adventures in being
Hi, welcome to my website where you will find information about Chen style Taijiquan (Tai Chi), and Chinese internal martial arts. I have found training in these arts to be extremely enriching in my own life, and I am passionate about sharing them and demonstrating them as systems that develop real martial skills.
My journey in movement arts began in earnest in 2002 when I started practicing Capoeira, a Brazilian movement art. Around 2005 I became interested in exploring the inner dimension through meditation.
When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be
- Laozi
taijiquan
In 2008 I discovered what was for me the perfect synthesis of these two themes of embodiment and meditation, when I started practicing Taijiquan (Tai Chi) with Master Wang Hai-Jun. I immediately fell in love with this art and I have been learning under Master Wang ever since. Although I did have a hiatus in my training for a while, due to underlying biomechanical issues in my body. For more information about that little detour in my journey, check this link.
Training Tai Chi has continued the journey with my body I started with Capoeira, and has taken me further and deeper into presence, awareness, aliveness, pleasure, and joy. It continues to be a revelation and I am always intrigued to discover the next stage in this path. Taijiquan has also become my primary meditative practice.
internal MMA
In the summer of 2020 it felt like time to take action on something I've been intending to do for a while, and to start attending a local MMA gym to get some real world feedback on my Taijiquan gong fu skills. I want to test, refine and develop my skills in a live environment. I will document this next stage of my journey in Taijiquan in a blog.
I hope that through this process I will also be able to demonstrate that Tai Chi does develop functional fighting skills.
Unfortunately because of the pandemic I was only able to attend a couple of classes between lockdowns in 2020. I hope to start up again in 2021 when it becomes possible.
To see a world in a grain of sand
And a heaven in a wild flower
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand
And eternity in an hour
- William Blake