TAIJIQUAN (T’AI CHI CH’UAN)

I teaches three styles of Taijiquan, the art known for its ability to cultivate softness, weakness and flexibility as a way of unraveling personal fate.

Chen Style uses a big frame and is usually considered the most beautiful to watch, it is characterized by silk-spiraling movements.

Wu style uses the smallest frame, its emphasis is on transformative power and circulation.

Guan Ping Yang style uses a medium to large frame, it is the easiest to learn and is ideal for practicing meditation.

All three forms can be used for fighting and follow the same priciples articulated in the taijiquan classics.

He has been teaching Wu Style at the American College of Traditional Medicine, in San Francisco, for 5 years.

QIGONG (NOURISH LIFE)

Qi Gong is the practice of circulating Qi in and around the body, over time creating Qi momentum. I teach virtually all the different systems of qigong which use gentle, soft, invigorating movements to encourage the revitalization of internal organs, balanced dynamic change, and the healing of old injuries.

(CLICK HERE FOR MORE ON THE MANY TYPE OF QIGONG I TEACH)

NORTHERN SHAOLIN

Northern Shaolin is the Chinese art of high kicking, springy legs, & soft spiraling stances especially created for youthful bodies.  It is the basic training for Chinese Opera.

Emphasis is put on flexibility, power, concentration, fun, safety, self-discipline & self-esteem.

Students learn traditional 'forms' or sets which have been passed down from generation to generation with great care for hundreds, possibly thousands of years.

Northern Shaolin Forms:

    Tantui (Springy legs)

    Lutui (Lacy legs)

    Chaquan (Searching for the fist)

    Erlong (General Black Beard)

    Wuhudao (Five tiger sword)

    8 Linking Staff

    Baxianjian (8 Immortals Sword)

    Double Dagger

    Lanshou (Chaquan internal/external)

PUSH-HANDS

Push-Hands and RoShou are fun two-person training methods used by internal martial artists to develop sensitivity and a light-handed approach to the practice of non- aggressive fighting. Because the art of fighting is also the art of avoiding injuries, Bagua students find RoShou a particularly satisfying & gentle way to move others and be moved. Beginning and advanced students welcome.

XINGYI (HSING-I)

There are two basic styles of Xingyi.

The most common is called Five Elements and Twelve Animals.

The other style is called Six Harmonies and Ten Animals.

Both styles share most of the same “internal” principles as Taijiquan and Baguazhang.

I have studied both styles but I mainly teach Six Harmonies because it’s more fun to do!  It uses a lot of wild low stepping patterns and rhythms.  It also imitates the movements and minds of the various animals in more theatrically obvious ways.

Xingyi is renowned for its exceptionally efficient  expression of power.

Gongfu (or Kung Fu)

Gongfu means meritorious action.  Long ago it described anything which a person did for the community which could be demonstrated.  For instance, building a bridge, caring for old people, or training in martial arts to defend the village!

It also refers to a skill of great quality which takes time to develop. 

Children who trained to defend their village were often asked by friendly neighboring villages to come and show-off their gongfu. 

Over the years villages with great martial arts developed traveling teams which added plays and singing and costumes and eventually became what we today call Chinese Opera.

It was a small jump from there to the blockbuster Gongfu Movie!

In modern Chinese, all martial arts are considered gongfu.

Tuina --Body Work

Tuina is the traditional term for bodywork, it literally means push (tui) pull (na). Some Tuina is taught in all classes as a way of helping students deepen their understanding of traditional physiology.