Dear members,

A mistake was made on the ballot paper we recently sent out to you. It did cause confusion and has made it necessary for us to declare the ballot void. New ballot sheets have been sent out with the necessary amendment.

I apologise to all our members on behalf  of the Executive Committee for the inconvenience and as Chairman you have my personal apology also. We will always try to do our best for you, our members.

Dan Docherty

Sent to us by charity Thistle Foundation

Taking place on Wednesday 28th June at Princes Street West Garden, between 11am-1pm, Chi in the Park is a fundraising event like no other. This sponsored Tai Chi marathon gives participants the chance to take part in as much Tai Chi as they can. It can be the full two hours or 30 minutes whilst on your lunch break. We are expecting hundreds of people to descend on the gardens for this fundraiser to help raise £50,000 for Thistle which will help support people with long term health conditions in Edinburgh and the Lothians.

The idea behind ‘Chi in the Park’ came from Margaret Hendry, one of Thistle’s most active volunteers. Margaret has been leading Thistle’s Tai Chi class for the last 4 years – she became a qualified leader with Thistle’s support and now takes three classes a week, supporting over 90 people with long term health conditions. Margaret knows the difference Thistle can make. She also knows how tough life can be with a long term condition if you don’t have the right support. That was her once. Now Margaret wants to make sure no-one else has to go through what she went through.

To find out more out about Margaret’s story and register for Chi in the Park then head to Chi in the Park.

At the 2017 Annual General Meeting the proposal to convert to a Community Interest Company (C.I.C.) was discussed (see copy Minutes of 2017 AGM on the website)

There are significant benefits in making this change and your Executive Committee recommend that you vote to convert to a C.I.C.

A copy of the draft Articles of Association and further details on the benefits of becoming a C.I.C. can be found here:

Draft TCUGB CIC

community-interest-companies-benefits-of-a-cic-leaflet

The Union received this request:

We are part of a team looking for events that we can live-stream to the world via our internet show “24 hours of World Peace” on Facebook. This live-streaming event is part of the 2017 WTCQD (World Tai- Chi and Qigong Day) event on the 29th of April 2017. Bill Douglas of www.worldtaichiday.org has been approved the event.
Our host of the show is David-Dorian Ross, USA Tai Chi champion and World silver and bronze medalist.
All you need is a mobile device, such as a tablet (preferred), smartphone, or laptop, and an internet connection.
We are taking applications on a first come, first serve basis, so please respond to us with the following information if you are interested in being a part of the live-stream on Facebook on the 29th of April:
1) Name of your group
2) Location of your group
3) Local and UTC local time of your event, and if that time is flexible at all to aid in placement in the schedule.
4) Facebook page name and internet address (personal Facebook pages are fine)
5) School or group website address
6) If you are interested in doing an interview with David-Dorian Ross before or during your event
7) Best contact information, including e-mail and phone number, preferably a mobile number.
If you cannot meet the standards we have outlined above, as an alternative you may send us a video of your group/school performing Tai Chi-Qigong, and it will be played at some time during the 24 Hours of World Peace live-streaming event on the 29th of April. If you prefer to provide us with a video instead of performing live, please let us know by replying at the e-mail address below so that we may communicate with you about the specifications that will be necessary for us to broadcast your video.
We are looking forward to an amazing event this year and hope you are able to join in and flow with us.
Peace,
Collin and Joy Freeman
E-mail
https://taijifit.net/
https://www.facebook.com/24hoursofworldpeace/

Sat. 8th April, Bethnal Green, London

Please note that there is a Judges Training Seminar on the day before the 2017 British Open Championships, as an associated event in support of Dan Docherty’s competition.
This long-running series of seminars is key to developing a high and consistent standard of judging of Tai Chi forms in all styles. All too often contestants find themselves unfairly marked because one or more judges on the day are not familiar with the fine points of the form being demonstrated. If you would like to help to improve this situation, please come along!

The details: Judges Training Seminar
Workshops by:
Dan Docherty (Wudang)
Gary Wragg (Wu Family)
Tony Ulatowski (Chen Man Ching)
Simon Watson (Yang)

Date: Saturday 8th April

Time: 11:00 am ~ 5:00 pm

Venue: Wu’s Tai Chi Chuan Academy
Unit 2a, 1st Floor
449-453 Bethnal Green Road
London
E2 9QH
Googlemaps

Sign-up: Please visit this page:

1. make your choice in the drop-down box
2. write 8 April in the “Date of workshop” box
3. make payment via the PayPal link

(Payment will also be accepted at the door on the day, but kindly email to confirm your attendance)

There is more background information below the sign-up boxes, please read!

Any questions, problems: email

A couple of members have got in touch about email scams.

This one is from someone looking for private tuition for their mother. Members should be on their guard for these sort of emails.

Good afternoon,
How are you today, I found your advert during my search for a “Tai Chi” lesson teacher for my mother, who is coming to spend some month’s with her cousin in your area. Your advert looks great on the site, she will be coming to your city in a few weeks time.

I want her to come for your body fitness/therapy class to grow more physical strength. My mother is 47 yrs and she love (Tai Chi Chuan), she’s is just a beginner, please kindly teach her well. Let me know your charges cost per hour/lesson, in order for me to arrange for her booking before she travels down to your side. She will be staying for three months and I want her to learn for the period of her stay.

Let me know if there’s is any personal equipment like CD’s BOOK’S she may need privately at home.

Please Advise back on;
(1). Your charges for private classes per hour?
(2). Your available schedule time to teach her during the week?
(3). Tuition address?

I will be awaiting your swiftness response to my message.

Best regards

28th Festival of Chinese Martial Arts & British Open Tai Chi Championships

Bodyhealth TAI CHI have sent us a couple of news items:

Bodyhealth TAI CHI/TCUGB  instructors who now all hold Duanwei grading’s  2-5. The latest gradings from the Chinese Wushu Association in china were awarded following the international Duanwei Grading`s in September run by Grand Master Zhu Chang Hai. See Z.C.H.I.W.A. for contact info on future gradings.

Bodyhealth Tai Chi clubs, coaches after training in emergency first aid receive

The TCUGB wishes to encourage as many members as possible to attend the 8th TCFE European Championships in St Petersburg from October 28=30. There will be competition at all levels including Seniors and Juniors in both forms and Tui Shou. Travel and hotel expenses will be paid. Those interested please contact Dan Docherty

More information on the official site: 8th TCFE Chinese Internal Martial Arts Championships – The Championship

ASCAM Study: Understanding the use of complementary and alternative (CAM) therapies in people with ankylosing spondylitis (AS).

ASCAM Survey for CAM practitioners

Research has found that people with AS feel they have to fight for a diagnosis and to be believed about their symptoms. For this reason, they may be accessing CAM as a way to help them to manage their symptoms. In line with this, it has been found that approximately 40% of people with AS used one or more form of CAM before receiving their diagnosis. We are aware that Tai Chi is a popular CAM therapy among the individuals with AS we have spoken to.

If you should require any further information, please read below, visit our webpage https://ascambath.wordpress.com/ .

I’ve been running the British Open Tai Chi Championships for almost 30 years. Things still go wrong. Well-meaning judges do things which are totally unacceptable.
It has come to my attention that at the latest British Open at least one competitor was awarded a score, but when the event’s results were handed in by the judges, the score had been changed twice. There was no suggestion of underhand behaviour, but this type of thing is unacceptable. No score should be awarded to any competitor until all 3 judges are ready.
Generally speaking, the first competitor in any forms event sets the standard against which other competitors are judged. I find it quite in order for judges to consult before awarding a score, although the rules of some competitions forbid this.
In some competitions where the difference in the score awarded by any of the judges exceeds a certain amount, there has to be a mandatory discussion amongst the judges to resolve the discrepancy. This discussion must be over before the competitor is awarded any score.
Prejudice and a lack of common sense can also lead to wrong or poor decision making by the judges. I was one of the founding members of the Taijiquan & Qigong Federation for Europe [TCFE] which runs a European Championships in Chinese Internal Martial Arts every 2 years.
The first TCFE Championships was in Utrecht in 2000. Prior to that, I attended a small competition in Scandinavia. In the spear form event, one competitor dropped his weapon and yet, mainly because he was an amiable and popular fellow, he was awarded first place. Totally unacceptable.
Another competitor began his sabre form facing the judges and ended it with his back to them. He was also awarded a medal. Totally unacceptable.
Immediately after the event I contacted the Dutch organisers of the TCFE European Championships and I told them we had to have an Appeals Committee and a Technical Committee. Only by invoking the statutes and forcing an Extraordinary General Meeting could I persuade the Dutch to have an Appeals Committee and a Technical Committee. We had appeals. We had technical matters to deal with [the infamous Old Yang style question]. Even then, one of the French competitors threatened me with physical violence.
In another TCFE competition we had one male Scandinavian judge who noticeably marked up the better looking female competitors. We had to put him to work to judge male entrants only. I’ve seen female judges do the same with male competitors.
At another TCFE event, a judge from North Britain awarded a good looking blonde lady competitor 9.2, which is close to master level. Her instructor, who is one of my senior students, was furious and asked me to speak to the competitor and the judge. Said judge [with no experience of competing or training students to compete] was arrogant enough to try to justify himself. Unbelievable.
Another TCFE Championships and the problem of 3 ladies. One was blonde and beautiful. One was a subtle oriental. One was less alluring, but far more proficient at the form she was doing. All male judges . There was quite rightly a successful appeal on technical grounds.

Mainly competition judges are not grandmasters, they are willing and unpaid enthusiasts. The work they do is invaluable. I just ask them to consider some of the points I’ve made.
In return as a promoter, I’ll endeavour to better prepare those who judge at my events in future. As we say in Glasgow, ‘Quis custodiet ipsos custodes’.

The TCUGB Executive Committee hereby invites  applications from suitably experienced persons for the job of Magazine Editor. Interested parties should send a CV to the Secretary Peter Ballam, by June 20th, 2016.

Peter Ballam
5 Corunna Drive
Horsham
West Sussex
RH13 5HG
email Secretary

One of our members has advised us that they have been approached by a man claiming to be a freelance production researcher for Channel 4 and that the TCUGB had given him contact details for members.

The exchange between our member and this individual became unpleasant

Bearing in mind the misleading introduction and the unpleasant behaviour of this individual we recommend that you treat any approach you may receive with caution.”