Taichung, Taiwan: Chen Old Style Classes

Chen2 Shi4 Old Style Tai4 Ji2 Quan2 in Taichung, Taiwan. Monday through Friday, 6:30 - 8:30 AM. Location: The corner of Ying1 Tsai3 (Cai3) Rd. and Min1 Chuan2 Rd. near the Science Museum. Thursday class Chen Style Sword is taught. Pao4 Cui3 Cannon Power Release is taught to advanced students.

Zhao1 Zhong1 Hai2 is the teacher. He has studied for decades and is passionate about sharing Tai Chi. His fighting ability is above most teachers and he shares this ability with interested students. He is an excellent teacher and expresses lessons very clearly in both word and body language. Master Zhao1 always reinforces foundational Gong Fu with challenging practices. Classes often include partner pushing hands and light sparring for advanced students. Master Zhao1 speaks English and is happy to teach diligent students. Most students offer quarterly red envelopes (Hong2 Bao1) stuffed with money as a token of appreciation (though it doesn't have to be a large sum) around major Chinese Holidays.

For more information about this class or any Internal martial arts classes in the Taichung area call David Chen (886) 919-442-436. (Picture of David and Precious)

Hualien, Taiwan: Chi (Qi) Gong Classes

Marcus Luo, a bilingual teacher, offers Chi Gong classes once a week in Hualien. Offering an introduction to Chi Gong breathing excercises and martial arts, Mr. Luo claims that the excercises create an environment where students "become concious of the current of nature [Chi] that is all around us." His system which he calls Thousand Mountain White Crane Chi Gong, draws on teachings from many disciplines. He supplements the core teachings of White Crane Chi Gong with aspects of Yoga and Tai Chi.

The class introduces the ideas and practices of Chi Gong. As one student put it, "If you had told me I'd be doing Chi Gong 'energy cultivation' everday six months ago I would have called you crazy. Now I can't imagine not doing it." The class, open to the public, meets every Friday at 7 am in Hua Gang Park and again at 12 noon under Lin Sen Rd. Bridge. E-mail: whitecranechigong@hotmail.com for more information. (Written by Matt Hopkins, cited from Highway 11 magazine, August 2006, Taiwan)