During the month of July Cloud Mountain will be hosting a number of seminars, including brief evening lectures, half-day workshops, full-day seminars, and week-long day camps. Some of these seminars will run contingent upon enrolment. So, sign up soon and spread the word.

CLOUD MOUNTAIN MARTIAL ARTS DAY CAMP
For teens and adults. All levels. No experience required.
Monday - Friday / 8 am - noon / July 8 - July 26
Orillia Ontario, Canada
www.cloudmountainmartialarts.com
705-770-0279
Individualised instruction including:
Basic training, qigong, solo forms, two-person routines, tuishou, applications, more...
Week One: Taijiquan
Week Two: Xingyiquan
Week Three: Baguazhang
Each day will include basic wushu training and conditioning.
1 week: $ 195, 2 weeks: $ 395, 3 weeks: $ 495

HEALTH
TAI CHI

Though it is known as a martial art, most of the millions who practise tai chi do so for their health. Its medical benefits are the frequent subject of medical studies.

Introduction to Tai Chi (Lecture & Demonstration)
Fri. July 11, 6:30 - 9 pm $15 How is tai chi so good for health? How is it different from other exercise? What does it do for the different systems in the body? Can it help heart disease and hypertension, arthritis, asthma, allergies. Can it help cancer patients?

Tai Chi for Your Health
Sat July 12, 2 pm - 6 pm $55Learn the rarely taught core principles of alignment, breathing, relaxing, and calming the mind. Will include simple movements and basic postures, No experience necessary.

QIGONG

Medical Qigong for Beginners
Sun. July 13, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. $85Learn the qigong exercises which are increasingly being used in hospitals, clinics, and daily life to improve health, strengthen the function of the internal systems, and treat various conditions.

Daoist Qigong for Beginners
Sat. July 26 2 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. $45Daoist qigong has been used for millennia as a tool for achieving longevity as well as for spiritual cultivation. It is also an important adjunct to internal martial arts training.

MARTIAL ARTS

INTRODUCTION TO CHINESE MARTIAL ARTS (Lecture, Demo, and Video)
Fri. July 18, 7 - 9 p.m. $20 There are more than 120 different styles of Chinese wushu (kungfu). Learn some of the differences. Includes video presentations, physical demonstration, stories, philosophy, history, and Q & A.

INTERNAL MARTIAL ARTS Taijiquan, Baguazhang and Xingyiquan
Sat July 19, 2 pm - 7 pm $50Learn the power training and strategies of the Internal Martial Arts that were made famous in the Imperial Palace of the Qing Dynasty.

TUISHOU (“Pushing Hands”) & the MARTIAL TECHNIQUES of TAI CHI
Learn why the original fame of tai chi was due to its effectiveness as a means of self defence. TUISHOU (PUSHING HANDS) Sun July 20, 9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. $45The “secret weapon” of traditional tai chi. Learn to “neutralize 1000 pounds with 4 ounces.” MARTIAL APPLICATIONS OF TAI CHI Sun July 20, 2:30 pm - 6 p.m. $45Learn the applications hidden in the tai chi routines. Learn how important tuishou training is for making the techniques work. Both Seminars: 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. $79

SELF DEFENCE for WOMEN (Level 1)
Sun, July 27, 10 am - 5 pm $75Combining the gentle strategies and mental training of the internal martial arts with the proven techniques used by military & law enforcement personnel.

After 3 summers sweating it out and trying to get a breeze flowing through the studio. I have finally decided to splurge on an air conditioner. It arrived just in time for the hot weather on Friday. Reviews so far are quite good.

Yet, when I mentioned the air conditioning to fellow instructors and school owners from other styles. The immediate reactions is usually a blunt suggestion that we at Cloud Mountain are a "bunch of wimps." They may say it with a smile and a hint of envy. But it does speak of a long tradition of welcoming extreme weather as a valued training partner and worthy opponent.

For those of us from traditional martial arts backgrounds, air conditioning seems a bit like selling out. Several of my teachers have admonished their students for not continuing to train during inclement weather. Teachers from places like Szechuan were certainly accustomed to inclement weather. The practised in the extreme heat and humidity of the summer, and in the extreme cold of winter. They practised year-round in cramped rooms with no insulation or even outdoors. Part of the conditioning was to make the body and mind impervious to the influences of the weather. They would certainly not have thought highly of students who required climate control in order to continue practice.

I justify the air conditioning by explaining that the demographic of this school is not like other martial arts schools. We have a students from a wide age range, various health conditions, and different cultural and geographical origins. Seniors certainly appreciate the cooler air, and most students (not just the women) seem to like the improved aroma.

We have a full slate of classes and seminars planned for this summer. So I expect the air conditioning will get a bit of a workout. Perhaps, with this added level of comfort in the studio, so will the rest of us.

Ian Sinclair will be offering two of the more than 100 seminars expected at the Mixed Martial Arts Expo which takes place at the Toronto International Centre on June 21 - 22.
This is one of the biggest martial arts events in North America. We would like to encourage everyone to either participate in the seminars or attend as spectators.
This is the third year for this event. It has received rave reviews, and promises to be even more exciting this year.

For more information, see the MMA Expo Website:
http://www.mixedmartialartsexpo.com/index.htm

Traditional Martial Artists (TMA)

• hands-on seminars on many of the traditional martial arts
• try a new martial art that you've often wondered about
• check out this brief video from 2006 - click here
• General Public - Just a fan? Or thinking about taking up martial arts?

• participate in FREE Martial Arts 101 sessions
• get all the info you need to find the right school for you
• catch all the action and meet top MMA Celebrities

Everyone - LOTS of contests, draws and raffles. For a list - click here
MMA Fighters/Students - 100+ hands-on seminars just for you

• hit the mats with some MMA greats
• OJA sanctioned/NAGA ranked Grappling Tournament - click here

MMA Fight Fans - meet UFC, PRIDE and TKO Champions!

• Get autographs and photos ~ Ring Girls and MMA celebrities
• shop for fan apparel and collectibles