A BIG thank you to Brennan Toh and John Dahms for organizing the Ottawa-Gatineau Workshop on Chen Style Taijiquan Practical Method that just ended yesterday (2023.10.21-22). This is especially BIG, because both are very busy people and we are all very thankful for their willingness to take time out to help us in our training. (Master Chen Zhonghua was unable to make it to Ottawa this year.)
All participants enjoyed and benefitted a lot from the teachings of Brennan Toh, John Dahms, Hugo Cascoduro, and Rick Pietila. The training, instructions, and demonstrations were outstanding — clear, thorough, practical and effective. Words alone cannot express the degree and extent of change such a workshop can impress upon an individual’s progress in learning Taijiquan/Tai Chi Chuan. I learned a lot and was very impressed and motivated in seeing how the instructors have excelled in their training and development, as proved by the depth and details of their teachings and demonstrations. Their generosity and willingness to share their knowledge are commendable. Special thanks to Hugo Cascoduro for driving all the way from Toronto, together with Suzanna Chwang and Jen, to help out with the workshop. As well, thanks to Rick Pietila (who is currently on work assignment in Ottawa), for also teaching and taking care of the photography/videography at the workshop.
At this workshop, one of the many key things that I learned was the meaning of “potential”. We need to increase our “potential” through stretching. Only through stretching do we find our limits; it is not till then can we make a breakthrough, with the unleashing of our full potential — a switchover.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4zJMIsT3xs (Illustration of stored elastic energy unleashed from one state to another)
