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Summer Seminars

taijiman7777@yahoo.ca — 2008-06-07T19:24:18-04:00

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 $55 Learn 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. $85 Learn 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. $45 Daoist 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 $50 Learn 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. $45 The “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. $45 Learn 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 $75 Combining the gentle strategies and mental training of the internal martial arts with the proven techniques used by military & law enforcement personnel.

We now have air conditioning!

taijiman7777@yahoo.ca — 2008-06-07T18:47:59-04:00

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 to teach at Mixed Martial Arts Expo June 21-22

taijiman7777@yahoo.ca — 2008-06-07T18:25:46-04:00

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

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

Spring 2008

taijiman7777@yahoo.ca — 2008-05-02T17:43:33-04:00

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.

"No Such Thing as a "Martial-Arts-Style-Beating"

taijiman7777@yahoo.ca — 2008-01-10T15:35:39-05:00

This letter was written to the Packet in Times in Orillia in response to an article printed on Tuesday January 8, 2008.

It was with great dismay that we learned of the attack on Sunday morning by assailants who are alleged to have used “nunchucks” in the attack.

But we were also appalled to read the article describing the attack as a “Martial-arts-style beating” and claiming that the alleged assailant, who is charged with attempted murder, “tore a page form a martial-arts textbook”

There is no such thing as a “martial-arts-style beating!”, and there is no martial arts textbook that advocates such a beating.

It is true that the nunchaku is used by martial artists of several styles (it has many forms and names throughout Asia.) But it originated as a farming implement used to thresh rice or soybeans. So, perhaps you could call Sunday’s unfortunate attack a “farmer-style beating.”

To further this point, please ask yourselves the following question. Since police are the most likely people to carry handguns in this country, would you describe any murder committed using a handgun as a “police-style murder?” I would hope not.

There are at least nine martial arts schools in Orillia. And I am sure that all are equally dismayed by the event on Sunday morning.

As martial arts teachers, we see our profession as a calling to improve the lives of our students and to make the world a better place. Along with teaching practical self-defence, we see the arts we practise as providing many physical, mental and emotional benefits. Beyond that, we actively promote confidence, health, peace of mind, social responsibility, honour, and the traditional martial virtues of compassion, respect, and self-sacrifice.

Our students should be able to defend themselves first by avoiding conflict and the causes of violence. This requires the students to develop an awareness and understanding of their own minds and internal conflict. A calm mind and relaxed body are the first step to developing the body as a weapon. Students who cannot achieve inner peace will never achieve great skill.

Decisive physical action only makes sense when all else has failed. Those who “live by the sword” tend to “die by the sword.” This is a practical consideration, not merely an idealistic one. Strategically, it is not wise to make the first move. But the mind must be trained to recognise when the first move has been made, and intercept it. The violent mind is not capable of making that distinction.

There is no first attack in martial arts. It is not only unethical, it is also simply a bad strategy.

Ian Sinclair
Cloud Mountain Martial Arts
Orillia, Ontario
705-770-0279
www.cloudmountainmartialarts.com
"I have learned that it is the weak who are cruel, and that gentleness is to be expected only from the strong." -Leo Rosten

How important is tuishou (push hands)?

taijiman7777@yahoo.ca — 2007-12-19T22:10:11-05:00

How essential really is push hands? Can we not learn or advance in tai chi without it? Are we not doing real tai chi without knowledge of push hands?

Push hands is a defining characteristic of taijiquan. Along with qigong, forms and application practice, push hands contributes to the physical, mental, spiritual and psychological development of a taiji player. It is seen as a continuation of the practical development that begins with the solo routine and qigong.

Few schools teach tuishou to beginners.
Most schools have optional tuishou classes so that students who do not wish to engage in the practice are not required to do so. There is so much to be gained from the solo practice that most student of taijiquan do very little if any tuishou practice. Even among those who do, few approach the depth or intensity of practice that is possible.

If you are seeking high level martial skill in taiji, it is pretty safe to say that push hands is essential. But push hands is useful even if your purpose for learning taiji is more health and fitness related, or you practice as a means of achieving peace of mind.

Martial arts in general are often practised more for their benefits to mental and physical well-being than for pure combat skill. The reasons for this are deep and complex.

One thing that I tell my students is that push hands - like sanshou, suaijiao, and fencing - is an excellent form of biofeedback. If you want to know if your posture is correct, or to know if you mind is clear, or to know if you are in harmony with the universe then play push hands. If you lose your balance, use force, or get knocked over, then you will know that you have some work to do. Push hands can teach you what your mistakes are and help you to correct them, especially if you have a patient training partner.

If you don't have the opportunity to practice tuishou very often, then occasional practice will inform your solo practice. You can take the lessons learned in push hands and use them to refine your understanding of the forms and your qigong practice.

My teacher once told me that he doubted there were many high level qigong masters who were not also martial artists. I think this may be because martial study is a very efficient way of exposing the delusions, illusions and misperceptions of the ego.

Every thought carries an emotion, every emotion affects the physical body. Refining these things on our own is very difficult. It is like wearing a lamp on our foreheads and looking for our shadow. Solo practice just doesn't give us an objective point of view of ourselves the way push hands does.

There are many stages in push hands practice. And there are many ways to approach it. Beginners should practise in a co-operative and non competitive manner at least until they understand the basics of listening and following. Later it can be quite vigourous.

Having a good teacher, patience, and an open mind are most important.

©Cloud Mountain Martial Arts and Wellness Centre - Orillia, Ontario, Canada

Private Lessons, Group Lessons, Seminars, Online Instruction.
Tai Chi, Qigong, Wushu / Kung Fu, Self Defence, Fitness, Relaxation
Taijiquan (Tai Chi) Xingyiquan, Baguazhang, Wushu / Kung Fu, Suaijiao, Sanshou, Tuishou, Qinna, Self Defence,
Instructor Training, Full-time and Part-time training.

Tuishou (Pushing Hands)

taijiman7777@yahoo.ca — 2007-12-19T20:59:40-05:00

Pushing hands, (推手, tuī shǒu), is a name for two-person training routines practised in internal Chinese martial arts such as baguazhang, Xingyiquan, Taijiquan and Yiquan.

Tuishou is the gateway to the martial aspects of taijiquan. It teaches students the methods and strategies for neutralising an attack without resorting to brute force. Pushing hands counters the normal tendency to react to force with fear and aggression, and allows one instead to respond with natural instinct, softness, and emptiness.

“Health oriented” schools that avoid the martial context of taijiquan still teach tuishou for several reasons. Tuishou is not only used to teach combat skills, but to help students to understand the internal principles of the solo form. It also gives very clear feedback as to the alignment, precision, and relaxation in the student’s posture. The tiniest error in posture can be measured in the pressure or tension that builds up between players or within a person’s own body.

This is why tuishou practice, while often very vigourous, can also be relaxing, calming, and invigorating.

Training with a partner allows a student to develop “tingjing” (listening power), the sensitivity to feel the direction and strength of a partner's attack and redirect it. Tuishou provides a safe environment in which to develop high level martial skills that normal sparring practice seldom allows.

Many students are intimidated by the thought of tuishou. But with the right partners and a good teacher, anyone can find a way to enjoy and benefit from it. Tuishou practice refines form and technique in limitless detail, beginning with basic movement patterns and progressing to profound details in the ways that thought, emotion and postures interact.

The practice of tuishou becomes like a dance the increases in speed and complexity while simultaneously deepening relaxation and awareness.
The students learn to defeat the opponent without using force. Instead of force one develops a profound understanding of the power of softness and emptiness. At a basic level one neutralises the opponent’s force by applying minimal force at right angles to the direction of the opponents attack. At a deeper level, one defeats the opponent by “becoming one with the Universe“ or finding the part of the opponent’s mind that wants to be defeated and allowing that to happen.

The expression used in some taiji schools to describe this is "Give up oneself to follow another."

Pushing hands also teaches students safety habits in regard to their own vital areas, acupuncture points, principles of qinna aspects of massage. At a certain point, pushing hands begins to take on aspects of qigong, as the students learn to co-ordinate their movements in attack and defence with their breathing.

Pushing hands is said by Taiji's Chen family to have been created by Chen Wangting (1600-1680) the founder of the Chen style Tai Chi Chuan and was originally known as hitting hands (da shou) or crossing hands (ke shou). Chen was said to have devised pushing hands methods for both empty hands and armed with spears. Other Taiji schools attribute the invention of pushing hands to Zhang Sanfeng.

In recent history push hands has become a part of modern martial arts tournaments, especially those devoted to internal arts. Within this context, pushing hands is not an exercise to develop skill but a competitive sport.

Training pushing hands

In taijiquan, pushing hands is used to acquaint students with the principles of what are known as the "Eight Gates and Five Steps," eight different leverage applications in the arms accompanied by footwork in a range of motion which proponents say will eventually allow students to defend themselves calmly and competently if attacked. Also known as the "13 original movements of tai chi", a posture expressing each one of these aspects is found in all tai chi styles. Training and push hands competitions generally involve contact but no strikes.

The Eight Gates (八門 bā mén)

Peng (掤) - An upward expansive energy, forward or backward, yielding or offsetting usually with the arms, often translated as "Ward Off." Peng is also described more subtly as an energetic quality that should be present in every taiji movement as a part of the concept of "song" or relaxation, providing the strength to maintain structure when pressed and still avoid tension.
Lü (履) - A sideways, circular yielding movement, often translated as "Roll Back."
Jǐ (擠) - A pressing or squeezing offset in a direction away from the body, usually done with the back of the hand or outside edge of the forearm. Ji is often translated as "press" or “squeeze.”
àn(按) - To offset with the hand, usually a slight lift up with the fingers then a push down with the palm, which can appear as a strike if done quickly. Often translated as "push" or “press.”
Cǎi (採) - To pluck or pick downwards with the hand, especially with the fingertips or palm. The word cai is part of the compound that means to gather, collect or pluck a tea leaf from a branch. Often translated "Pluck."
Lieh (挒, liè) - Lieh means to separate, to twist or to offset with a spiral motion, often while making immobile another part of the body (such as a hand or leg) to split an opponent's body thereby destroying posture and balance. Lieh is often translated as "Split."
Zhǒu (肘) - To strike or push with the elbow. Usually translated as "Elbow Strike" or "Elbow Stroke" or just plain "Elbow." Zhou can include techniques with the knee.
Kào (靠) - To strike or push with the shoulder or upper back. The word k'ao implies leaning or inclining. Usually translated "Shoulder Strike," or "Shoulder."

The Five Steps (五步 wǔ bù):

jìn bù (進步) - Advance.
tùi bù (退步) - Retreat.
zǔo gù (左顧) - Look Left.
yòu pàn (右盼) - Gaze Right.
zhōng dìng (中定) - The central position, balance, equilibrium. Not just the physical centre, but a condition which is expected to be present at all times in the first four steps as well, associated with the concept of rooting (the ability to align the body and mind so that any force, whether internal or external is channelled directly into the ground through a relaxed body and a calm mind.

The Eight Gates correspond to the eight trigrams (Bagua 八卦) described in the Yijing (a classic of the Daoist Cannon.) The Five Steps correspond to the Wuxing 五行 (five elements) (metal, water, wood, fire, and earth.) Collectively they constitute what is referred to as the "Thirteen Postures" and form the essence of taijiquan. The late Master Jou Tsung Hwa presented the 13 postures as the “Master Key” of taijiquan, believing as many do that they defined the art. Following this train of thought, if anyone can embody the 13 postures in their art, whatever that art may be, they could be said to be practising taijiquan.

©Cloud Mountain Martial Arts and Wellness Centre - Orillia, Ontario, Canada

Self Defence

taijiman7777@yahoo.ca — 2007-12-19T20:54:42-05:00

Important points:
Training is not Fighting

During practice, some element of real combat is always put aside, in order to enable students to practise safely. We may regulate speed, or accuracy, or intent, or power, or some other aspect. This is a matter of respect and common sense.

Your goal should be to develop profound skill and awareness. This can only be done in a relaxed state. Part of training is learning how to maintain this relaxed awareness in the face of increasing levels of conflict.

If you let your aggression take over, your pulse rate increases, epinephrine increases, you lose your general awareness and your fine motor skills. Without a calm mind and a relaxed body, there is no high level skill. In this state, you may get lucky and win a fight. But if you train this way you will learn nothing.

Sparring is not Fighting
Sparring is a way to develop specific skills. It must not be taken out of context.

Sparring has rules, is consensual, respectful, fair, and is done with respect for the safety of the training partner. None of this is true in fight.

Don’t come to class to fight! If you want to fight, enter a NHB tournament, and have all of your affairs taken care of.

Results depend on the goal.

If you train for health and fitness, you might not become the best fighter, and vice-versa.
If you train to become a better person, and keep that goal in mind, you will likely achieve your goal.

Martial arts are meditation

Meditation is the process of learning to understand and regulate your own mind. It is like learning to control your sails so the the winds and currents of thought, emotion, and physical circumstances don’t control your life. Martial arts training gives you instant feedback. Is your mind clear? Your opponent will let you know.

There is no best style.

There are superior students and superior teachers. There is no superior martial art. - End of topic.

You may look ridiculous when you practise.

Learn to live with that.

Sometimes you will also look like a god.

Don’t get hung up on that one either.

Train to be natural

Natural instinct is the ultimate weapon. Developing natural instinct takes lots of precise daily training.

Innovation is okay.

But it should be tested well. All ancient traditions were started by someone. The ones that lasted were the ones that worked.

Internal power includes external power.

Amongst the elite, there is often little talk about the superiority of internal or external styles. The elite will have mastered both. In fact, you can’t have internal power without the other.

Fight or Flight

Do one at a time. Don’t mix them up.

Compassion can be Fierce

Violence and suffering are often caused by fear and apathy. In the face of cruelty and suffering, we must be fearless and tenacious.

Balance is a Verb

Entropy wins when we take harmony for granted. And if we don’t constantly strive for better mental, physical, emotional and spiritual balance, we will meet defeated without meeting an enemy.

Respect

When we train with a partner, we salute our partner to indicate that we are each placing our safety in the hands of the other. This attitude is carried with us into the rest of our lives. We learn to take responsibility for others, and to trust them.

©Cloud Mountain Martial Arts and Wellness Centre - Orillia, Ontario, Canada

October 2007

taijiman7777@yahoo.ca — 2007-10-01T20:30:50-04:00

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

August 2007

taijiman7777@yahoo.ca — 2007-08-30T08:27:13-04:00

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.

July 2007

taijiman7777@yahoo.ca — 2007-07-31T20:25:25-04:00

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.

Spring 2007

taijiman7777@yahoo.ca — 2007-06-01T16:49:25-04:00

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

Circles and Straight lines: Tai Chi's direct approach to combat.

taijiman7777@yahoo.ca — 2007-02-19T10:51:13-05:00

The Warrior's Peace

taijiman7777@yahoo.ca — 2003-01-23T21:22:54-05:00

The Warrior's Peace - Part I
by Ian Sinclair

“I am not a pacifist. I don’t believe in passive anything.”
- Mahatma Gandhi

When I tell people that I teach “martial arts - not violence,” it becomes clear that few people truly understand the nature of martial arts, just as few understand the real nature of peace.

It doesn’t help that the particular martial art that I specialize in is one of the most misunderstood. Taijiquan (Tai Chi Chuan, or Tai Chi for short) is one of the most famous martial arts in the world. There are innumerable stories about tai chi masters who, in spite of their size, age, or gender, have defeated opponents who were seemingly more formidable than they. But to many people today, Tai Chi seems like “old people sneaking up on trees”. The most recognizable element of the art - the slow, graceful movements - may seem relaxing, and there is growing scientific evidence of the health benefits. Yet even some people who practice taijiquan cannot conceive of it being effective for self defense.

Tai Chi Chuan belongs to a category of Chinese martial arts called “internal martial arts”. It includes a physical workout that can be adapted for any age or fitness level. But the primary focus is on the harmonious cultivation of mind, body, and spirit through the refinement of subtle internal alignment, the co-ordination of deep tissue, and the cultivation of qi (internal energy). Other traditional martial arts, such as karate, train these aspects also.
But the order in which “internal” and “external” aspects are taught is different. (I must note that don’t believe that there is such a thing as a superior martial art, only superior martial artists.)

To practice any traditional martial art is to constantly seek balance and harmony within an inherently violent world. To create peace in our daily lives requires constant effort, and great skill. As long as we think, feel and breathe, then balance and peace will be elusive. We must seek them constantly or lose ourselves to war and death. When we wait for times of war to struggle for peace, it is like starting to dig a well when we are already thirsty. Likewise, if we wait until someone attacks us before we seek balance, we have already lost.

A physical attack is someone trying to upset our balance, by striking us, throwing us, or killing us. Balance cannot be maintained if it doesn’t exist in the first place. So, the martial artist cultivates physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual balance; and learns that these are all one and the same. When balance is strong, defending it is easy.

If, out of fear, we attack an enemy that we don’t understand, and abandon our principles to do so, then we will have lost the war before we fire a shot. We will have sacrificed our balance to attack the person who threatens it. This is like a nation suspending human
rights in order to "protect freedom".

Learning techniques to defend yourself is pointless if you don’t feel worth defending. Likewise, it makes no sense for a country to spend all its money on a military defense of its way of life, while not investing in that way of life. Yet people and nations often fight to avoid their own internal problems.

Martial arts are not methods to become successful at violence. Violence is much easier than that. In fact, all we need to do to increase the violence in the world is do nothing. The inherent self-destructive tendency of any closed system, family, society, or geopolitical entity will inevitably prevail unless energy is administered for the maintaining of balance, peace, health, expression, and continued creation.
I once asked a student of mine (a beleaguered Physics student at UBC) how things were going. Her desperate reply was, “Entropy is winning.” We don’t create wars. We allow them to happen by not actively creating peace. Violence, whether international war, or a dispute between two neighbours, happens after a considerable time is spent being complacent about our neighbours’ well being, and about our own inner peace.

If, through our cowardice, we choose to bathe in our own opulence, or obsess about our own hardships, then we are not actively engaging the World. We cannot see how our own selfish actions offend our family, friends, neighbours, allies, or enemies. We will be the victims of terrorism who cannot fathom what we did to provoke an attack. In fact, we will have done nothing, and that is precisely the problem. The guilt of the terrorism is clearly on the heads of the terrorists. But the responsibility for the state of the world lies with each and every one of us.

No one deserves pain. But that is irrelevant. Retribution will come surely to any who do not take responsibility for the happiness of their enemies. We are all responsible for the world being the way it is. And we must each accept total responsibility for actions or inaction that
will affect people around the world today. We might not know how our actions affect the movements of the planets. But ignorance is not innocence, nor is it bliss.

Our own ignorance is the cause of our own misery. Martial artists must develop a profound awareness of their World, and of the oneness of mind, body, and spirit. With practice they will realize that there is no separation between thought, emotion, and action. They will also see the separation of people and things as an illusion created by the ego.

Every thought we have, no matter how subtle, creates an emotional response. And every emotional response has a physical effect. Knowing this enables a martial artist to seemingly read an opponents mind; and helps us understand how close friends or lovers are able to know what the other is thinking. This is also behind a lot of other so-called “mystical” abilities.

Have you ever experienced a relationship that was so harmonious that both people would finish each others’ sentences, or sigh at the same time. Have you ever thought of someone just as they phoned you? Can you have that kind of rapport with your enemy? For that matter, can you have that kind of relationship with yourself? I often tell my students that, if you want to be able to read your opponent’s mind, you should practise by reading your own. If you can be aware of the subtle workings of your own mind, you will find that it is
relatively easy to know the intent and motivations of others.

Every successful military strategist will tell you that it is essential to know your enemy and to know What few of them bother to mention, however, is that you can never learn anything about anyone by hating them.

“Hatred is a poison, which we drink ourselves and hope that it makes our enemy sick.”
- a native proverb

Our unconscious actions can cause others to hate us, or cause hatred to become anger. Anger is the hatred of hatred. If we do not understand the anger of our enemy, it is because we are not aware of our own hatred towards them. We might say, “I don’t hate them. I don’t even think about them.” But there is no easier hatred than indifference. If our awareness is limited, and our actions are self-serving, then we are certain to become the
targets of malice.

To be able to know how an enemy is going to attack requires sensitivity, awareness and understanding. To respond appropriately to the attack requires wisdom, hope, and compassion. These qualities: sensitivity, awareness, understanding, wisdom, hope, and compassion are all expressions of love, the opposite of fear, and the fundamental attributes of a master warrior.

Courage is not an attribute of a master warrior, though it is often a useful tool for fighters. Courage is an aspect of fear. It is a coping mechanism which heightens our short-term awareness and gives us the energy to fight or flee. When a person is afraid, then the back tightens around the kidneys and adrenal glands. This pulls the shoulders and head back, affecting balance. The chest is then automatically forced to bravely stick out as a counterbalance. If there is fear with no courage, then there is no balance. However, fear continues to destabilize the person whether it is balanced by courage or not. Courage may balance fear temporarily, but it does not truly stabilize the person.

Master warriors do not fear death or life; and they desire neither life nor death. They do not wish for the past to change, or hate the enemy for trying to destroy them. They do not cling to anger or regret.

Master warriors wage peace constantly; seeking the divine in every moment, every place, every person, and every thing. They understand that true victory only comes through the disciplined, compassionate, unrelenting search for the ultimate point of balance that can only be attained through the perfection of unconditional Love.

copyright © 2003, Ian Sinclair

CLOUD MOUNTAIN MARTIAL ARTS & WELLNESS CENTRE
Taijiquan, Qigong, & Wushu
(Tai Chi, Chi Kung, & Kungfu)
247A West Streeet North
Orillia, Ontario. L3V 5C9
705-770-0279
www.cloudmountainmartialarts.com