A publication of the Canadian Taijiquan FederationUne publication de la Fédération Canadienne de Taijiquan

November 2010 novembre Volume 17 . Issue 4 Numéro

TongRen7/15/09 4:20 PMIching-hexagram-13

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TongRen November/novembre 2010 Volume 17 . Issue 4 Numéro

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Published by the Canadian Taijiquan Federation, P.O. Box 32055, London, Ontario, Canada N5V 5K4

www.canadiantaijiquanfederation.com

Editor: Michelle McMillan, KI DESIGN, Guelph, Ontario <ki.design@sympatico.ca>Copy Editors: Charles Dunphy, Oakville, Ontario & Bob Chessell, Barrie, Ontario

TongRen provides a forum for the discussion, expression, and experience of Taijiquan and related subjects. Articles, reports on events, biographies, letters, book reviews, poems, illustrations, scholarly research, and philosophical musings are welcomed. Please email submissions for consideration for publication in TongRen to the editor, Michelle McMillan <ki.design@sympatico.ca>

TongRen is published quarterly: February, May, August, November. Submissions must be received by the first day of the preceding month to be included. The Editor reserves the right to determine content of each issue. Priority is given to content submitted by CTF members.

Next issue will be published in February 2011Submission deadline: 1 January 2010

TongRen fournit un forum pour discuter, exprimer et vivre le Taijiquan et ses domaines connextes. Articles, reportages, activitiés, biographies, lettres, critiques de livres, poèmes, illustrations, textes savants et réflexions philosophiques sont les bienvenus. Veuillez soumettre tout matériel à fin de publication à la rédactrice de T o n g R e n , M i c h e l l e M c M i l l a n <ki.design@sympatico.ca>

TongRen est publié quatre fois par année, en février, mai, août et novembre. Toute sumission doit être reçue avant le premier du mois qui précède la date de publication. La rédactrice réserve le droit de décider du contenu de chaque numéro. On accorde priorité au contenu soumis par les membres de la FCT.

Le prochain numéro sera publié en février 2011 Datelimite des soumissions: 1 janvier 2010

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CONTENTS ! ! ! ! November 2010 Volume 17 . Issue 4 TABLE DES MATIÈRES ! ! ! Novembre 2010 Volume 17 . 4 Numéro

Article ! ! ! ! ! ! Authour / Auteur! Page

!

Message from the 2010-2011 CTF President! ! Duff Doel! ! ! ! 4 Introducing Your New Board of Directors! ! ! ! ! ! ! 5 What’s New in the North? ! ! ! ! Helene Dobrowolsky! ! 8 The Three Circles! ! ! ! Steve Higgins! ! 10

Cold Mountain Internal Arts 20th Anniversary! ! ! ! ! ! ! 13 Phoenix T’ai Chi Retreat! ! ! ! Steven Holbert! ! ! 14 Short Ride! ! ! ! ! ! Sophia Nikolakakos 15 Team Teaching In The Chinese Martial Arts Robin Young ! 16 The Tournament Rationale (Part I of two articles)!! Steve Higgins! ! ! 20

Breath in Venice: AquaVenice 2010! ! ! Sam Masich!! ! ! 22 Jill Heath & Adriaan Blaauw Workshops! ! advertisement! ! ! 25 Congratulations Ji Hong Tai Chi School! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 26 Events/Événements! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 27 CTF Mission & Membership Information! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 28

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by contributing authors and advertisers do not necessarily reflect the policies or beliefs of the Canadian Taijiquan Federation; its executive, Board of Directors, Editor, or members collectively or individually. All material in this publication is provided as information only and should not be construed as medical advice or instruction. No physical activity or medical action should be initiated based on the contents of this publication. Always consult appropriate health care professionals. The Editor reserves the right to edit or decline submissions. All rights reserved by the Canadian Taijiquan Federation under the authority of its executive.

Décharge: Les opinions exprimées dans TongRen par les auteurs et les annonceurs ne reflètent pas nécessairement la politique ou les positions de la Fédération Canadienne de Taijiquan, de son conseil d’administration, de ses dirigeants ou de ses membres, collectivement on individuellement. Tout matériel dans TongRen n’a qu’une valeur informative et ne constitue en rien des avis on des directives médicaux. Aucune activité physique ou action médicale ne devrait être enterprise en fonction du contenu de TongRen. Il est recommandé de toujours consulter un spécialiste de la santé avant de s’y engager. La rédaction se réserve le droit de revoir ou de refuser tout matériel soumis. Tous droits réservés par la Fédération Canadienne de Taijiquan en conformité avec le mandat de ses dirigeants.

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TongRen

TongRen (T’ung-jen)TongRen is the 13th hexagram of the I Ching (Yijing)meaning “Fellowship” or “Sameness with People”.

“Sameness with people means other people and oneself are as one. As for the qualities of the hexagram, above is heaven, strong, and below is fire, luminous: employing strength with illumination, making illumination effective by strength, being truthful within and adept without, developing oneself and others as well, it is therefore called sameness with people. “

The Taoist I Ching (trans. Thomas Cleary, Shambala Publications, 1986 ISBN 0-87773-352-X bk)

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Hi All,!

I am honoured to have the opportunity to introduce myself here in

Tongren, as the new President of the Canadian Taijiquan Federation.

It is an interesting time in which we find ourselves. The world is in

turmoil. There is a dramatically increased incidence of natural disasters

worldwide. Political and economic systems that seemed invulnerable are

on the brink of failing. And, on the other side of the world from us, there

is an ever increasing threat of major, perhaps global war. And yet, we

also live in a time when the world at large enjoys the greatest amount of

peace in recorded history. A large percentage of the world lives with a

degree of civil liberties never experienced since the dawn of civilization. We have luxuries and

technologies that even a couple of decades ago were the stuff of science.

Isn’t that a lot like Taiji?

We are a Federation, a National Federation of people who come together with one thing in common. We

all practice Taijiquan. We all are seeking to be in the flow, in harmony. This is something to celebrate.

And just like the world, we have fun and we have struggles. Just like the world we are evolving, and I

believe, just like the world we are evolving toward greater peace, greater harmony.

I have practiced martial arts in one form or another (with a few breaks along the way) since 1969. During

that time I have lived several lives ranging from being a senior technical professional at IBM to teaching

Energy Awareness and Perception, often to very mainstream audiences. From this I have learned the

value of continual self-examination, the value of continually “beginning again”. I have recently gone

through yet another major shift in my life which has thrown all my cards on the table to be sorted and

rearranged. And over the last while as I have been dealing myself out a new hand, I found a book that I

thought I had lost. It is a beautiful metaphor for the process of beginning again. In 1978 I read a book

that opened a door to a whole new world for me. That book was: “Embrace Tiger, Return to Mountain”

by Al Chung-liang Huang. It changed my life in ways that would take pages of print to even begin to

describe. And, now 32 years later I find myself reading it again with the same joy and wonder I felt so

long ago.

To me it is not co-incidental that this should come about just as I take on the responsibility of President

of the CTF. It is a reminder to me to approach this with the beginner’s mind, without preconceptions,

without the baggage of the past.

There have already been, over the last few years some very positive changes. This Tongren appearing in

an electronic form is but one good example. I am excited about the possibilities that lie ahead as we

continue to evolve toward harmony and peace.

In service,

R. Duff Doel

Duff has been a teacher of Taijiquan since 1980. He has practiced such martial arts as Judo, Karate, Hap

Ki Do and Taijiquan. After many decades of seeking, practising, teaching and working with these

energies, and as an initiated Master in the Usui System of Reiki Healing, Duff has developed his own

syllabus of training in energy awareness, perception and interaction. Duff lives and teaches in the

Dundas, Ontario, area.

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A Message from the CTF 2010-11 President: Duff Doel

Introducing Your 2010-2011 CTF Board Members

Vice-President & Webmaster: Ian Sinclair

In 1979, Ian Sinclair began his training in Taijiquan (Tai Chi), Qigong, and Chinese martial arts. Ian has studied with Grandmaster, Shouyu Liang and Sam Masich. His training has focused on Taijiquan (Tai Chi) and other Neijia wushu styles such as Xingyiquan and Baguazhang, esoteric qigong, and oriental healing methods. Since the late 1980’s Ian has taught private and group lessons, led seminars, and worked as a consultant and performer for film, TV and stage. Now living and teaching in Orillia, Ian has dedicated himself to making the world a better place and improving lives by offering quality instruction for body, mind and spirit.

Treasurer: Steven Holbert

Steven Holbert has been a Taiji player for about twenty-six years. He started with Gloria Jenner at the London Y, and worked with several teachers for a few years. In 1998 he returned to Gloria’s teaching at the Phoenix T’ai Chi Centre. About six years ago he began to do some teaching with her guidance, and became a teacher with the Centre in 2004. He is now certified as a teacher with the Phoenix T’ai Chi Centre and with the Canadian Taijiquan Federation. Steve has been a member of the Canadian Taijiquan Federation for eight years and is serving a second term as Treasurer. Steven is retired from full time nursing. He maintains a small private practice in capacity assessments, and he continues as an active member of various professional groups. He and his wife have four children and three grandchildren to keep them busy during "free time".

Secretary: Judith MacKay-Kowalski CTF Board Member: Secretary, Senior Level Instructor and member of CTF since 1994. Judith currently studies Tai Chi Chuan with Ian Sinclair of Cloud Mountain in Orillia. She received her Tai Chi Chuan Fa Teacher Certificate from David Lau of the Huan Zhong Taijiquan Group in Toronto in 1994; Shibashi Qigong Teacher Certificate from Wing Cheung of The Feng Shui Institute in Hong Kong, China in 2009; Teacher and Adult Training Certificate from Georgian College; Life Skills Coach Certificate from the Association of Life Skills Coaches of Ontario; and Ontario Teachers Certificate from the Toronto Board of Education. She!teaches

a credit course in Tai Chi Chuan at Georgian College Barrie and Orillia Campus which she developed and has been conducting since 1996, Recreational Tai Chi Chuan Courses for Orillia Parks and Recreation, Adaptive Tai Chi and Chi Kung Course At St. Paul's United Church in Orillia and a full Taijiquan, Qigong and Meditation Course at her home based Chenoa Studio,!since 1986. For more information see the CTF Website School Directory. She has also had experience as a health educator while working for the Ontario Ministry of Health, the Annishnaebe Training Circle! and at Georgian College.

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Past President & Certification Chair: Carol O”Connor

Carol has been a Taiji player for twelve years with a background in Karate.! Sifu Steve Higgins has been her Taiji mentor and an enormous influence and support. ! Carol is an RMT and currently practises in Kincardine, Ontario. teaching Taiji part time, and serves as Past President of the CTF.

Membership Chair: Tanya Korovkin

Tanya Korovkin started Taijiquan training in 2000 in Quito, Ecuador. Since 2002 she has been studying Taijiquan and Qigong with Steve Higgins at Cold Mountain Internal Arts in Kitchener, Ontario. She has also studied with Helen Wu (fan), Jill Heath (sword), and Sam Masich (sword). Tanya is a level -one Associate Instructor certified by the CTF and Assistant Instructor at Cold Mountain Internal Arts. She has developed experimental Taiji and Qigong forms based on animal (dragon) essences. She conducts workshops and performs Taijiquan for various organizations. She competed in the Canadian Open Taijiquan

Championships, held in Toronto, Ontario, where she earned a silver medal in traditional Yang srtyle Taijiquan and Yang style sword and a bronze medal in Sabre. Tanya lives in Waterloo, Ontario.

TongRen Editor: Michelle McMillan

Michelle is a Senior Level Instructor of Taijiquan certified by the CTF and has been the Editor of TongRen, the quarterly newsletter of the CTF, since 2003. She founded Green Dragon Qigong & Taijiquan in Guelph, Ontario in 1994, where she continues to learn and teach. She has studied Qigong and Taijiquan with Dr. Zaiwen Shen, Dr. Yang Jwing-Ming, and Sam Masich. She is a Recognized Therapeutic Touch Practitioner, through the Therapeutic Touch Network of Ontario, practicing since 1994. Michelle is Retail Manager at Homewood Health Centre, a mental health facility, where she also teaches Qigong and practices Horticultural Therapy.

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Special Welcome to our New CTF Board Members

Jan Bentley-Fogolin

Jan Bentley-Fogolin has been involved in Tai Chi for ten years, those years have been spent at Cold Mountain Internal Arts in Kitchener, Ontario, learning with Steve Higgings. !Jan's main focus is on the Old Yang form,but also does the 16, Single Fan, Cannon Fist, Crane form and is now getting around to learning the 108. !She has had the!privilege!of taking seminars with Ed Cooper, Jonathan Krehm, Jill Heath and Sam Masich. !Jan has her Level One Instructor's certificate from the CTF. !

Jan is a potter by profession and a member of both the Hamilton and Waterloo Potters' Guilds. !She has her own business, Polar Pottery in Kitchener.

Susan Walker

Susan Walker has been a student of Taijiquan since 1981. She became a student of Grand Master Eddie Wu Kwong Yu in 1985, and a formal disciple in 1992. During her time at Wu’s Tai Chi Chuan Academy in Toronto, Ontario, she has been very active in sparring and competitions. She also continues to be a member of the Demonstration Team with plans of competing in the 54 Competition Round Form and weapons forms in upcoming tournaments. She writes, "Tai Chi Chuan has become an essential part of my life and I particularly love playing tai chi chuan in wide open spaces under big blue skies."

Paul Dempsey

Paul Dempsey has been a disciple of Grand Master Eddie Wu Kwong Yu T3QI[á since 2002. He joined Wu's Tai Chi Chuan Academy in 1995 and has been the Beginners Class chief instructor since 1997. Paul was elected Vice-President of the club in 2003. Paul is both a martial artist and an artist of many disciplines. At present, he is an Associate Professor at the Ontario College of Art and Design and is also a Hand Gun Safety Instructor at the Toronto Revolver Club.

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After enjoying a brilliant Yukon summer highlighted by our weekly practice in Shipyards Park, Tai Chi Yukon is well into a busy autumn. In mid September we began offering 10 classes including four that are geared to our very popular seniors program.

We are very pleased to welcome instructor Pam Boyde, home from her two year adventure with the Vancouver Olympics torch program. As well as taking on four classes, Pam recently taught at a special weekend retreat. On October 16 and 17, sixteen of us headed north of town to the tranquil setting of Sundog Retreat for an

intensive session in the traditional Yang Family Style Tai Chi Chuan hand form.

On October 16, we held our AGM during a pleasant lunch catered by the Sundog staff. After two very busy and fruitful years, Jo-Ann Gates retired as president and Pam Boyde was acclaimed to this post. Many thanks to Jo-Ann for her good sense, creativity and hard work, particularly in steering us through our eventful 20th anniversary year.

In other news, on September 18th Helene and her husband Rob hosted an instructors’ exchange and play day at their wilderness dojo. Six of us practiced together and enjoyed a potluck lunch. On October 2nd, Laura Beattie led us in a two-hour session on Push Hands. On most Saturdays, a small group meets under Laura’s direction to play with partner work. We continue to offer special sessions to a variety of groups from Yukon College students to clients of the Mental Health Services, Healthy Living

Program.

We wish all our fellow instructors and students a rewarding season of diligent practice and new insights.

Helene Dobrowolsky is a Tai Chi Yukon instructor and secretary for the association. She is the Yukon correspondent for the CTF. To learn more about TCY, see the website: www.taichi-yukon.ca.!

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What’s New in the North? Notes from our Yukon Correspondent: Helene Dobrowolsky

Hiking during our instructors’ play day. L-R:

Jo-Ann Gates, Lisa Pan, Helene Dobrowolsky, Joan Wilson

(seated) and Pam Boyde. Cheryl Buchan took this photo.

!

Many of the participants from Tai Chi Yukon’s recent weekend event at Sundog Retreat.

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On October 2nd. at Cold Mountain Internal Arts in Kitchener-Waterloo, I team-taught a two-hour session with Sam Masich on the principle of resting-in. My introduction to the session consisted of a very old exercise I had learned about 20 years before from a student of Liang Shou-yu and had revisited in a book by John Loupos.

This physical drill reprises Jou Tsung Hwa’s teaching of the “Three Circles” and is, I believe, one of the root exercises of Tai Chi Chuan. This drill teaches “sinking the qi” and involves:

• suspending the crown• dropping the elbows and shoulder• containing the chest• plucking up the back • relaxing the waist, etc. • resting into the hips• relaxing the back• dropping internally

It will immediately be appreciated that all but the last, which is my addition (but is not original to me as it is referred to in The Tai Chi Classics), are explicitly included in Yang Cheng Fu’s “Ten Essential Points” and refer, not to a progression of skills attainment, but to ONE THING. This one thing is the key to Tai Chi skill and stance, and is a pre-requisite to the attainment of skill in any Tai Chi Chuan style.

Jou Tsung Hwa taught “the doctrine of the three circles”. The first circle is empty and represents the primordial mind of Zen, the mind preceding any stress or exposure to conditioning factors. In terms of the Torah or Old Testament of the Christian Bible, this in psychic terms represents the time when all is “…without form and void, and darkness floats upon the face of the abyss.”

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The Three Circlesby Steve Higgins

Illustration from The Tao of Tai-Chi Chuan, Way To Rejuvenation, Jou, Tsung Hwa. Warwick, New York, USA: Tai Chi Foundation, 1991. p.89

In physical manifestation, this is the Wuji-bu or Primordial stance. One stands with a slight “sit”, so that there is a crease at the hips, the lower back is flattened, the tailbone settled and the knees slightly bent. Feet are parallel, the crown of the head suspended so that the gaze is straight to front and the cervical vertebrae are straightened as though the skull floats on the column of the spine. The shoulders fall naturally, so that the chest is not actively rounded, but contained; simultaneously, this causes a slight rounding or softness to the upper back which is achieved through relaxation and settling-in, rather than any kind of muscular or postural intervention. The torso is relaxed, and not

necessarily perpendicular to the ground. The effect of all this is a feeling of internal dropping and resting-in. There also may be sensations of heat rising, particular up the back.

The waist / yao and hips / kua are free of tension. The mind is kept in a state of non-fixated awareness. One way of achieving this is to pretend that someone is going to quietly come up behind you and whisper a precious secret in your ear, and that you must listen and be ready to receive it. In other words: receptivity and awareness! Breathing is natural and not directed.

The next circle has a dot in the center and represents a state of ideation: “And God said, ‘Let there be light….’”. This is the state of undifferentiated Tai Chi, where Yin and Yang are present, but not yet manifested. In other words, there is now focus and intention.

In physical terms, the training partner, without applying any physical pressure, places his/her hands on the practitioner’s hip and shoulder. The practitioner is aware of the touch of the hands. There may be certain micro-adjustments at this point, as the practitioner knows that pressure is coming, but such adjustments should be externally imperceptible if the initial posture was correct.

The next stage is best introduced progressively, and represents the separation of Yin and Yang into the Tai Chi symbol with which we are familiar. In terms of scripture, “And he separated the light from the darkness….”: the training partner gently presses with both hands down into the practitioner’s near-side foot. The practitioner connects with this energy and settles into his/her structure. The legs are accepting the load; the upper body is quiescent.

The training partner, with no interruption to the pressure, redirects the stress diagonally across and down into the practitioner’s opposite foot. The practitioner’s weight shifts more to this foot, but the receiving posture is undisturbed. There is a sense, in the practitioner of internal dropping, and all the points mentioned above are present. There is no sense of active resistance.

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Sam Masich demonstrates “resting in” with Phyllis Benjamin. Photo by Robin Young

Finally, the pressure is once again re-directed straight across horizontal with the ground. The near-side foot may become unweighted, yet the posture does not change, although a bit more sinking may occur. Central equilibrium remains intact in the receiving practitioner, and there is no tension. In fact, if the receiving practitioner experimentally adds tension to the structure by flexing a buttock or an arm, they will swiftly be off their feet!

Please note that in this drill the pressure is to be applied gently and constantly. It should approach the recipient’s limit, but never exceed it. This is an intimate process in which trust is involved. The objective is NOT to see if the practitioner “can take it”! There should be no sense of competitiveness or testing. In this exercise, Yin and Yang have separated yet remain mutually interdependent. Yang is represented by the practitioner’s settling into his structure in response to the imposed stress. Yin is represented by the resultant ability to support that stress. In terms of I Jing, Heaven rests in and Earth supports. When this drill is mastered, similar methods can be adapted to working with other postures of the Tai Chi form. As covered in our seminar on October 2nd, there are traditional means of instantly applying this mechanism to contact, and to putting it in motion through the drill known as “Tai Chi walking” or “river walking”. These can be examined in future installments.

It is our belief at Cold Mountain Internal Arts that Tai Chi is a yoga: a means of yoking body and mind. In essence, we seek to affect internal psychic states through external physical means. The practice of the martial art is a means of perfecting this. It therefore follows that the physical exercise described here has psychic implications; that under stress one should respond with a settling into one’s core structure, rather than with tension. This exercise is what “sinking the qi” is about. When perfected, certain sensations become apparent, which can perhaps be best examined from a Qigong perspective at some other time.

This response mechanism is counter-intuitive and points to the central paradox of Tai Chi training. On the one hand we are enjoined by Taoist sources, such as the Tao Te Ching that we need to somehow return to a state of unconditioned innocence and primordiality, yet our primordial instinct, when confronted by danger, is fight or flight!

This exercise, so key to all Tai Chi postures, provides the answer. What is required is that we aspire to a state of cultivated primitivism; that we learn to depend upon what is within our spiritual core, in psychic terms, in order to deal with the stresses that life imposes upon us. Tension will only detract with our ability to cope. Acceptance and settling-in will help us stay on our feet, able to respond to the stormy waves of life.

In the Tai Chi form we start and end with this posture. What happens between “Commencement” and “Conclusion of Tai Chi” is just a matter of putting this posture into motion in order to deal with various kinds of applied stress. The elements if Yin and Yang, supporting and resting-in, must animate all the postures and movements of the Tai Chi form – and this applies equally to all styles.

But the greater struggle is to be able to instinctively apply this method in dealing with the storms of life. This is what real “internalism” is all about!

Steve Higgins has been a Director of the CTF, served on many CTF committees, demonstrated at countless events, hosted a series of Teacher Training seminars, and is a long-time contributor to TongRen. His first martial arts teacher was his father who taught him elements of Jujitsu as a child. Since then he has studied many other martial arts such as Ba Gwa, Xing Yi, and various forms of Taiiquan including weapon forms. His major teachers include Dr. Shen Zaiwen, Grandmaster Jou Tsunghwa, and Master Sam Masich. He has published articles on Taijiquan and Qigong internationally and is the chief instructor for Cold Mountain Internal Arts in Kitchener, Ontario. www.stevehiggins.ca

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The 20th Anniversary Celebrationof Cold Mountain Internal Arts

October 2, 2010

Congratulations!

Steve and Kaarina Higgins surrounded by Taiji friends & family after the 20th anniversary celebration of the founding of Steve’s club in Kitchener, Ontario, Cold Mountain Internal Arts. The celebration included a traditional Chinese Lion Dance by Robin Young and the Jing Mo Kung Fu Club Lion Dancers from Guelph and Toronto, Ontario, a series of excellent Taiji and Martial Art demonstrations, a delicious potluck feast, many heartwarming speeches, presentations of gifts and giveaways and a rousing singalong accompanied by Sam Masich on the guitar... The prcoeedings were planned and orchestrated by Alpha Montemayor and Lisbeth Haddad and the room beautifully decorated with original scrolls handpainted by Jan Fogolin.

The Canadian Taijiquan Federation was greatly appreciative of being able to hold its 2010 Annual General Meeting in conjunction with this celebration. Thanks Steve, Alpha and Lisbeth. It was a grand day!

August 2010 found us again at Five Oaks, on the Grand River, for Phoenix T'ai Chi ‘s sixth retreat in this lovely setting. Sixteen T'ai Chi players from Southwestern Ontario joined together for three days of practice and exchange.

Tanya Korovkin and Jan Bentley-Fogolin from Cold Mountain Internal Arts (Kitchener) joined us to share their experience with T'ai Chi and Qigong. Jan had developed a Crane form and led us through an introduction to the form – very good for opening the chest and balancing. Tanya took us through the Dragon Qigong that she had developed. We learned the first two sections and later played with the short form.

Despite hopes for outdoor activity, we had a wet afternoon on Saturday. Practice indoors in the New Hall proved humid. That evening participants were given the task of developing a short T'ai Chi set, incorporating invented moves or postures from any internal art. Four groups created a set and demonstrated them for each other, using such moves as “the tree pose”, “dove flaps it wings”, “fountain hands”, and invented moves like “pick up grandson, move to hip, oops, pick up grandson again”. The names given were “Lotus Tai Chi”, “The Five Organic Forms”, “Team Yellow”, and “Hitting Tiger Punching Dragon”.

Unable to use the fire pit, socializing occurred in the dining room. Accompanied by Marlene's harmonica, many recalled old camp songs. Fellowship wrapped up our retreat with a gathering in the New Hall to share farewells.

Five Oaks is an education and retreat centre operated by the United Church. The site is located at the confluence of the Grand River and Whiteman's Creek, near Paris, Ontario. It includes several buildings for lodging and meetings, a labyrinth on the grounds and nature trails. It is a beautiful and spiritual place for personal and group retreats.

Gloria Jenner established the Phoenix T'ai Chi Centre in London, Ontario in 1988. Retreats have been a part of the Centre's ongoing practice in Yang Family T'ai Chi since that time.

Steven Holbert has been a T’ai Chi player for about twenty-six years. He started with Gloria Jenner at the London Y, and worked with several teachers for a few years. In 1998 he returned to Gloria’s teaching at the Phoenix T’ai Chi Centre. About six years ago he began to do some teaching with her guidance, and became a teacher with the Centre in 2004. He is now certified as a teacher with the Phoenix T’ai Chi Centre and with the Canadian Taijiquan Federation. Steve has been a member of the Canadian Taijiquan Federation for eight years and is serving a second term as Treasurer. Steven is retired from full time nursing. He maintains a small private practice in capacity assessments, and he continues as an active member of various professional groups. He and his wife have four children and three grandchildren to keep them busy during "free time".

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Phoenix T'ai Chi RetreatBy Steve Holbert

!

Short ride_____________________________________________

!

MorningThe promise of time ahead

Glorious sunshineblue, blue, blue sky

heat of the sun"encompassing my skinair caressing my limbs

strong unforgiving wind,pushing me"forward

pushing me backthe voice of the wind in my ear

the voices of birds along the waythe brilliance of colour surrounding me

the smell of treesthe sweet smell of flowers

the smell of the earththe feeling of strength in my legs climbing

the feeling of strength in my legs"speeding downhillglorious,

glorious freedomfreedom from thought and worry

freedom from myselfreturn home

feeling of releasefeeling of lightnessfeeling of happiness

face of a small puppy waiting on my stepssmall wiggle as I scratch

a drink to quench my thirsta stretch

now to face the day

_____________________________________________"

(A!tai chi moment in my day, cycling)Sophia Nikolakakos

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!

Sophie Nikolakakos has studied Taiji for the past!4 years, most recently with Sifu Steve Higgins at Cold

Mountain Internal Arts in Kitchener, Ontario and Master Haibin Gao. An enthusiastic road cyclist, Sophie also enjoys Latin!and!Ballroom dancing, as well as Argentine Tango.

Robin Young (on right) with his Sifu James Lore

“What shall I teach them?”

“Teach them what you want them to know...”

Team teaching in Chinese Martial Arts can be both rewarding and an important learning experience for new instructors. A senior student can bring a variety of experiences to the training hall but sometimes does not yet have the “on the floor” teaching experience or the teaching confidence yet. Sometimes there is a tendency to default to “warrior” teaching, effective for some learning students but not for all. Almost all new Chinese Martial Art teachers, admittedly or not, find teaching for the first time difficult.

Traditions

Traditionally, Chinese Martial Art instruction is one teacher in front of the class, leading and motivating the students. He or she demonstrates and explains the martial movement and then the class then follows and practises that movement. Even with other instructors present, the teachers often work solo. Generally, there is a martial pecking order, where the Master and school owner is the most experienced and will teach on their own. Other instructors may assist in a lower capacity, perhaps walking about the class making corrections. This aspect most likely continues from the original military traditions of one leader, many followers. Many senior students begin their martial teaching careers by teaching the new or beginner students with little strategies and little supervision.

Until relatively recently in the martial art world, most instructors taught by mimicking their own instructors and their teaching methods. Understandably, that was all they had to go on. Many Asian martial cultures expect this. There was no Martial Art Instructor Training Program for newer instructors coming up through the ranks. There were no teaching style inventories or student learning styles analysis; no one ever used Bloom’s Taxonomy or Garner’s Multiple Intelligences; no adapting to the learner needs or implementing alternate teaching styles as are seen in many formal teaching institutions. Many senior martial art students were simply told to teach and they would teach. They were promoted to the front of the class, sometimes with great fanfare and formal ceremony, other times through instructor desperation. In some cases they inherited a school and the students as a result of the absence of their own teacher due to his or her changes in life directions, such as retirement, a change in activity commitment or ill health. Perhaps it was because of the untimely death of their teacher.

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Team Teaching in the Chinese Martial Arts

By Robin Young

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Being required to teach could lead to new instructor assumptions regarding how to pass along martial information, attitude, culture, and history, as well as the extremely complex physical techniques in Chinese Martial Arts. In many of these cases, instruction technique defaulted to “do what I say, follow me and don’t ask questions”. It involved hidden (or not so hidden) anxiety, personality and insecurities. It involved assumed intrinsic and/or extrinsic competition between the students and the new instructor... or even between the new instructor and his or her own teacher.

Once a martial art instructor is caught up in administration, recruiting new students and teaching several classes a week, there is little time to explore or implement alternate teaching strategies, even if he or she were aware of them. There is little time to even train new instructors as there is just too much to do running a school. That said, taking the time and opportunity to explore team teaching can be a surprisingly rewarding experience.

Types of Team Teaching

There are various types of team teaching that can be directly applied to the Chinese Martial Arts. This approach can consist of two teachers or more, depending on the class size, techniques to be covered and available teaching resources at the martial art school. Commonly, team teaching includes dividing the large class into smaller groups, with different instructors either teaching identical content, or each instructor teaching separate content and the small groups rotating through each instructor area, eventually being exposed to all of the content and practice opportunities. In some cases, one teacher will demonstrate a skill and the other instructors will circulate as the students practice, answering questions, correcting, reinforcing information and encouraging students. There may be available martial teaching resources, such as striking pads, shields and mannequins, or even VCRs, data projectors, guest speakers, and so on.

Team teaching members increase student safety in a classroom where intense martial activity such as partner work, sparring and weapons practise is taking place. They are invaluable in higher risk

activities such as sparring or grappling, where the parameters of the exercise increase participant risk and decrease overall instructor awareness and control. Being many places on the training floor at one time, team teaching instructors can increase safety, interact with other instructors and take advantage of non-scheduled, on the spot teaching moments as they come up.

Advantages to New Martial Art Teachers

There are many advantages to having a new martial art teacher team up with an experienced martial teacher in the school. Team teaching can ease new martial instructors into their new role with the more experienced teacher modeling curriculum delivery, depth of physical practise, uniform deportment, attitude and behaviour. Each teacher can build off of the other’s experiences, demonstrations, comments and themes, building confidence in the new teacher. Each can subtly and respectfully “rescue” the other if material is missed, incorrect or unknown. One can bring the other back on topic if he or she moves away from the agreed upon theme or techniques of the class, controlling the instructional pace and ensuring content coverage.

Team teaching presents a uniformed instructional approach and cooperative image to the students in the class as well as the greater Chinese Martial Arts community. Team teaching can build confidence and a sense of self-efficacy in the new martial instructor and allow for professional and personal growth in a new and sometimes unforgiving environment of teaching.

Advantages to Students

Martial students will benefit from the combination of the new instructor and the experienced master. The students receive two different perspectives of skill and knowledge, both in instruction and practise. They can receive two views of a topic, with the new teacher drawing on personal practises and experiences and the experienced teacher detailing themes, technique and application. The students witness cooperative teaching, a variety of teaching styles and varying approaches to delivery, increasing the richness of the class. Learner attention is

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maintained as a result of two teachers in physically different areas of the classroom, taking turns with verbal and supplementary delivery. The students are forced to shift their cognitive and visual focus from one teacher to the other, aiding in retention. Even as a temporary event, students find the experience unique and a break from the one-teacher-one-class tradition.

Complications

Having two or more martial instructors in front of the class can be risky, challenging and difficult. It may not be the best approach for all Chinese Martial Art schools. Overall, there has to be an acceptance of the senior instructor to allow the new instructor to find his or her teaching comfort. There has to be a mutual respect present while at the same time, awareness and respect that there still exists a master and student relationship. Becoming a new martial teacher does not dissolve the sentiment of the Martial Way with respect to one’s senior. Becoming a new teacher does not put the new instructor on equal status with the master. This can be tricky... it has lead to teacher-student confusion, conflict and even the dissolution of schools.

Team teaching takes time. The instructors have to plan ahead, agree on the division of material, delivery and evaluation, if any. Both instructors have to stay organized before and during their class. Both have to be on the same instructional “wavelength” to avoid contradicting each other or going on tangents from the topic being presented, eating up valuable classroom time and leading to student confusion. Professional and personal egos have to be held in check to avoid subconscious or direct competition and “one upping” the other in front of the class. This is a real danger if the senior instructor is not ready to accept alternate teaching styles in the school. It can lead to confusion and loss of respect from the class. New martial instructors can feel intimidated by the more experienced teacher. This can take on obvious or not-so-obvious manifestations. There might be a sense of ownership by the senior instructor, leading to subtle or direct undermining of the new instructor. This can interfere with confidence, delivery and classroom presence. The opposite is

also true, with the experienced teacher feeling intimidated by a more outgoing, direct, personable new instructor. All egos have to be considered when developing new instructors.

With a large class divided into small groups of students, each with a team teaching instructor, there is a risk that the continuity and replication of content will be compromised, with one group getting different information than the other. Evaluations may differ, creating unspoken contention among the students. The senior instructor has to be conscious of the overall running of the team-taught class and ensure continuity. If there is a concern, the corrections have to be made without compromising the newer instructor’s integrity, ego and sense of self-efficacy.

Successful team instruction has much to do with compatible teaching personalities. When presenting with an incompatible teaching partner, the experience can be dreadful, with frustrations, contradictions, poor delivery, poor timing, lack of presentation, loss of class control and loss of personal and professional integrity. Emotions can become involved and distrust created. Confusion, anger, frustration and loss of respect and trust can on occur the student side of the training hall.

And finally, many Chinese Martial Art instructors prefer to teach on their own and are very uncomfortable with sharing the training floor. Teaching Chinese Martial Arts has traditionally taken an authoritarian approach. Once on the training floor, the class is that instructor’s domain. Others attempting to take on instruction are seen as challenging authority. Team teaching is not something he or she would prefer and when it does occur, it can be a stressful and unsatisfying experience. Last Words

Team teaching in the Chinese Martial Arts can be an excellent learning experience for a new martial instructor. It is a gentle approach to inducting a new instructor into the higher echelon of the school, building confidence and offering a friendly, generous and cooperative hand as they teach the many complexities of the martial arts. Itleads to strong teachers, strong students and strong schools.

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Robin Young teaches Lor’s Hung Kuen Kung Fu as Sifu of Jing Mo Kung Fu club at Temple Studios in Guelph, Ontario. He is a professor and coordinator of the Paramedic Program at Conestoga College and has also worked in Professional Development at Humber College in Toronto, focussing on new faculty training. He can be reached at willyoung@rogers.com

Above: Jing Mo logo

Left: Robin Young during his early years teaching at Sifu James Lore’s Jing Mo Kung Fu club in Toronto, Ontario

2009 COTTQA Medalists from Cold Mountain Internal Arts with Sifu Steve Higgins: Alpha

Montemayor, Carol O”Connor, Sopie Nikolakakos, Tanya Korovkin

Some members of the CTF have long and distinguished careers as tournament competitors. While I myself have judged tournaments, I must confess that I have long regarded them with a somewhat jaundiced eye. However I have often demonstrated forms, including at tournaments, and strongly believe that both tournaments and public performances have their places in a rounded Taijiquan career.

About 15 years ago Dr. Paul Lam predicted that a schism would develop in the Tai Chi community between traditionalists, and modernists interested in tournament competition. He identified a number of factors contributing to this, including:

1. exaggeratedly low stances,2. exaggeratedly high kicks, 3. ‘stop action’ movement, where the competitor

would briefly freeze to give the judges a ‘snapshot’ of the posture, and

4. development of movements designed to demonstrate gymnastic ability, lacking in combative practicality.

(I’m working from memory here, as I cannot locate his original letter which was published in Tai Chi magazine.)

This prediction has to an extent come true (thankfully, the “stop action” feature has not won acceptance!), the damage being somewhat mitigated by parallel competition in “International” and “Traditional” divisions within the same tournament. In addition, a “Tai Chi Wushu” division has come into being, some of the compulsory moves of which seem both completely impractical as well as potentially injurious - particularly to the knees.

The effect is also to be felt within the traditional division. At one recent tournament I judged, we were instructed to give competitors in the traditional Chen division extra marks for low stances. My personal belief is that height of stance is immaterial, the definitive criteria of excellence being concerned with quality of movement and internalism. (Further, my own research indicates that the fixation on low stances that one sees in modern Chen style Tai Chi is of comparatively recent provenance, but I shall leave this argument for sages more expert than me.)

There is also a bleeding of style-elements across the “International” / “Traditional” boundary. Although the “Orthodox Simplified Twenty-four Posture Tai Chi” form, developed by a committee chaired by Li Tian Ji in the PRC back in the 1950’s, is most correctly identified as a central component of the Xin (modern) style, for most practitioners it is considered to be a short Yang form. It is therefore only natural that elements of this form, which are not characteristic of the traditional Yang, are becoming generally accepted and are not being penalized in the traditional Yang style division. These include:

• perpendicularity of torso• unchambered palm strikes in “Brush Knee” and

“Repulse Monkey”,• substitution of “Pull Down” for “Roll Back” in

Grasp Sparrow’s Tail, etc.

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The Tournament Rationale (Part I of two articles)By Steve Higgins

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This is a very cursory summation; I am not touching on many elements, some of which concern the international Olympic movement and the drive for the acceptance of Wushu in general (including Tai Chi!) as an accepted Olympic category. With regards to this, it is of note that most tournaments now generally fall under the aegis of provincial Wushu organizations, such as Wushu Ontario, and are organized under the larger umbrella of Wushu Canada. All of these organizations are supported by government funding.

I have been involved with the CTF since about 4 years after its inception. I have sensed in the CTF an anti-establishmentarian strain, and a disinclination to become involved in the political issues outlined above; however, I have come to feel that this is shortsighted, and that there are definite benefits to tournament involvement. These observations are in part inspired by my own club members’ reaction to participation in the Canadian Opens in Toronto:

• Dr. Johnson is reported to have said that nothing focuses the mind so much as the prospect of being hanged in the morning! A tournament event, with the prospect of being judged, focuses the mind and gives the practitioner something tangible to work toward – a deadline by which time one wants to have achieved certain goals.

• A tournament is a reality check. It allows you to see how you and your club shape up in comparison to whatever else is out there. In one sobering case, I remember a young man who turned up at a CCKSF event, equipped only with a slowed-down Shaolin form. He found out that his instructor had sold him a bill of goods!

• A tournament provides one with access to additional expertise. If you compete, make a point of seeking out the judges after, to ask them for suggestions as to how you may improve! It surprises me that so few take advantage of this opportunity. Most judges will welcome your questions.

• A tournament puts you in touch with a much larger Tai Chi community. There are thousands and thousands of Tai Chi practitioners out there

who do not even know that the CTF exists! But many of them are at tournaments! Competing puts you in touch with fellow enthusiasts you may otherwise never meet, and allows great opportunity for the cultivation of friendships.

There is one other element, which can be a great benefit of competition, but at an organizational and community level. That is that competition can boost membership. I would love to see the CTF membership committee seriously consider starting a small annual CTF tournament.

• It should be officially sanctioned, and billed as a way to prepare participants for competition on a larger stage, such as The Canadian Opens.

• Within the CTF we have high-level tournament experience. Sam Masich, whose teachings have had an impact upon many CTF members, has achieved many gold medals internationally, and Past presidents and CTF Elders Jonathan Krehm and Jill Heath have competed internationally with great distinction. They are generous with their knowledge and would be eminently suited to preparing members with a better understanding of what is involved.

• This could be done through a series of workshops for CTF members, which again could be a good draw for new members.

What tournaments do NOT provide is a ranking as to ‘who’s best’. Judging criteria are, and will remain, contentious and variable. Sometimes politics can come into play, as well as poor organization. It is unfortunate when this happens, but one must be undiscouraged and persevere!

The point is that involvement in the tournament scene is a way to build energy, enthusiasm, community and membership, and should be under energetic consideration by our CTF executive!

Steve Higgins has been Sifu of Cold Mountain

Internal Arts in Kitchener, Ontario since 1990 and is a registered Taijiquan tournament judge.

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Floating Root

The illustration on the cover of the AquaVenice brochure depicts the city of Venice, looking something like a futuristic space station, floating in a bubble, with roots dangling below. It was my first time in this city and it does seem an impossible place. A city of over a quarter million people with no cars. Upon arriving at Piazzale Roma I was met by event organizer (and creator of the above mentioned drawing) Franco Mescola who promptly brought me onto his boat for a small canal tour of the city and to take me to the Isle of St. Erasmos where proceedings were already underway.!

Franco could be described as a ‘classical man’. A proud native of Venice, he speaks fondly of the histories and mysteries of the churches, palazzos and bridges that stand astride the intricate

waterways. For him there is a kind of ancient connection between venerable Venezia and the ideas and principles of Chinese martial arts and health practices. He points to a bridge and relates how young men from one side of the canal would challenge their ‘over-there’ rivals and have fierce fighting matches on the overpasses until one was finally thrown or thumped into the channel.!

The leg stability required by gondoliers and other boatsmen also speaks to the relationship between Venetian daily life and the Chinese art Franco, at 74 years of age, works tirelessly to promote. As we cross to the island Franco and I discuss the theories of ‘bio-spiraling’ detailed in his newly released book. I’m already starting to see water differently as we wind our way through the city and the verities of Taiji philosophy.

St. Erasmo: Work

When we arrive at the event location, Il Lato Azzurro, ! I am pleased to see a friend from Tai Chi Caledonia, Master Faye Yip, putting a large group of students through their paces with a straight-sword. Faye, from Wolverhampton, England by-way-of Beijing, is one of eleven AquaVenice instructors hailing from seven countries. Faye is part of the ‘Yin-Yang’ part of the

Breath in Venice: AquaVenice 2010by Sam Masich"

Franco Mescola working with participants

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seminar which is broken into three parts: ‘Yin’, ‘Yin-Yang’ and ‘Yang’. Each segment is three days long—the first (‘Yin’) concentrating on qigong meditation and energetic practices; the second (‘Yin-Yang’) more on active forms—fan, sword and long stick were taught; and the third (‘Yang’), focusing on elements of push-hands and martial applications.!

Ronnie Robinson, the person who tasked me with the writing of this article, arrived a few hours later. It was nice to see another friend from Caledonia but it dawned on me quickly: I wouldn’t be getting any sleep in Italy. Ronnie was also part of the ‘Yang’ team and gave excellent workshops on dalü—an often overlooked aspect of Taiji training—and on ways to approach martial application in a lighter way. The three days also gave me an opportunity to see Gianni Groppelli whose Yang-style based work focused on tui shou and specific Taiji energies such as lü and an.

Franco’s work focused on applications derived from a compiled art called Xuan Chuan (translated something like ‘dark, profound boxing’) and from his metodo biospirali which employs an understanding of physiology and the workings of the nervous system. My own work focused on the relationship between zhan-nian jin (sticking-adhering energy) and Taijiquan as a martial art, the idea being that solutions come out

of connection rather than from any pre-planned routine of responses. I found the students to be attentive, respectful, appreciative and hard-working. While there was much translating going on at all times, I found there to be a good flow and rhythm to the classes. Since only one instructor presents in any given time-slot there are nor distractions or diversions from the class and all the students attending the event are present.

During an economic time where many Taiji events are seeing lower turnouts this event was packed with participants from all over Europe. In the evenings there was plenty of well spirited push-hands free-play and I found myself enjoying the touch of a good many players. I could feel a lot of sincerity in these sessions and a desire for self-improvement amongst the participants.

St. Erasmo: Play

There aren’t so many dining options on St. Erasmo but we went to some really great places. The beachside café near the event featured plenty of sea-fare and one restaurant on an adjacent island was worth the entire trip! Italians seem to know something about food that is hard to describe and which must be experienced.

AquaVenice swordplayers

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Everything was good. I think the meal gatherings helped set the tone for the final night’s beach party which was held around a giant bonfire, music pounding, people dancing, Taiji’ing and Qigong’ing. One man in a circle of people linked together by ‘resting-in’ and ‘supporting‘ each others’ arms (drawn from the afternoon’s zhan-nian classes) shouted, “It’s my new religion!”. Franco’s dedicated students generously prepared all day for the sandy event, some missing classes to do so. There was an incredible fish-fry with the inevitable Campari-Aperol spritzers making the rounds.

The following morning (some bohemians had been at it until four a.m.) there was an on-ocean push-hands competition where the combatants teetered on two thick (but slightly bendy) planks which were lain astride a pair of boats. The judges (including me) stood in the Adriatic up to their chests as the matches raged. After the matches were all decided, I had to get up and give it a try. This is a good set of conditions for challenging your balance and footing. The planks create one set of moving variables and the boats another. Then of course there are the attempts of your partner to make you lose balance. The movement below can become part of the strategy. Of course the worst that can happen is that one can get knocked into the water. Not that I’d know.

For me the event, as full as it was, was a chance to take a breath and admire the beauty of human achievement and spirit—architecture, internal art,

cuisine and play. It’s an ancient place, Venice, really world of its own. I couldn’t imagine a better introduction to the city or to Italy than to visit Franco’s crowd at AquaVenice.

Special thanks to: Franco, Marzia, Verena, Tony, Massimo and Ronnie.!

A passionate and gifted teacher, Taijiquan andQigong expert Sam Masich, inspires studentsalong their path. Having studied the internalmartial arts most of his life, Sam is one of themost accomplished “new generation”practitioners of Taijiquan. A Canadian, he haslearned from many of the great Masters,including Liang Shouyu, Dr. Yang Jwing-Ming,Jou Tsung Hwa, Yang Zhenduo, and Chen XiaoWang. He has distinguished himself incompetition as a gold medalist in the USA and asa member of the Canada’s National Wushu Teamhas competed in China garnering gold medalsand praise for his performances. Sam is thetechnical consultant for the TV series “BlackSash” and is the subject of two documentaries.He is an author, a musician, and has producedmany top-rated instructional films availablethrough his website: www.sammasich.com

AquaVenice Water Push Hands competition on

boat in Adriatic Sea

Saturday / Sunday workshops & Free Friday Push Handsin Gatineau, Quebec

Saturday Workshops in Milton, Ontario

November 2010 – June 2011

Taiji For Two, Empty Hand & Sword, 5-Section Chen, Taji Fan, Push Hands for all!

with Adriaan Blaauw & Jill Heath

Information: Adriaan Blaauw: ablaauw@sympatico.ca or Jill Heath: jillmheath@earthlink.net

Fees & Payment (per curriculum): $50 each 3-hour workshop; $40 if previous in series attended. $40 each 2-hour workshop; $30 if previous in series attended. Pay in full in advance for six 3-hour workshops: $225. Pay in full in advance for six 2-hour workshops: $170. You may pay via cash, cheque or electronically (email transfer, hyperWALLET, PayPal).Gatineau: Attend entire weekend for $120; $90 if previous in series attended. Pay in full in advance for six entire weekends: $500. Push hands are free and all levels of experience are welcome.

Push hands: Not a formal class, but an opportunity to cross hands in an informal environment with other players of varying levels of experience, training backgrounds, and styles. Some instruction available.

Chen: The study of Chen continues via the 5-section form, including solo and two-person work. Newcomers welcome

Taiji For Two: Empty Hand: Two-person empty hand study including work on the 5-section 2-person choreography. Partner work helps to develop greater understanding of techniques and energies. In turn, this transfers greater depth to solo practice as the movements acquire more meaning to the practitioner.

Taiji For Two: Sword: Two-person sword study, including work on that rarity in taiji: a two-person sword form, in this case, the 5-section. Partner work helps to develop greater understanding of sword techniques and energies. In turn, this transfers greater depth to solo sword practice, much in the same way that studying two-person empty-hand work can improve solo form.

Taiji Fan: Both veteran fan wielders and newcomers are welcome. Refinement of form for those who are already familiar with the choreography. Introduction to the Flying Rainbow Fan Routine for newcomers.

PLEASE NOTE: Fan class taught by Jill; Empty Hand by Adriaan. Other classes team-taught by both.

Milton Seniors Activity Centre, 500 Childs Drive, Milton, OntarioChen (11am-1pm); Empty Hand (2-4 pm); Sword (5:30-8:30 pm)

New this time! Taiji Fan (2-4pm)Chen, Empty Hand & Taiji Fan in Activity Room; Sword in Games Room

Saturday 13 November 2010 Saturday 4 December2 010 Saturday 08 January 2011Saturday 12 February 2011 Saturday 05 March 2011 Saturday 02 April 2011 Saturday 04 June 2011

Centre de Tai Chi Gilles Vaillant, 109 rue Wright, Gatineau, QuebecFREE FRIDAYS! Push hands free play zones! All are welcome!

Sword (1-4 pm Sat.); Empty Hand (12-2 pm Sun.); Chen (2:30-4:30 pm Sun.)

Friday - Sunday 05-07 November 2010 Friday - Sunday 10-12 December 2010 Friday - Sunday 14-16 January 2011 Friday - Sunday 18-20 February 2011 Friday - Sunday 11-13 March 2011 Friday - Sunday 08-10 April 2011 Friday - Sunday 10-12 June 2011

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A Taste of China 2010 Autumn Qigong Retreat

Eighteen Luohan Qigong Exercises (Sets 10-18)

& Balancing the Heart: Medical Qigong

with Dr. Jay Dunbar

5 – 7 November 2010

Winchester, Virginia, USA

Contact: Pat Rice (540)667-7595

www.atoctaijiquan

"

Qigong Workshop: Tai Chi Ruler Exercises,

The Big Wild Goose Qigong

with Gloria Jenner, Phoenix Tai Chi Centre

Sunday 7 November 2010

Hosted by Circle of Friends Tai Chi Club

761 Main Street East Unit 3, Milton, Ontario

Contact: Mary or Roger Hansell!!(905)854- 0314 or (416) 662- 4906 mrhansell@hotmail.com

Stacking the Bones: An individualized approach to better alignment

with Joe DeShaw

Saturday 6 November 2010, 8 January & 19 February 2011

!9 am - 1 pm

Embrace the Moon, 1716 NW Market, Seattle, WA, USA

Contact: Kim Ivy (206) 789-0993 kim@embracethemoon.com

Using Chin Na in Chi Sau & Push Hands

with John Oliver Peel & Valerie Houston – Peel

Sunday 28 November 2010 (10 am - 3 pm)

Temple Knights Wu Shu Academy

info@templeknights.com

705 767-1177

www.templeknights.com

Practical Fighting Methods

with Tim Cartmell

Sponsored by Rochester Chen Style Taijiquan

Saturday 27 – Sunday 28 November 2010

West Martial Arts, 13 South Ave., Webster, NY, USA

Contact: Bob Loce (585) 402-5126 rloce@rochester.rr.com

www.shenwu.com/background.htm

Taiji Workshops

with Jill Heath & Adriaan Blaauw

Sword (1-4 pm Sat.)

Empty Hand (12-2 pm Sun.)

Chen (2:30-4:30 pm Sun.)

FREE FRIDAYS Push hands free play zones

Friday - Sunday 05-07 November 2010

Friday - Sunday 10-12 December 2010

Friday - Sunday 14-16 January 2011

Centre de Tai Chi Gilles Vaillant, 109 rue Wright, Gatineau, Quebec

Contact: Adriaan Blaauw: ablaauw@sympatico.ca

Jill Heath: jillmheath@earthlink.net

Taiji Workshops

with Jill Heath & Adriaan Blaauw

Chen (11am-1pm)

Empty Hand (2-4 pm)

Sword (5:30-8:30 pm)

Taiji Fan (2-4pm)

Saturday 13 November 2010

Saturday 4 December 2 010

Saturday 08 January 2011

Milton Seniors Activity Centre, 500 Childs Drive, Milton, Ontario

Contact: Adriaan Blaauw: ablaauw@sympatico.ca

Jill Heath: jillmheath@earthlink.net

EVENTS / Événements

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Canadian Taijiquan Federation / Fédération Canadienne de TaijiquanA registered Non-Profit Corporation / Un organisme à but non-lucratif dument enregistré

1. To encourage development in the practice of Taijiquan and preserve its characteristics as an expression of Chinese culture and philosophy.

2. To stimulate public awareness of and participation in Taijiquan.

3. To inclusively link practitioners of Taijiquan from various styles and traditions without precedence – whether as individuals or gathered in groups, clubs and organizations across Canada – as they join the Federation family.

4. To network nationally and internationally with other Taijiquan practitioners, groups, clubs and organizations with the aim of broadening and strengthening the Canadian Taijiquan experience.

1. Encourager la pratique du taijiquan et préserver son caractère culturel et philosophique chinois.

2. Stimuler la connaissance et la participation du grand public en matière de taijiquan.

3. Relier tous les praticiens de taijiquan, peu importe les styles et les traditions, qu’ils soient seuls ou affiliés, partout au Canada.

4. Élargir et renforcer l’expérience canadienne du taijiquan en créant un réseau national et international pour les individus, les groupes, les clubs, et les autres organisations.

Annual CTF membership includes:

• A subscription to the CTF’s quarterly journal TongRen

• One complementary official CTF crest for each new membership

Benefits of CTF membership:

• Access to Taijiquan Teacher Training workshops sponsored by the CTF and facilitated by experienced Taijiiquan teachers

• Access to the CTF Taijiquan Teacher Certification program

• Email notices of CTF-related news and upcoming events

• Access to the ‘members-only’ section of the CTF website which includes expanded event postings and links, an archive of back issues of TongRen, photographs, blogs and forums

• Postings to the public-access pages of the CTF website for your club/school, workshops/seminars and other Taiji-related events

• Opportunities to connect, meet, share and further your Taijiquan-related knowledge and experience with other practitioners

• Opportunities to get involved and make a difference in the Taijiquan community by sitting on the CTF Board of Directors and its various committees (volunteer)

• Discounted enrollment is often extended to CTF members for workshops and activities organized by CTF members

• Purchase of official CTF T-Shirts and crests

Une membriété annuelle vous offre:

• Un abonnement à TongRen, la revue trimestrielle de la FCT, que vous recevrez par la poste

• Un écusson gratuit de la FCT si vous êtes un nouveau membre

Avantages supplémentaires:

• Accès aux ateliers de formation des instructeurs, ateliers parrainés par la FCT et donnés par des enseignants chevronnés

• Accès au programme de la FCT de certification des enseignants de taijiquan

• Avis électroniques des nouvelles et des événements à venir de la FCT

• Accès à la section!pour les!membres du site web de la FCT qui présente une liste étoffée des événements et des liens, les anciens numéros de TongRen, des photos, des blogs et des forums

• Pages publiques pour annoncer votre organisme, vos ateliers et tout autre événement lié au taiji

• Des occasions de contacts, de rencontres et de partages avec des praticiens du taiji pour accroître vos connaissances et votre expérience

• Des occasions de vous engager comme bénévoles et d'influencer la communauté du taiji en joignant le Conseil d'administration de la FCT et ses multiples comités

• Des inscriptions à tarif réduit à des ateliers et activités organisés par!nos membres

• Possibilité d'acheter les t-shirts et les écussons de la FCT

Membership / Membriété

Mission

!

! Name/Nom: __________________________________________________________________________

! Address/Adresse: _____________________________________________________________________

! ! ! _____________________________________________________________________!

! Country/Pays: ___________________________ Postal Code/Code postal: ___________________

! Telephone/Téléphone:

! Home/Domicile: _____________________________ Work/Travail: __________________________

! Email/Courriel: ________________________ Website/Site web: _____________________________

! Student of/Étudiant de: ________________________________________________________________ ! Club/Organization/Organisme: _________________________________________________________

! Instructor for/Enseignant pour: _________________________________________________________ ! Club/Organization/Organisme: _________________________________________________________

! Forms Studied/Formes étudiées: ________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

Individual membership $35 (Canadian or US) / Family membership $50 (Canadian or US)Membriété personnelle 35$ (canadiens ou américains) / Membriété familiale 50$ (canadiens ou américains)

Please copy and mail completed membership form along with your cheque or money order to:Veuillez envoyer le formulaire dûment rempli et accompagné d’un chèque ou d’un mandat à la:

! ! ! ! !

! ! ! ! ! Canadian Taijiquan Federation! ! ! ! ! P.O. Box 32055! ! ! ! ! London, Ontario! ! ! ! ! Canada N5V 5K4

You can also register or renew your membership online. Vous pouvez aussi devenir membre ou renouveler votre membriété en ligne.

www.canadiantaijiquanfederation.com

Canadian Taijiquan Federation Membership Application Form

Formulaire d’ Inscription à la Fédération Canadienne de Taijiquan

www.canadiantaijiquanfederation.com