In the year or two prior to starting Sing Ong Tai Chi I begun looking for and reading books on tai chi and I soon realized that there was a lot more to it than it being merely some kind of graceful slow dance. I was drawn to Yang style, and in particular that lineage from Cheng Man Ching.
The direct lineage of Professor Yek to the Yang Family through Huang Hsing Hsien and Cheng Man Ching is of the highest calibre. Anyone who has the opportunity to learn through Professor Yek's schools has the chance to learn the real thing. People who have taken the time to acquaint themselves with the achievements of such legendary masters can appreciate this as being an absolutely enviable opportunity.
The teaching approach within Sing Ong Tai Chi differs from many schools in that much effort and patience is made to teach the internal aspects through foundation exercises that go on to be the building blocks of the form.
While discussion and reading can contribute a great deal towards advancing one's understanding, it is the actual 'doing', the physical practice of tai chi that allows the real appreciation and breakthroughs of motivating and moving the body through tai chi principles. To avoid the self sabotage of "I can't do it", I frequently remind myself that the Sing Ong Tai Chi instructors and senior students all began as beginners, the simply fact is that through patience and perseverance we can see ourselves improve.
Unlike many exercises, tai chi can be practised and improved upon into old age. This makes it an exercise that need not be given up as something only suitable for the young, but can be used to improve one's health and vitality. Among its benefits are that it supports better movement, balance, stronger bones, improved circulation and release of held tensions. All of which add to the quality of one's life - it just takes a bit of regular daily time put aside to practise (of course for many of us this may compete with television time!)
Health wise, for over 30 years I had been using an inhaler for asthma on a daily basis. I had been to many therapists and doctors, only to be told if I hadn't grown out of it by my teens that I'd have it for life. After 2 years of Sing Ong Tai Chi practice my breathing improved to the point that I stopped using an inhaler. I can honestly say that practising Sing Ong Tai Chi has really helped support my 'letting go' of an ingrained breathing pattern that was quite debilitating for me. I no longer carry an inhaler or ever think to have one with me, such is the confidence and improvement to my breathing compared to how it used to be. There is no doubt that learning Professor Yek's tai chi has vastly contributed to this.
