Welcome to the rum soaked fist. Please introduce yourself

[harlan]

Hi there. Name is Narda. Been studying Goju 2 years now, and Matayoshi kobudo for 4. Been interested in Matayoshi family style of empty hand, 'kingai', but can't find much on it. Recently, took a 'Feeding Crane' workshop (Liu Chang, Taiwan), and that has renewed an interest in the 'internal' aspect of training. Probably won't say much, but hope to learn a bit while here.

thank you.

[ParryPerson]

Hi, my name is Casey, and I just started training in Fu style Ba gua zhang. I had always wanted to take a martial art, but it was not allowed in my family religion. I grew up, moved out, settled down, and started looking for good schools. I found one with a good linage and out of the 3 styles they taught, bagua seemed more interesting to me because I had never heard of it, so I did some research, came across this site, and started taking classes. I'm probably the most newbie on the site, but I'm trying!

I'm 23 and being one of the youngest of the class and the only member of bagua class that started with bagua, I'm getting a lot of junk talk thrown at me by fellow class mates that think I shouldn't be there.

Ah well, it will make me train harder!

[Mike Strong]

Welcome Perry,

Don't worry about the trash-talk of your classmates. Just take instruction from your teacher,and practice at home what you learn in class .

What religion prohibits martial arts practice ? ...

...Quakers?

[ParryPerson]

Welcome Perry,

Don't worry about the trash-talk of your classmates. Just take instruction from your teacher,and practice at home what you learn in class .

What religion prohibits martial arts practice ? ...

...Quakers?

Without getting into a long drawn out flame-baiting deal, Jehovahs Witnesses, anyone can PM me if they want to ask a question, so that this thread can be kept for introductions!

[Arnold]

Welcome Perry,

Don't worry about the trash-talk of your classmates. Just take instruction from your teacher,and practice at home what you learn in class .

What religion prohibits martial arts practice ? ...

...Quakers?

Without getting into a long drawn out flame-baiting deal, Jehovahs Witnesses, anyone can PM me if they want to ask a question, so that this thread can be kept for introductions!

Hello Casey,

I walked the same path that you are on, being a Jehovah's Witness (my grandfather was even a Circuit Overseer) and I left to pursue and eventually teach the martial arts. Boy do I remember some lively debates, the congregation elders hated it because I argued them to a standstill and there was nothing they could say or do.

Anyway I also have taken up bagua and found it to be a lot of fun and very fulfilling. I hope you enjoy it too. That's too bad your classmates aren't making you feel welcome. If you don't mind my asking what are they saying? Do they think you're holding them back being a beginner? If so maybe they have forgotten what it means to begin in an art.

[ParryPerson]

Welcome Perry,

Don't worry about the trash-talk of your classmates. Just take instruction from your teacher,and practice at home what you learn in class .

What religion prohibits martial arts practice ? ...

...Quakers?

Without getting into a long drawn out flame-baiting deal, Jehovahs Witnesses, anyone can PM me if they want to ask a question, so that this thread can be kept for introductions!

Hello Casey,

I walked the same path that you are on, being a Jehovah's Witness (my grandfather was even a Circuit Overseer) and I left to pursue and eventually teach the martial arts. Boy do I remember some lively debates, the congregation elders hated it because I argued them to a standstill and there was nothing they could say or do.

Anyway I also have taken up bagua and found it to be a lot of fun and very fulfilling. I hope you enjoy it too. That's too bad your classmates aren't making you feel welcome. If you don't mind my asking what are they saying? Do they think you're holding them back being a beginner? If so maybe they have forgotten what it means to begin in an art.

Yikes! My dad was an elder, but oddly enough, found martial arts very interesting. I do have to say daydreaming about one day taking kung fu and then finally being able to feels great.

As far as the bagua itself, it feels great, after every class my ankles come out a little more sore and I come out learning a lot more than before. All the coiling is working out my core pretty good, feels weird that such simple movements can have such a drastic effect. My classmates, or rather, one of them, told me to go to Tai Chi or Mizong kung fu because I wouldn't get anything from bagua and that it would be over my head. The sifu walked by and said "don't listen to him, he still doesn't have the steps down!". The classmate said you used to have to of had some tai chi or mizong classes before even taking bagua, and I came right in, asked about bagua and started. I guess the others might feel cheated, I have a strong feeling I am indeed the only one that came in and started with bagua off the bat.

But the classes are great, I think he's using me as a kind of, I don't know, test? The Master of the school will teach the first part of the class, and then brings me over to the back and go over things of last week and give me new things to try and think about and clean up, all while being incredibly nice (he's not lax though!), while another instructor goes over advanced stuff I don't know yet with the rest of the class, after my short review, he overseas the main class, and checks in on me once or twice more or watches from where he is.

I was very surprised he's even bothering with me instead of letting his instructor do it but I am gratful and will soak it up while I have the chance to. This might be another reason the classmates are a little peeved, regardless of why he's giving me 1 on 1 attention (I guess it's to speed me along to catch up?) it's a great learning experience.

[Michael]

Hi, I just go by my regular name as I think all Internet handles are ghey.

Started with qigong in 2002, which led me to read about Chinese Medicine, which led me to an Oriental/Chinese Medicine doctor for my grandmother when all the MD's, orthos, PT's, and chiros couldn't help her neck pain. The Chinese Medicine doctor walked into the treatment room while I was sending qi to my grandmother, and to my surprise, he knew exactly what I was doing. He also fixed her neck pain lickety split. He invited me to his next qigong class, which he teaches with unlimited patience and uses Chinese Medicine theory and application to explain things, so it's like a two-fer-one. After learning his style of qigong in 2004, he taught me the Beijing 24 Taiji and then later some more Chinese Medicine theory and accupressure. After coming to China in 2005, I began to learn the YCF Yang style Taiji, and have practiced it sporadically for a couple of years, but always maintained my qigong practice every day. Currently doing about an hour a day of the TJQ and two hours of qigong. China has been great for spare time and fresh food! In fact, I've been blessed that since a week after first learning qigong in early 2002, I've not had a "regular" job and have been able to devote a lot of time to training.

I dig martial arts, but after recently getting my ass kicked by Ian in Hong Kong during his generous Systema demo, LOL, I've concluded that for me, MA is all about the love and good health. I guess all this qi sensitivity training has made me a real pussy when it comes to getting hit. Anyway, I enjoy healing much more than fighting and Ian gives a damn fine Systema demonstration.

[Raimonds]

My name is Raimonds.
Originally from Riga, Latvia.
1976-1982 sport gymnastics.
1984-1988 judo, sambo.
1988-1990 compulsory military service in Soviet Army.
Have some experience in combat sambo, systema.
I practice Xinyidao (心意道).
A Tudi of Master Yang Fan Sheng (杨凡生), Tai Gu , Shanxi, China.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xin_Yi_Dao)　

[hbuchtel]

Hello, I'm Henry!

I feel really lucky to have been introduced to a great teacher recently, from whom I'm learning the Chen style 83 (1st road) form.

In the past I learned a little bit about Yang style Tai Chi, and then practiced the 'competition standard' simplified 24 and 48 movement forms for about 5 years, but it wasn't until recently that I started learning about how to apply the movements... and things make so much more sense now!

My current teacher, Zou Ze Qun (邹泽群) became a disciple of Chen Li-Qing in the 80's and learned the 'xiao jia' from her. I'm learning the 83 form now, but when I suck less I hope to learn the xiao jia form.

So that is all for my intro, I'm new to this forum and am looking forward to talking with y'all!

[Mike Strong]

Welcome Henry, - it's good to have another Chen Style guy here, ...

... I always wanted to learn Chen Style, but never had the oppournunity.

[hbuchtel]

Nice, thanks for the welcome!

Not many Chen style folks around here? I don't have much of an idea yet, I'm still catching up on the last 7 (8?) years of posts

[twocircles]

Hi,

I'm Richard Johnson.

I practice Chen style Taijiquan. I've done other martial arts, but that's what I practice mostly now.

[Mike Strong]

Richard Johnson, - a man with a real name !

Welcome

[Dmitri]

Good to see you back here Richard.

[neijiachuanren]

Richard here....
1976 when I was a teenager: Dragon form or something another. I was a skinny Chinese runt. Now I gained 30 pounds (damned American diet).

1993-2000, Yang short, Yang 108, Chen Xin Jia, HK Wu
then my teacher took a loooooooooooooooooooooong break, so I fumbled around for a few years
somewhen around 2004: Shanghai Wu Fast Form, Sword, then realized I am not good enough to dabble in the Fast Form

fumbled around some more

late 2007 - now: Soft, "no-force" Yang with Yiquan standing for Qi development.