WTBA two week
training camp. (two weeks to make a family)
For me this was the best camp I’ve ever run. The mix of people was great, from
all over Europe, USA, UK, and even Nasr from Dubai.
From people that use to train with Dad when I was just a kid, to new guys that
had never trained before at all. We all jelled so well.
The first week, from day one everyone seemed like they were good old friends
meeting up again.
Full of hard core training, Qigong in the early mornings, then two hours of bag
beating, and working through the Taiji form and other bits and pieces in the
afternoon. Also in the evenings doing more Qigong, or form, or Push Hands etc.
Seemed to me that I was picking the stuff to teach that people really needed.
Seen as people had put in the effort to make such a long camp, I thought I
would put on a party night for them at the end of the first week.
This was the best party I’ve ever put on! Had my band playing, so this was nice
to show the other side to me, drumming and singing. As most just see me
teaching all the time.
And as a real treat, I had my belly dancing group do some dances, my four
girls, Lisa, Kathleen, Mika, and Mary Eve. As well as Fen Clark, a professional
belly dancer and model from Bristol. And Dominique Flook, a professional theatrical belly dancer from Newport.
Saw a few jaws on the floor when these girls were dancing! A nice change from
training all week J
Was an amazing energy in the room, people were so full of energy it felt like
performing to 100 people. Everyone up dancing and singing along. And then
dropped their jaws back to the floor when the girls came on!
As another treat, I had my Yoga teacher Ana Chidzoy come
down that night before the party.
Took the whole group through a lovely Yoga session, bending them into places
they never thought was possible! Everyone seemed to love this, and again made a
nice change to training in martial arts for the last week.
We had Jerry Walker and his boy Zack in for cooking the
first week, everyone loved as usual.
The second week had less people, some could only stay one
week.
So the whole camp became more chilled out, still training at least 5 hours
every day.
But started getting into some more special things to do with Qi and Yin and
Yang.
Some group Qigong’s were done, linking palms and creating some seriously
powerful shit!
This was the most Qi I’ve ever felt in a room before.
Started having movie nights too, so that was fun! Everyone just having a good
laugh together.
Also got through the whole of the Small San Sau both solo and two person. And
some stick training.
Special things always happen at camps, especially at these camps here in Wales.
Being that it’s close to home, I’m more relaxed, and that it’s more than just a
weekend of training, I can get to know people and see what it is that they need
from me. And found myself doing and saying things that I’ve never heard before,
never been taught etc. But it just came out from somewhere. And I myself learnt
so much more about this art that we all practice.
This is why it is so important for everyone who really wants to get this stuff,
to come to these Foundation camps in Wales. You might see me once or twice a
year in your country, or even train with me every week in Swansea. But when I’m
at camp, special stuff that’s hidden inside me comes out. And the only way to
see it, is to get to camp!
Also, being involved in it for a week or two, you will find stuff happening to
you, that I will see, and then that will make something happen in me, and able
to show you something you need that may never have been shown at just a weekend
workshop.
I know I did a good job with this one, as by the end, everyone was sad to leave, the second week people in particular had become like a family.
For myself, on the last evening, I thought, it’s done! As I was exhausted! And happy to be going home the next day. But then in the morning, I was feeling quite emotional, and didn’t want it to end.
I gave everything I could in these two weeks, felt
completely drained, but in a good way, as to give makes me happy, seeing that
what I’m giving is being absorbed, and once I recharge, then I’m even better
than before!
Really had that feeling that I had imparted wisdom. Wisdom that was planted in
me by Dad, and unlocked by you. Thank
you all for that.
Here is what some of the members had to say. Some of them thought it was so good I have had to shorten bits.
Lars-Erik,
Norway
«Taiji
smiles-laughter-cry, Blue-thought technology and Supreme-Care-Bear group work»
Thanks alot to all of you! ((also
the one who gave me x5(!?) black eyes:)) Was with no doubt two of the most
wonderful weeks in my life so far!!!! And that created while staying 90% of the
time inside a simple gym hall! Love to all, and hope to see you next year!!
Special thanks to the Montaigue crew for putting it all togheter and making it
possible, including a party you dont need to be drunk to enjoy:DD
I could
write a book about this camp, but I think you will have more fun doing some
extra training than reading my endless thougths and opinions so I will keep it
as short as I can.
Smiles
Taiji-smiles
is a word that came to my mind many years ago training with Eli and Erle. It is
the kind of smile that appears when getting a new and better feeling in a
certain move they will show, that will also open up and improve all the rest of
the training and how you enjoy things. And people will just stand there doing
the move over and over again, stopping up a bit, with face covered in mild
smile on the outside, but highly exited calmness smile inside. Later on I have
also felt that with a couple of other instructors and training partners. Amp it
up and you will get taiji laughter, when the feeling is so cool you just have
to giggle/release some satisfied humhuming a bit about it from pure joy. First
time I had that laugheter myself was at Erles Qi-develpoment tool summercamp in
Leicster. I havent had anything in life that made me feel like crying past two
years, one way or the other, (but if getting a bit sentimental, would feel nice
to cry, but dont have enough to cry about I will put on «Dear Mama» with «2pac»
and send my mother some thankfull thoughts.) However, Thanks ELI, and the whole
group. In this camp to me it amped up even a level more!! Taiji crying of
amusement!! Training the postures from the Yang Lu Chan form and small san-sau
I had several taiji smiles and taiji laughters, and on two of the ocations I
went outside the hall to just giggle and digest bymyself while class was moving
on to a new move. I felt filled with so much thrill for everything that several
tears of joy came out of my eyes:o) :D ;D ;D
Blue-thougt
technology
All of
the above, I dont think is possible if the teacher and the student does not
have a «blue-thought-technology» connection. (And a supreme care bear group
which the teacher will attract more and more at this level will make it even
more accesible) I guess more commonly in the WTBA it is called «internal
learning qi», and more commonly overall: «transmitting». Not when the teacher
is just teaching/»transmitting» you how to punch harder or kick faster by
yourself via oral instructions and the teacher demonstrating and correcting you
in the three physical dimensions. More like your teacher is able to extend and
amp up his «something» and you tap into each other via something outside the
normal known mediums that might feel like magic but is not. It is a connection
that is very there, but cannot be heard, seen or touched. (Hence the analogy to
blue tooth:) The students and the teacher become like a pack of animals and
everybody becomes more aware about another and them self. I think all good
teachers in any kinds have this, but in alot of other stuff you can get away
alot easier wihtout it. Erle was always brilliant with this. In this camp Eli
showed that he is up to his match not only technically and verbal exlplainig
skill, but also have caught up in the uppermost cool skill that is cruical in a
good taiji teacher; «the blue-thought-technology-organicgly.»
A funny
anecdote outside the direct training to example this, was one random morning I
was upstairs fiddling with getting on my clothes and the class was already
about to start. Heard Eli say downstairs, «well what are we going to do!!??» I
was just about to shout down: «Can we do some kicks!!?» But as my mouth was
about to open I allready heard Eli say «Kicks!! Shall we do some kicks
today!??» That would not have been funny if we had already talked about doing
kicks that day, but we had not. It would also not been funny if in general I
was always keen on practicing kicks. But I am not, I would say I usually prefer
to go for a run, og go to the gym over practicing kicks. While doing taiji,
kicks would be the only thing on the bottom of my list together with hitting
soft squashy pads. My point is that there was an open clear connection, and if
not too mumbo jumbo for you; the teacher had already extended unconsiously his
«something» into kicks, and that made me feel like kicking. Not that he was on
purpose thinking hard: Kicks-kick-kicks-kicks!! Come on class! get ready for
kicks!Kicks is going to happen!!! Or that there was some literal telepathy
going on there a la Eli could hear: Oh, Lars-Erik is keen on doing some kicks
today, lets make him a joke and beat him to saying it.... u-hum, he also is
keen on having a small can of coke before coming down, and is planning to go to
Tesco to get some more after lunch. Lars! can you also bring some more veggie
burges if you are going down anyway? Yes mate, I will bring you 5 packages as
that whats you wanted wasnt it? Yeah sure!
Supreme-Care-Bear
group work
Do you
know the cartoon Care Bears? The group of bears that every one has a special
single coloured energy ray coming out of their bellys with special feautures on
its own. And when they all team in together they make a complete rainbow ray
with even more features and nothing is impossible. Well to sum it up thats how
I felt stronger than ever before on this camp, we are a bunch of care bears
meeting up making magic rainbows, during getting some physical exercise and
improving our martial style while out in excile:D
And every
night going to bed, but to exicted to go straight into sleep, going over and
repeating in the head all the new stuff learnt that day, while the wind blowing
outside and the welsh spring rainstorm hammering on the roof. I heard this hymn
from a swedish rock song in the back of my mind as we were all moving into
dreamland and the storm was amping up:
on the
roads tonight
the
healers are Hunting
fear
hate
and
suffering
No need
for
map or
compass
rest or
ease
And then
getting up for a final breath of fresh air out of Christians pocket seeing an
old VHS cover of the movie «Boys in the hood» put up on display with Ice Cubes
slogan:
«
Increase The Peace»
(mtf``s:)
Love from
Lars-Erik, Norway
I never thought we could top autumn 2011 foundation camp, but we have
well and truly powernoodled it out of the ball park!!! it is very late, so I
will just say, I love you all! you are all brilliant!!! thank you for being
you! (except for Christian, he stole my windscreen wiper!!! so I love him the
most :-) xxxxxxxxxoooooooooooo (more to be said when I have slept)
Christian Zietsch. Berlin
It is not that easy to write something about the foundation camp Apr. 6th –
Apr. 20th 2013.
To make a long story short – it was outstanding, amazing, stunning …. and it
was a regular WTBA camp as well, because WTBA camps are always special.
Also it is impossible to distinguish between the training and the friendship or
better the family life. The WTBA is a family and exactly that’s what I felt
about.
It was
like “coming home again”. Meeting good old friends and making new friends,
that’s part of being a WTBA member.
The
two weeks of training were hard and niece as well. Due to the reduction of
participants the second week was even more intensive. It was announced to be a
“foundation” camp and exactly that happened. No new forms etc. just
consolidation of form and technique. Every time I think “o.k. there is the top
of the mountain and I can see it” the same thing happened to me: “shit, I do
know nothing at all”. But this is a beauty to me.
Eli
showed all the Taiji and Bagua stuff (excellent as every time of course) and I
showed (on request) some of my good old Ninja techniques like disappearing into
nothing without doing anything. Eli promised a Yoga session and Ana really
stretched the crap out of us, but she did it the most beautiful way ever. Ana
is a miracle.
Books
have been written and legends have been told about the Friday Night Party.
Belly dancers, musicians and crazy worriers are a perfect combination
Last
but not least: the venue itself was perfect for the camp. One can brake a
wooden ground plate and fix it again, as we did. Everything is there, even a TV
and video player. Yes it’s not a mistake it was a good old VHS video player,
the movies changed form coloured to b/w and back to coloured and so on……
At the
end I just can say: Looking forward to the October 2013 camp – it will be a
Bagua Camp and therefore it will be an outstanding camp – believe me and join
it.
Love
Christian
Joel B Fant USA
"I've
attended a few workshops prior to the April 2013 Camp and, no matter what fancy
forms were being taught, the most important thing about them is always the
fellowship. I figured a two week camp would simply be more so, but it seems I
underestimated. It was magnificent to live and play and laugh and cry (but
mostly laugh) with some of the finest friends I know. The elephant jokes were
pretty good, too. My hat is a pocket on my head. Here's to the hope for
such a camp being annual!"
Romina Naito. From
here and there
Thank you
very much Eli. I learnt a lot from you and from all the participants at camp.
For me the jewels were the times when you just followed the flow and saw what
people needed to learn at that time. Being with us in the present moment. It
was very eye opening and little things that I was feeling were guided into
explore into more new little things, which eventually will take me onto more
exploration . It gave me a lot of points to practice and to put my intent to
when doing my practice at home. The people were wonderful and the camp had a
good feeling of a family training together. :)
Frank Ranz Austria
It was a fantastic camp!!
Morning Qigong was great, also to get to now the moving stuff from your system
which I haven’t done before. I had the feeling I could deepen my understanding
of the mind whilst doing the form.
I never did so much bag work before, that was great. Your input with the heavy
hand on basically every strike did a lot for a good activation while not
tensing up and delivering some force.
Although I have seen you and your dad at workshops before and watched quite
some videos, to look at you doing it and having a chance to ask you and get
correction is probably the most important part of learning and progressing. Be
it for the more relaxed attidude - not having a form to learn, or knowing that
there is more time to get into it - or whatever other reason it felt different
from previous camps or workshops. The general idea of a foundation camp,
concentrating on stuff you have seen or done before ia good thing to have
anyway.
In terms of push hands I feel, it went to the next level. Your input on how to
turn was very helpful and your intervention of doing it with some of the guys
who are used to rather hard and stiff version helped a lot. Lars advice on
turning the arm was great.
Doing the form with you and with the whole group was a special experince again,
too bad we didn't have it more often.
I wished you'd have more help for the organisation, I admire your attidude of
doing everything yourself, beeing the driver, the dishwasher and the teacher.
Friday night was really something special, the programme was excellent, hearing
the band the first time and getting the whole group to dance and have fun was
really special. The belly dancers were exeptionally good
Love
Frank
Ralph Kemp. Wales
It
was a really excellent camp, I thoroughly enjoyed it, I got an awful lot out of
you taking small parts of the form and going over them in detail.
I thought it was a great mix of
people and I enjoyed making some new friends and seeing some old ones – I’ll
really look forward to next year’s camp!
Joerg Latuske
Berlin
your camp was a great experience to me!!! Thanks to you and all the other
participants of the camp who helped me to overcome the barrier between
"absolute beginner" and "beginner", especially Pece, Guy,
Lars and Christian!
What impressed me most, was the cooperative atmosphere during the week. I've never experienced that in
other camps in other sports before. Thanks, and I hope to see you next year!
Gie Kiesekoms, Belgium
Thanks
for a great expirience. I didn't know what to expect when I decide to
come to Wales. but it turns out to be two of the most fantastic weeks of my
live
The way
you make every training a different one is very nice. Its good to learn the
small san sau and yang lu chan form together, do a bit of bagua en train with
sticks and then realise its all about your
OWN foundation KEEP YOUR STRUCTURE
Training together with people who have more expirience means you learn
every minute of every day for 14 days. Sometimes I got so much
information in two hours that my head was spinning. ...... An then
again you realise that everything is a variation on a few
principes KEEP YOUR STRUCTURE...
this camp
gave me also the opportunity to learn a lot about myself. I think that
you told us the second day of camp that a person who practice tai chi
stands in live more peacefull and with an open mind. And then again
at the end of camp I realise this is also about your own foundation.....KEEP
YOUR STRUCTURE
Camp was
great and I hope to come back
I'll
always remember Mad Max ;-)
Marqus
Ludwig. Germany
So far I would just like to thank you once again. It was an amazing time and
perfect if anything in this world ever can be.
The most
amazing thing for me was, that so different and crazy a people can grow
together so fast, that every small aversion you may have had against somebody
in the beginning was just melting away in this pool of good energy and
everything and everybody felt simply right and wonderful in the end. And that
on the base, that we were working on "martial arts", on "hitting
and hurting people as effectively and relaxed as possible"! If ever it was
needed to prove once more that the "Internal Martial Arts" are a
healing art as well if not above all, it could not have been better
demonstrated and proven than by this camp! (And still we learned of the rougher
side as well).
And: Eli,
your teaching is definetely becoming even more & more sophisticated. Just
great. And a big "thumbs up" for the thrown in Yoga exercises.
Roswitha Flucher, Austria
The
camp was great as ever. No, not as ever, since your are getting better every
time. I think, is was a good mixture of methods and skills we were working on
and I turned back home quite inspired, trying to remember all the corrections I
got and to keep the spirit of the camp in everyday life.
7 days of trainig instead of 4 make a big difference.
Friday night was marvelous, the music, the dancers, I really enjoyed it.
Pece Milosev
This was indeed a great camp!
At the beginning I didn't felt at home (well I wasn't :)), but I made friends
pretty quick, so even the second day I already felt like I know most of you.
Before coming to the camp I knew about the martial aspects of the system, but I
now realized it is really a full featured, complete self defense and healing
system.
It's really nice to meet people like yourself, Lars, Jerry, Leigh, etc. which
are really great people with great physical and spiritual appearance.
It shows you the quality of the system.
I didn't expect the punching / kicking session in the morning, and this was a
really good surprise for me.
I liked the most the session where people were running with bags trough the
hall, and you needed to punch whoever comes to you :)
I loved the non-session periods as well.
It was full of push hands, sticky hands, and friendly ass kicking.
I think talking to the others during the breaks compensated for the missing
personal training.
All in all it was a great camp, and I have learned so much :)