Kath Revell, aka Ninja Granny, teaches Chen style Tai chi and Qigong in South East Cornwall. She is a member of the Tai chi Union for Great Britain and trains with the Chinese Internal Arts Association (CIAA) and with the Exeter School of Tai chi. She has been teaching Tai chi for more than 20 years and has taught at Port Eliot Festival since 2011.
Chen style Tai chi is the oldest style. Kath practices the Laojia form or old form, which is made up of 74 sequences. The silk reeling exercises are repeated sequences from the form, such as “Lazily tying the Coat” or “Wave Hands like Clouds”. Qigong (pronounced “Chi Gung”) translates as “Energy work”. The sequences, such as “Five Animals Qigong” or “Da Wu”, meaning “great dance”, are made up of slow, graceful movements that leave you feeling relaxed and revitalized.
Tai chi and Qigong are both very beneficial to health as they enhance your “Qi” or life force, which strengthens your whole body. Benefits include improved balance and mobility, relief from stress, improved sleep, increased energy, greater immunity to diseases, better circulation, relief from back, neck and joint pain. But most of all Tai chi and Qigong are very pleasant to do, especially outdoors in the unrivalled scenery at Port Eliot Festival.