School T-Shirts

For those hot days, we welcome students to wear plain t-shirts (no logos) or our various school shirts, which can be ordered through your instructor.

B/W Full Logo (White, S/M/L/XL)

"Spring & Autumn Martial Arts

Wudang Gongfu, Taijiquan, & Daoist Studies | Orlando, FL"

$20.00 (Student Price @ $18.00)

Zhou Xuan Yun's Pilgrimage Article @ YMAA

My teacher wrote an article for YMAA's news site sharing the story of our pilgrimage this year. Here's a link to it, as it covers much of our experience, and mentions our initiation into Longmen Pai as disciples.

http://ymaa.com/articles/pilgrimage-to-wudang-mountain

Taiyi Wuxing Application Video (Chen Shixing)

Here's the second piece of the sword video posted previously, this time, focusing on the Supreme Principle Five Element Fist Form (Taiyi Wuxing Quan). This is one of the oldest and higher level Wudang internal forms, and the technique being applied is one of the core skills in the formset.

Sword & Training @ Wudang (Chinese TV)

This episode of a Chinese version of Human Weapon features the student traveling to Wudang to pick up a bit of Sword Skill. Although it is in Chinese, it features Chen Shixing, some sword training, and alot of beautiful scenery. Easy enough to pick up just by watching. Feel free to post any questions. :)

Wednesday Qigong Class

Baduanjin, a famous Qigong set.

The practice of Qigong stems from the Daoist art of Daoyin. This non-martial practice focuses on building the health of the body, while developing Qi through the application of intent and breathing. Qigong offers martial artists a root for strengthening and building their health for training and combat, while the average person gains many benefits in awareness, improved breathing skills, meditation, focus, and physical conditioning of the internal ligaments, tendons, and tissues. This practice is often likened to yoga, but is unique in that it is accessible to everyone, and a practitioner's growth is only limited by their dedication, and not by their injuries, flexibility, or physical ailments.

September Newsletter

The September Class Newsletter has just been posted! Make sure to give it a glance. The big news is our new Wednesday Daoist Qigong Class @ 4:30-5:30 prior to our Wudang Martial Arts Class. A few events in the planning, more information on that down the road though.

September Class/Schedule Newsletter

Student Release & Waiver

For those taking classes, or that are attending orientations, it's appreciated if you read over the school waiver, and print a copy out if possible. This waiver covers all information the school requires, along with our student guidelines, our release waivers, etc. for students participating in classes & events.

Student Waiver on Google Docs Here

Panoramic At Wudang

A quick photo from Wudang. This was the view from our hotel at Nanyan.

(click image to enlarge)

Introduction to Wudang Taijiquan, Part 2

[...continued from part 1]

Image by toehk via Flickr

The use of inner alchemy in Taijiquan is an exciting transformation to see in a student. The basic theory through the practice of Taijiquan involves a student to learn to turn strength into qi, and qi into spirit. This idea is the transition of force into suppleness, then suppleness into intent. This process cannot exist only on a martial level though. It is a psychological and spiritual change which takes place over the years of practice and development. In this way, Wudang Taijiquan will begin with what seems like complex physical postures and motions. But over time, one begins to blur the lines between these positions so that it is only their energy or qi carrying them. After experiencing this, the final stage is that of allowing their spirit to guide their qi, which guides their body.

Introduction to Wudang Taijiquan

Image via Wikipedia

The sacred mountains of Wudang are said to be the birthplace of what is now called Internal Martial Arts (Neijia). Here on these mountains, the thought of combining the principles of Taiji (Yin & Yang), the Five Elements, and the Yijing were put into practice with combat theory as gained from the many warriors and military officers who exchanged lessons in self-defense with the wandering monks and priests of the Daoist lineages. By combining these principles and Daoist Inner Alchemy practices with the martial arts, a new theory came to the study of fighting. Going with your enemy's force, guiding and flowing with it, to find the correct moment of change, and return their own energy to them. From these principles, martial arts would now offer protection to the gentle, frail, and small.

Introduction to Wudang Gongfu

Wudang Master Zhou Xuan Yun

The most famous of Kung Fu arts are those hailing from Shaolin. But in China, there is a saying:

"In the north, Shaolin is respected.

In the south, Wudang is revered."

Wudang is most famous for their Taijiquan, which sometimes overshadows the diversity of martial arts found in these secluded mountains. At Wudang, the students begin their training with their own styles of traditional wushu (kung fu). These build the necessary skills for children's innate Yang energy, and condition/discipline their hearts and bodies for the world outside the monastery. Realizing the longterm investment and commitment one must have in their Taijiquan practice, students are offered a more external martial art to begin, which slowly teaches the students how to convert this Li force into Qi. Here is the internalization process most martial arts begin to practice after high levels are reached in ranking systems.

Class Dues for Cash/Check Payment

The following prices are the standard prices for classes if you wish to pay cash or check. These prices are a few dollars cheaper, due to no service fees for processing your credit card through Google Checkout.

"5-Piece Pushing Set" Qigong

At the August 29th, 2010 Qigong Workshop (hosted by the Orlando Martial Arts Meet Up Group), we covered two sets of Qigong; one swinging, one pushing. The following listing is for all those that attended this event, and would like a reminder of the exercises used in the Pushing-Cultivation Set.