Tai Chi People of Surrey

Each week, we share a tale from the rich canon of Taoist stories. Many come from foundational texts like the Zhuangzi, attributed to the influential philosopher Zhuang Zhou (莊周), while others appear in works like the Liezi or were preserved and expanded by later Taoist scholars. Though only indirectly linked to Tai Chi Chuan, these stories aim to foster detachment, humour, playfulness, and a sense of freedom.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗪𝗶𝗻
When an archer is shooting for nothing
He has all his skill.
If he shoots for a brass buckle
He is already nervous.
If he shoots for a prize of gold
He goes blind
Or sees two targets --
He is out of his mind!

His skill has not changed. But the prize
Divides him. He cares.
He thinks more of winning
Than of shooting --
And the need to win
Drains him of power.

Each week, we share a tale from the rich canon of Taoist stories. Many come from foundational texts like the Zhuangzi, attributed to the influential philosopher Zhuang Zhou (莊周), while others appear in works like the Liezi or were preserved and expanded by later Taoist scholars. Though only indirectly linked to Tai Chi Chuan, these stories aim to foster detachment, humour, playfulness, and a sense of freedom.

蟋蟀 - 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁
Once upon a time in ancient China, there was a farmer who visited his friend in the city. He needed to buy a few things not available back at home, so his friend took him to the market.

The place was full of activities. Merchants hawked their wares; street performers shouted to attract attention; drivers of horse-drawn carts yelled for people to make way. There were so many things happening at once, it was almost overwhelming.

Suddenly, the farmer stopped his friend. “Listen! Do you hear it? A cricket!”

His friend laughed. “Cricket? In the middle of the market? You must be imagining things.”

“No, I mean it,” the farmer insisted. “It’s close by. I’ll show you.”

He tilted his head, listening for the source of the sound. Then he walked toward a bush by the road. Kneeling down and bending back a branch slowly, he beckoned his friend and pointed. “Look… there it is.”

His friend was amazed. “How could you hear this little thing with so much noise out here?”

“It is not as difficult as it may seem.” The farmer stood back up. “You can hear it too, if you listen for it.”

His friend was doubtful. “I am not so sure about that. Your hearing must be better than mine, because you live in the countryside. City dwellers like me can’t possibly have hearing as sensitive as yours.”

This theory amused the farmer. He thought for a moment and said, “Let’s put your idea to the test. Do you have a few coins I can borrow?”

“Coins? Sure.” His friend gave him some spare change. “How do you propose to conduct this test?”

“Look at the people who are passing by,” the farmer said. His friend noted there were many pedestrians all around them. They looked busy, going about their business and heading in different directions. No one paid them any attention.

The farmer tossed the coins onto the street. They made tiny clinking sounds when they struck the cobblestones. An instantaneous transformation took place. The people around them, who seemed so wrapped up in their private thoughts only a moment ago, all stopped to look around. A few even bent over to search for the coins.

“You see? We all have similar hearing abilities.” The farmer smiled. “The only difference is that everyone here is listening for the sounds of commerce, while I am listening for the sounds of nature. This environment is indeed noisy, but the noise doesn’t matter. As long as we know how to direct our focus, we can hear anything we want.”

Each week, we share a tale from the rich canon of Taoist stories. Many come from foundational texts like the Zhuangzi, attributed to the influential philosopher Zhuang Zhou (莊周), while others appear in works like the Liezi or were preserved and expanded by later Taoist scholars. Though only indirectly linked to Tai Chi Chuan, these stories aim to foster detachment, humour, playfulness, and a sense of freedom.

𝗙𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗢𝗰𝗲𝗮𝗻
Once upon a time, a young fish asked an old fish: "Everyone talks about this thing called 'ocean.' What exactly is it?"

The older and wiser fish answered: "The ocean is what surrounds you on all sides."

The younger fish didn't understand: "What do you mean? There is nothing around me! If the ocean surrounds me on all sides, why can I not see it?"

"Of course you can't," the old fish replied patiently. "The ocean is both inside and outside of you. When you move, it moves with you; when you stop, it stops as well. You were born in the ocean and you will die in it. It wraps itself around you, just as your own skin does."

"But how can I tell it exists, if I can't see it?"

"You must use more than your eyes. We may not be able to see the ocean, but we can definitely feel it. Trust your feelings -- they are the key."

Fish forget they live in water; people forget they live in the Tao.

Each week, we share a tale from the rich canon of Taoist stories. Many come from foundational texts like the Zhuangzi, attributed to the influential philosopher Zhuang Zhou (莊周), while others appear in works like the Liezi or were preserved and expanded by later Taoist scholars. Though only indirectly linked to Tai Chi Chuan, these stories aim to foster detachment, humour, playfulness, and a sense of freedom.

真正的寧靜 – 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆

Once upon a time in ancient China, the emperor was in his study, looking over volumes of diplomatic documents. He found it hard to concentrate, so he summoned his most trusted minister. When the minister arrived, he saw that the emperor was pacing back and forth, looking irritable.

The emperor said to him, “I wish to focus on the affairs of the state, but my mind is unsettled and agitated. When I feel like this, I need something I can look at to help me regain tranquillity. Go and find the best artist in the land and have him create a painting that has the power to calm me down. I want the theme of this painting to be “True Tranquillity”.

“As you command, Your Majesty.”

A few days later, the minister reported that there were three artists widely considered to be the best in China. The were equally talented, so he brought them all into the palace. Once they understood what the emperor wanted, they began painting.

When the work was done, the emperor went into the studio with the minister to see for himself. The first painting they looked at depicted a placid lake surrounded by mountains. It was a beautiful scene; the surface of the lake was perfectly still and conveyed a peaceful feeling. The emperor smiled, “This is beautiful.”

The second painting showed a snowscape. It evoked the silence after a snowfall, a deep silence that went beyond mere lack of noise, because the snow banks absorbed all sound. Both the minister and the emperor nodded their approval. “Very insightful,” said the emperor.

They looked at the third painting, which featured a waterfall. “I am sorry, Your Majesty,” the minister said. “It looks like this artist didn’t understand my instructions to paint a scene of serenity. Let me discard this painting, and we can choose from the first two.”

He reached for the painting, but the emperor stopped him. “No, wait.” He stared at it for a moment longer, and then he said, “This is the painting for me.”

“What? But… Your Majesty! How can this waterfall compare to the other two in representing tranquillity? I do not understand!”

“The waterfall is not the most important thing in this painting,” said the emperor. “Look again.”

The minister took another look at the painting, more carefully this time. He saw that there was a tree next to the waterfall. One of the branches of the tree held a nest. A bird was sleeping inside that nest.

“See how the bird is able to relax and rest even though the deafening torrent is so close,” the emperor pointed out. “It has such a profound quietness within, that external conditions have no power to irritate or disturb. Now that is the essence of True Tranquillity!”

Each week, we'll share a tale from the rich canon of Taoist stories. Many come from foundational texts like the Zhuangzi, attributed to the influential philosopher Zhuang Zhou (莊周), while others appear in works like the Liezi or were preserved and expanded by later Taoist scholars. Though only indirectly linked to Tai Chi Chuan, these stories aim to foster detachment, humour, playfulness, and a sense of freedom.

你是對的 – 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁
One day, the sage was having tea with the disciple when they heard a commotion outside. Two men were arguing about something. Their volume got louder and louder. Neither side was willing to back down.

After much shouting, one of them stalked off in anger. The remaining man stood seething. After a while, he came inside to look for the sage.

“Master, you must resolve this issue for us,” he said. “I tried to reason with him, but he wouldn’t listen. He is extremely stubborn.”

The sage indicated his willingness to help, and the man went on to describe the argument. He explained in meticulous detail why his position was obviously the most reasonable and most correct.

“So what do you say, Master? Am I right, or is he right?” the man asked.

“Of course you are right!” The sage said. The man beamed, and left in a good mood.

Moments later, the man who has stalked off came back, also looking for the sage.

“Master, you probably heard me arguing a while ago,” he said. “The other fellow’s position is based entirely on false logic, while my statements are backed up by solid evidence. Can you resolve this issue for us?”

The sage nodded, and the man presented his side of the story. He carefully pointed out all the flaws in his opponent’s thinking and listed all the proofs supporting his position.

“What do you think, Master? Who’s right and who’s wrong?” the man asked.

“Of course you are right!” the sage said. The man beamed and left in a good mood.

The disciple, who had remained silent all this time, couldn’t help but express his puzzlement. “Master, how can this be? If he is right, then the other man is wrong. But you already told the other man he was right, so this one must be wrong! One position is true, while the opposite is false. They can’t both be true! Am I right?”

“Of course you are right!” the sage said.

"Xīn nián kuài lè" (新年快乐) means "Happy New Year" in Chinese. But did you know that today is also your birthday in the Chinese Lunar calender?

This is because, in traditional Chinese culture, you are considered to be one year at the moment of birth (entering your first year of existence). Your age then increases by 1 year on Lunar New Year's Day, along with everyone else's.

This means a baby born on 16th February 2026 will, according to the western system, be considered to be one day old today, the 17th February, but would be said to be 2 (or 2岁, 2 sui) using the Chinese system.

𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲
This method reflects a communal approach to ageing, emphasising collective experiences rather than individual milestones. It is rooted in ancient traditions where age was linked to lunar cycles and agricultural seasons.

The traditional system is often used informally, especially among older generations. Official documents typically use the Gregorian calendar. This traditional system is also used in Vietnam, and South Korea has recently standardised its age calculation away from this method to align with international norms. Japan made this system obsolete by law in 1902 during the Meiji Reforms.

We currently have classes at:-
◉ 1st Hook Scout HQ, Verona Drive, Surbiton, Surrey, KT6 5AJ.
Monday morning 10am - 11:30am. £13/session

◉ St.Paul's Parish Hall, 226 Hook Road, Chessington, KT9 1PF.
Wednesday evening 7:30pm - 9pm. £13/session

◉ St.Paul's Parish Hall, 226 Hook Road, Chessington, KT9 1PF.
Extra gentle session.
Friday afternoon 12:30pm - 1:30pm. £8/session

◉ 1st Hook Scout HQ, Verona Drive, Surbiton, Surrey, KT6 5AJ.
Wudang Dragon Sword. Please contact us before attending.
Friday afternoon 14:30pm - 16:00pm. £13/session

See the website or contact us for full details. And remember that
𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲. Giving you a risk-free way to try out Tai Chi for yourself.