The Ptah Khi System is a structured internal development methodology combining Tai Chi, Chi Kung, Nei Kung and Nei Dan to cultivate physical integration, emotional regulation, internal energy awareness and conscious development.
THE FOUNDATION OF EVERYTHING
The Ptah Khi system was built on a single insight: that the body, breath, energy, mind, and awareness are not separate things requiring separate training, they are one continuous system. Every practice, every principle, and every stage of the system exists to serve that single understanding. This integrated approach is what distinguishes the Ptah Khi System from traditional approaches that often separate these aspects of training.
This is a complete internal development system with a curriculum, philosophy, and progression pathway. – Head coach and principal Sahu Tao Shen
The Architecture
Five Layers of Development
Every practice taught at the Ptah Khi School sits within a five-layer framework. Each layer builds on the one before it. This is not a metaphor it is a structural map of how human development actually works, from the physical foundation upward to the dissolution of separation in No Mind.
LAYER ONE - THE FOUNDATION
Structure & Routine
Posture training, skeletal alignment, spinal coordination, weight transfer, and relaxation under controlled tension. The body must be correctly structured before internal work can begin. This is not about looking right — it is about creating the physical conditions for everything that follows.
LAYER TWO — THE BRIDGE
Pressure and Internal Regulation
Breath is the only autonomic function under conscious control — and therefore the master key to nervous system regulation. This layer develops diaphragmatic breathing, autonomic balance, and breath-body synchronisation. The bridge between the physical body and the internal world.
LAYER THREE — THE ENERGY BODY
Chi Kung & Internal Mapping
Chi awareness through sensation, flow, and directed attention. The three Dantien centres, lower (body/power), middle (heart/emotion), upper (mind/awareness), are introduced as both ancient framework and modern biological reality. Yi (intention) is trained as the precursor to all internal movement.
LAYER FOUR — THE MIND
Stillness & Emotional Intelligence
Observation of thought patterns without identification. Development of the inner smile state — a baseline of calm, open, emotionally neutral awareness from which all practice deepens. This layer is where internal arts become a daily lived experience rather than a technique to perform.
LAYER FIVE — THE DESTINATION
Nei Dan & No Mind
The dissolution of separation between practitioner and practice. Direct awareness-based transformation through Nei Dan internal alchemy. The progressive refinement toward Wu Wei, effortless action arising from complete internal integration. This is what the entire system points toward. Not a state to be achieved, but a quality of being to be lived.
The practitioner who reaches this layer does not perform Tai Chi. They have become the practice and the practice has become them.
Scientific Grounding
The Ptah Khi approach is informed by research into mind-body practices, physiology, biomechanics and nervous system regulation, research show that Tai Chi and Chi Kung reduced cortisol baseline, improved immune function, increased grey matter density in regions governing attention and emotional regulation, and lasting reduction in inflammatory markers.
NEUROPLASTICITY
CORTISOL MODULATION
STRUCTURAL NEURAL CHANGE
PTAH KHI'S PROPRIETARY FRAMEWORK
The 369 System is the structural intelligence framework at the heart of the Ptah Khi School, created by Sifu Sahu and found nowhere else. It organises all learning, all progression, and all internal cultivation into three interconnected dimensions that together form a complete map of human development.
3
The FOUNDATION
The Three Treasures
Three the number of foundation and harmony, represented through the three treasures; Jing (essence / body), Chi (energy / breath), Shen (spirit / mind). The three foundational dimensions of all internal cultivation. All practice at every level of the Ptah Khi School develops, refines, and integrates these three in relationship with each other.
6
THE DAILY PRACTICE
MARVEL
Six the number of integration, represented through MARVEL (Meditation / Affirmation / Reading / Visualisation / Exercise / Logging) — the six daily extensions of practice. Each activity develops, refines, and integrates mind, body, emotions, and spirit, deepening awareness and supporting the continued cultivation of Tai Chi.
9
THE JOURNEY
Nine Stages of Cultivation
Nine the number of completion and evolution, represented through the Nine Stages of Cultivation, the inner pathway of the 369 system. From Strength, Structural Alignment, and Mind Power to Internal Heat, Central Power, Trained Force, Space Power, Spirit Power, and Dao Power, each stage refines and integrates body, mind, energy, and spirit toward unity.
The 369 System gives practitioners something rare and essential, a map. You always know where you are in your development. You always know what the next stage requires. And you always know that the journey is worth the commitment it asks of you
What You Train
Five Training Disciplines (The Five Pillars)
The Ptah Khi system is built on five pillars of training. Each pillar develops a different dimension of the practitioner and together they form a complete system that no single discipline could provide alone.
Hand Form
The foundational sequence of Wudang Tai Chi Chuan. Develops memory, balance, coordination, and the connection between intention and movement. The primary vehicle for internal development through form practice.
Weapon Forms
Spear, Sabre, and other weapon forms extend the principles of internal movement into tools that demand greater precision, focus, and coordinated power. An extension of the Hand Form into more advanced dimensions.
Self-Defence Applications
Tai Chi’s martial applications — timing, redirection, and neutralising force rather than meeting it. Strengthens reflexes, cultivates calmness under pressure, and brings the form to life through practical understanding.
Chi Kung (Chi Gong)
The internal energy training dimension of the system. Ba Duan Jin, Five Element Chi Kung, static postures, natural breathing, and the cultivation of Chi through deliberate practice. The bridge between physical form and internal alchemy.
Nei Dan
Internal alchemy — the deepest and most advanced pillar of the system. Working with the Three Treasures, Nei Dan practices refine vitality, balance internal systems, and cultivate the heightened awareness that characterises genuine mastery.
Clients & Partners
ANCIENT WISDOM. MODERN EVIDENCE.
The Science
Behind the System
The Ptah Khi School is one of the only internal arts schools that grounds every practice in both its ancient tradition and its modern scientific understanding. This is not decoration it is how we teach, and why what we teach produces results you can feel and measure.
Autonomic Regulation
Every Tai Chi and Chi Kung practice in the system has a measurable effect on the autonomic nervous system shifting the balance from sympathetic dominance (stress, tension, reactivity) toward parasympathetic recovery (calm, repair, clarity). This is not a metaphor. It is physiology.
VAGUS NERVE
POLYVAGAL THEORY
HRV IMPROVEMENT
Fascial Release & Structural Integration
The body’s fascial network is the connective tissue that surrounds every muscle, organ, and nerve it holds chronic tension patterns that slow movement, restrict breathing, and perpetuate stress. Tai Chi’s structural training systematically addresses and releases these patterns.
FASCIAL MECHANICS
PROPRIOCEPTION
MOTOR CONTROL
Breath Mechanics & CO₂ Tolerance
Diaphragmatic breathing, breath-movement synchronisation, and CO₂ tolerance training improve oxygen efficiency, calm the stress response, and create the internal regulation that makes the transition between physical and energy work possible.
DIAPHRAGMATIC BREATH
CO₂ TOLERANCE
BREATH-MOVEMENT SYNC
Stress Hormone Regulation
Long-term internal arts practice produces measurable reductions in cortisol baseline, improvements in immune function, and enhanced emotional resilience. The limbic system is the brain’s emotional processing centre it is directly influenced by the breath and movement practices of the system.
CORTISOL MODULATION
LIMBIC REGULATION
EMOTIONAL RESILIENCE
Neuroplasticity & Structural Brain Change
Consistent practice of slow, deliberate, intention-led movement creates the same neural firing patterns as full physical execution and over time produces lasting structural changes in the brain’s grey matter, particularly in regions governing attention, emotional regulation, and self-awareness.
NEUROPLASTICITY
GREY MATTER DENSITY
META-AWARENESS
Postural Neurological Signalling
Postural alignment directly affects neurological signalling throughout the body, the kinetic chain from foot to crown determines how efficiently the nervous system can communicate, how much energy is consumed in basic movement, and how available the body is for internal cultivation.
KINETIC CHAIN
NEURAL SIGNALLING
ENERGY CONSERVATION
WHO THIS SYSTEM IS FOR
There Is a Place for
Every Practitioner
The Ptah Khi system serves four distinct audiences, each finding their own entry point into the same complete system. Wherever you are starting from, there is a door that opens onto the same path.
The Stressed Professional
Experiencing chronic tension, burnout, or mental fatigue. Has tried meditation or yoga and felt something was missing. Needs a system that works on the body not just the mind. The Internal Reset programme and Wednesday live classes are your entry point.
“Emotionally, this school has become a vital point of regulation in my week a genuine pause and safety brake when life, work, and health can feel overwhelming.” — Audrey A.
The Wellness Professional
A yoga teacher, physiotherapist, fitness instructor, or healthcare worker who wants to add an accredited Chi Kung qualification to their professional offering. Wants the credibility of national recognition. The Chi Kung Instructor Course is your entry point.
“The instructor has a vast knowledge of the body and its movements. He takes time to explore one’s ability and guides students to understand themselves and nurture their energy”. — Dee H.
The Existing Practitioner
Already training in Tai Chi, Chi Kung, yoga, or martial arts, has hit a ceiling. The movements are there but the internal dimension is missing. Drawn to the deeper layer that most schools never reach. The Black Sash Programme and advanced courses are your entry point.
“It’s rare to find a real traditional school with such attention to detail in their hand form, a gem for anyone from beginner to advanced practitioners.” — Graham T.
The Seeker
Drawn to the philosophical and metaphysical dimensions of the system. Interested in the 369 framework, the Three Treasures, Nei Dan internal alchemy, and the journey toward No Mind. Wants ancient wisdom grounded in modern understanding. The Wednesday class and 369 System are your entry point.
“I feel fortunate to have found Ptah Khi School at a time when I was looking to return to a path of healing and well-being through a martial discipline. — Arjun T.
THE COMPLETE PICTURE
The Ptah Khi
Ecosystem
The Ptah Khi system is not a collection of courses. It is a structured lifelong development pathway from first class to instructor certification — with every stage clearly mapped and every level building on the last. The highest level content is only accessible to those who have earned the foundation. That is not a restriction it is a guarantee.
Wednesday Live Class & Free Membership
Every Wednesday at 7pm GMT — a live online session open to all. Chi Kung, Ptah Khi Meditational Movements, and Mindfulness Meditation. The lowest-friction first step into the system. Free membership also gives access to the Living Mindfully resource library.
Wednesday live class – £10 per session
FOUNDATION — CHOOSE YOUR PATH
Black Sash Programme or Chi Kung Instructor Course
Two doors into the system. The Black Sash Programme (Levels 1–10) for those training in Tai Chi and martial arts. The Chi Kung Instructor Certification (Levels 1–3) for wellness professionals and practitioners wanting to teach. Both lead to the same advanced destination.
ADVANCED — THE CROWN JEWEL
The 369 System
The proprietary Ptah Khi framework — the Three Treasures, Six Daily Activities, and Nine Stages of Internal Cultivation as one complete theoretical and experiential programme. Only accessible to those who have completed a Foundation level programme. The content that exists nowhere else in the world.
MASTERY LEVEL
Nei Dan · Nei Kung · Inner Circle
Advanced internal alchemy, Nei Kung structural mastery, and direct transmission work with Sifu Sahu. Small group. Application required. For 369 System graduates ready to go to the deepest level of the system. The existence of this level is what makes every level below it meaningful.
PROFESSIONAL — NATIONALLY RECOGNISED
Instructor Certification
For advanced practitioners who want to teach the Ptah Khi system professionally. Processed through the BCCMA. Commercial Instructor status with CIMSPA recognition available. The only pathway to becoming a legitimately certified Ptah Khi instructor and to teaching the 369 System independently.
GO DEEPER
Explore the
Knowledge Portal
The Ptah Khi School’s Internal and Martial Portal contains a comprehensive library of knowledge from the history and lineage of the system to the deepest principles of internal cultivation. Free for registered members.
HISTORY & LINEAGE
Wudang Tai Chi Chuan
The history, mythology, and lineage of Wudang Tai Chi Chuan from its origins through to the Ptah Khi School’s direct lineage under Grand Master Amun Ka El.
CHI KUNG PORTAL
Chi Kung — History & Practice
The history of Chi Kung, natural breathing, Ba Duan Jin, static postures, Five Element Chi Kung, and the complete chi energy portal for developing practitioners.
INTERNAL CULTIVATION
Nei Kung & Nei Dan
History and practice of both Nei Kung structural development and Nei Dan internal alchemy, the two deepest dimensions of the Ptah Khi internal arts system.
HEART & MIND
Meditation & Mindfulness
Heart-mind cultivation, the art of meditation, and mindfulness practice within the Ptah Khi framework, the internal awareness dimension of the system.
RESEARCH & INSTITUTION
Scientific Research Hub
The Ptah Khi Research and Institutions Hub, connecting the practices of the system with peer-reviewed research and institutional knowledge from the scientific community.
MEMBERS ONLY
Living Mindfully App
Free for all registered members, guided meditations, breathing exercises, stress management tools, and the complete Ptah Khi wellbeing resource library.
YOU UNDERSTAND THE SYSTEM. NOW EXPERIENCE IT
The Ptah Khi system cannot be fully understood from a page, it must be lived in the body. The Wednesday live class is the easiest first step. Every course is available when you are ready to go deeper. Every level of the ecosystem opens when you have earned the foundation.
Take the first step…
All is one and everything is one.
Have Questions?
We’re here to help! Whether you’re curious about the curriculum, courses, programs, or how Tai Chi can transform your life, reach out to us today.
