Fort Collins Oct.’24 Workshop Good Times
I am told this was the 13th or 14th Fort Collins event. Starting in 2017 who would have guessed we would get this far? We have five of the original 2017 group who have now finished Yilu in entirety with all the details. It is a very rich form when learned this way from the start; a lifetime practice.
We have many newer students arriving from all corners to soak in the lack of oxygen and relentless sunburn at 5000ft. Very intense training for a number of days in succession really burns the correct feeling and habits into anyone brave enough to persevere. It’s been a great ride.
Beijing Recharge 2024
After five long years we were finally able to get back to Beijing for a visit. Remembering back to before the 2008 Olympics and after it seemed at the time that Beijing was becoming overrun with foreigners. Maybe that was good (for those foreigners, and for the economy) but it seemed to make the place less fun from my perspective. When I lived there I always wanted to get away from the tourist scene. Now it seems it’s been going in the opposite direction, probably due to economic factors, as well as the collapse of travel agencies from Covid and political factors. While there are now foreign visitors to be found, it is still markedly less than I remember.
Many old streets are either improved or unrecognizable, but we did stumble into quite a number of Hutongs (antique alleyway residential areas) and much of the old Beijing, culturally is still going strong. I thought attitudes would modernize and change but from my perspective at this point that is barely blip on the radar. I won’t say it has not changed, of course it has, but the city and culture I remember has definitely not been overwhelmed.
I had the great pleasure of two rather dedicated students from this Asian side of the globe making the effort to travel to Beijing to train in the mornings and pal around in the afternoons which may have been even more fun for me than it was for them. Selfishly I am not sorry. They were also a helpful influence on my teenage son, who is finally able to start to actually see China as the last time he was here he was 8 years old.
These Hutong used to be very messy, often with dirt roads and plenty of trash. At least in the area we were in the roads were paved, but some areas of course are still dirty, preserving the proper character. We also did get to have some local Hutong food from little window takeout shops just like the old days; this was my staple breakfasts when training with Feng Zhiqiang in the late 1990’s. This time it was not at all disappointing, and actually quite hot, clean and delicious. Beijing, historically favoring ‘liangshi’ or pastas and breads, essentially wheat or specifically buckwheat based diet more than rice this aspect of the local food is excellent and hearty fuel for gongfu practice. (more…)
陈氏太极拳 Marin Spivack Chen Shi Taijiquan Gongfu Jia Introduction Short, France
This was a professionally produced introductory short for our new satellite school in Paris.
陈氏太极拳 Marin Spivack Chen Shi Taijiquan Gongfu Jia Er Lu section Rambouillet France 2024
Traditional five sequences of Yilu
Chen Taijiquan Workshop Rambouillet, France 2023 a Triumph of Perseverance!
It only took us 3 years to finally make it happen. Rambouillet, a little over an hour outside of Paris, if Paris forgets it has traffic, It’s a beautiful quiet forested town. We tried to do this pre-Covid and got blocked by Wuhan Bio-hazard labs apparently. Flights cancelled, lives disrupted, paranoia cultivated etc. Finally we made it happen and it was wonderful to see students after three years. Although it was a small (and excessively dedicated) group, we had attendance from Australia, South East Asia, Ireland, and France, well and myself.
It was an excellent week of hard training. A good training room with mats made for a rather sweaty and ‘impactful’ throwing study, which likely saved some injuries. We trained outside at the Bergerie Nationale which is lovely and forest-y with clean air and history.
It’s all been a blur now as I try to nurse my stiffening legs. I am certain we covered a lot of material, I just cannot remember what it was. I am guessing foundational bitterness, Tuishou detail, grappling methods, Qinna tecniques, some striking and maybe something else, qigong maybe? I hope we do this again, with some frequency. New interested folks, don’t be shy. Make your presence and interest known.
October ’22 Fort Collins Chen Taijiquan Workshop was great
The weather was sunny and actually quite warm (thanks global warming) bright fall leaves, much yellow and red. A bit of fire and wine and a whole lot of practical application, form and drill practice made for a memorable, fulfilling and rather sore and exhausting experience. Looking forward to doing this again in Likely April. Thanks to all who endeavored.
Now we offer some old skool 1993 style super cool play by play secret mystery Taijiquan deadly techniques for your imaginative world:
September 2022 Short Practice Demo, Yilu
Younger Generation Coming Up
It’s good to start young. Long term physical health habits, hard-won gems of detail in traditional Taijiquan Gongfu are difficult enough to find in adulthood. If one starts on this path early that is a lucky fate and can inspire an embodied active physical and energetic life.
