Author: stev

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Xing Yi Quan – Striking from Emptiness

In the very moment we expect something, we tend to overextend. This is very normal. Xing Yi Quan, can be a great tool to improve our skills in “non-expectation”. By observing our overextending reactions we can learn step by step to release from them. What is very useful for our daily lifes, is also very necessary for building up a relaxed and efficient striking method. How can we get soft and powerful at the same time, when we stuck in old body habits and expectations? The art is to let go of “winning and losing” and instead give our self to the hidden values (xuan de) of our practice. In these we start to embrace failure as an important way companion and give our self to an endless, targetless journey… that ultimately leads into emptiness.

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What is Xing Yi Quan? – Interview

Xing Yi Quan (Hsing I) is one of the primary internal martial arts practiced in Wudang. It is an art that emphasizes the concept of softness and releasing in order to generate fast and direct motions. Originating from ancient spear fighting techniques, it also integrates principles from eagle claw Kung Fu and Chinese medicine.

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Meditation is Simple!

Maybe the first question should be… how you define meditation?
But maybe also simply not…
Because meditation should not be about defining nor about doing anything.
Yes, we aim to find a state of quietness.
A state of observing and entering into emptiness.
But how to aim for a target, which disappears in the very moment we start to look at it?
It seems very paradox, but as difficult as it is, as easy it is at the same time.
We need to learn to give space.
Space to aim… and space to not aim.
Space to do… and space to not do.
We think through knowledge, we can short cut all this, and save some time.
It is difficult for us to accept that meditation is actually all about wasting time.
Not being productive. Not getting anything from it.
And yet to do it, simply for the sake of doing it.
What a relief…
To simply sit and to do nothing.
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The Legend Of Zhang San Feng – Performance 2023

There are several legends of the origin of Tai Ji. One of them tells the story of a Martial Artist who retreated to the Wudang Mountains to cultivate the self. His name was Zhang San Feng. (Three Times Crazy Zhang). In our “End of the Year” celebration, we shared with our friends, family and students this little story… with movement… music.. and a lot of heart inside the chest…

Heart that can only be there, because of the people in and around this place, that make XUAN what it is. In this sense, thank you to everyone! For being part of this place, in one or the other way… Thank you for an amazing year of training!

To watch the full video click here: https://youtu.be/YwF96FIdXQw

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Sitting and Standing Meditation Online Class 2024

When I started practicing martial arts, I would have dreamed of the possibility of learning Gong Fu in an online class. Therefore it is a heart-whish of mine to not only teach at the academy in Berlin but also in other frames like at our Hidden Turtle Online Platform.

In January 2024, I will start there a new online class series, which will be all about the absolute foundations of martial arts: Sitting and Standing Meditation.

The class will start on January 22nd, 2024, and will take place every second week on Monday for one hour (18:00-19:00 Berlin Time Zone). For registration simply register on the Hidden Turtle:

home

Note that starting from next year the monthly membership will be 35€. If you register now you will be able to follow lifelong in the current membership fee of 20€.

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Teacher Training – Next Season Starting October 24

The next season of our systematic inner martial art education is starting next month: 21th October 2024 The start of a new season is the only time, new students can join the process. If you are interested, contact me as soon as possible. ALL LEVELS ARE WELCOME 🙂 For three years we have guided students with all kind of levels and backgrounds through our monthly meetings, training plans, and video feedbacks. Entering together into a very special but also intensive process of learning, practicing and making gong fu, not just a hobby, but much more a way of life.
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Next Teacher Training Season is starting in October! Join us

Tai Ji Quan (Tai Chi Quan) is an old martial and meditation art. An art that can teach us to move with ourselves and with a partner… … to get efficient in combat and our daily life. … to find our way back from the 10,000 things to the one inside us. It is an intuitive yet highly developed system that allows us to observe and practice in a very systematic way. Join our approach of traveling back from the 10,000 to the one in our upcoming Teacher Training Season starting October 2023. The program is held online as well as offline in the academy! Beginners are welcome!

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What is Ba Gua Zhang?

In this interview I talk with Tamar about several Ba Gua topics. Looking together at questions like: What is the history of our Ba Gua lineage? What is the most important basic to practice? Why is our system focusing so much on wrestling applications? And why Ba Gua Zhang is a very healthy and spiritual practice?
I hope you enjoy :).
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Ba Gua Zhang – Ancient Ritual – Camp in August

Inner Martial Arts are like bridges. Aiming to connect us. Our body and mind. Softness with Structure. Letting go of acting with acting. By creating these bridges in ourselves, we create the possibilities to connect with the people and the world around us as well. Ba Gua Zhang is that old and ancient ritual. A ritual that can form a bridge by transforming the fight for balance into a dance of balance. It is no coincidence that great fighters of history like Bruce Lee and Mohammed Ali, were also known as skillful dancers… And it is also no coincidence that Ba Gua Zhang might look for some like dancing… The process of balancing you could call “fighting”… The process of harmonizing you could call “dancing”… This makes the highest art of fighting the art of a piece. This makes the highest art of martial the art of dance.
Fight – Transform – Dance!
Ba Gua Zhang
Don’t forget to register to our Training Camp in August:
Ba Gua Zhang 17.08.-20.08.2023
Topics: – 4 Advanced Fighting Palms – Opening The Turtle Back – Sinking into the Pelvis (Kua) – Focused Application Practice
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Ba Gua Zhang – Meditation, Movement and Martial Art

Legends tell the tale of Ba Gua Zhang, a martial art said to have been passed down to its founder, Dong Hai Chuan, by wandering Taoists. Originally a simple walking meditation technique aimed at transforming both body and mind, Dong Hai Chuan recognized its immense potential for growth, leading him to base his martial art on its principles.
You could refer Ba Gua Zhang, as the ancient art of circles. As we immerse ourselves in its practice, we gradually develop a love for these enchanting circles, bearing witness to the birth of the spiral of life. Within this spiral lies a world brimming with unique meditative experiences, Qi Gong practices, expressive movement arts, and powerful martial techniques.
Join us in our Ba Gua Zhang journey in our upcoming seminars:

22.-23.07.2023 Basic Seminar – 4 Essentials + 4 Basic Fighting Palms 17.-20.08.2023 Advanced Camp – 4 Advanced Fighting Plams + Application Practice