My attempts to make regular bi-weekly entries into this site have met a bit of a challenge lately, but a challenge that I embrace with great love and enthusiasm. At the age of forty-three, I became a father for the first time in August.

So, you will understand that I have been quite pre-occupied, with my wife and daughter becoming my main priority.
I must say that you never really appreciates the stories told by new parents until it happens to you. The the lack of sleep, the emotions, the joy, the sense of awe, the lack of sleep, the lack of sleep, the ...
I am starting to get back on track, and will be making more progress over the next month or so. In the meantime, thank you all for your patience and your support at this wonderful time.

It is with a sad heart that I pass on the news that Sensei Dave Harris has passed on.

Dave Harris MFA was a legend in life to those who knew of him. But he never sought fame, even though he could have owned the spotlight if he wanted to. In the words of Jesse Glover, “Dave Harris is one of the greatest unknown martial artists in the world.”

Those who knew of Dave’s skills were in awe of him. His abilities to sense intent and redirect energy made for some magical demonstrations. Those most impressed were experienced martial artists with considerable skill themselves.

When people first begin to learn martial arts they see the many styles as being very from each other. In fact they are just different paths up the same mountain. When a master approaches the top of the mountain all paths converge. Dave Harris was one of those to whom all martial arts were the same. This showed in his skill as well. As Andy Dale has said, “When aikidokas watched Dave they thought he was doing excellent Aikido. A wing chun student assumed he was doing soft style wingchun. a taiji person would assume Dave’s art was taiji and the bagua practitioner, bagua. After forty-five years of study, they were all the same to Dave.”

Perhaps one of the reasons that he was not better known was the fact that many of the skills that he demonstrated were often misunderstood by less experienced martial artists. He would invite visiting experts to attack him full force with all their cunning and skill. When they subsequently picked themselves off the ground, both the “attacker” and the spectators would be at a loss to explain what he had done. He could manipulate your mind and your frame reference in very subtle ways. He did so seemingly by employing a degree of rapport that left you convinced that you must have wanted to fall down. He could uproot you with a glance, and would often tease his students and others by keeping them on the edge of balance and unable to either recover or to fall.

Dave was a humble and generous teacher who never withheld secrets that could be shared. His teaching often extended beyond the regular class times.

Dave had been teaching ”Beginner’s Mind Karate” in Seattle since the early 1960s and also learned from such notable martial arts teachers as Tchoung Tatchen, Raymond Y.M. Chung, Yueng Fook, and many others. His styles included karate, aikijutsu, baguazhang, wingchun, and taijiquan. He was a certified teacher of Tchoung’s tai chi system, and the heir to Master Yueng’s system. (Current heirs to that system now include Andy Dale and Steve Smith.)

He was also an artist, art teacher, potter and jazz aficionado. (and who knows what else?)

In recent years, Dave had switched to a lighter teaching schedule in order to spend more time caring for his wife Geri. But his Monday and Wednesday classes will be greatly missed by his students.

Please take a moment to pray for or send good thoughts to Dave’s family, friends and students.

There are memorials to Dave Harris at www.wuji.com the www.thelittledojo.com

To Dave Harris, we owe a great debt of gratitude for a life well lived, an example well set, and a legacy that we will not forget.

- Ian Sinclair

While there has been some delay, the instructional videos are currently in production and will be online soon. If all goes as planned, the first few videos will be posted by the end of this month. Many of the upcoming videos will be free online, while some will be custom videos designed for current students who are either training in Orillia or taking private lessons online.

Please forgive the delay. I have been very busy lately designing curricula, lesson plans, such. Fortunately there is light at the end of the tunnel, and I will be back to a more predictable schedule soon.

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

It has been just over three years that Cloud Mountain Martial Arts and Wellness Centre has been at this location. As predicted, it seems that is about the length of time it takes for people to start acknowledging the existence of a new business. People are now coming in and asking how long we have been here, invariably to be surprised that they didn't notice us sooner.

When people do come in, however, they realise that they know more about us than they thought. Word of mouth advertising has been working far better than anything we could have paid for. People who know about us do talk about us and recommend us to their friends and family. After three years in one location, the neighbours might not know exactly where we are. But they know what we do.

The word isn't just spreading around town, either. It is spreading around the world. We have already had visitors from the USA, Europe, Japan and Australia come by to visit and to train. And with the online classes allowing us to teach around the world, making an appointment for a private lesson is almost as easy for a European as it is for an Orillian.

I find the international interest in what I do to be very flattering. We all know that there are many masters out there more famous than I am, with better skill and experience than I have. But for some students, my teaching method and knowledge base seems to work for them. I know that not every teacher is right for every student, and not every student is right for every teacher. But when there is a functional rapport, it is like destiny. (緣分 yuánfèn)
I am learning to trust destiny. It has been working out well for me so far. Some students will not like what I have to offer, and I turn some students away if I think there is a better teacher for them. I trust that they will find what is right for them, and I will find the right students for me.

For, when a student does find that this school is for them, I take it as a solemn responsibility to be as generous and fair with them as my teachers have been with me. Masters Liang and Masich, in particular, were never shy about giving me the best teaching at the appropriate time. I was sometimes a terrible student, and sometimes disrespectful, selfish and lazy. But they never gave up on me. And while I may not have done all that I could to earn the respect they have shown me, I can certainly try to learn from their example.

So, Cloud Mountain Martial Arts and Wellness Centre enters a new phase. I re-affirm my dedication to my students. I will do the best I can to gain knowledge, to share knowledge, and to be the best teacher I can be. I will continue to teach not just to pass on the physical, mental and emotional skills of the internal arts, but to seek internal and external balance, harmony and peace. I will do what I can to make the World a better place, one person at a time.

OBBWC
Pure Martial Arts
Official Website: www.obbwc.com
Movie Trailer: OBBWC Trailer

Dear Instructor,

The martial art community needs your help and that of your students.

Martial arts, although widely participated in, have never received the high level of recognition and popularity that other sports have gotten. Considering how long the arts have existed, it has been only recently that they have been accepted into the Olympics.

This lack of recognition needs to change.

The 1st Open Black Belt World Championship (OBBWC) has taken the first big step by bringing pure martial art championships to the big screen. On October 20, 2007, the OBBWC will be featured in select Cineplex theatres throughout Canada. This one-time afternoon showing is an opportunity to view martial arts at its best.

The OBBWC promotes all martial art styles (Chinese, Japanese, & Korean) and encourages the martial art community to work and stand together. No matter what your art, you are a part of the martial art community and your attendance will help to further the recognition and popularity that martial arts deserve, and in turn help you.

Please inform your students of this showing and encourage them to attend. Through a communal effort, we can succeed!

Tickets and Cineplex locations can be found at www.cineplex.com

For every 10 people you bring, one free admission ticket will be awarded. For more information on this special go to www.obbwc.com or email us at kungfu@rogers.com

We look forward to having you attend.  

With kind regards,   

Werner Leuschner - Founder of the OBBWC



OBBWC Press Release:

For Immediate Release

1st Open Black Belt World Championship Hits the Big Screen
In High-Definition Exclusively at Select Cineplex Entertainment Theatres
Toronto, ON (CGX.UN) September 19, 2007 – Wing Chun & Escrima International Ltd and Cineplex Entertainment are pleased to announce for the first time ever, the release of The 1st OPEN BLACK BELT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP (OBBWC) 2007 on the big screen in High-Definition Saturday October 20th, 2007, exclusively at select Cineplex Entertainment Theatres throughout Canada.

The OBBWC features international martial artists fighting in Chinese, Japanese and Korean disciplines, demonstrations from action movie stars and grandmasters, plus dazzling entertainment by world class group performers.

“We are pleased to offer our guests this exciting opportunity to see martial arts championship matches on our giant screens,” said Pat Marshall, Vice President, Communications and Investor Relations, Cineplex Entertainment. “It should be quite a show seeing these talented athletes dominating our 50-foot screens.”

Advance tickets are available beginning September 21st online at www.cineplex.com as well as at participating theatre box offices. Admission for children ages 3 – 12 and seniors is $9.95 + tax and general admission is $12.95 + tax.

Special guest appearances include…
* Michael Jai White – multiple black belt holder/actor “Spawn”, “Full Contact”, “Exit Wounds”, “Tyson” and a co-star in the new Batman movie, “The Dark Knight”
* Cynthia Rothrock – martial artist/actress (more than 30 martial art movies)
* Don “The Dragon” Wilson –holder of 11 world titles in three different weight classes and world champion 11 years in a row/ actor (“Bloodfist” series), “Batman Forever”, “Redemption”, “Ring of Fire” and “The Last Sentinel”)
* Bill “Superfoot” Wallace – undefeated kickboxing champion and fastest kick, clocked at 100km/h
* Dan “the King of Breaking” Netherland’s attempt to break his Guinness Book of World Records
* Chad Netherland – holder of 10 Guinness Strength Records (including two in the 2008 Guinness Book of World Records edition)
* Performances by the Northern Leg/Southern Fist, Grupo Uniao Na Capoeira, Sifu Toy Chinese Martial Art School, Yudh Gatka Akhara, Grandmasters Germon Miller, Philipman Chow, Robert Cutrell and more.
The 1st Open Black Belt World Championship 2007 will be shown at the following select Cineplex Entertainment theatres throughout Canada:
BRITISH COLUMBIA
Colossus Langley Cinemas 20090 91A Avenue Langley, BC 
SilverCity Riverport Cinemas 14211 Entertainment Way Richmond, BC
Cineplex Odeon Park & Tilford Cinemas 200-333 Brooksbank Avenue North Vancouver, BC
Galaxy Cinemas Nanaimo 213-4750 Rutherford Road Nanaimo, BC
Cineplex Odeon Aberdeen Mall Cinemas 700-1320 Trans Canada Highway Kamloops, BC
ALBERTA
Paramount Chinook Cinemas 6455 MacLeod Trail SW Calgary, AB
Cineplex Odeon Sunridge
Spectrum Cinemas 400-2555 32nd Street Calgary, AB
Scotiabank Theatre Edmonton 8882-170 Street Edmonton, AB
Cineplex Odeon South Edmonton
Cinemas 1525-99th Street Edmonton, AB
SASKATCHEWAN
Galaxy Cinemas Regina 420 McCarthy Boulevard N Regina, SK
Galaxy Cinemas Saskatoon 347 2nd Avenue Saskatoon, SK
MANITOBA
SilverCity Polo Park Cinemas 817 St. James Street, Winnipeg, MB
ONTARIO 
SilverCity Yonge-Eglinton Cinemas 2300 Yonge Street Toronto, ON
Cineplex Odeon Queensway
Cinemas 1025 The Queensway Etobicoke, ON 
Coliseum Scarborough Cinemas 300 Borough Drive Scarborough, ON
SilverCity Richmond Hill Cinemas 8725 Yonge Street Richmond Hill, ON
Coliseum Mississauga Cinemas 309 Rathburn Road West Mississauga, ON
Colossus Vaughan Cinemas 3555 Highway 7 Vaughan, ON
SilverCity Thunder Bay Cinemas 850 North May Street Thunder Bay, ON
Galaxy Cinemas Barrie 72 Commerce Park Drive Barrie, ON
SilverCity Sudbury Cinemas 355 Barrydown Road Sudbury, ON
Galaxy Cinemas Waterloo 550 King Street N Waterloo, ON
Galaxy Cinemas Guelph 485 Woodlawn Road West Guelph, ON
SilverCity London Cinemas 1680 Richmond Street, London, ON
SilverCity Ancaster Cinemas 771 Golf Link Road Ancaster, ON
Cineplex Odeon Niagara Square
Cinemas 7555 Montrose Road Niagara Falls, ON
SilverCity Windsor Cinemas 4611 Walker Road Windsor, ON
Cineplex Odeon South Keys
Cinemas 2214 Bank Street Ottawa, ON
QUEBEC
Cineplex Odeon Brossard Cinemas 9350, boul. Leduc Brossard, PQ
Cineplex Odeon Ste. Foy Cinemas 1200 Boul. Duplessis Ste. Foy, PQ
Scotiabank Theatre Montreal 977 Ste-Catherine West Montreal, PQ
About OBBWC:
The OBBWC’s brainchild is Grandmaster Werner Leuschner, President of Wing Chun &
Escrima International and executive of seven different companies, which vary from land development to import/export. His goal is to unite all martial arts in friendship and to promote the sport to gain the same recognition as other world class events like boxing and the UFC.
About Cineplex Entertainment LP:
Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, Cineplex Entertainment LP owns, leases or has a jointventure interest in 132 theatres with 1,329 screens serving approximately 60 million guests annually. Cineplex Entertainment LP is the largest motion picture exhibitor in Canada operating the following brands: Cineplex Odeon, Galaxy, Famous Players (including Coliseum, Colossus, SilverCity), Cinema City and Scotiabank Theatres. The units of Cineplex Galaxy Income Fund, which owns approximately 75.7% of Cineplex Entertainment LP, are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (symbol CGX.UN). For more information, visit us at www.cineplex.com.
For more information, please contact:
Alex Leuschner OBBWC Communications Wing Chun & Escrima International Ltd. Phone: 519-746-9984 Cell: 519-573-1015
kungfu@rogers.com
www.obbwc.com 
Georgia Sourtzis Manager, Communications Cineplex Entertainment 416-323-6728
georgia.sourtzis@cineplex.com

Tags: Open Black Belt World Championship

After a 10 day break in early August we came back just in time to make last minute preparations for the the Annual Open Black Belt World Championships. We sent 3 competitors from our school, (Ian Sinclair, Johnathan Naughton, and Chris Follet) and were joined by our friend, Nic Langman, a Karate student of local Sensei Gill Gauthier. Some of you may remember Nic from his friendly visits to our club last winter.
To say that we were happy with the outcome would be an understatement. Ian Sinclair entered six events and placed first in all six. Chris Follet brought back four trophies - 3 second and 1 third. John Naughton won 2 second place trophies. Mr. Langman won first in the Semi-contact Kickboxing, and third in Okinawan Kata.
In addition to meeting some legendary martial arts figures and movie stars, we met competitors and masters from many countries. Martial artists from Africa, Brazil, Japan, China, India, Nepal competed, shared, taught, and demonstrated a great variety of styles, some of which we had never seen before.
The event had 200 registrants from 15 countries, although post 9/11 paranoia seems to have caused many competitors to be refused visas. The number of actual attendees was lower than hoped.
There was a great list of guests and dignitaries. The opportunity to visit with high ranking masters from a wide range of martial arts, made the event worth the trip. All of these VIPs agreed that the event itself was one of the best events they had ever seen. Very impressive for its first year.
The most noticeable thing about this event for the competitors was the obvious dedication of the promoters to make the show about the arts and the artists. The events were fair and well organised. The judges were all qualified and marked according to recognised standards.
Too many tournament promoters take advantage of the competitors’ money and time, and give them nothing of value in return. Judges are usually not trained to judge, and sometimes are not even martial artists. Promoters have been known to pick judges out of the audience on the day of the event. How many times have you been at a tournament and heard the words “Could we have a black belt judge to ring 7 please?” Such events make a mockery of themselves and of the competitors who attend. That is why so few schools encourage their students to attend open tournaments.
Fortunately this event has a good chance of changing all that. There was only one ring. The judges were chosen well ahead of time for their qualifications, and represented at least as many countries as the competitors did. The criteria for judging was determined and known well ahead of time by the judges and the competitors.
There were marvelous demonstrations of martial arts from many countries. Chinese Wushu, Sikh Gatka, Brazilian Capoeira, Japanese Jiu Jitsu, African Angolo, Korean Tae Kwan Do and Hapkido, American Kickboxing, Muay Thai, Wing Chun, Tai Chi, and more.
There were celebrity demonstrations by Cynthia Rothrock, Bill “Superfoot” Wallace, Dan and Chad Netherland, Michael Jai White, Don “The Dragon” Wilson, Germon Miller, Klaus Schumacher, Jocelyn Toy, Robert Cutrell, and more.
My hat is off to Werner Leuschner, his family, and all those who helped him put on such a wonderful event.
And to those who missed it, you can watch the event in Cineplex Theatres across Canada on October 20.
All serious traditional martial artists should do their best to attend next year. You will be glad you did.
On another note:
Hong Luck Kung Fu, one of the oldest kung fu clubs in Canada, celebrated their 46th anniversary this August. Kara and Ian Sinclair had the good fortune to attend and join in congratulating Master Paul Chan and his many students.

This summer was a very eventful on several fronts, in spite of what we missed. We missed the A Taste of China seminars in Winchester Virginia this year. (We will likely continue to miss them until the Bill of Rights is restored and the USA becomes a safer place to visit for people with odd professions and unusual surnames. )
Grandmaster Liang hosted a number of excellent seminars in Vancouver. But once again we were unable to attend them this year. Next year we hope to attend with several students from Ontario.
Sam Masich has been busy with seminars and travel. Again, we missed all of his events. Check out sammasich.com for more information about his upcoming seminars.
July started with a successful Canada Day demonstration at Couchiching park in Orillia. We booked a booth of our own this year and performed several demonstrations for appreciative crowds. Many thanks to Chris, John, Ron, Deb, Craig, Marianne, Betty, Kara, and Ian for participating in the demonstrations and helping with the setting up and tearing down.
Also in July, we held seminars for Qigong and Tai Chi. The Kali Escrima Seminar with Guro N. G. was unfortunately cancelled due to low enrolment. We will host another Kali Escrima seminar in November. The exact date will be announced soon.
The Kung Fu Boot Camp went ahead in July in spite of suffering from lower than anticipated enrolment. It was enthusiastically received by those who attended, however. So something similar will probably be held again next year.

Tags: Canada Day Orillia

20 Years of SYL Wushu

On Sunday, May 20, 2007 I had the honour and great good fortune to attend a banquet in Vancouver celebrating the twentieth anniversaries of two organisations founded and cofounded my Teacher, Grand Master Shouyu Liang. One is his school in Vancouver, the SYL Wushu, Taiji, Qigong Institute. The other is the International Wushu Sanshou Dao Association (IWSD), an organisation he founded.

This well run event was the result of months of planning and hard work by Master Helen Liang and several students and volunteers from the school. I estimate that the event was attended by approximately 600 people, including students of the school, their friends and family, honoured guests, dignitaries, and visitors who flew from far and wide.

The first hour was a wonderful series of demonstrations by students and instructors of the SYL Wushu Taiji and Qigong Institute. During the second hour we saw masters’ demonstrations by guests from around the world. I personally have never attended a better run demonstration. The calibre of performance was astounding!

Most importantly for me, it was a chance to see my teachers and friends whom I have missed terribly since leaving Vancouver 5 years ago. It was also a chance to make new friends.

I cannot deny that watching those magnificent demonstrations has inspired me to work much harder to improve my own skills and to provide the best instruction possible for my students.

The Shouyu Liang Wushu, Taiji, Qigong Institute is one of the most influential Wushu schools in North America, teaching traditional and modern Chinese martial arts and healing arts since 1987. As Sam Masich (another teacher of mine and a master of ceremonies for this event) pointed out, there have been times when 80-90% of all the champions in North American Competitions were people who had studied with Grandmaster Liang.

The IWSD now has member schools in many countries. It’s positive influence on the martial arts community continues to grow.

“The IWSD Association is a vehicle for members to learn new skills and to improve their martial arts ability. It functions as a bridge for martial artists all over the world to learn and share their knowledge, and to develop greater camaraderie between martial artists. The IWSD Association recognises and encourages the uniqueness of various styles and traditions, but considers the cultivation of an individual’s ability more important than the distinction that divides one style or tradition from another. The goal of the IWSD includes transcending the boundaries between styles to allow for the integration of a highly practical and versatile systems of martial skill.” - from the IWSD website

Tags: SYL shouyu liang wushu iwssd international wushu sanshou dao association