About Athens Class

Hunyuantaiji Academy of Athens

The Hunyuantaiji Academy of Athens, Georgia is an official branch school of the Hunyuantaiji Academy and is devoted to faithfully transmitting and promoting the teachings of Chen Zhonghua. Since 2003, instructors Carl Lindberg and Todd Elihu have been actively teaching and sharing their knowledge of Taijiquan and Qigong within the Athens community.

For more information about classes or to inquire about private instruction or workshops, please use the contact form

Instructors:

Todd Elihu
Todd Elihu is a 20th generation disciple of Chen Style Taijiquan and a 3rd generation disciple of Chen Shi Xinyi Hunyuan Taiji under Master Chen Zhonghua. After studying several Chinese martial arts (Taiji, Bagua, Xingyi, Northern Shaolin) he attended a weekend workshop with Chen Zhonghua. Thoroughly impressed with the unique skill exhibited by Master Chen, he practiced the Positive and Negative Circles for several months and then moved to Edmonton, Alberta to fully immerse himself in the rich art of this master.

After three and a half months of full-time training, Todd returned to Athens, Georgia and began teaching. Since then he has taught classes and workshops on the University of Georgia campus as part of the UGA Hunyuan Club, Kennessaw State University, the Classic Martial Arts Club, and the Red Lotus Institute.

At the 3rd Annual Hunyuan World Seminar in 2004, Todd was formally accepted as a disciple of Chen Zhonghua. Later that year, he traveled to China to take part in the activities surrounding Master Chen’s formal recognition as the International Standard Bearer of the Chen Style Taijiquan Practical Method of Hong Junsheng. In 2007, Todd was officially endorsed by Chen Zhonghua as a workshop presenter of the Hunyuantaiji Academy. In 2008, he again traveled to China, accompanying Chen Zhonghua and Gordon Muir as they visited several masters, conducting a general inquiry into Chen Style Taijiquan and specific research on the life and martial art of Master Chen Fake. In 2009, Todd, along with his wife and daughter, spent the summer at Daqingshan, Chen Zhonghua’s international Taijiquan training center in the mountains of Shandong Province, and served as an instructor for the full-time training session that was held there.

Todd has an A.B. in Chinese Language and Literature and is currently pursuing an M.A.T. in Social Studies Education from the University of Georgia.

Carl Lindberg

Carl Lindberg is a 20th generation disciple of Chen Style Taijiquan and 3rd generation disciple of Hunyuan Chen Shi Xinyi Hunyuan Taiji under Master Chen Zhonghua. Beginning his love affair with Chinese martial arts in 1995, Carl logged countless hours practicing Yang Style Taijiquan, Baguazhang, Xinyiquan, Shaolinquan, and Chen Style Taijiquan before beginning his apprenticeship under Master Chen Zhonghua in 2002. Lindberg became a certified instructor of Master Chen’s international Hunyuantaiji Academy upon completion of his full-time instructor training intensive in Edmonton, Alberta in 2003, became an official disciple of Chen in 2004, and traveled to China later that year for more intensive training with Master Chen and some of his fellow Masters and their students. He has attended numerous Taiji and Qigong workshops and conferences in Alberta, Arkansas, New York, and Georgia. Since 2000, Lindberg has taught private students and conducted group classes at the University of Georgia, the Classic Martial Arts Club, Roots Farm, Farm 255, Virgin Islands Sustainable Farm Institute and Floorspace. In addition, he has also taught Chen Style Taijiquan Broadsword at the Hunyuan Taiji Academy, Milwaukee, Wisconsin branch and at the annual international Taijiquan conference, Hunyuan World Seminars, held at Camp Cadicasu in Alberta and Unicoi State Park in Georgia.