Brighton has a richly diverse range of Tai Chi classes throughout the city and surrounding suburbs and nearby towns. We’ve identified over half a dozen tai chi schools/teachers running classes in the Brighton area, many of whom run multiple classes at different local venues. For more information about your options in practising Tai Chi in Brighton, explore the teachers and organisations listed below.
1 Ian Kendall – Practical Tai Chi Chuan Brighton, BN3 1NF
Ian Kendall is a student of Dan Docherty who himself founded Practical Tai Chi Chuan International – an organisation which focuses on the Wudang style of Tai Chi Chuan. It’s practical because it’s taught as an effective martial art whereby all moves are qualified with their relevance to a combative scenario.
General classes are held on Thursday and Saturday mornings at the Tennis Courts of St. Ann’s Well Gardens in Hove.
Venue: Tennis Courts, St. Ann’s Well Gardens, 5 Furze Hill, Hove, BN3 1NF, United Kingdom.
There’s also a large number of additional classes dedicated to over-60s.
For more information please check out Ian’s website: https://www.taichibrighton.com/
Learn more about Ian by reading this interview from 2009: https://www.taichibrighton.com/2009/07/06/meet-the-teacher/
2 Kevin Bryant – Brighton Tai Chi Club, Alive Gym, BN1 2HD
Kevin teaches a combat oriented version of Yang family tai chi in Brighton at the Alive Gym.
Kevin has a very relaxed posture at all times, seemingly not so accentuated in his structure compared to most experienced tai chi teachers, and this emphasises his focus on practicality rather than performing for show. Relaxation is important.
Venue: Alive Gym Brighton, 25-27 Castle St, Brighton BN1 2HD
Info on Classes on the official website: http://brightontaichiclub.webeden.co.uk/classescontact/4579931037
A profile of Kevin on his official website, including video interview clips: http://brightontaichiclub.webeden.co.uk/instructors/4579931028
The Meetup group for his clases at Alive Gym: https://www.meetup.com/Brighton-Tai-Chi-Club/
View Kevin’s YouTube channel where he has plenty of videos to show you what his style of tai chi is all about here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHKqXwqzYXmKIZ2XqkFqv6w/videos
3 Toni Amato – Shen Long Tai Chi Association UK, Brighton Wellness Centre, BN41 2WF
Toni runs various levels of tai chi classes out of Brighton Wellness Centre.
Toni was a student of Wu Kuo Chung who himself was a student of Cheng Man Ching, teaching a variant of Yang family tai chi.
Venue: Brighton Wellness Centre, Chalky Road, Mile Oak, Portslade, Brighton, BN41 2WF, United Kingdom.
Website: https://shenlongtaichi.co.uk/
4 Simon & Cher Robins – The School of Tai Chi Chuan and Internal Arts
Simon & Cher run a range of Yang style tai chi classes around the Brighton area with the help of many additional instructors that train under them.
For more information about Simon, Cher and their other instructors, read through the homepage of their official website here: https://www.taichiandinternalarts.com/
Browse their full list of classes here: https://www.taichiandinternalarts.com/classes
Check out this school’s official YouTube channel where they have a ton of videos so you can see exactly what their art is like: https://www.youtube.com/user/taichiwisdom/videos
5 Dharmakara – Brighton Buddhist Centre, 17 Tichborne Street, BN1 1UR
‘Dharmakara’ is a white guy with an Indian name who teaches ‘Mindful Tai Chi’ classes at Brighton Buddhist Centre, which include a version of Cheng Man Ching’s version of the Yang family form, as well as qigong exercises.
Dharmakara is a student of Wee Kee Jin, who himself founded the Taijiquan School of Central Equilibrium based in New Zealand and studied under Huang Sheng-Shyan who himself studied under Cheng Man Ching who himself studied under a member of the Yang family which inherited Tai Chi from the Chen family 3 generations earlier.
Dharmakara’s Mindful Tai Chi classes in Brighton are drop-in (pay as you go) sessions so you can attend whenever you like without having to get in touch or book your place in advance.
Venue: Brighton Buddhist Centre, 17 Tichborne Street, Brighton, BN1 1UR, United Kingdom.
More information about Dharmakara’s classes: https://www.brightonbuddhistcentre.co.uk/health-wellbeing/tai-chi-drop-in-classes/
More information Dharmakara and the Mindful Tai Chi that he teaches: https://www.brightonbuddhistcentre.co.uk/health-wellbeing/tai-chi/
Reference to Dharmakara’s Brighton based classes via his teacher’s school’s UK website: https://www.taiji.org.uk/schools-and-classes/brighton/
Dharmakara’s teacher’s school’s global website: https://www.taijiquan-school-of-central-equilibrium.com/
6 Tom Stiff – Nam Yang Pugilistic Association, BN2 3LH
Nam Yang’s Tom Stiff runs various classes in Tai Chi and other martial arts from his full time centre just off the Lewes Road in Brighton.
Venue: 21A Melbourne Street, Brighton, BN2 3LH, United Kingdom.
Full timetable of classes: http://www.namyangbrighton.co.uk/classes/
Instructor Profiles: http://www.namyangbrighton.co.uk/instructors/
Website: http://www.namyangbrighton.co.uk/tai-chi/
7 David Saxton – Energy Arts – Wu Style Short Form
David Saxton runs a range of weekly classes at various locations throughout Brighton, Hove and surrounding areas which focus on the Wu style short form and incorporate a lot of qigong exercises.
Full list of classes, listed on David’s official website, Tai Chi Effect: https://www.taichieffect.com/tai-chi-classes/
David’s profile on his association’s website (Energy Arts): https://www.energyarts.com/instructors/taichi-qigong/shoreham/david-saxton
8 Tom Braithwaite – Dragon Martial Arts Association at BHASVIC, BN3 6EG
Tom Braithwaite is a highly qualified teacher of Dragon Style Kung Fu as well as Yang Tai Chi and Liu He Ba Fa (Water Boxing). See him in the video below, demonstrating his Water Boxing form.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ek6mVeNzeeM
Venue: BHASVIC, Brighton, Hove & Sussex Sixth Form College, 205 Dyke Road, Brighton, East Sussex, BN3 6EG
Website: http://www.dmaa.co.uk/
9 Taoist Tai Chi Society of Great Britain – The Level, Brighton, BN1 4SB
Taoist Tai Chi Society of Great Britain offers taster sessions of Tai Chi outside in the park called The Level – Brighton’s high budget central park / open space area.
After a few months of taster sessions you will become familiar enough with their unique version of the classic Chen or Yang 108 move form to progress from Beginners’ level to Continuers’ level.
During the 4 coldest months of the year they change venue from outdoors in The Level to an indoor location nearby (upstairs in the Open Market Hall).
Venue: Rose Walk, The Level, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 4SB, United Kingdom.
Website: http://www.taoist.org/uk/locations/brighton-rose-walk-the-level/