Martial Arts Camp

Learn Chinese Tactical Arts In 2 Day Workshop ($100/weekend)
Sat, Aug 2nd & Sun, Aug 3rd 10-5 pm (Tai Chi)
Sat, Aug 16th & Sun, Aug 17th 10-5 pm (Bagua/Hsing-I)
Preregister by July 31, 2008 • (415) 453-2057

 

Private Seminars

I offer private seminars around the world. The seminars will improve your martial arts practice by reinforcing your martial principles. Please contact me for more information.

Previously Offered Public Seminars

Tai Chi Push Hands

The core training in Tai Chi involves two primary features: 1) solo form, a slow sequence of movements which emphasize a straight spine, relaxed breathing and a natural range of motion; and 2) different styles of pushing hands for training “stickiness” and sensitivity in the reflexes through various motions from the forms in concert with a training partner in order to learn leverage, timing, coordination and positioning when interacting with another. Pushing hands is seen as necessary not only for training the self-defense skills of a soft style of Martial art.

Bagua Applications

This workshop is for all levels of students from all martial arts systems, no previous experience necessary. Bring a friend if possible to work with.

The workshop will emphasize both the philosophical and tactical aspects of the Ba Gua and Hsing-i but put the tactical aspects first in the training. Once the student has a “handle” on the tactical aspect – that is they can do drills with a partner with some understanding – we will then begin to introduce the philosophical, religious and esoteric ideas which stand behind any Way of Power which eventually can lead to a genuine Understanding of a given Art. But I must emphasize here, from the craftsman’s point of view – these arts are not arts of form they are TACTILE RESPONSE ARTS. The forms reflect physical applications which come out of physical responses which are trained.

Many teachers, particularly in the Chinese Martial Arts teach “form only” or “form mainly”. Unfortunately, this has resulted in a great deal of frustration and illusion about how these arts work and why they work. Many times students in the Chinese tradition are put on what I call “the ten year program”. In other words the teaching is spread out to fill ten years. Often students are never shown applications or applications are held back so the teacher can maintain the tactical “upper hand”. This is still the rule rather than the exception. It allows the teachers to maintain mediocre skill and still control the students in the class by physical threat. While this may work with the glandular system of adolescents, for thinking adults who no longer need the boot camp mentality –genuine applications must be taught and drilled with other mature adults who are kind and gracious enough to tolerate the process without abusing one another.