If you have not done Tai Chi Chuan before, the experience you face will probably be new and initially quite alien. However, in time you will become more familiar with the Tai Chi way of moving as will you become accustomed to the effects of Chi flowing within the body. It is also helpful to always remember to approach Tai Chi in a relaxed way, and let your interest and involvement develop at its own natural pace. Try not to learn any new postures until you are fully confident with those that you have learnt previously. Work at your own rate and bear in mind that not everything has to be learnt in the first session – quality is always better than quantity.

Master Ding

JDIATCC tai chi is characterised by a strong emphasis on building health, power and understanding of internal energy through experiential study of Tai Chi's concepts and principles. The result is a system that we hope teaches you strength and calmness in the face of all life's aspects, lightened by a true joy for living.

JDIATCC covers the entire traditional Yang style tai chi syllabus, so no matter how deeply you want to look into Tai Chi, we will be there for you. In addition you will benefit from the unique skills of this generation's JDIATCC teachers and masters who work hard to make the process fun, flexible and inclusive. To us it is all about transmission of the real skill of Tai Chi which is carried from generation to generation by the proper understanding and execution of its concepts and principles. If you are after more from your Tai Chi, look no further.

Members practising Tai Chi outside the JDIATCC HQ in London's Docklands

Headed by the internationally recognised Tai Chi Master John Ding, 1st disciple of Grandmaster Ip Tai Tak, our growing organisation runs Tai Chi classes in many areas of Europe; including England, Ireland, Germany, Belgium and Italy.

So whether beginner or advanced practitioner, join us in pursuing excellence in all aspects of Yang Style Tai Chi. 

Master Ding and a select number of his JDIATCC instructors offer a series of training packages which apply Tai Chi principles to business. Each can be tailored to meet your exact requirements and cover:

• Team Development & Personal Performance

  • For New teams
  • For Improving Team dynamics
• Health and Well-being

  • Emotional Stability and Mental Clarity
  • Enhanced Awareness
  • Relaxation for increased physical and mental effectiveness
• Stress Management

  • aids decision-making
  • reduces mistakes, difficult working relationships
  • helps with health and absenteeism problems
    

In addition we have courses for those in contact  with the public covering:

• Breakaway

  • How to disengage quickly and seek assistance
  • Minimise risk of injury to you and an aggressor
  • Minimise the chance of an incident escalating
    
• Duty of Care and Responsibility

  • Official health/social worker course that covers client control and restraint
    
• Self-defence

Getting started can be as easy as picking up the phone to talk to the instructor, sending an email or turning up to a class. JDIATCC classes are designed to be friendly and accessible and we don't expect any special experience, knowledge or levels of health or fitness. The basic idea is: if you can stand, you can do Tai Chi.

Most instructors would love you to join in for your first class, as Tai Chi can be as safe and comfortable as you want it to be. However most will be equally happy for you to stay and watch, asking questions when people are available and just seeing if it is for you. It must be said, though, that no amount of watching Tai Chi can convey the feeling of actually doing it. So for a thorough investigation into whether it suits you perhaps 3 or 4 lessons should be taken.

Tai Chi Chuan is perhaps most well known for its series of co-ordinated and linked movements. These methodical and measured movements are known as the Tai Chi Chuan forms. They can vary in their length and complexity. But despite this, almost all who see its movements synonymously associate them correctly with Tai Chi Chuan. They are as distinctive as they are unique and few mistake them for being anything else. Practitioners are often seen deeply engaged with their form practice - focused and unwavered by distractions. To the uninitiated, forms are often described as moving meditation. But whilst Tai Chi Chuan forms do have their meditative qualities, they play a much greater role to the Tai Chi practitioner.

Published and edited since 1994 by John Ding, an international Tai Chi master, who is interested in promoting better understanding, insights and standards in Tai Chi Chuan and other Alternative Health Therapies. Every quarterly issue features in-depth articles on all aspects of Tai Chi Chuan - history, theory, martial application as well as interviews with leading Tai Chi Masters. The magazine also features the theory and practice of Alternative Health Therapies - Shiatsu, Acupuncture, Reflexology, Aromatherapy and so on. Rounded out by articles on Chinese philosophies, Taoism, Zen, Reviews, News and Letters.

This DVD is a useful accompaniment for the book, "15 Minute Tai Chi - Strong Body, Still Mind" by Master John Ding and Dr. Alan Ding. It provides concise and easy-to-follow theoretical and practical instructions, yet at the same time remain true to the traditional teachings of Tai Chi Chuan.

With just 15 minutes of daily practice, substantial health benefits and well-being can be gained by practitioners:

Editorial: Issue 66

Anyone of good character and attitude can come to the classes. Health problems can normally be worked around and must always be declared to the instructor before you start training. Children under the age of 16 must train with a parent or guardian.

Sifu Ding & Sigung Ip

On the first of January 1998 his long, deep and dedicated approach to the art of Yang Style Tai Chi was rewarded when he was accepted as the first disciple of Grandmaster Ip Tai Tak, making him a 6th Generation lineage holder of Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan through Grandmaster Ip Tai Tak.