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Welcome to the Tai Chi Playground

This is the training site for 21st century tai chi with the teapotmonk and is the home for:


  • Those who wish to begin training with simplicity, with ease and without the jargon.
  • Those in search of an online course having ordered one of the paperback books
  • Those having arrived from an article on the resource rich teapotmonk site


It is here that we tend to focus on training - and it is referred to as a playground because all research shows, that if you don't enjoy it, you won't do it.

Here, you will find the teapot approach to courses, drills, workshops and special live sessions.

To receive updates on when these become available, ensure you are on the mailing list (below)


Latest Updates...

Nothing Happens First: How Tai Chi Really begins
How Tai Chi Really begins. A new live session Recently, I've been thinking a lot about the practice. About how much emphasis is placed on the doing. About how, by turning off our minds, our body and breath can emerge. And thats how it should b...
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Tai Chi walking, weight loss and how to get ripped for the over 50s
They’ve been hard to miss, thrust in front of us on every social media platform for months now — adverts promising to transform you from an overweight, immobile pensioner into a slim, middle-aged, ripped and blissfully content new Tai Chi student. A...
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Tai Chi, Fitness & eccentric exercises
Eccentric exercises tell us that running down a hill or walking down a flight of stairs is more beneficial than going up. How does eccentric exercise work and how does any of this help us in our practice our Tai Chi? THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FITNES...
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The Art of Yielding
New Live Session: Simple practices for a conflict free existence. Are you.....Wondering what Yielding means in Tai Chi?Pondering how to practice it by yourself at home?Curious how to employ the soft-techniques on the street (and in the supermarket?)...
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How to Wear Your Philosophy
You’ve read the book, maybe even done the exercises. You’ve practised the noble art of leaving things undone. But what happens when those ideas start whispering, “We’d like to get out more”? Well, that’s how it all began. One quiet afternoon, a few ...
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What is a NInja?
What defines a Ninja? Those that join the Quiet Ninja. membership? Those that hide in plain site, walk in silence, and leave no footprints The word Ninja - it should be said - is not a reference to a garbed and gloved sword wielding assassin at all,...
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The Energy Flow Form. - Zoom Live session
Are you.....Fed up with practising a 479 move Tai Chi form that takes 3.5 hours to run through once?Do you keep forgetting how many Monkeys you have repulsed?Do you keep running out of room even though you have an entire football pitch at your dispo...
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The teapot workshop with LCTKD
How can you show the principles of grounding, sticking, and yielding in curious and engaging partner work exercises?How can you reach out to teachers from diverse arts such as Karate, Taekwondo, Qigong and Tai Chi within the same workshop - appeal t...
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Tai Chi, New Zealand and teaching with Le-arnna de Jager
Lee has been a Flying Dragon member of the 21st century tai chi academy for some time. Combining this flexible approach with her other training, Lee, who is based in New Zealand (NZ) has created her own freshly brewed approach to teaching and calls...
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“Blending Traditions: Learning Tai Chi from 2 Distinct Styles”
“Blending Traditions" Was first posted on the old site by Tom Divney. He proposed writing a short article on the issues raised when learning from different styles/instructors. His article with comments, is reproduced here : Learning Tai Chi from...
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The forest
How do we notice change? It’s not like leaving your office on a Friday and returning on Monday to find everything more or less the same, save for a little dust and grime. No, the forest at the edge of town tells a different story—walk through it aft...
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Cover of nothing to do nowhere to go book and podcast
The Podcast & Book: Recycled Stardust with Aching Knees
This post is to celebrate the release of both the book and the new podcast series on the Tao Te Ching: Nothing to do Nowhere to go.  It is for all those of us that have wanted a version with simple messages, relatable to the practice of Tai Chi and...
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About the teapotmonk

Paul Read is also known as the teapotmonk and is author of over a dozen books. He has been teaching Tai Chi since the late 1980's and creating online programs since 2015. His courses are known for their innovative content that draw on his long history in martial arts, as a health and fitness coach, and finally as a language teacher.