The recent Double Dragon Alliance UK seminars programme introduced Master Ren Gang and Master Wang Ming Bo to dedicated, enthusiastic and appreciative martial artists around Britain.
The tour started in London at a venue in Kentish Town, co-organized by Rose Oliver and Danny Fajardo, a very old friend of Rose and her husband Rey Nelson.
The weekend seminar on 28th & 29th April was attended by a small, but very keen group of participants, many of whom were old friends, having attended previous seminars in Britain hosted by Rose and Rey in the past, when they introduced teaches like Master George Xu and Master Wang Hao Da among others.
?Being a smaller group the participants were able to have a great deal of individual attention and got to ask many in-depth questions about Taiji principles and form movements, as well as “try out” the answers in a very detailed way.
The seminar ended with a group photograph and there was a very “family feel” to the whole event.
The second seminar, held in Tiverton in Devon was co-organized with Andrew Blaby; a Tai Chi Union of Great Britain registered member and instructor, who also attended the Double Dragon Alliance 1st China “ Shanghai Training Camp” last November, with one of his student’s Alan Marks.
The two evening seminars were attended by a large and very enthusiastic group of experienced and dedicated practitioners, some of whom were again old and dear friends, whom it was great to catch up with.
The two seminars concentrated on developing “Hao Ran Zhi Qi” (or one’s own personal energy space and connection with the Universal energy around one) and how to maintain this relaxed state of “Wuji” or complete oneness with all around one, in movement; being able to draw on one’s “Shen Qi” or the spirit’s energy, created by one’s intention and momentum and on learning to use this in one’s Taiji form.
Master Ren also demonstrated some push hands and “Fa Jing” or energy discharge, which surprised many of the participants by its power, softness, speed and its lack of reliance on any physical structure or strength.
Master Ren’s “Fa Jing” has a quality unlike many other teachers, in that he does not rely on physical structure to issue power, rather he uses the waist as an energetic command center of the whole body and the “Shen Qi”, in addition to making the opponent become in complete harmony with him, i.e. he invokes the state of Wuji to empty out the opponent’s force first and then strikes when their power is dissipated.
Master George Xu, who met Master Ren in 2006 and got to experience Master Ren’s “Hua Jing and Fa Jing” (dissipating and discharging energy) for himself, said that he’d never felt this kind of power or energy before in all his year’s of practice and was extremely impressed.
The seminars were a great success and thanks to Andrew Blaby, everyone who came got a chance to meet and study with two very high level and generous martial artists.
Due to the interest from the participants, we plan to make a similar trip to Devon next year.
The last seminars were held in Manchester on 4th and 5th May and were co-organized with David Thorpe at his Taiji school’s venue in Chorley Green.
Dave, who is also a very old and dear friend of Rose and Rey’s, came to Shanghai last year with one of his student’s, Colin Jefferson, to attend the Double Dragon Alliance Shanghai Camp.
The two seminars, which were attended by about 30 people in total over the two days, including several very experienced teachers from the local area and their students, was a very enjoyable and relaxed event and also helped to clarify many questions the participants had about Taiji principles.
Many of the students attending had come to Dave’s classes on recommendation from the local acupuncturist/Chinese doctor because of health concerns and their focus was on improving their health and longevity.
Dave, who does a great deal of work for and with the community, provides his students with an excellent forum for social interaction and exchange, as well as the chance to learn and benefit from Taiji’s ancient health system.
The seminars again focused on developing one’s energy space and calming the spirit, the Taiji form, in addition to push hands techniques, which aimed to maintain the principles of energy connection to the Universal energy and becoming one with the opponent, i.e. developing the state of Wuji.
After the seminars, Dave, his wife Carol and some of his close friends and students invited us all to dinner at a beautiful country pub overlooking the sights and lights across Manchester, which made a fitting and convivial end to our two weeks in Britain and helped to cement a friendship which stretches across the globe.
Master Ren, Master Wang, Mr. Wang Kai (who also accompanied us) and myself would like to express our sincere thanks to all the students and friends who helped to organize and participate in the seminars and who made the entire experience such a happy, memorable and pleasant one.
Due to the amount of interest generated by this first visit, we are planning to conduct the next seminar tour either later this year or early next year.
For more information regarding future seminars, video footage/DVD’s of the event and this year’s 2007 Shanghai Camp, please contact Rose Oliver.