Headin' Southwest

Hey folks- we're heading southwest this year for the Guang Ping Yang Tai Chi Association Conference! The schedule has been hammered out and posted on the Guang Ping Yang Association website: www.guangpingyang.org so swing over and check it out.

We're headed to new territory - Albuquerque, New Mexico - a nice change of pace. And we really have Dug Corpolongo to thank. He graciously did a lot of background work to get us a great hotel at fabulous rates (you can get that info at our site!) as well as some incredible entertainment for the Friday Evening Social. (So if you don't know: we work hard -really hard - during the day, and have fun - lots of it - in the evening. But not too much. We still have to get up for stretching and form by 6:00. Larry Riddle has a switch. He will use it.)

Okay, so I get pretty excited when new teachers are folded into the mix of our conferences. I'm really pumped to get to meet Jiang Jiangye and to learn Nine Dragons Bagua Push Hands. I still don't feel push hands is a great strength of mine - especially because I really like to push instead of yield most of the time (there's a little inside secret if you're ever paired up with me!). I've only seen the multitude of videos Master Jiang (www.jiangtaichi.com) but have never attended one of his workshops.

I'm also really interested in being introduced to medical qigong with Lu Yuzhi - who will lead a workshop on it. I still remember the first book I read that covered medical qigong (Qigong Empowerment by Master Shou-Yu Liang and Wen-Ching Wu) that went over simple but effective movements - and sometimes sounds - to ease the body back into balance. But there's a huge difference between reading something in a book and physically working with a group of people led by a highly experienced master, so again, I'm pumped.

We are also lucky to have extremely talented, sharing teachers in our own association who basically donate their time and energy to offer the best Guang Ping workshops available. Over the years I've been to many of them - luckily they've been repeated over the years because I always learn something different each time.

And I must say that I feel like I come home for a while when I'm able to attend GPY conferences. The familiar faces, catching up, being challenged. As the young people say: "It's all good."

Hope you send in your registrations and join us for this year's conference!

2009 Conference and 2009 Kuo Memorial!

This year, the heavy hitters come out for a weekend journey of deep learning, revisiting core principles, and reuniting old friends and taiji family. We are very, very lucky to be able to offer a group of presenters who are world renowned internal martial artists:

You'll attend an amazing lecture on Guang Ping Yang Tai Chi Methods of Good Practice with Y.C. Chiang, one of the lineage holders of Guang Ping Yang Tai Chi. This will be a rare opportunity to learn from one of the greatest internal martial artists of our time.

You'll experience the power of Hsing Yi applications from Henry Look, one of the founders of our organization. His powerful presentation will not only open your understanding of the internal art of Hsing Yi, but will enhance and cultivate your knowledge and practice of taijiquan to a much higher level.

We are so lucky, once again, to be able to have on our list of guests Madam Hui Liu. A world renowned Qigong master who will give an in-depth workshop on Seated Meditation and Seated Acupressure from Dayan Qigong. For anyone who involved in internal arts, this will be a workshop that will give focused enhancement your practice and your health. Her workshops are famous for deeply detailed and comprehensive information. She is amazing.

Also making this conference one of the best are Donald and Cheryl Lynne Rubbo, legends in their own time, offering a workshop on Cultivating Power - Extraordinary Practice for Extraordinary Times

Randy Elia, whose technique and precision is unsurpassed, will present Fa Li, an in-depth look at the will, intention & spirit inside Tai Chi & Hsing Yi. His presentation will be a seamless weave with Master Look's application workshop. Randy Elia's is not only a talented master of the art, but an amazing presenter, reaching out to students at every level of learning.

Another exceptional presenter and direct student of Master Kuo, Marilyn Cooper, joins us for a Push-Hands demonstration with the Kuo/Kwok influences that will challenge you to move deeper into your form. Cooper is not only a grand champion, but a gold medalist, first place international competitor and world title holder and fascinating presenter.