Special Shaolin-Taiqiquan Course , Sabah , Malaysia , 12-18th October 2011

[Damian Kissey]

[FONT=Arial]I am years away from even thinking about attending a course like this but I hope that doesn’t exclude me from joining in on the forum fun...
....

Dear Kevin ,

You may apply to join the Special Shaolin Kungfu & Taijiquan Course if have done an intesive kungfu course before .

BTW , Sifu will post some videos and pictures of this Wudang Taijiquan set later in his website. It is Sifu's re-construction, based on his understanding and practice of Taijiquan and Taoist Kungfu, of an old Wudang Taijiquan set described in a Wudang classic.

Sifu added that another good choice for advanced Taijiquan practitioners to select for the Special course is the Flowing Water Floating Clouds set, which is based mainly on Chen Style Taijiquan. Less advanced practitioners may select other sets, like Cloud Hands, White Crane Flap Wings, Old Eagle Catches Snake, Yellow Bee Sucks Pollens, 24-Pattern Taijiquan set, and 108-Pattern Yang Style Taijiquan set, the videos of all of which an be found in Sifu's website.

This is going to be an exciting year for Taijiquan practitioners in our school.

With Salutation

[Kevin_B]

You may apply to join the Special Shaolin Kungfu & Taijiquan Course if have done an intensive kungfu course before .

Thank you Sipak. I hope and I dream of an intensive Taijiquan course next year. If Sigung very kindly and very generously decides to hold one I will be there and it will be my first one.

BTW , Sifu will post some videos and pictures of this Wudang Taijiquan set later in his website. It is Sifu's re-construction, based on his understanding and practice of Taijiquan and Taoist Kungfu, of an old Wudang Taijiquan set described in a Wudang classic.

I can’t wait to see these!

This is going to be an exciting year for Taijiquan practitioners in our school.

This is going to be an amazing course.


Best wishes,

Kevin

[SimonR]

Damian Sipak,

Thank you very much for sharing this great news, I had a talk with Sigung on his last trip to Costa Rica about the Wudang Tai Chi Chuan and it looks amazing, I am really looking forward to get in touch with the origins of this wonderful martial art we practice.

Simon

[Luo Lang]

Dear Damian Siheng,

what a great course content!

To say that I am really curious about the Wudang Kung Fu of Great Master Shang Sang Feng!

I am attached by it because in Praying Mantis Kung Fu as we all know, the Taoist priest Sheng Xiao was spreading the Art he learnt from the Shaolin Abbot at the Shaolin temple.

I am not sure about it but I guess Master Sheng Xiao was actually an expert in Wundang Kung Fu. I wonder if his style was close to the Great Shang Sang Feng's Wudang Kung Fu?

Best regards

[Robin]

ARRRRRRghh (an elated sound of astonishment)

I have been dreaming of learning this Wudang Taijiquan Set for 5 years!!!

Anyone who knows me, knows I am not joking ....at least 5 years!!

Anyone who cares about Wahnam Taijiquan needs to be on that course!

Robin

[Jose Antonio]

Brothers/Uncles Robin, Simon and Roland,

I really hope to see you there!

José A

[Anthony S]

I would love to come to this event. Being in Sabah is a huge bonus. I hope that everyone who desires to go can make it.

[Andrea]

Dear Damian Sipak, Dear Shaolin Wahnam Family

What a fantastic course. I am sure everybody will enjoy it very much.

Best regards
Andrea

[Luo Lang]

Robin Bro,
You will like that:

Shaolin Praying Mantis Kung Fu (Tanglangquan) was founded during the Ming Dynasty by Wang Lang, a secular Shaolin disciple at the Shaolin Monastery (The Ming Dynasty ruled China from 1368 to 1644).
Partly because his was small sized, Wang Lang could not beat his classmates while using Lohan Kung Fu, which was practiced at this time.
One evening under a tree, after he got beaten, he noticed a praying mantis fighting a cicada. Although the praying mantis was smaller it could defeat the cicada. He captured some praying mantis and studied their fighting movements.
Motivated by his Master, the Abbot of the Monastery, who was impressed by his improvements, he was sent out to travel the country to study other styles of martial arts. He selected the best points of many different styles and found out that the footwork of Monkey style Kung Fu was the most suitable for his purposes. When he went back to the Monastery he thought the Monks and the disciples his Praying Mantis Kung Fu and it became very popular.
There was a Taoist priest, Sheng Xiao who visited the Monastery regularly. He was surprised not to see the former Kung Fu style. He was even more surprised that he could not match the monks with his Wudang Kung Fu. He asked the Abbot how this style would be called and it was answered: This is Praying Mantis Kung Fu. Master Sheng Xiao was curious about the fact that the Abbot let the monks training this unorthodox style instead of the famous Lohan Kung Fu, but the Abbot somehow seemed to have no choice than letting the monks cultivating this style.
The Abbot and the Taoist priest, who actually was impressed by the combat efficiency therefor made an agreement:
The Abbot would teach the Taoist priest all he knows about Praying Mantis, in return he would spread the Style to deserved disciples in the country.

Praying Mantis Kung Fu (Tanglangquan) was founded by a secular disciple, Wang Lang, developed by Buddhist monks at the Monastery and popularised by a Taoist priest Sheng Xiao.

[Luo Lang]

It is to say that Sheng Xiao was a Kung Fu expert! Legend's say that with his Wudang Kung Fu he was very skillful and not to be beaten by the monks who trained Lohan Kung Fu!

It is also woth to mention that The Abbot and Sheng Xiao were friends. Otherwise no Abbot would teach everything he knows. Otherwise no priest would learn and spread.

[Damian Kissey]

Brother Roland ,

Thank you for recalling the story of the Taoist Sheng Xiao ; i don't know whether he practised Wudang Kungfu but we are lucky for his legacy of Tanglangquan and luckier still that Westerners in Shaolin Wahnam are now reviving the Art

Brother Simon ,

Thank you .....Sifu told me that a conversation with you in Costa Rica , inspired the great idea of teaching Wudang Taijiquan in our school .

Brother Robin ,

You are most welcome to Sabah and i'm inspired to learn Taijiquan

As Brother Jose Antonio said .....see you all soon at Mount Kinabalu .

Will keep in touch

[GreggH]

Wow This course really sounds amazing,

Hopefully I will be able to attend it,
As I have been to Sabah twice those who haven't been there yet should
really go, it is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to.

Hopefully see you all there soon.

Gregg

[Michael Agar]

Dear Dr Damian and other contributors
Thank you for this inspiring and fun thread. With Sifu announcing his travels for the year on his website, it has given us the opportunity to plan ahead. I had earmarked this special course in Sabah with the qigong healing course afterwards in Penang. I had also planned to attend the Brighton Summer Camp, but now being unable to go to Europe this week, I feel even more focused on "sticking with my knitting" with taijiquan. It is so encouraging to see more attention in this style of kung fu.
Best wishes

Michael

[SimonR]

Dear Damian Sipak,

I am sorry for the late response but I was in an intensive (and great) summer camp season for the last month. I am so happy that we are going to start leraning this set. I am really looking forward to enjoy the gathering of our shaolin-taijiquan family memebers in Sabah.

Best wishes!

Simon

[Jose Antonio]

Yuhuuuu!
I am glad we will share that course brother Simon
All the best
Jose A