In the words of an English poet: "OO are Yer?"

I thought it was you lol, I had a chat with you before when I was last there and you wouldn't let me train :woo: cos I was only a visitor and not a member of your club :woo: :woo: :woo: .

I train with Taiji Butterfly when I'm there and we have a great time as I get to learn loads from him. I'll be coming down in the next 3 to 4 weeks or even sooner if I can manage it lol.
Your club is jusr around the courner from my friends house and we see the members all of the time lol.
lisa xx

 

You must have asked to pay per session and we don't do that, but next time you're down, as a student of Butterfly, you can always train for a session or two for free as a 'guest'.

 

I'd like to thank you Steve for that kind offer,

I bow down in respect and accept your offer. I'm coming down very soon and I'd love to have a couple of sessions if possible. I've walked passed quite a lot when I'm staying with friends and said hello to you every time I've seen you.
Thanks again and see you soon.
lisa xx

 

Hi guys...
i'm from slovenia, europe...
i did karate for 6 years and now i'm doing tai ji yang style for 5...
i love tai ji because it helped me built my confidence and realy helped me to understand my own body and mind...i call it a tool or a personal shrink :woo: :bang: :cry:

i just to do a lot of drugs, but now i don't have time to that because i would not have time to do tai ji, my college marks have also gone up considerly, since i started doing my tai ji seriously...i used to practice 3-4 times a week for 1,5 h but now i do it everyday morning 2h and evening 2h...nevertheles i have more time and am organized better...

reason for me doing tai ji more is also that my sifu asked me if i could help him with lessons...the whole school is spreading and he want's to do more advanced lessons while some of us would help and train with "young" ones...not to teach them of course(i know i am still a loooooooong way from teaching) but just to organise some things...at that point, that was 1 year ago..i tought i really know yang style and wanted to move on to chen...i just finished learning 108 posture form and was on the top of the world...but then i began to practice more often and learned that i know very little...

so my frustrations began...but then i picked myself up, and later on fall again...and then i picked myself up again...and on and on...

i learned not to be too excited when i learn something new, and no to frustrated when i'm stuck...i just do it for the filling now...
i love this game...

 

Hi all
Ive been into martial arts for about 5 Years now. Studied Karate, Chum Kune Do( mma Shaolin Fist,Ju Jitsu, Kalari, Kick boxing and various others). But at the moment I am Practicing Tai Chi (recognize a few fellow Tai Chi Peeps in here), Chinese boxing(Shaolin) and have just started Wu Chi. And if any one knows of a Wu Chi internet site could they please tell me, I have looked and looked but found nothing. If Your wondering how i have so much time to do all these arts its because I'm unemployed

 

New Member ...

Hello everyone!

My name is Terry, and I'm a 35 year-old (young?) Canadian guy.

I just began my training in Chen-Style Taijiquan last week, and I have started a Journal here at MAP to chronicle my progress and for anyone that is curious to know abit more about me and my training.

I do hope you (the general membership of the MAP forums) give me a chance to both learn and contribute in a positive, meaningful way. I'll promise to do my best, if you promise to do the same.

 

Hi All, I am Ryan, 25 years old. Started Wu Style short form (B.K. Frantzis line) in London about five years ago, studied for two years and then practiced on my own (sporadically). Now in brighton I am learning seriosly again. Just did a 10 week Yang short form course and have just started bagua....

 

hello, My name is Eric 37 from Long Island. Have not posted much before. But I have been studying Chen style for going on a year now. With Ren Guang Yi in NYC, top disciple of Chen xiao Wang. Before that I was predominately a Pa Kua student under a variety of teachers for about 10 years but the lessons were a little sporadic because of distance and other issues. Have had some experience with a variety of martial martial arts before that. Never taught before, I think that is the next direction for me to go in.

 

Ah, the epic that is the story of thewanderingdaoist... (me, not the book by dungmingdao)

I started training (apparently according to cited references) at the age of nine, in taijutsu. My sister was attending briar cliff college and had a friend, my first instructor nicknamed 'ronin', real name, ryan broderson. I went to visit my sister on weekend for the 'little brother, little sister' weekend, and I was introduced to Ryan, he took me under his wing and began teaching me the basics of taijutsu. It wasn't until years later mind you, that I actually knew what I was practicing.

I continued practicing this style exclusively, periodically going to visit ryan, or bugging him when he would visit my families home in Ames, IA until I was 12 years old. When I was twelve years old, I unfortunately took a fairly nasty blow to the head, which no one can explain, and recieved temporary amnesia, with some over-reaching memory damage unfortunately. Everything you've just read is what friends and family have told me, except the name 'taijutsu' which I'll explain in a moment.

The same year I recieved my head injury, my family moved up to Grand Forks, ND, where I began attending junior highschool. The school i attended was perrochrial, as my parents didn't care much for public education (though I changed their mind after sharing my experiences at this school with them.)
Anyway, the school was k-12, and maybe about 400 people, so everyone knew everyone else. I used to have a rather large mouth (well, still do) and it'd get me in to trouble. One day I was making fun of a rather large 9th grader named ben, who didn't take too kindly, he confronted me, and I mouthed off again. Long story short, i got the holy-crap kicked out of me at school.

That night, I decided I needed to learn how to fight and begged my parents to let me joing a local TKD school.

I trained in TKD for about 2 years, and then gave it up after a confrontation between myself (all of 14 years old and 105 pounds) and a man i witnessed beating the hell out of his child in public. Essentially, I chickened out and ran away as I heard the Child screaming for help because I was concerned about me getting hurt. It was then that i decided to make pugilism my life.

Flash Forward: 1997, I'm 16 years old, my family and I move down to Lawrence Kansas, where I meet master Chun Man Sit and one of his longest running students, Steve noble, Steve introduces me into Taiji, and I'm hooked.

During this time is when I discovered that I had apparently learned some taijutsu. Steve was showing me some basic evasion drills used in various martial arts, I performed them flawlessly, and then he started showing me some of the various striking techniques, which I also knew, and knew the counters for as well. Steve had travelled to japan to compete in nippon-kenpo tournaments 3 times and had picked up a little taijutsu that he incorporated into his 'personal style' along the way.

Steve taught me the basics of wu-style taiji, and I learned the long-form from Chun Man Sit in Kansas City. During this time I also studied Aikido, Capoeira, Silat, Escrima and some other arts in passing, in order to further my own skill.

In october of 2004 I went and stayed in a buddhist monastery in nothern california, where I spent a month and a half in contemplation over where I should go next. During this time, I taught a young anagarkara (monk in training) Wustyle taichi, and another monk, Tan-Pasuko, a small man who was slightly crippled from being stricken with polio when he was younger, qigong and taiji to help keep him strong (I felt a lot like Da Mo during this time, heh.)

During this time, I knew that my next step was to go to the source.
On January 17th I arrived in Yangshuo China and began training with my current master, Gao Yen-Tao. His families system, 'BuDiZhen' is a truly unique chinese martial art, it has both and external and internal side. After studying taichi for 8 years, I find this style particularly incredible. It's emphasis on Fa-Jing, QinNa and the change between hard/soft and fast/slow makes it very apt for fighting.

I'm 24 years old now, for those who want to know.

 

Hi.

I'm Kea, I'm 24 and I've studied some martial arts in my past.

I was a Judoka player, JuJitsu exponant (Both approx 8-9years), Aikido, Aikijitsu (1-2) years, practised weaponry with Katana, Bo staff, Jo staff, Tonfa, several other Japanese weapons, a bit of Karate, this was until the age of 18-19.

Read up about Hwarang Do, have interest in all the mentioned and obviously now I have interest in TaiChi.

Since then I have enjoyed socialising and getting into trouble until 3 years ago. Over the last year I have been learning and practising Tai Chi on my own from videos such as Don Ahn and Eo Omwake.

I now want to learn more about Tai Chi and it's history, it's application, and everything else.

I'm still a TAiCHi NewB though.

I hope to make some new acquaintances who have interest in Tai Chi also because I'm a bit lonely. :cry:

 

I'm a 30 year old bloke in the UK who recently started learning Tai Chi Chuan. I train at a club where the yang and yin aspects are taught and we wrestle and spar (San Shou style). The sparring is done with gloves (and headgear for less experienced people) so that punches don't have to be pulled.

Before taking up TCC, I'd been doing Wing Chun for about 2 and a half years. I thought the system had some good ideas, but I decided to leave because I wanted to spar with hard contact, which I wasn't getting to do.

Did bits and pieces of lots of different things before this from the ages of 21-27, but didn't really look in the right places and didn't find anything that kept my interest for long.

In my teens I did 2-3 years each of shotokan and TKD. 2 years Judo as a child. A total of about 11-12 years of martial arts training, but none of it more than 3 years in any art and so far from an expert. The Tai Chi place I currently train at is my first real taste of proper full-contact competitive sparring.

 

Hey all, let me introduce myself aswell a bit:
2/3 years ago i started with yoga and the likes, both philosophical as well as the exercises. Expanding my interests with other philosophies, and finally the existance of Tai Chi caught up with me. So i sought out a Tai Chi class near me (Jade Health Center), and joined them. Didn't take me long before i realised that class and teacher wasn't what i was looking for. So i stopped going there.

Few months after that i started a study for TCM: www.orientalcollege.org.
But since it was not a 'real' university my mom wasn't all to happy with the situation, so i had to break that one off. Next year i'll start a new study; antrophology, on which i hope to do allot of research in the Martial Arts field.

My Tai Chi classes start 10th of januar, which is a mixture really of my teacher between:
Tit khun, it is thought it originates from the Fujian region in China, and has been braught to Indonesia around 1850. (if anyone has more information on this, please be so kind to let me know).
And the style of Tai Chi passed down by Fei Yuliang. It's the 108 form, and i believe it is Yang style.

 

Well, I guess it's time to me to come out of my hole a bit.

Hi, my name is Chris, I'm a 27 year old from central Europe.
Was a pretty weak child thanks to heavy asthma so I started martial arts when it got better with 16. Before that I did 3 years of fencing but my teacher never let me at free fight so I finally quit.
With 16 I first took up TaeKwonDo since I love kicks, made rapid progress but I wasn't a people person. And the people in the club were real hard balls with a trainer that could have sprung from the US marines (non-korean). He produced quality fighters but getting cussed at while giving my best wasn't my beer so I quit.

My next love was towards sword fighting, again and I took up Takeda-Ryu. The sowrd fighting was nice but far too little for my taste, we trained more Kempo which I liked and Aikijutsu. Aikijutsu could have nailed me on the spot if it wasn't for some incredibly tough people in our course on which certain bars and stuff just didn't work. Just incredible pain treshold. That, and I wasn't cool with the training of "let yourself be pulled". I always was a "and what if I did that?" person. I quit.

Then came difficult times for me. Very.

Then I met some guy who was kinda cool and he got me into WingTsun. This I really loved but after seeing my master loosing his temper to a beginner student big time over the art "Think this is easy, huh?", I quit. By then I already was under the impression that a master of a really good and deep art would merely giggle at such stuff and be rooted in his art. Mine wasn't, so I quit.

Then the same guy from before showed me some TaiChi stuff. And let's say he is good... really good for someone with 10 years experience even. Someone who can also realistically fight. On the street. But that I only found out later, his skills were just too impressive.

When I first heard of TaiChi, I laughed. Later on, I became intrigued through experience. Now after 4 years I can say I'm starting to learn it's real value, mostly through my own stupidity. I learned the value of meditation. Or am still learning
I learned about chi, about the rights and wrong of postures (a bit so far), the yee and the jing. And that I don't understand how to connect this
And I learned what I never thought possible: that the stories of Yang Lu Chan are true. Mind you, nobody today is even near his skill but I have had my share of "common sense"... and also occasionally physics... denying demonstrations. I've entered the calmer waters of fighting to find the truth for me to beat the truth into others. And learned you can't beat it into them, you rather drive hem away.

So here I am now, partially a success at TaiChi, a failure at life but a winner in humanity. And I also have people who tell me I didn't fail in life but take a very rare approach to it. That's probably the last thing I have to really learn: listen to them

 

Kid From Syd(ney)

G'day from down south!

My name is Marco and i train in Yang style Tai Chi Chuan, Bagua, and Hsing-i at the Gary Martin Kung Fu centre, south-west sydney.

I started martial arts at the age of 12 and after a delusional run of 2-1/2 years with GKR 'Karate', I realised what a sham it was and mingled with a veriety of styles.

I've been training in these arts for the past 2 years, and look forward to many more.

If anyone is familier with the area, gimme a message and we'll talk!

-Marco O

 

Didn't even notice that the Tai Chi Bd. has it's own "intro" thread,...

This is a 'cut 'n paste' of my original entry to the "intro and bios" board.

Hi.

When I was young and lived in NYC and NJ, I studied Tae Kwon Do. I switched to Tang Soo Do when I lived in Pennsylvania. (It may be hard to believe, but I couldn't find a single decent taekwon-do school in the town where I went to college. Fortunately, there were some really solid tang soo do teachers there at the time).

Returning to NY upon graduation, I practiced aikido through my twenties and into my thirties. I also practiced yang style tai chi chuan at this time. I moved to Los Angeles in my late thirties, where an injury sidelined me for an extended period. (Yes, I got injured on the mat.)

About a month ago, a friend and I started taking classes in chen style tajiquan and I'm enjoying it a great deal. Alternating fast and slow movements, I find the chen style silk reeling drills and forms teach a whip-like, spiraling quality which lends it has a very different feel from the yang forms, which felt kind of 'stately' by comparison. Previous experience has made it a bit easier to 'pick up' the gross mechanics of the chen style beginner forms which is a pleasent surprise as previous "switches" (say from tang soo do to aikido) required a long period of shaking off old habits before I could "get into the groove of things" at the new school. (Watching my friend stuggle with some aspects of the movement, I sometimes think those interested in the chen style might be better served if they studied the yang style for a while before taking up the chen style.) And of course, it's good to exercise regularly again, and learn something new.

I must admit, there are times I miss aikido, but my back can't take the constant rolls and falls anymore.

Finally as to my life "off the mat" (or whatever the taijiquan equivalent is - "outside the kwoon"?), I read a lot and am a big fan of foriegn films. Lately I've been picking up a good number of films (on DVD) from South Korea, Mainland China, Thailand and Hong Kong. There's been a big explosion of quality filmmaking over there these days.

I also used to do a lot of figure drawing, and painted in oils for a time, but I have neither the space or the time for those practices these days.

I look forward to sharing information with, and learning from, you all.

 

Hi all – I’ve been looking for a place to find others interested in Tai Chi who like to visit and share – looks like I’ve found it. Yawl seem to enjoy yourselves while you’re doing it too – this is a good thing in moderation. Uh huh – I said yawl. I’m from Oklahoma and any one of my neighbors will tell you that there is such a plural form of the word you. Lets see – where to start. The beginning I suppose. I’d bet that I fit into the older half of the group here. Lets see – born May 12, 1956 – yep that makes me 49 (and some would say middle aged) on the date of this post. Personally I plan to live way past 100 – so I’m not to the middle yet.

I first got interested in Martial Arts as soon as I got tired of being picked on by the school yard bullies. I played around with several things – but never really got serious until two years ago. The only other time I was exposed to a lot of MA was while in the Army – but most of that I was taught there is simply an excellent way to look good as you get your butt kicked. Some of it is good stuff – but they try to teach you to quickly. I’ve never been a fast study – but I try to learn well. The same with my Academics (BA in History with a minor in Mathematics). I grew up all over – that happens when your father is an Infantry officer. Never spent more than 3 years on one place until I went to college. Then I accepted my own commission and started my own adventures -- in the Artillery. After 5 years the doctors diagnosed me with Crone’s disease – you can find it on the internet if you’re curious. They then gave me a disability an kicked me out. I wish I’d know about Tai Chi then (1983). Tai Chi has done more to help than anything else – with the possible exception of immunosuppressive drugs. In the last two years it has even brought me to the point where I no longer use any kind of pain killer for the arthritic inflammations that sometimes go with it. I’m glad the Veteran’s Administration takes care of my medical issues – that lets me spend my disposable income and spare time at the Kwoon. I began studying Wu Style bout two years ago -- I love it. Sifu teaches the applications as you go learn the long form -- so it takes a little longer than with some teachers. In spite of how slowly I seem to be picking up the sequences (having a job and other interests really gets in the way) I am learning. I'm hooked -- somebody reel me in....

Other than that I spend a lot of time at Work, at Church and working on my house.

 

Marco,
Does your teacher Sifu Gary Martin have a website? Would love to have a look.
Cheers, Soggycat

 

Unfortunately he doesn't, which is a shame since the school is fairly popular (last count was 600 members or something). whereabouts are you located?
-Marco

 

(Aware I'm doing it as well, but) both the above posts could have been pm's and not clogged this thread with off topic stuff imo
If any mod's looking in, please delete all three can you?
:Angel:

 

Hello All

I have been seriously(?) involved in chi gong and martial arts since the mid-1990s, during which time I have trained in Yang and Wudang Taijiquan, Baguazhang, Wing Chun and Systema. Prior to this I had brief dabblings (and I mean brief) with Judo, Ju Jutsu and TKD.

Yang Taiji-wise I spent about 4 years with the John Ding school (mostly under Brian Nuttall), 10 months with Bob Fermor (student of Deng Er Qian) and a few months with Paul Brecher of the Erle Montaigue system. I also trained briefly with Glen Blythe in the Huang Shen Shyan system - this was really good stuff!

Also spent 1 year with Niel Rosiak in DD's Wudang system.

For the last 3 years I have been 'freelance' and teaching an amalgamated 'Yang' style to a small number of people.

Outside of Taiji, I work as a physical therapist (sports injuries) and am a student of Osteopathy (3 years in). I am also a student of Systema under Rob P (since 2001) and run a class for Systema U.K in Letchworth, Herts.