Wu Shen Tao Health & Martial Arts Curriculum...
The curriculum involves the practical, shorter to mid-range techniques and forms of Northern Shaolin Kung Fu. If you are looking to increase your agility, concentration, and physical strength, you will be attracted to this program. The combination of physical and mental training provides a holistic approach to more complete fitness. The curriculum progresses from basics such as kicking, blocking and striking drills, to distance, timing, and physical condition exercises. Self defense, theory and history are taught all levels of training.
This program is ideal for those with a youthful spirit who are looking for a good physical workout and interested in learning physical skills of protection.
Pre-Kung Fu is our program for children ages 5-11 years. This program is geared towards developing discipline, self-control, focus, and concentration. We utilize a ranking system to illustrate to children how perseverance and maintaining a good attitude can help them achieve their goals. The exercises and forms will be similar to those practiced in the adult classes, but there are fewer requirements between belts to keep children motivated. Better grades in school, good report cards, and an increasing number of referrals are good indications to us of the positive effects of this program.
Tai Chi is a time-tested set of exercises that gently improves the health of internal organs and fosters greater balance and mind-body connection. Tai Chi Chuan is also a form of moving meditation and is an effective system of self-defense. The basic concept is that by combining proper body alignment, breath control and mind set, one can retrain oneself to return the body to the suppleness and energy of a child, but have the mind and wisdom of an ever-evolving adult. The curriculum includes empty hand forms, breathing exercises, Tai Chi sword, Push Hands, body awareness training and self-defense. Additionally, the related internal arts of XingYi and BaGua are offered as well.
Yang Style, the most popular style of Tai Chi, is taught using the large frame version of the standard 88-movement set. Other Yang Style forms such as the Yang Chen Fu Form, the 24 Yang Short Form and the 32 Movement Sword Form are also taught.
Yang Style Tai Chi is a direct descendant of this older, more varied type of Tai Chi training. Its movements are slow and fast, hard and soft, with flowing coiling movements, followed b`by explosive releases of energy. Chen Style is more physically demanding than Yang Style, but as with all Tai Chi styles, it is based on the same principles and has a myriad of self-defense applications for each of its movements. The Chen International routine is taught first and may be followed by the old style Yi Lu and Cannon Fist Forms. The curriculum then moves into Chen Tai Chi Sword Forms.
This form of Tai Chi is frequently called the Wudang Original Form. This is because many Taoists state that it is the parent form from which sprang forth Tai Chi, XingYi (5 Element Fist) and Bagua Zhang (8 Diagram Palm). The popularizers of these internal Chinese martial arts forms historically revealed their core training to be derived directly from Taoist sources. In viewing this form, one can plainly see the movements of these three styles as well as other movements that are unique to Wudang Temple boxing and Nei Gong (energy cultivation) training methods. This long form and its accompanying Nei Gong and auxiliary training methods will be taught.
This style is based on the 5 elements. It focuses on utilizing breath, the Earth, rooting skills and transmission of chi through the body to be expressed explosively through the hands. This Taoist-based art has Nei Gong (energy working) as well as empty hand forms, weapons training and martial arts applications.
8-Diagram Boxing, the third Chinese Taoist art, is based on the permutations and changes of the I Ching. Its physical foundation is based on walking the circle or mud stepping to develop a firm and agile footwork. The alternation of the 8 Palm configurations adds upper body applications, which make this art very powerful as a self-defense and energy building system. The original idea was that one could defend against attackers coming from 8 surrounding directions. This art, similar to all internal arts, is very challenging from physical, mental, as well as energetic perspectives.
This course teaches the use of Olympic style weapons of fencing.
Foil: a thin bladed, small guarded, piercing weapon, whose target is the torso, excluding the head, arms, and legs.
Saber: a large wrap-around guarded, cutting and piercing weapon, used to attack anywhere above the waist.
Epée: a triangular-bladed, cup-guarded, piercing weapon, whose target area is the entire body.
Chinese broadsword and double edged straight sword is also taught with equal detail as in the foil,
sabre and Epee classes. Beginners usually learn basic hand, eye, and leg coordination drills, with
bouting as the final goal. Bouting indicates how much of the fast, graceful movements the students
have internalized and can perform appropriately. After learning the essentials of Foil, students may
choose to study either saber or Epée to increase the complexity and range of their sword technique.
People looking for the thrills of a high-speed physical chess match seek out this sport. It develops
a quick reaction of the eye, brain, and body that is both challenging and exhilarating.