Saskatoon Nine Dragon Baguazhang
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Albert Community Centre
610 Clarence Ave S.
Saskatoon, SK
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Consistency in Training Striving for a Higher Standard
By John P. Painter (Copyright 2005 IAM Co. and the Gompa
A number of interested people have written asking me which study group to join or what happens if they move from one study group in one city to another one in a distant location.
While I cannot oversee every action of every teacher who represents us I can say that if a teacher at one of our groups truly resepcts the art and me as his Shifu he or she will not just say so but do so by the way he or she follows our methods. With all of our study groups we expect consistency of training and instruction from our study group leaders. We have high standards for our study group leaders as they are the stewards of our programs and as such have influence over those who seek to train in the art. This is a great responsibility and it cannot be taken lightly. For this year our motto is “STRIVE FOR A HIGHER STANDARD” as such we are becoming even more diligent to keep the art consistent among all of our fine study groups.
As I as the source of Jiulong Baguazhang and Daoqiquan lineage am still alive and much of my methods have been committed to video tape and printed matter and more is on the way it is easier to maintain this consistency for those study group leaders who are currently helping us to share the arts.
Within the Jiulong association for reasons of consistency we demand that all clubs run precisely the same programs as outlined in our printed and electronic manuals. Study group leaders are trained by me and Shifu Castaldo with support from Shifu Garza and Marshall according to specific guidelines this means that in all clubs teaching Jiulong Baguazhang you will find a consistent teaching of:
- Daoyin Chinese Yoga warm up exercises
- Meditation or Quiet Sitting
- Zhan Zhuang or Power Standing
- Shifting exercises for understanding the beginning of Jin (power)
- Walking exercises for understanding moving root Jin methods
- Circling exercises for safe correct circle walking
- Applications including specific push-hand games and combat concepts
Well over 30 years of training, studying, researching, testing and teaching these methods has brought us to our present state of knowledge that is shared with the study group leaders. While we encourage all of our teachers to study physiology, psychology, sports science and other disciplines we do not allow changes in individual study groups by any one study group leader unless such changes are first examined by the association directors and accepted for use in all groups. This keeps the knowledge base flowing to all students not just to a few in isolated clubs.
Because of my devotion to “keeping it fair to all concerned”, which means every student in every study group around the world I expect that even in the beginning Daoyin warm-ups a study group leader follow the exercises as outlined and written in the same order and not change the order, adding, subtracting or shifting the position of techniques to suit a personal whim. This again keeps the consistency in the training fair to all concerned we expect the methods to be taught exactly as outlined and taught to the study group leader. So you should be able to go from New York to Los Angeles and find the same methods taught in the same order in all of our clubs. It has a purpose and a reason for being this way that is based on being fair to all concerned.
Using Daoyin for Jiulong as an example of our methods we can show that we have designed these warm-ups with core principles and sound physiology based on a number of years of testing and research. The exercises begin with isolated muscle groups working from the top of the body down to the feet. Next they move to include compound movements working more whole body actions and finally move into total whole body actions to establish the principles of Zhengti-jin (whole body power) even at this early stage of training. Each exercise was carefully selected to develop specific flexibility and strength needed in the linear, circle walking and applications that are to follow.
If a Shizi (Wu Guan instructor) or Xiangdao (study group leader) were to rearrange the sequence of training simply to suit his whim or because he or she was bored this whole purpose of the training could be changed and have far reaching repercussions not only on his students but on the principle of being fair to all concerned. This is true with teaching the standing forms, the shifting forms, walking methods, circle walking and application training. In keeping to this year’s theme or Striving For a Higher Standard we are increasing our training times with all study group leaders and implementing stringent standard of examination for all Zhiangdao to help them become better instructors and representatives of the Li family traditions as taught by me at The Gompa center. Those who respect our methods follow or methods, those who do not must not be allowed to represent us. It is as simple as that!
We believe everyone will profit from our collective efforts to achieve a higher standard of science and art in the study of Jiulong Baguazhang.
John P. Painter