Master George Xu's Taijiquan Camp 2006

I very much enjoyed the T'ai Chi Ch'uan and Qigong Camp last week from June 13th to June 18th.

Around 35 Taijiquan, Qigong, Chinese Kung Fu and martial arts enthusiasts trained together at the San Francisco Jones Gulch YMCA Camp for 6 days. People of all ages attended - from persons in their 20's to people in their 70"s (e.g., Master Yun is 73 years old). There were many highly skilled teachers and advanced players who attended this camp. The camaraderie and enthusiasm were excellent. Women and men trained long and hard for up to 9 hours each day.



The YMCA Camp is located in the dense redwood forests between San Francisco and Santa Cruz, about 15 miles south of Half Moon Bay and 12 miles east of the Pacific Ocean. The YMCA Camp facilities were quite satisfactory and the food was ample and tasty. The environment is very beautiful in this area.

We were led by Master George Xu and visiting Master Yun Yin Sen from Shanghai, China. We did various qigong forms each day, practiced Liu He Ba Fa, the 10 Animal Xing-Yi, Chen Style Taiji, and played Push Hands.

Master Yun Yin Sen started internal arts in Yang Style Taiji. Since 1980 he studied with Zhang Chang Xin in 6 Harmony-8 Method, Liu He Pa Fa and Yi Quan Zhang Zuang (post standing). Zhang Chang Xin was one of the top students of Wu Yi Hui, founder of the form. Also since 1882 he studied with Han Qiao (Han Jiao), Lu Gui Yao, Liang Qi Zhong, all masters of 6 Harmony-8 Method (more). In 1992 he became Anhwei Province 6 Harmony-8 Method Association Secretary and is now President. In 1997 he received the government sports association second degree master's certificate. From 1979-2005 he has been been invited to performances and lectures internationally, very active in the world: 1999 to Russia, 2002 to London and 2003 to England.

Many students have studied with Master Xu for over a decade. He showed why their deep respect is well founded. Master Xu provided many valuable insights into the internal energy aspects of the Taijiquan and Kung Fu arts.

I was a bit sore and tired at times, but felt I was well conditioned for the camp. I have lots more to learn as a tai chi and qigong practitioner.


Websites of people who attended workshop:

Master George Xu. Master of Taijiquan: Chen Style, Wu style, qigong, XingYi, and weapons forms. San Francisco, CA. He leads workshops, retreats, and is featured in many instructional videotapes.

Shanti School of Taijiquan. Susan A. Matthews. M.S. She gives seminars and private instruction, produces videotapes, and provides information on taijiquan, qigong, and a variety of health topics.

Liping Julia Zhu. She was our translator, along with Master Xu, for this event. She is an accomplished qigong teacher and award winning taijiquan performer.

Peter Hicks was kind enough to provide us with photos from the camp. These are now available online at Yahoo Photos.

Working Your Way Through the Mysterious Labyrinth of Tai Chi. By Walter Capps. © 1995. PDF Format, 707Kb. 75 pages. Studies in Chen Taijiquan based upon the teaching of Master George Xu. Appendix, glossary, index. For more information, email the author.

Cloud Hands: Taijiquan and Qigong. By Michael P. Garofalo, M.S.

More photos of the Camp.

2006 Camp Information Post

Chen Style Taijiquan

Silk Reeling Exercises