I list events in or near Canada and international events that catch my interest. Email me if you have an upcoming seminar, competition, whatever, that involves the Chinese martial arts being done in a safe, respectful manner.
May 16 - 19 (Friday to Monday) Sam Masich will be teaching in Peterborough ON. Yang Style Taiji Sanshou 88 Sparring Form Once again Sam is teaching the 88 movement Yang-style Taiji Sanshou, the two person traditional sparring routine. Location: St. Paul's Church Gym, corner of Murray St. & Water St. North. Contact: Jean Kirk
May 23 - 25 (Friday - Sunday) Sam Masich will be teaching in Gatineau QC "In this event we will explore push-hands using three different approaches. Through use of jueshou(sensing-hands), si zheng tui-shou (four-hands) and ba pan jia tzu (eight disc methods). On Friday night, we will focus especially on jue-shou." (Appropriate for English & French speakers) Location: Centre de Tai Chi Gilles-Vaillant. 109 rue Wright. Contact: Réal Lalande
May 31 Temple Knights seminar on Chi Sau. "Chi Sau is the highest level of hand to hand combat. This skill allows the weak to overcome the strong. We will cover many of the valuable principles of Chi Sau. Special training methods to develop sensitivity and awareness. Suitable for Tai chi and Kung Fu practitioners. Men and women will enjoy this seminar."
May 31 - June 1 Andrea Falk will be teaching MaGui bagua in Saskatoon, SK. Saturday 2:30 to 7:00, Sunday 9:00 - 1:30. At Saskatoon Wushu, 309 38th St. East. email Dan for information. Anyone interested in the health training of circle walking only are welcome to come for the first hour each day.
June 2-5 Andrea Falk will be teaching xingyi in Winnipeg, MN, at ChingWu. Email rt for details.
June 7-8 Andrea Falk will be teaching xingyi and MaGui bagua in Guelph, ON. Xingyi on Saturday, 11:30 - 5:00. MaGui bagua on Sunday, 10:30 - 4:00. Advanced students in xingyi will be doing the anshenpao partner routine. Beginners will learn and continue on from where they are. Advanced students in MaGui bagua will be doing the 88 routine. Beginners will be learning the basics. Anyone interested in the health training of circle walking only are welcome to come Sunday 10:30-11:30. Location: 404 York. St. Contact James Saper.
July 20 Andrea Falk will be teaching MaGui bagua in Victoria BC. This is part of a continuing group, but newcomers are most welcome. Time: 11:00 - 4:00. Location: Centennial park on Wallace Drive, Saanichton (near the covered picnic tables under the big trees, not at the baseball end of the park, bring a picnic lunch). Anyone interested in the health training of circle walking only are welcome to come for the first hour.
August 4 - 9 Temple Knights seminar. Theatre Arts Day Camp. location: Temple Knights Retreat Centre, 1018 Moot Rd, Lake of Bays, Muskoka, Ontario. See the website for details.
August 11 -16 Temple Knights seminar. Tai Chi & Chi Kung Retreat. location: Temple Knights Retreat Centre, 1018 Moot Rd, Lake of Bays, Muskoka, Ontario. See the website for details.
August 18-23 Temple Knights seminar. Kung Fu Training Camp. location: Temple Knights Retreat Centre, 1018 Moot Rd, Lake of Bays, Muskoka, Ontario. See the website for details.
November 15-16 Andrea Falk will be teaching Ma Gui bagua in Basingstoke, UK. Group seminar on Saturday on bagua, and small group session in bagua or xingyi on the Sunday. Contact Neil for information.
November 22-23 Andrea Falk will be teaching Ma Gui bagua in Belfast, N. Ireland. Contact Peter for information.
Had any event lately? Report on the fun you had or present the results of a competition. Just email me.
"Michael Babin's newest book on Yang-style Taijiquan called simply "Yang-style Taiji" was released by Paladin Press in the USA in early July. It is available for purchase through their website. He has been teaching for almost 23 years and has written more than a hundred articles on taijiquan (many have appeared in past issues of Tongren) as well as several books. His school, The Tai Chi Studio, is in downtown Ottawa and offers classes in the full repertoire of the Yang-style, including slow and fast forms, weapons and a range of martial training methods including tui-shou and da-lu. For further information on his classes and books, refer to angelfire. posted August 7, 2007
I am sorry to post this. Madame Gao Fu has passed away. I met her only once, translating for her over a weekend, and I have seldom met someone who I immediately felt so close to. I am glad that I had that opportunity to be with her. posted Jan 20, 2005.
"It is with profound sadness that we share the news of the death of our very beloved teacher, Madame Gao Fu, in Beijing on January 17th, 2005. She passed on following a very brief illness and died in the presence of her family. As much pleasure as she gained by spending many of these last years living and teaching in Seattle Washington, it was her wish to spend her last days with her family in Beijing, and this she accomplished. There are plans for a memorial in Seattle in March 2005. Details will be posted on Gao laoshi's website" Jill Bader"My Dear Friends, I am sorry to report that our beloved teacher and Tai Chi inspiration has passed away. My sorrow is mixed with so much joy at having had the opportunity to spend time over a seven year period with one of the truly great instructors in the Tai Chi Community. Gao Fu gave to all with so much love and caring. My own practice was enhanced and deepened by each and every meeting with this wonderful person. As most of you know, Gao Fu returned to China just a few months ago to be at the passing of her son. She had an apartment in Beijing and welcomed her students from the states with open arms. We all planned on visiting her sometime soon. Please take a moment from your busy life to give thanks for those special people that mean something to you. We should never take their presence for granted. If only I could have spent more time with her .... I feel certain that her spirit remains intact and will continue to bring strength to future generations. Bless us all in our hopes, dreams, and desires for the future." Michael Gilman
The seminars and demos with the shaolin monks at Quebec Wushu were a great success. Here is a link to the video clip of CBC news (french). Just go up to the last 10 minutes.
Jan Parker of Bowen Island, BC, was awarded martial artist of the year by the Pacific Association of Women in Martial Arts. Here is the announcement: "It is with great pleasure that the PAWMA Board recognizes JAN PARKER as the Martial Artist of the Year 2004.
Jan's contributions to PAWMA seem endless. A member since 1992, she is a past PAWMA Board Member (1995-1998) serving as secretary and vice president, she is still a regional rep, and continues to do the design and layout for our PAWMA news. Jan has co-coordinated three successful camps in 1998, 2001 and 2003. "Beyond Boundaries" in Gibson, BC, Canada- 1998 was the first camp to cross any border outside the US. It was such a wonderful experience she did it again in 2001 and introduced us to the Maaoris! In the midst of the 2003 camp planning, Jan's mother passed away unexpectedly. She dealt with the depths of grief with grace and dignity, embracing the process, fulfilling her commitment to PAWMA, and once again, creating an amazing camp for all of us. Her personal accomplishments include 2 certificates in the complete Yang syllabus, 3 gold medals and one bronze in competition in China, the US, and Canada and travelling over 14,000km in 2002 on a four month road trip with her teacher (Sam Masich) to make a film documentary entitled "Tai Chi People". "I began my adventure with Taijiquan in 1985. My teachers include Masters from both North America and China including Sam Masich, David Leung, Wen-Mei Yu, Sik Hung Chan, and my first teacher, Jim Eisenman. I was fortunate to have trained in China in 1994 under the guidance of Master Wen-Mei Yu with Grandmaster Fu Zhong Wen and Grandmaster Ma Yuen Leung, also with Qigong expert Jue Ben Yi. It was in China I met my present teacher, Sam Masich. Throughout the years, my students have been incredible teachers to me. I started teaching private and group lessons in Yang Style Taijiquan in 1989. In 1996 I immigrated to Canada and became a Canadian citizen in 2003. I have had many wonderful teachers on this journey and have spent the last ten years learning from Sam Masich. I am grateful for the lessons he has given and the path he blazes, always encouraging me to find my own way." Tai Chi is an art of improvisation, I strive to combined innovation with the traditions of the Yang syllabus I train. I train by the sea and in the woods on my small island paradise. My practice of Tai Chi, like the ocean, like the old growth trees, keeps me in awe by the vastness and greatness I see &endash; even more by what I don't see. A die hard Yang Stylist I teach Tai Chi and Qigong to ongoing classes in Vancouver, BC on Bowen Island and seminars around North America." Jan serves as a mentor and role-model each time we see her by truly being in each moment of each day. She is genuine and dedicated, always promoting PAWMA wherever she goes. Her wit and humour are delightful, her knowledge and openness are boundless. To sum it all up Jan says, "I am fortunate in my training and in my life. I am married to Ken Parker, a crafts-man; we have an orange cat, Peet, a dog named Lucy and a good life."
Michael Babin, of Ottawa, has posted his book Thoughts on Learning Baguazhang, as a pdf on his site. You can go there and download it - it is 139 pages long, and only took me an instant to download.
"The Canadian Meihuazhuang Association has updated its website with new material and photos. We have begun work on a documentary film project outlining the role of folk martial arts and meihuazhuang in rural north China. This unique and fascinating community-based project is funded by private individuals and groups. Please consider making a donation to our project. A detailed description can be found at our website" posted Jan 15 ,2004
New journal starting up. "As some of you already know, a new journal, the Journal of Asian Martial Arts & Healing, is taking shape. For more detailed information, please click on the link. We are seeking artwork, articles, advertising, and events listings that pertain to the subject area for current and future issues. In addition, we encourage pre-publication subscriptions in order to help underwrite production costs. First issue will arrive in late winter 2004." posted Oct 30, 2003
Note from JiHong Taiji: limited production DVD available
As you may already know, Grandmaster Zhu Tian Cai, one of the top four Chen Style Tai Chi masters gave a series of workshops during his visit to Toronto in August. Highlights from this one week teaching tour are now available on DVD. If you attended the sessions in person, this would serve as great reference when you need to review the topics Grandmaster Zhu presented. For those of you who missed this event, this is the opportunity for you see and learn the Tai Chi of a famous master. The materials are comprehensive enough that you would be able to follow the exercises even if you did not take the workshops. Featured in this 3.5 hrs DVD are: Speech and demostrations from the seminar,18 Tai Chi Training Exercises, 13 Move Old Frame Chen First Form,13 Move New Frame Chen First Form, Push hands exercises and demonstrations. Better still, this DVD compilation is available at only a fraction of the cost of the original seminar and workshops. The price is $25 for those who attended any of the sessions and $50 for those who did not. Production is limited so please reserve your copy ASAP. You may come to our school to purchase the DVD in person but please email or call ahead to confirm stock availability. We could also ship the DVD to you. Additional shipping charges would apply. posted Oct 9, 2003
Letter from Paul Lam: Dear Friends
It has been brought to me attention that my video "Tai Chi for Arthritis" is being pirated. These illegal copies are of inferior quality as opposed to our broadcasting quality. They can be detected by the appearance of the cover, it is of poor quality print. There is also no address on the copyright notice on the back cover: © Copyrights Tai Chi Productions, 4-6 Fisher Place, Narwee NSW 2209, Australia, Phone 61 2 9533 6511, E-mail: service@taichiproductions.com, Web: www.taichiproductions.com. These videos have been selling in weekend markets in various cities. If you purchase these videos you will not be covered by our money back guarantee policy. You can purchase the genuine product directly from us; most arthritis foundations; all authorized Tai Chi for Arthritis instructors; major retail outlets and Reader's Digest around the world. Pirating is illegal and immoral! Our team has put a tremendous amount of effort and resources to develop this program and to produce top quality teaching materials. I have given the program FREE to Arthritis Foundations, all instructors and students. My videos and books are therefore copyrighted. I would appreciate your help by reporting any suspicious traders to your local police, copyright authority, or contact me at service@taichiproductions.com as we are taking legal action in this matter. Sincerely, Paul Lam posted Sept 25, 2003.
Our branch club in Beijing was a huge success. What with the sars quarantine, we didn't have much choice but to train. Nothing like walls, closed gates and guards to bring out that old enthusiasm. I'll have to organize this more often. posted May 22, 2003
PAWMA camp 2002 personal report. Wushu blew everyone away this time. Hao Zhihua brought her young team to the demo and received a standing ovation. I don't know when I've seen everyone get so excited at a demo, and they are a pretty excitable crowd. Hao Zhihua was in amazing form and impressed the brave souls who tried the wushu classes, though they did have trouble with the "no kiai" rule... posted Sept 18, 2002
Press Release for a film in process." 'Tai Chi People' A film by Sam Masich and Jan Parker: The world of Tai Chi is populated with some of the most profound and eccentric personalities ever to form an alternative subculture. From a Canadian forest shrine devoted the art's mythic founder, to the hottest U.S. training hall for potential Olympic Tai Chi athletes, 'Tai Chi People' explores the lives of the individuals who live the principles of this vast and ancient tradition. Masich's road movie seeks the balance between the arcane and the awe inspiring, the abstruse and the goofy. An original music score will accentuate Masich's imaginative narration and 'found-sound' soundscape, all designed to create a visceral sense of the art, while simultaneously underscoring the quirky humour which will inevitably burble into the plot." posted March 2002.
PAWMA camp 2001
Personal Report: Wushu, as in changquan, made it to the PAWMA camp for the first time in 2001. Kelly McLean from Vancouver wiped out everyone with the wushu stretching and kicking classes, then blew them away with her Chen taiji demonstration. Lots of other stuff happened, as usual, but I was into Maori warrior mode, so this photo is of Tat Greenstone from New Zealand. posted December 20, 2001.
There is another person in our wushu world. Shane Watson just had a baby girl on Tuesday! She is perfect, with all her fingers and toes and strong reflexes. She came out doing an upper block instead of with her hands down, so we are looking forward to her first practice. posted September 13, 2001
Our wushu centre training extravaganza was a huge success, except of course that I went a little nuts by Thursday and made everyone learn the body toughening hitting exercise. The bagua guys claim to have walked 18 kilometers in their 8x8x8 exercise on Tuesday. The taiji guys settled in to prove that you can't do 10 forms in a day if you do them slowly, but they did manage 7. Playday on Wednesday was great, thanks to sensei Mike Chin who impressed and inspired us all (and Rob who stayed to get tossed around). And what can I say about Thursday - there's nothing like taiji and bagua guys doing a xingyi two man form! No photos, we were too busy training. posted August 9, 2001.
Fred Whiting of Whiting Wushu in Richmond, B.C., has just completed his accreditation as an international wushu judge. Fred has been Canada's head wushu judge for years, and we know he will do a great job at the international level. Congratulations Fred, and hope to see you judging wushu at the Olympic Games in Beijing. posted July 26, 2001
This is an email message that is being sent around. I don't like to send unwanted mail to people, but there is some good advice in it, so I'll post it here instead.
Instructions for Life in the new millennium from the Dalai Lama: 1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk. 2. When you lose, don't lose the lesson. 3. Follow the three Rs: Respect for self, respect for others and responsibility for all your actions. 4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck. 5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly. 6. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship. 7. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it. 8. Spend some time alone every day. 9. Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values. 10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer. 11. Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll be able to enjoy it a second time. 12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life. 13. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don't bring up the past. 14. Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality. 15. Be gentle with the earth. 16. Once a year, go some place you've never been before. 17. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other. 18. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it. 19. Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.
"Waving Clouds is happy to announce that the mountain temple retreat center is now set up for seminars. The mountain temple is just a 90 minute drive (transfer included) from Beijing International Airport. If you want us to host a seminar with our artists for groups of 5 to 50 people in this beautiful mountain top setting please contact us for further details. For a photo tour of the temple go to our web site and click on Retreats."
Stealing judge's reference books is not cool, eh! They are given out during judge's courses in China and are not for sale, so it is very hard to get replacements.
It is always wise in the martial arts to pick your opponent well.