My Journey
I was introduced to Taoism and Chinese philosophy in the mid 1980's when a friend of mine, Mike Burgess, lent me the book "Tao - The Subtle Universal Law" by Ni Hua-ching. This is when I first heard of the concept of ch'i (qi), or life force energy. I had the feeling that it would change my life if I accepted this concept and others presented in this book. It surely did. I studied things like yin-yang theory, the 5 element theory, and the I Ching. In 1987, I decided to learn T'ai Chi Ch'uan to see if I could bring the theoretical knowledge I was so drawn to into the realm of experience. Mike Burgess agreed to teach me the first set of the Kwan Ying Do version of the Yang Style Long Form. It worked! My emotions became more balanced as my physical balance was improving. My joints became more flexible as did my relationships with others and I felt a greater sense of peace, contentment, and self-worth.
Joining Wing Sing School of Kwan Ying Do in 1989, I relearned the first set from Dr. Alex Wasil and continued on with him to learn the other three sets. I had the honor in 1990 to be asked by Dr. Wasil to be a student instructor for his T'ai Chi classes and have been teaching there ever since.
In 1991 Dr. Wasil told me of a young man from China named Steve Xue who was coming to the school to teach Soaring Crane Qigong. He told me that if I were to learn and practice Soaring Crane it would greatly enhance my progress in T'ai Chi. I learned Soaring Crane Qigong with the group at Wing Sing and realized he was right. I felt a stronger sensation of the ch'i flowing through my body and could feel my T'ai Chi change as well. Huang Bei-yu, Steve's mother and a high level Soaring Crane instructor, came to visit this country a few years later. She refined and added to the original instruction her son had given us and offered to hold a weekly practice. This practice included the standing meditation of Level II Soaring Crane which produced spontaneous movement in several of us. Before she went back to China she also taught a group of us a version of the 32 step T'ai Chi Sword form.
I continued to practice Soaring Crane Qigong and teach T'ai Chi. I had seen the book on Soaring Crane written in Chinese by Master Zhou Jin-xiang, originator of the Soaring Crane Qigong system and was eventually able to find an English translation by Professor Chen Hui-xian. This book helped me to understand the movements and the theory better. In 1996, I got the chance to not only meet Chen Hui-xian but also to be one of a group of Qigong students she took to Beijing, China to study qigong in more depth. When we were there we also had the opportunity to learn Essence Qigong from its originator Professor Chen Fu-yin.
A year later, in 1997, Professor Chen Fu-yin came to America and scheduled a trip to Kent where I assisted him in teaching Essence Qigong. He and his translator stayed with me for the long weekend during which I was privileged to receive valuable personal instruction and advice. A month later I traveled to Portland Oregon to complete my Essence Qigong teacher certification.
On the same trip to the northwest I started the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine's Soaring Crane Qigong teacher certification program with Chen Hui-xian. In this program that spanned over a year with several long weekend trainings, I learned and refined the Soaring Crane system. I also learned Turtle Longevity Qigong as well as several advanced meditations and Qigong healing techniques. In 1998, I learned Jade Body Qigong from Dr. Liu Dong and then was one of a group that traveled to China with Professor Chen Hui-xian to study more qigong theory. I completed my Soaring Crane teacher certification in December which allowed me to teach Soaring Crane Level I and also the first two parts of Turtle Longevity Qigong.
During the next three years I continued to teach T'ai Chi and taught Soaring Crane Qigong and Essence Qigong workshops. I also made several trips to the northwest to further my qigong training. In the year 2000, I was selected by Chen Hiu-xian to be one of the instructors eligible to be certified to teach Soaring Crane Qigong Level II. In 2001, I was certified to teach the third part of Turtle Longevity Qigong and later that year I had the privilege to be certified by Chen Hui-xian to teach Soaring Crane Qigong Level III.
In 2000, I studied the Sun style T'ai Chi with George Gajdos, director of Yuen Sing School of Kwan Ying Do. I also studied the Flying Rainbow T'ai Chi Fan form with Mr. Gajdos in 2004.
In late 2009 I traveled to to Taipei, Taiwan to study with Chen Fu-yin. At this time in addition to attending his workshop I was able to spend a significant amount of time with him on a one to one basis with the help of a translator. During these sessions he granted me permission to certify Essence Qigong instructors. I was also asked to set up an organization to start a recertification program for all instructors.
I continue to practice and teach T'ai Chi and Qigong and hold a weekly practice for those who have completed the Soaring Crane and/or Essence Qigong workshops and I will continue to learn more to keep improving my T'ai Chi and Qigong.
