College of Chinese Physical Culture

The College of Chinese Physical Culture is a UK registered charity formed in 2002, which promotes physical and mental health stimulation and wellbeing through non-competitive Chinese movement and dance, specifically through the Daoist (Taoist) Art of [http://www.lishiarts.org/ Weihai Lishi Quanfa] .

History

The CCPC was the subject of the 2006 film [http://www.journey-film.co.uk/ The Journey] , in which a film crew followed leader Desmond Murray on a landmark journey to China in which he sought to validate and re-teach the ancient origins of the arts to the country's natives.

It was also central to a [http://www.leedsmet.ac.uk/carnegie/8994.htm holistic research study] conducted by Leeds Metropolitan University, while the charity have performed at a number of nationwide venues in the United Kingdom, including Royal Albert Hall.

The CCPC runs classes in twenty towns and cities across England and Scotland. As well as running classes in Germany, France, Holland, Denmark and California,USA.

CCPC style of Lishi

Lishi, and specifically, Chinese Wushu involves a combination of both simple and complex movement and dance dating back over 3,000 years, designed to stimulate and invigorate body and mind, with a core focus on inner strength, breathing and energy (Qi).

Charitable Aims

The College of Chinese Physical Culture is a nationwide organisation that seeks to stimulate, invigorate and energise mind and body by offering a range of classes.

Supported by The Big Give Project and the V-project, the College has recently embarked on charitable campaigns to spread the popularity of Wushu to newer, wider audiences as part of their [http://www.essential-energy.org.uk Essential Energy] initiative.

This targeted the involvement of underprivileged people in inner-city areas, offering a wide range of volunteering opportunities with an end aim of gaining a national [http://www.ukyouth.org/whatwedo/Programmes/YAA/#YAA2 Gold Youth Achievement Award] , developing a portfolio of work for future jobs, plus a national vocation in non-competitive Chinese movement and dance. Opportunities still exist in these areas.

pecific aims of the College of Chinese Physical Culture

The charity's Mission Statement endeavours to fulfil the following aims:

Personal DevelopmentThe College programme benefits people in the areas of confidence and self-esteem, self-reflection and motivation, and stimulates process learning by raising awareness of how to process and understand information: to interpret, analyse and use it. It fosters new skills, in becoming more relaxed, confident and tolerant, in managing change and stress, in looking at situations from different perspectives, and in being more open-minded and respectful of themselves and others.

HealthThe programme focuses on improved health and fitness by involving people in fun and health-related exercises and activities. Participants learn about physical strength and the power of the mind through gentle but focused exercise, encouraging a relaxed rather than tense approach to their environment. Adaptable to all ages and levels of skill, the programme encourages a better understanding of the challenges to body health. It works with breath, posture, balance, responsiveness, energy and flexibility, and is an excellent way of reducing stress and increasing a sense of well-being.

Interpersonal skillsThe College programme aims to develop effective interpersonal skills by encouraging assertiveness, sensitivity and constructive criticism and addressing and changing any barriers to learning such as a negative attitude. Partner work in exercises and peer observation encourages communication and negotiation, trust, co-operation and team building; and individuals develop greater participation and reliability in groups, as well as respect for diversity.

Press Coverage

* [http://www.tes.co.uk/search/story/?story_id=2190350 Article in Times Education Supplement ]
* [http://www.dancing-times.co.uk/Sept/introDance/102_DT_Sept07.pdf Article in Dancing Times]
* [http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B7MFN-4J8CXHP-1&_user=10&_coverDate=05%2F31%2F2006&_rdoc=1&_fmt=summary&_orig=browse&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=fd9431582ecafd9f333c07945af2840f Research from School of Nursing and Midwifery, Community, Ageing, Rehabilitation, Education and Research Department, Sheffield ]

External links

* [http://www.collegeofcpc.org.uk/ College of Chinese Physical Culture website]
* [http://essential-energy.org.uk/index.htm Essential Energy website]
* [http://www.lishiarts.org/findus.htm Details of UK classes and groups]
* [http://www.lishiarts.org/ Lishi Arts website]
* [http://www.collegeofcpc.org.uk/index.htm Link to CCPC performance at the Royal Albert Hall]

ee also

* Eighteen Arms of Wushu
* Hard and soft (martial arts)
* Kung fu (disambiguation)
* Kung fu (term)
* List of Chinese martial arts
* Shaolin kung fu
* Taiji
* Wushu (term), Wushu (sport)