About the club
The wushu centre was first founded in 1984 in downtown Montreal, in a warehouse studio across from a strip joint. From these classy beginnings a great tradition was started. During the eighties, Paule Bertrand taught the changquan and Andrea Falk (that's me) taught the Chen and Yang taiji, bagua and xingyi. Richard Robilliard, Denis Robert and Jean Guay have carried on the Montreal club since I left.
The wushu centre was in Victoria 1993 to 2003, mostly out in the parks to take advantage of Victoria's beautiful climate. Training on cold, dark, rainy nights is good for you, it is part of the yin and yang of the world, and balances out those sunny days of summer. Shane Watson came to Victoria in 1999 and brought changquan back to the club until 2002.
The main styles taught at the wushu centre are Chen taijiquan, xingyiquan and baguazhang, taught by me, Andrea Falk. In Montreal, Denis Robert teaches Yang taijiquan and xingyi. We have changquan (wushu, or longfist) whenever there is someone qualified to teach.
In the spring of 2003 we temporarily relocated to Beijing. Due to poor timing, we ended up in two separate quarantined areas - the wushu centre north and the wushu centre south. The south had the indoor carpeted training area, but the north had the bagua teacher, with somewhat predictable results. After this trip the club made the switch over to the Ma Gui style of bagua.
I now spend the autumn training xingyi and bagua in Beijing, the winter training in the Laurentians, and the spring and summer mostly travelling to teach. Go here for more information on seminars. The wushu centre is now based in Quebec city, at Cataraqui park, where I teach whenever I can. We train outdoors year round because each season changes the body in a specific way. Training outdoors at minus 20 has got to do something to your character, too. Winter is on a covered veranda that we keep clear of snow, and the rest of the year is in a big cleared area of the park.
About the styles at the club
Chen taijiquan: The style taught comes from Shanghai, through Huan Dahai, with unclear antecedents. It is taught only to members who have been with the club for a while, since it is difficult and I am fussy, as an inside apprentice. I never take new students for this style, only senior students. If you are interested in Chen style, you're better off to take a look at Chen Zhenglei, who teaches the style as it is done in Chen village. Here is some more information on Huan Dahai.
Baguazhang: I learned a form from Jiang Rongqiao's line from Huan Dahai. I have translated a book on this style of bagua - see more on the book. Also see the bagua application book from which come our little wushu centre guys.
I now teach the Ma Gui bagua that I started learning in 2001, as I find it the most powerful, and the most 'what bagua should be'. There are a few websites on that, the North American Association, the International Association, the Quebec group, and the system information site.
Xingyiquan: The style is from Hebei, as taught at the Beijing College of Physical Education in the 80s, and adjusted by Di Guoyong since 2003. This style has the five elements and twelve animals, and is very straightforward. I was taught this style strictly by Xia Bohua and Men Huifeng, so insist on clean lines to achieve the power of the style. I also teach xingyi weapons to advanced students. Denis is a fighter who uses the directness of the style to its best advantage. I have done three translations on xingyi: Li Tianji, Di Guoyong vol.1, and Di vol.2. I also bring in DVDs of Hebei style xingyi that I have learned in Beijing, and have done a translation of them.
Yang taijiquan: Denis teaches the Yang style and has trained with a number of masters who have spent time in Montreal.
Changquan (long fist, "wushu"): This is the martial arts taken to their ultimate as a performance art, soon to be in the Olympics in Beijing. It is way more exciting to see in performance than in the movies. Shane taught at the wushu centre while he was in Victoria, but has moved on (see below). VCDs of classic wushu are available, both from the Beijing Wushu Team, and one of retro wushu all over China.
About the instructors
Andrea Falk: I have trained Chinese martial arts since 1972. From 1980 to 1983 I trained full time at the Beijing College of Physical Education. I started the wushu centre in Montreal after that. In 1988 I went back to UBC for a Masters in Physical Education, then headed off to Shanghai to become an inside apprentice in Chen style taijiquan. In 1992 I came back to Victoria, where I was born, to establish the wushu centre. I taught until the end of 2003, when it was time to go back to Quebec. In 2000 I switched back to Beijing as my second home, spending at least two months a year there. I specialize in Ma Gui Bagua, Hebei Xingyi, and my odd Chen style. See more about me if you wish.
Denis Robert: Specializes in xingyi and Yang style taiji. Denis is a monster when it comes to push hands. Denis takes new students in xingyi and Yang style taiji. This is Denis in the white shorts (not all his students look quite so thug-like).
Shane Watson: Shane coached the wushu class in Victoria while taking a diploma in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Shane is the 1993 Canadian national all round champion and coach of champions. Shane has trained wushu since he was a kid, and has trained with the best instructors in Canada and the U.S.. He won top places in national competitions - 1993, 1995 Canadian national team member. His biggest love is two-man forms. Shane has taught at the UCLA National Wushu Training Center (California) and at the Indochina Chinese Association of Manitoba. Shane graduated and left Victoria in 2002. It was great having him with us, and we missed his skill and craziness. He has been working and training in Beijing since 2003.
Jean Guay has played taijiquan for over twenty years, and trained in Shandong at the Shandong sports university for two years. He taught Yang style in Montreal for years, but has just handed his class over to a senior student. He trains with us on Saturdays.
Paule Bertrand: Paule was the best woman in Canada (or outside China, for that matter) during the eighties, on the Canadian national team in 1984 and 1985, winning the international championships in China in the woman's divisions. She has now retired from teaching wushu, but we feel privileged to have had her teaching in the club. She trained the boys from Winnipeg (including Shane Watson, so having him teach with me was like having a son come back home) who did so well in the eighties. She now lives in Quebec north of Montreal, but is involved in family rather than wushu. Our loss.