Sifu Lew will be missed

We were sad to learn of the passing of Sifu Lew. He was a teacher of Qi Gong. If you search this blog for his name you will find more information about him. Here is a brief bio taken from a workshop that he gave in 2008:
Share K. Lew, now in his nineties, is a Taoist priest with over 70 years experience in the traditional Taoist arts. Master Lew received part of his education at Wong Lung Kwan, a Taoist monastery on the Luo Fo mountains near Canton, China.
Master Lew studied at Wong Lung Kwan monastery for 13 years. During that time he trained in the full range of Taoist healing and martial arts. At the core of his training was the secret system of cultivation known as Qigong (Chi kung). Master Lew was the first person to openly teach authentic Taoist Qigong to non-Chinese, beginning in Los Angeles in 1970. Master Lew’s monastery style, the Tao Ahn Pai (Taoist Elixir Style), dates back over 1300 years to Lu Dung Bin, who was born during the Tang Dynasty, and became one of the Eight Immortals of Taoism.
We offer our condolences to his wife and daughter.

More Tai Chi from the past

Diana Armstrong and Michel practice Tai Chi San Shou (Moscow, Idaho August 1977)

Michel and Diana Armstrong practice Tai Chi Single Moves (Moscow, Idaho 1977)

Michel and Barbara Isaksen practice Join Hands (April 1979, Idaho)

Step back like a Monkey. Tai chi in Merritt Island, Florida Nov 1979

Charles Quinn and Michel practicing Join Hands (Moscow, Idaho February 1980)

Michel practicing Tai chi on Snow Mountain (1982, California)

Michel and Laurie Laird April 1979 near Troy, Idaho. Laurie died five months later in an accident September 20, 1979.

More Tai Chi from the past

Michel Czehatowski teaching Tai Chi to (left to right) Do Nghi, Huynh Hai Kong, Nguyen Hong Thu Thi, and Luong Phunon Dai at the Buddhist Council for Refugee Rescue and Resettlement (BCRRR), City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, Talmage, CA. This picture was taken June 18, 1981.

Teaching warmup Tai Chi Exercises at Cultivating Virtue School, City of 10,000 Buddhas, Talmage, CA October 1981

Tai ji update

I recently got together with my Taiji instructor, Paul Pitchford, after not seeing him for more than 25 years. I took my first Taiji class with Paul in 1975 when he taught in Moscow, Idaho.
On the left is a picture of us taken in Moscow dated January 19, 1979 practicing double Join Hands (i.e., Push Hands).
Below is a picture of us practicing double Join Hands on January 21, 2012 - almost 33 years later to the day!

Red Deer Antler Tips

Recently I had an inquiry about red deer antler tips that were mentioned in a book as a high quality product. The tips of the antler are said to be stronger and warmer than the body the antler, however, they are quite expensive and you may have to pay up to $1,000.00 for this product. One reason for the expense is that the tips have to be cut from the antler and you can not buy just a small amount. When the antler is cut you need to buy a minimum of three or four ounces of the antler.
We suggest using regular deer antler. For all intents and purposes this will serve you quite well.
See Deer Antler.

Bruce Lee Plays Ping Pong

This is fun! See: Bruce Lee Plays Ping Pong with nunchucks

As an update it turns out this video was created for an advertisement. They used a Bruce Lee look-a-like and made the film look old. It is still fun to watch though.

Pictures of China's Ethnic Groups

Here's a link to superb Photo's of China's Different Ethnic Groups.