Princeton Bagua and Taiji Seminar

At the end of August I traveled to Princeton, NJ to attend a seminar on Taiji Push Hands and the Bagua 18 Interceptions Dao form of Ma Gui; this is a form using the "Goose Feather" saber, which is a long one-handed saber that has a constant width, unlike the Ox Tail saber more commonly seen. While in Princeton, I became a formal lineal student of Zhang Yun in North American Yin Cheng Gong Fa with Clayton Shiu and Paul Cote as my sponsors.

I started training in YCGF Wu Taiji Quan in Maryland under Paul Cote in 2005, who I was introduced to by my Gao bagua instructor Bob Galeone. In 2010 I began traveling to Pittsburgh regularly for private instruction in Xingyi Quan. There I attended Zhang Yun's Taiji and weapons classes. My job started requiring substantial travel in 2011 and I wound up not being able to train weekly in Maryland, so I prioritized making monthly trips to Pittsburgh instead. I continued doing this from 2010 to 2015, working on northern Wú style of Taiji Quan ( 吳氏太極拳 ), Yin style Bagua Zhang ( 尹派八卦掌 ) and Hebei Xingyi Quan ( 河北形意拳 ).

Wú Taiji is known for its relaxed character, giving practitioners the ability to off-balance an opponent at first touch by borrowing their force. Bagua is known for its smooth and fluid nature, giving practitioners the ability to change spontaneously in response to an opponent's actions. Xingyi is known for its stability, giving practitioners an ability to express sudden and explosive power. My Chinese martial arts training includes solo practices, unarmed combat skills, and a classical curriculum of sword, saber, and spear.