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Starting from the 5th August until 27th August, DDA’s Master Wang Ming Bo and?
Rose Oliver travelled to America, to conduct a series of Taiji classes and seminars around?
Colorado and North Carolina.
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This was the first time that Master Wang Ming Bo had been to the USA and only the second?
time Rose Oliver had presented a DDA teacher to the American Taiji community, since she?
brought Master Liu Ji Fa to Maryville, Tennessee in 2009.
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The series of seminars was originally scheduled to kick off with the THOTH Conference on
2nd – 5th August near Boulder, Colorado, but unfortunately due to the severe forest fires raging?
throughout Colorado at that time and in that particular area of the Shambhala Mountain Center?
in Red Feather Lakes, the organizers at THOTH felt for the protection of participants’ health?
and safety, the event would have to be cancelled for this year.
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Therefore,?Rose?and?Master?Wang?commenced?their?US?tour?in?Durango?Colorado,?
with?several?tuina?and?Taiji?seminars?in?cooperation?with?Shifu?Susan?Matthews.The?two?3-hour?evening?seminars?on?8th?and?9th?August?in?Durango,?covered?TCM?philosophy?
and?principles?and?tuina?massage?techniques.?The?event?was?well-attended?by?around?
20?participants?each?evening,?many?of?whom?were?from?the?TCM?and?Acupuncture?Health?
Practitioners?community?in?America,?as?well?as?several?patients?suffering?with?Parkinson’s?
disease?and?other?ailments?and?students?of?Susan’s.The?fun?and?interactive?workshops?
covered?TCM?holistic?treatment?methods,?review?and?practice?of?tuina?massage?techniques,?
in?particular?for?the?Gall?Bladder,?Bladder?and?Pericardium?meridians,?plus?related?
acupressure?points,?in?addition?to?theory,?demonstrations?of?bone?and?joint?realignment?therapy?
and?practice.
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The?participants?had?a?chance?to?experience?some?treatment?from?Master?Wang,?before?breaking?
?into?partners?and?practicing?the?techniques?on?each?other,?which?was?very?much?enjoyed?by?all.
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The?Thursday?evening?seminar?ended?with?some?qigong?exercises?for?maintaining?health?
and?flexibility?and?promoting?relaxed?energy?flow?throughout?the?entire?body.
?At?Susan’s?home,?Rose?and?Master?Wang?also?filmed?video?footage?of?some?components?
of?tuina?massage?for?some?of?the?other?meridians?within?the?body?and?a?short?demonstration?
of?bone?and?joint?realignment,?which?should?be?available?for?sale?in?the?near?future.?
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DDA?will?also?produce?DVDs?of?a?further?more?detailed?demonstration?and?explanation,?
along?with?detailed?teaching?material?later?in?the?autumn.Rose?and?Master?Wang?also?visited?
one?of?Susan’s?student’s?cattle?ranches,?where?they?raise?buffalo?and?horses,?plus?farm?their?
own?produce,?and?experienced?some?genuine?western?American-style?cooking.
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They?also?had?a?chance?to?look?around?Durango?itself,?an?old?“cowboy”?and?“pan-handling”?town,?complete?with?the?same?old?railway?and?architecture?from?over?150?years?ago,?
when?the?town?was?just?starting?out.The?final?series?of?seminars?in?Colorado?were?held?
in?Cortez?at?the?“Come?Dance?Tonight!”?studio?run?by?world?champion?dancer?Denise?Westbrook.
The?weekend?Taiji?seminar,?with?an?additional?separate?evening?Push?Hands?seminar?was?attended?
by?around?15?participants?each?session,?including?several?old?friends?like?Steve?Doob?and?
Marty?Finkelstein,?as?well?as?many?new?friends,?including?female?identical?twin?Taiji?players!?
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Over?the?weekend,?the?group?worked?on?a?combination?of?joint?opening?warm-up?exercises,?
Master?Dong?Bin’s?basic?foundation?exercise?drills,?two-person?training,?
push?hands?and?sensitivity?training?and?some?Fa?Jing?training?techniques.With?lots?of?hands-on?opportunities,?the?group?had?a?chance?to?feel?clearly?the?different?exchanges?of?energies?
and?the?sensations?of?Peng?(Fire?element),?Lv?(Metal?element),?Ji?(Wood?element)?and?An,?
(Water?element)?in?motion.The?end?of?the?workshop?concluded?with?Master?Wang?reviewing?
the?participants’?respective?forms?and?giving?them?some?corrections?and?advice?to?help?them?
improve.
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The?seminars?started?with?a?short?introductory?speech,?introducing?Rose?and?Master?Wang?
to?the?guests?and?providing?some?background?of?their?studies?and?teachers,?including?Master?
Dong?Bin?and?his?teachers?Dong?Shi?Zuo?and?Yue?Huan?Zhi.?This?was?then?followed?by?
Master?Wang?Ming?Bo?giving?a?lecture?on?Taiji?theories?and?their?correlations?to?the?Yi?Jing,?
including?Wang?Zong?Yue’s?classic?principles,?as?well?as?dispelling?some?common?myths?
related?to?theories?like,?“Four?Ounces?Deflects?a?Thousand?Pounds”?among?others.
Master?Wang?and?Rose?also?demonstrated?and?taught?some?of?the?Wu?Style?13?Push?Hands?
Patterns?in?the?evening?session,?plus?some?free-style?pushing?hands,?as?well?as?Fa?Jing?and?
Yang?Style?Taiji?push?hands?practice.
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The?Sunday?session?also?included?the?Tendon?and?Sinew?Elongation?and?Joint?Opening?exercises,?
some?of?Master?Dong?Bin’s?foundation?exercises,?as?well?as?review?of?the?material?taught?on?Saturday.
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The?Colorado?seminars?were?tremendous?fun,?thank?you?to?Susan?for?her?hospitality?and?
delicious?food?and?for?turning?her?home?over?to?us?for?the?8?days?of?our?stay;?we?really?appreciate?
her?help?in?organizing?things?for?us?in?Durango?and?Cortez.
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We?also?hope?to?add?a?few?more?destinations?to?our?Colorado?visit?next?year,?with?invitations?
to?teach?at?several?other?places?in?the?beautiful?mile-high?surroundings?of?the?mountain?ranges?of?Colorado.
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After?our?trip?to?Colorado?we?returned?to?Washington?DC,?to?meet?up?with?DDA’s?very?dear?friend?
Bubba?Powell?and?also?see?the?nation’s?capital.
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No?trip?to?Washington?is?complete?without?a?visit?to?see?the?White?House?and?the?Capital?Building,?
which?thoroughly?lived?up?to?expectations.?The?beautiful?architecture?and?gardens?are?very?
reminiscent?of?an?old?English-style?mansion?and?Rose?and?Master?Wang?enjoyed?a?wonderful?tour?
of?the?city?and?its?scenic?spots.
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With?visits?to?art?galleries,?museums?and?famous?streets,?we?spent?a?fantastic?day?and?thank?you?to?
Bubba?for?showing?us?around?so?patiently.
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?Following?Washington?we?drove?to?Winston?Salem?in?North?Carolina,?to?stay?with?Bubba?for?the?
duration?of?our?USA?tour.This?area,?with?its?very?cultured?and?old-town?atmosphere,?particularly?
in?Old?Salem,?where?they?still?maintain?the?old?ways?of?working,?dressing?and?carrying?out?business?was?
a?fascinating?place,?steeped?in?history,?with?the?modern?part?of?the?city?Winston,?just?a?stone’s?throw?away.
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On?17th,?18th?and?19th?August?we?drove?to?Asheville,?a?very?modern?and?cultured?city,?rather?
like?Cambridge?in?England,?with?its?alternative?lifestyles?and?holistic?health?food?centres,?for?the?
next?seminars?on?our?tour.The?17th?August?was?a?two-hour?evening?Tuina?workshop,?
in?cooperation?with?Dr.?Jeff?Schmidt?and?his?wife?Ms.?Cat?Matlock?of?the?West?Asheville?Yoga?Centre.
(http://westashevilleyoga.com)
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At?the?seminar,?Master?Wang?and?Rose?discussed?TCM?philosophy?and?principles?and?tuina?
massage?techniques,?as?well?as?covering?TCM?holistic?treatment?methods,?review?and?practice?
of?tuina?massage?techniques,?in?particular?for?the?Gall?Bladder,?and?Pericardium?meridians,?plus?
related?acupressure?point?and?an?introduction?to?bone?and?joint?realignment?therapy?and?practice.
The?event?was?attended?by?around?12?participants,?many?of?whom?were?interested?
in?or?already?practitioners?of?TCM?and?Acupuncture,?as?well?as?those?wanting?to?learn?more?
about?this?fascinating?subject.?The?participants?had?a?chance?to?experience?some?treatment?from?
Master?Wang,?before?breaking?into?partners?and?practicing?the?techniques?on?each?other,?
which?was?greatly?enjoyed.The?weekend?seminars?started?with?a?lecture?on?Taiji?principles?
and?the?correlation?between?the?Yi?Jing?and?Taiji,?plus?understanding?of?Wang?Zong?Yue’s?
classic?principles,?focus?on?basic?foundation?exercises,?including?Master?Dong?Bin’s?26?foundation?
exercises?from?his?teachers?Masters?Dong?Shi?Zuo?and?Yue?Huan?Zhi,?Tendon?and?Sinew?Elongation?
and?Joint?Opening?exercises,?as?taught?by?Master?Shou?Guan?Shun,?energy?cultivation?exercises,?
Fa?Jing?and?Chin?Na?joint?locking?techniques,?as?well?as?push?hands?patterns?and?how?to?first?gather?
energy?and?then?discharge?and?emit?power?and?energy.
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Over?the?weekend,?the?class?also?worked?on?5?Elements?energy?cultivation,?in?form?and?push?hands?
practice,?sensitivity?training,?two-person?sensitivity?drills,?form?practice?and?corrections?and?tuina.
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Master?Wang?gave?the?participants?on?Sunday,?help?and?advice?on?their?own?forms?and?provided?
suggestions?as?to?how?they?can?further?improve?their?level?of?understanding.
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Master?Wang?and?Rose?also?gave?more?information?about?Taiji?principles,?in?particular?Wang?Zong?Yue’s?
Classic?Taiji?Treatise?and?Master?Yue?Huan?Zhi’s?own?understanding?of?Taiji?theories.
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Thank?you?to?Cat?and?Jeff?for?their?hospitality?in?putting?us?up?in?their?home?and?for?arranging?such?
a?lovely?dinner?party?on?Saturday?18th?August,?where?we?had?a?chance?to?enjoy?some?delicious?
organic?whole?foods?and?vegetables.
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Thank?you?also?to?the?participants?for?their?enthusiasm?and?openness.
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The?following?Monday?20th?August,?we?accompanied?Bubba?to?his?own?Taiji?class?at?the?local?Winston?
YMCA?and?met?his?20-plus?students?at?his?evening?class,?where?they?were?taken?through?some?
of?Master?Dong’s?exercises?and?joint?relaxation?and?energy?cultivation?exercises.
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The?students,?from?a?mixture?of?backgrounds?and?ages,?are?united?in?their?love?of?Taiji?and?in?
their?enjoyment?of?Bubba’s?classes.
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We?also?had?a?second?opportunity?to?meet?everyone?again?on?Thursday?23rd?July,?
at?the?Taiji?tea?party?that?Bubba?organized?at?the?local?church?hall?in?Winston,?to?give?everyone?
a?chance?to?practice?together?and?enjoy?each?others’?demonstrations?and?some?delicious?
Chinese?teas?and?homemade?snacks?by?Bubba’s?student?Ann.
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Thank?you?to?Bubba?for?organizing?the?free?event,?which?helped?to?solidify?everybody’s?commitment?
to?their?practice?and?love?of?Taiji.We?also?enjoyed?a?flying?visit?to?another?of?
Bubba’s?colleagues?and?teachers,?Shifu?Gray?Mattevi,?owner?and?Master?instructor?of?
Mattevi’s?Martial?Arts?Academy?in?Greensboro;?about?2?hours?drive?from?Winston.
Gary,?who?teaches?Judo,?Brazilian?Gracie?Jiu-Jitsu,?Karate?and?Muay?Thai?among?others,?
designed?and?outfitted?the?school?himself,?after?relocating?to?Greensboro?from?Missouri?three?years?ago.
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Thank?you?to?Gary?for?his?generous?hospitality?and?welcome,?we?appreciate?his?genuine?desire?to?provide?
top?quality?instruction?and?traditional?martial?arts?culture?and?discipline?to?the?community,?especially?youngsters.?
(www.mattevimartialarts.com)
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The?last?seminar?on?the?2012?DDA?USA?Taiji?tour,?was?at?Chapel?Hill,?about?3?hours?drive?from?Winston?Salem,?
which?was?organized?by?Dr.?Jay?Dunbar.
(www.magictortoise.com)
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Dr.?Jay,?himself?a?practitioner?of?over?30?years?experience,?arranged?the?all-day?Saturday?workshop?
at?his?Magic?Tortoise?School?of?Taiji?Quan?headquarters.
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The?workshop,?which?had?the?largest?attendance?of?all?our?US?seminars,?with?around?30?participants,?
was?conducted?in?an?exemplary?fashion,?with?a?wonderful?mix?of?traditional?culture?and?etiquette?and?relaxed,?
fun?informality.
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The?seminar,?again?focused?on?Master?Dong?Bin’s?basic?foundation?exercises?for?energy?cultivation?and?
the?understanding?of?power?release,?the?Tendon?and?Sinew?Elongation?and?Joint?Opening?exercises,?
as?taught?by?Master?Shou?Guan?Shun,?additional?energy?cultivation?exercises,?Fa?Jing?and?Chin?Na?joint?
locking?techniques,?as?well?as?Master?Shou’s?large?frame?Yang?Style?push?hands?pattern,?some?of?the?Wu?
Style?13?push?hands?patterns,?and?how?to?dissipate?an?opponent’s?incoming?force,?gather?energy?
and?then?discharge?and?emit?power.
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The?last?workshop?ended?with?a?sumptuous?banquet?dinner?at?the?local?Chinese?restaurant,?with?
a?wonderful?time?being?had?by?all.
A?very?special?thank?you?to?Dr.?Jay?Dunbar?and?his?wife?Kathleen?for?organizing?everything?and?
making?our?last?event?such?a?memorable?and?enjoyable?one?and?thank?you?to?all?their?students?
and?the?participants?for?their?tremendous?support?and?cordiality.
A?very?special?thank?you?to?Dr.?Jay?as?well,?for?the?amazing?knife?and?hatchet-throwing?demonstrations?
and?“trials”?at?his?home,?we?had?a?great?time!?
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During?their?visit?to?America?this?year,?Rose?and?Master?Wang?Ming?Bo?had?a?fantastic?time;?
they?had?an?opportunity?to?see?some?old?and?dear?friends,?make?many?new?ones?and?share?
their?enjoyment?of?Taiji?and?Chinese?culture?with?many?Taiji?enthusiasts,?as?well?as?experience?
real?American?hospitality,?friendliness?and?home-town?amiability.
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Thank?you?to?everyone?for?their?kindness,?encouragement?and?friendship;?thank?you?to?all?of?
Susan’s,?Jeff’s,?and?Dr.?Jay?Dunbar’s?students?and?participants?at?the?seminars?for?their?backing?
and?interest?in?DDA’s?events?and?for?making?our?visit?to?the?States?such?a?memorable?one.
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Finally,?a?very,?very?special?thank?you?to?Bubba?Powell?and?his?family,?for?their?wonderful?hospitality?
and?kind?generosity?in?sharing?their?home?and?lives?with?us?during?our?stay?and?for?their?assistance?
in?organizing?the?workshops?and?daily?classes,?we?at?DDA?really?appreciate?Bubba’s?support?
and?friendship?over?the?years?and?for?his?very?generous?warmth,?assistance?and?camaraderie,?
all?of?which?helped?make?our?trip?to?the?USA?and?the?seminars?there?possible,?we?really?appreciate?it.
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We?look?forward?to?seeing?everyone?again?next?year?and?to?adding?some?new?venues?and?locations?to?
our?American?tour?in?2013.
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In?the?meantime,?good?luck?to?everyone?in?their?training?and?wish?you?all?a?very?prosperous?2012!
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