Thank you for visiting the Buxton Tai Chi Club website and we hope to see you at a Tai Chi session very soon...

Please read this page to learn about what we do and who we are. I have also tried to answer the questions that people commonly ask about Tai Chi. However if after reading you have any further questions, please contact me or come along and watch a session.

We hope to answer all your questions about our Tai Chi Club below, but if you prefer, please call the instructor Robert Agar-Hutton on 0161 341 0003.  

WHAT ARE TAI CHI AND CHI GUNG?

Tai Chi (sometimes spelt Taiji) is a Chinese Martial and Health Art which was originally developed several hundred years ago as a deadly and effective form of self protection. However as the years passed it was noticed that the natural and gentle movements that were taught to Tai Chi students had many health benefits. Thus the emphasis of the art in modern times is on keeping you fit and healthy. 

Tai Chi has been shown to improve balance and coordination, has improved a variety of medical conditions and has benefit as a means of relaxation and de-stressing.

Chi Gung (sometimes spelt Qigong) may look similar to Tai Chi but is in fact quite different. Chi Gung is much older than Tai Chi (maybe several thousand years old) and was designed purely for health and fitness.

WHAT WILL I LEARN?

The   Buxton Tai Chi Club teaches Tai Chi both as a health art and as a means of self-defense. The club meets on a Wednesday evening from 7:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.

Our syllabus includes:

• Foundational exercises 
• Our basic Tai Chi form called the "Eight Move Energy Form" (A form is a pre-arranged pattern of movements which incorporate the principles of the art). 
• Chi Gung exercises 
• Stretching and other health based exercise. 
• The 'Peking' form, a 24 move form that is internationally recognised and was designed to promote the health benefits of Tai Chi as well as being used for competition purposes.
• Self defence applications.

IS IT SUITABLE FOR ME?

The simple answer is yes.  A longer answer is that Tai Chi is generally suitable for anyone of any age who is reasonably healthy. However you should consult with your doctor or other medical advisors before starting ANY exercise routine. If you have any questions, contact the chief instructor, Robert Agar-Hutton on 0161 341 0003 or via email at:

WHO ARE THE INSTRUCTORS?

The instructors are Robert Agar-Hutton and his wife, Lee Agar-Hutton. Robert is a martial arts veteran with some thirty nine years of training and is ranked as an Advanced Level Tai Chi instructor with the Tai Chi Union for Great Britain.  Lee is Chinese (from Malaysia) and thus understands much of the cultural heritage of Tai Chi.

Lee has been training in the martial arts for almost thirty years and in Tai Chi for nearly twenty years.

Both Robert and Lee are dedicated to the idea that learning should be enjoyable so the club is run in a relaxed fashion with the emphasis on learning and understanding Tai Chi rather than on formality and old-fashioned training practices.

WHEN CAN I START?

Because it is a 'club' rather than a 'class' new members are welcome to come along at any time. Another benefit with a club format is that if 'life gets in the way' and a student misses a week or a month of training it doesn't matter. This is because when they return they know that they will fit right back in with the group, as each person progresses at their own pace.

I HAVE NEVER TRAINED BEFORE.

That's fine, everybody has to start sometime. The great thing about Tai Chi is that it is equally easy (or hard, depending on your point of view) whether you are 18 or 88.

I HAVE STUDIED TAI CHI BEFORE.

Great, you will be most welcome. If you have studied the same forms of Tai Chi that's fine and if you have studied different ones, that's fine too. There is a lot of overlap between different styles of Tai Chi which makes it fairly easy to adapt to what we do. Oh and by the way, if sometimes you do something the way you were shown at a different club, that's fine.

I HAVE STUDIED A DIFFERENT MARTIAL ART.

Many many martial artists study Tai Chi either as an additional martial art to compliment their main art or as a replacement art if for medical or other reasons they can no longer continue with their original art. Some people take up Tai Chi when recuperating from an accident or injury that prevents them from their normal practice.

FROM WHAT AGE DO YOU ACCEPT MEMBERS?

Normally we accept adults from the age of 18 upwards. At our discretion we may accept minors from the age of 15 upwards as long as they are accompanied (and train with) a parent or guardian.

WHERE AND WHEN AND HOW MUCH?

The Buxton Tai Chi Club meets each Wednesday evening from 7:00pm. until 8:00pm. at the Buxton Parish Church Centre, Bath Road, Buxton, Derbyshire.

The fees are £5 for each session.

After attending two sessions, you also pay an annual membership and insurance fee of £10.

FURTHER QUESTIONS?

Please contact Robert Agar-Hutton on 0161 341 0003 or via email   

NOTE: The Buxton Tai Chi Club is run as a separate class under the auspices of the Protectics Personal Safety System whose website is at www.protectics-ppss.co.uk