Hello and Welcome!
Hi! I'm miltownkid (Casey.) I made this web page to help promote my teacher's style of Taichi called "Search Center" and also to tell you about my new competition Taichi push-hands class. If the information on the web page interests you or you're interested in the class, consider signing up to get additional information about Search Center Taichi and Taichi Push-Hands. After you sign up, you can ask me questions directly, request videos and you'll be notified when my new Taichi Search Center website is up and running.
My Little Taichi Commercial
A Little Bit About Me
I've been studying Taichi for about 10 years. It all started at a school called the ["Chinese Kungfu Center"]. An instructor and mentor (Shelton) introduced me to Taichi after studying Shaolin Kungfu for roughly 3 years. He told me Taichi was the "Grand Ultimate Fist"! The recommendation from Shelton, stories like [Zhang San Feng's] and movies like ["The Taichi Master"] had me hooked. I decided to focus all of my martial arts training on Taichi.
After committing myself completely to Taichi I spent many long days in the park with a crew of people led by a guy we'll call Ed. Ed already had experience competing in Taiwan and had trained for many years. He eventaully discovered a teacher called [Master Henry Wang]. Master Wang had developed a new system of Taichi call "Serach Center." After spending some years practicing Search Center with Ed and the rest of the Taichi crew I was motivated to make the trip to Comox, Canada and meet Master Wang in person (2002.)
Meeting Master Wang cemented what I already felt inside. I was destined to become a "Taichi Master" (although I'm not quite there yet ;) .) Since that time my life has been a constant battle to create the most optimal environment for learning Taichi. It was also in 2002 that I moved to Taiwan and trained with some of the same people Master Wang studied with. Seeking a different environment to test my Taichi, I decided to learn [Brazilian Jujitsu]. This has proven to be an excellent combination of arts. They complement each other well.
In 2006 I experienced my first Taichi Pushhands competition in Taipei, Taiwan. I took second in the moving step competition and sixth in fixed step. In 2007 I returned to the US with hopes of starting a class to share the insight I've gained. This is the beginning of that class. :)
In October of this year (2008) I plan on returning to Taiwan to compete again.
What is Taichi Search Center?
If you are completely new to Taichi, here's [a good place to start educating yourself] (you can also sign up above and ask me directly.) There is already an explanation of Search Center on my teacher's website. You can read what he has there by [following this link]. I'll do my best to give you my interpretation of what Search Center is to me.
To me, Search Center is the art of refining ones sensitivity to enhance ones ability to find an opponents "center." To me, a person's "center" is where their center of gravity is. It would be like a gyroscope spinning in a clear plastic ball. If you pushed the ball anywhere but dead center the ball would just move to the right or the left. When pushing an opponent you want to push them in their dead center.
In order to do this you must increase your "searching" skill. Master Wang has developed exercises to increase your searching skill. Some of them are done extremely lightly in order to increase sensitivity. There are also [seven priciples that Master Wang has developed]. These are also an important part of Search Center. These principals are:
- Center
- Balance
- Coordination
- Porportion
- Concentration
- Circle
- Relaxation
A practicioner of Taichi Search Center will focus on developing ones ability to "search center" and work towards mastering of those seven principles.
Competion Taichi Pushhands
I believe competition taichi pushhands is an OUTSTANDING sport for several reasons. For starters it's very low impack so there is little risk of injury. When administered properly it develops a skill that isn't as deeply present in other arts. It's also a sport where you actually get better with age! In Taiwan I was thrown back several feet (and right to my bum) by an intructor who was over 80 years old.
Unfortunately, competition pushhands in the US is not the same as it is in China and Taiwan. I think this is SERIOUSLY effecting people's view of taichi and traditional martial arts in general. Competition pushhands is a sport that I beilieve could be just as fun and useful as something like Judo, BJJ, or Taekwondo. Instead, when talking to people in the MMA community, I currently gets laughs or looks of confusion when I say Taichi is my core martial art. I hope through time and proper education this can change. Here are a series of videos I found on Youtube which explain the differences between competition pushhands in Taiwan/China and the US.
This firt video comes in two parts. It shows the differences between pushhands in the US and China/Taiwan. If you have a a short attention span, in summary, competition pushhands sucks in the US and is AWESOME in China/Taiwan. ;)
Pushing The Issue: Tai Chi Push Hands Competitions
A critical look at Tai Chi Push Hands competitions
in China and the United States.
Women Can do Push-Hands Too! :)
My Teacher's Teacher (Grandmaster Huang Sheng Shyan)
There's [a
little bit written about him on Wikipedia] if you would like
more information. Otherwise do some searches around web.
My teacher was hardcore and my teacher's teacher was hardcore (before
they turned "softcore".) Here's a
match where he challenged a prowrestler (or the pro wrestler challenged
him...) Either way, the point is there was once a time when
practictioners of Taichi acepted challenged and proved their skill.
My Class
Classes begins August 3rd. Even if you are not located in Milwaukee I want to do everything I can to help promote the sport/art and am glad to answer any questions to may have. To be instantly notified when the class schedule and fees are arranged, or to contact me, [use the form located at the top of the page.]
Class will consist of relaxation exercises, two person exercises also fixed and moving step push-hands.
I still regualry practice Sunday mornings. Use the form above
to reach me.