Tai Chi – Qigong – Yichuan – Push Hands
Saturday October 9th & Sunday October 10th
Grandmaster Sam Tam will be teaching a weekend seminar in Portland, hosted by Northwest Internal Arts.
Sifu Tam is world renowned for his internal martial arts ability. He is famous for and highly trained in Yiquan, Tai Chi Chuan, Qigong and Eagle Claw Kung Fu. His abilities in push hands and the applications of Tai Chi are particularly exceptional.
“This is a developmental process that moves gradually from using great force to using no force, only awareness. First it is necessary to develop the strength, integration, centerline and rooting that we’ve talked about. Only then can we give it up properly, and with results. It’s just like money; if you want to be a philanthropist and give away a lot of money, you must first have accumulated it somehow. Otherwise there’s nothing to get rid of.” -Sifu Tam
Master Tam’s instruction focuses on cultivating one’s root energy and awareness to enhance health and physical ability. He emphasizes developing yielding to surpass force and improving one’s health and quality of life with the internal arts practice.
In this weekend workshop we will be practicing and receiving adjustments on various yiquan postures. Postures will be worked that focus on cultivating the qi to improve health and to develop “peng” or structure and rootedness. We will then explore how to effective apply this ability to root in push hands and self defense.
Master Tam often teaches qigong sets which we use to develop our health and vitality. The practice of qigong has been well studied and shown to have many remarkable health benefits, from lowering blood pressure to boosting immune function as well as the more subjective statements of many internal arts practioners who report higher energy levels and feeling more aware and capable in their daily lives.
The Tai Chi Chuan taught by Sam Tam emphasizes effective technique and learning to maintain the root and strength of yiquan throughout every movement. His teaching style hands on and direct. Open and approachable, Master Tam freely answers questions will share the deeper subtleties of everything he has shared throughout the seminar.
The push hands phase of the training takes everything we have trained and built to work together as a dynamic whole. The root, strength, energy, health and techniques are worked in an unpredictable exercise that improves our awareness of ourselves and of those we come in contact with.
“Many teachers, while emphasizing the centerline, still use strength. When you touch them they feel like a sack of rice, partly soft and partly hard and when they push you can feel it coming. When opponents use strength you can still best them, even though they are stronger.“ – Sifu Tam
Where: 1200 SE Morrison St. Portland OR.
When: October 9th & 10th beginning at 10 am each day
Dues: $240
Space is limited so pre-registration is required with a $100 deposit* to reserve your space.
The dues for this seminar are solely for Master Tam’s expenses and compensation. Northwest Internal Arts is honored to host and provide this resource to local internal arts practitioners.
*non-refundable