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CORONAVIRUS (COVID – 19)

As guidelines for COVID keep being updated,it is best to check the links and organisations shown below on a regular basis. Local lockdowns and policies with be posted by you local council so remember to check them too.

Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance and support – GOV.UK
CIMSPA – reactivate training – FREE training to help you restart classes COVID safe
Update first aid training to be COVID aware
Important information from EMD UK on Coronavirus (COVID-19) – EMD UK – national governing body for group exercise
Coronavirus | Sport England
ACRE – help opening local village halls
Health and Safety Executive – risk assessments

The Coronavirus outbreak is creating a fast moving and uncertain situation affecting us all, personally and professionally, and we want to make sure our members are aware of the latest advice, so have added the links above.

March 2021 update

As the UK looks to move gradually out of lockdown, we have produced these helpful forms/templates that can be downloaded by clicking on the links below

We hope you all remain safe and healthy.
On behalf of the Board of
The Tai Chi Union for Great Britain

Carrying and training with Tai Chi weapons in a public place

Some advice from Dan Docherty

To avoid trouble with police / general public:

  1. carry any weapons you have with you in a secure receptacle such as a hockey bag.
  2. If you are carrying weapons iin the car, place them out of sight.
  3. In a public place don’t practice with metal weapons.
  4. If you are going to train in a public place always take TCUGB member card with you to prove you are a genuine practitioner, the police have enough to do.

    Best regards & safe practice
    dd

New Health Committee FB page – including COVID guidelines

As the new health committee continues to develop its work, Tina has setup a facebook page to share latest COVID guidelines etc. and can be found at TCUGB Health Committee on FaceBook

Plus the Union website COVID page which is currently being updated with risk assessments, guidelines, PAR Q forms etc.

How to start your qigong journey

Member Sue Dunham set us some advice:

If you’re here then qigong (pronounced chee gung) has probably already come onto your radar. You may want to start trying it NOW. Read on before leaping into action!

For avoidance of doubt, the simplest translation of qigong is energy work. A more helpful ‘translation’ might be Chinese exercise for health. It’s less known than the more popular Tai Chi Chuan (a martial art) but qigong is something that you could consider if your primary interest is in health, mental or physical.

Continue reading →

TCUGB membership payments & renewals

We are moving the accounting operation on to a new cloud based system that, in time, will include a number of options to simplify the renewal process.

Any member with a renewal date from April onwards will start to receive an email reminder 30 days before the due date, so the first reminders will start to be received in March.

The email will come from Quickbooks but will have been copied to the treasurers email address so Aileen knows it has gone out and she can expect to see a payment!

As you can appreciate this has been a major task as 1200 plus records have had to set up. Every effort has been made to minimise any errors and we hope you will bear with us, and when you receive your reminder, let us know if any information is incorrect
Best regards
On behalf of the board of TCUGB

Progress on the CIMSPA Tai Chi and Qigong Technical Standards

From Mark Peters:

Many thanks to all who have contributed feedback during the consultation process. This has been used to make relevant changes to the standards, which are due for completion by the end of January – final drafts will then go to CIMSPA for publication.
This documents is intended to give a clearer picture on the purpose and scope of the tai chi and qigong technical standards

Progress on CIMSPA tai chi and qigong technical standards Jan2021

AGM Notice, the Minutes from 2019 AGM and the Accounts for 2019

Download the AGM Notice, the Minutes from 2019 AGM and the Accounts for 2019 in pdf format.

Effects of Tai Chi Chuan on Cognitive Function in Older Adults with Cognitive Impairment

Abstract

This systematic and meta-analytic review aimed to investigate the effects of Tai Chi Chuan (TCC) on the cognitive function of the elderly with cognitive impairment and to analyze the moderators of these effects. We searched eight electronic databases for randomized controlled trials on the effects of TCC on cognitive function, published up to June 14, 2020.

from: Effects of Tai Chi Chuan on Cognitive Function in Older Adults with Cognitive Impairment: A Systematic and Meta-Analytic Review

TCC can improve multiple cognitive functions of the elderly with cognitive impairment. The intervention effects are moderated by exercise length, but not by exercise session time and frequency.

TCUGB, CIMSPA & BCCMA working together

There still seems to be some confusion regarding the standards being developed and how they may effect TCUGB members.
As the official position statements says “This standard does not intend to cover the whole discipline of Tai Chi Chuan and Qigong, but to focus on Tai Chi & Qigong for health, well-being and rehabilitation.” It is published on all our website.
To be clear, TCUGB members will not be required to join CIMSPA, the choice is yours.
The TCUGB and BCCMA are working with CIMSPA to develop a technical standard to improve quality control in the fitness industry and patient rehabilitation (NHS etc.). It won’t affect the majority of our membership and does not apply to the whole martial arts. Anyone who does teach patient sessions in the NHS, or similar, will benefit from the certification. Anyone training people to work in these specific areas will need to meet the standards, if they want to benefit from and certify via these standards.
If any further clarification is required, please do ask by emailing healthandwellbeing@taichiunion.com

New useful links page and other updates

Lots of work is being done on the Union website. Changes include a useful links page, access to articles, roots articles and more. We are looking for history and development articles on Qigong, Hsing-I and Bagua to expand the content. Please send to enquires@taichiunion.com.

AGM live on zoom 16th January 2021

The next TCUGB annual general meeting is to be held on Saturday 16th January, at 11am. And this year, like most things, it will be held via Zoom, and as such, it will be the most accessible AGM in the Union’s history, and we are urging members to attend and participate in the meeting.

After a tumultuous year for everyone, the TCUGB is looking to make some positive changes going forward, and we believe it starts by inviting as many of our membership as is possible to its AGM. There have been some changes to the board of directors and there is a renewed and sincere commitment to ensuring the TCUGB is an organisation we can all be proud to be a part of.

We recognise this will take time, but we believe we can begin that journey now, at the AGM, and we urge as many members as possible to attend and give their voice. Whilst we cannot guarantee it will be your most exciting hour of your life, we can guarantee it will create a platform for the union, and all its members, to move forward in a more productive and harmonious manner. We hope to see you there. To obtain your members zoom login, and submit any questions you may have, please email enquires@taichiunion.com

Changes to the board

We received many applications for positions on the TCUGB board, which was truly heart-warming to know so many people want to take an active part in its future development.

We have appointed four people and others have been asked to help and keep the momentum going. The list of board members can be seen on the executive committee page

Wild Colonial Boy: Tales of a Kung Fu Cop

A new book discussing the martial journey of Dan Docherty is now available for purchase on Amazon.
This autobiographical novel narrates the journey of Dan Docherty, a young Glasgow law graduate and karate black belt, who left his traditional Catholic family in 1975 to serve in the notoriously corrupt Royal Hong Kong Police. In Hong Kong, he learned Chinese language intensively, then drill, musketry and law. A famous Tai Chi master accepted him as a disciple and trained him to become an international full contact champion. In this book we’ll have a few beers with colourful characters like Big Don and Mountie Dave. We’ll visit exotic locales–Manila, Macao, Singapore We’ll witness Dan in full contact competition and in street fight action. As they say in the Hong Kong Police, “”If you can’t take a joke, you shouldn’t have joined.