| Feature Article Tai Chi at ADFA ( Australian Defence Force Academy )
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Chief Instructor Brett Wagland
Just imagine squads of 18 year old cadets, mostly with crew
cut hair, moving in a brisk march in perfect lines, heading towards the gymnasium for Tai
Chi lesson.
All the cadets were divided into 3 groups. Each group of 50
to 70 cadets had a Tai Chi lesson every afternoon with Chief Instructor Brett Wagland and
assistants for 5 days. The purpose of their learning Tai Chi was stress management and
health. At first, the cadets had no understanding of Tai Chi or what to expect. However,
they were good students. They were willing to work hard. By the end of the fifth lesson,
they had a greater appreciation for Tai Chi.
ADFA has the foresight to take the initiative to introduce
Tai Chi to its cadets. The Defence Force Academy realises that an officer in today’s
forces needs to have an understanding of relaxation and how it can be applied to
one’s life and to combat.
Tai Chi is a highly refined art and is
applicable to health and well being and self defence. The cadets had the
opportunity to learn both. Teaching them good posture with relaxation
was an important aspect. Understanding and feeling what it means to have
a straight spine will help them to prevent back problems. Because they
all have to carry big back packs, they need to ensure that they feel the
weight going down through the feet to the ground, rather than in the
lower back. If they are able to integrate what they have learnt
from Tai Chi, they will then have a skill which will be of benefit to
them throughout their entire lifetime.
Research in USA has shown that one in every four
Americans is suffering from or has had some sort of knee injury. Many sports people in
Australia are also prone to knee and ankle injuries, in spite of their physical fitness.
Anyone who has suffered from a joint injury knows that it is easy to damage the joints,
but it is more difficult for them to heal.
The Tai Chi Academy employs a traditional training method to
strengthen not only the muscles of the legs, but also the tendons and joints. This
training, when it is performed properly and under expert instruction, will greatly
strengthen the knee, the most vulnerable joint in the body. The cadets experienced for
themselves the effects of this training. Even in just five lessons, they could see how the
slow, gentle Tai Chi Walking develops strength in the legs. Stronger legs lead to a
stronger lower back which will improve overall posture.
It was the martial side of Tai Chi that interested most
cadets. They were surprised at the effectiveness of Tai Chi as a martial art and how hard
the training could be.
Of course, five lessons were not enough
time to learn Tai Chi. However, it has at least given the cadets a taste
of the practicality and profundity of the art.
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