened to feedback. After the other 2 groups completed their first forms, we were up again with the Yang 16 sword and Yang 24 step. After lunch we were first up with our 10 minutes teach. We got through it all with minor faults. I am so proud of Jane. I was expecting a small melt down, but she used the coping skills that Sharrie had taught her and she remained calm and collected on the outside. Three years ago, her head would have self-combusted but today she held it together. Her voice projected, she was clear and precise with no voice tremble and she did it! Whoop! Whoop!

We both qualified and Ben too! We may proudly wear the Deyin instructor uniform. Now we can add the five forms along with the Otago and Tai Chi for Arthritis to our Falls Prevention programme. We have also made a fabulous friend and fellow tai chi geek with Ben.

Even though we took ourselves over our limitations which is against what we advise, I hope this inspires you to join an active support group. There are so many benefits to gentle exercise. In the next article we will be looking at our final training course.

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