taiji traditions

Originally written by: Lyle Little
I would like to thank Norm Magee and his wife for all the hard work and extras that they did on our behalf. Camp Shawnigan is a beautiful location nestled on Vancouver Island. Read more

Originally written by: Andy Hosler
All things considered I would say it was a better venue than camp thunderbird. The food was awsome and the kitchen staff really went the extra mile for us. The dorms were comfortable with lots of room for personal gear, even closets. The only thing lacking was expresso for the italian contingent…..

Originally written by: Mossimo Neresini

Dear Gordon,

first of all thanks again for everything.

I  am writing also on behalf of Master Bon and Daniele and we would like to tell you that the Victoria experience met all our expectation; so we learnt a lot from the great Master Chen. Moreover we appreciated a lot Bill’s and your availability and experience in looking after us. As to the Camp accommodation everything was fine: food was excellent and in great quantity, fab fellows and comfortable bedrooms. Read more

Originally written by: Vanessa Hammond
Hi Gord, 

I learned a lot and enjoyed my time. 

Camp feedback: 
The food was good, plentiful and nutritious. 
Thanks for moving the evening meal to a later time. Thanks for accommodating for the stronger coffee for those who enjoy a stronger brew. 
Rooms and bathrooms clean. 

Master Chen Feedback: 
I really appreciated the individual attention that Master Chen was able to give during the drills and practice time. 

I am looking forward to receiving the DVD and and link to the website to follow up and consolidate the learning from the week. 
 

Originally written by: Daniel Kahn

Hey Gord,
As I said, I had a great time. Even the weather contributed to the focus on taiji 😉

Here are four thoughts that occur to me. All are minor.

1) laundry facilities would have been welcome.  Read more

Originally written by: Michael Iverson

Food good. 
 


More ilu for beginners + applications. Could prob. Split some of the teaching up – you, Jay, Ping to give people more one on one time with Master Chen. 
 


That’s about it. Awesome all round experience!

The camp facility is super. The dorm is comfortable, the gym is larger enough to hold 40 plus people, and most important, the food was great, tasty, lots of variety. The staff were very friendly. The lake is beautiful. I wish we could do some canoeing. I’m from Phoenix, AZ. The weather was a bit different. I didn’t mind rain and cold. Really enjoyed the fall vibrant color of Victoria. I’ll come back again in the future. Hope we stay at the same camp. Read more

Originally written by: Jay Smith

I recently spent a week at Camp Shawnigan and I was pleased with my stay there. The overall Facility was clean and well kept with beautiful scenery surrounding it. At one point I noticed a toilet was out of order and within a few hours it was repaired and back in working order.  

The food was fantastic, great tasting with a good variety daily. One day I  fell asleep and missed lunch by about 1/2 hour and went to the cafeteria to grab a piece of fruit to hold me over till supper time  ( fruit is left out for us to help ourselves)  one of the cafeteria staff asked me I was hungry I told her I missed lunch and she Quickly offered to get me some leftovers, I told her no thanks and she then offered to make me a sandwich, she seemed genuinely concerned that I had missed lunch, I was impressed.  

I found Norm to be very friendly and helpful when we required some supplies for our classes and great to work with.

I hope we are lucky enough to have our annual gathering at Camp Shawnigan next year, looking forward to staying there again.  

Regards,

Originally written by: Grace Gentili
If the impressions of a complete novice can be of help, I would like to say that the one day I spent at the Taiji Traditions camp was of great benefit to me.  It was an amazing learning experience on many levels. 

It was an eye-opening experience to watch Master Chen as he demonstrated applications of the postures and then gave detailed explanations of the moves to clarify what could not  be seen at the speed of their execution. His teaching style is very compelling.  He explains the concepts  with clarity, energy, and intensity and shares such a great volume of information, at a rapid pace, that it required my very focused attention, in order not to miss anything.   By the end of the day, I had had as much of a mental workout as a physical one and I loved it.  

Furthermore,  the friendliness, warmth, encouragement and helpfulness of all the participants that I knew or had the pleasure of becoming acquainted with, made that one day at camp very special.  The experience of being surrounded by a gym full of very dedicated, hard-working and focused participants was incredibly energizing.  I look forward to going back next year.  

As I was only one day at Camp Shawnigan, all I can say is that I very much enjoyed the two meals I had on that day.  The food was delicious, the choice of items in the buffet was great and the dining area was welcoming and nicely organized.

Grace Gentili 

Originally written by: Bruce van Slyke

Howdy,

I had a great time, I just wish I did not have to leave early. Ironically enough, because of a huge snow storm in Denver, I ended up spending Thursday in Victoria (not a bad thing, a few pints at the Bard and Banker sat rather well with me) but I ended up flying home on Friday after all! Oh well…    Read more