September 2021 WST NEWS

COVID -19 Update

Push Hands has resumed on Thursdays (7:30-9:30 pm), at Roda Movement located at 7014-A Westmoreland Avenue in Takoma Park, MD. Participants should be vaccinated, and temperatures will be taken prior to push hands play. Masks are being worn at present. Should the COVID Variant continue to sweep though the area the open workouts may be postponed again. If you have any questions contact Paul at 301-651-3617 for clarification.

We are scheduled to resume classes at the Dance Exchange on Saturday September 11, 2021.

We begin classes at 10 am in this order: Tai Chi form at 10 am . Push Hands class at 11am, and Internal Self Defense at 12. Please contact Paul at 301-651-3617 if you will be attending any of these classes so that we can have an accurate head count.

We plan to eventually have a second day of classes at the O’Day- Parcelli Training Center located on Nicholson St NW on Thursdays from 6-8 pm. Further updates on this to be given as all elements pertaining to this location are confirmed.

Please contact Paul at longmen987@gmail.com to say whether you feel ready to get back to class or not. (you may text response to 301-651-3617).

Also, we continue to offer Zoom classes in form, theory, history, principles and in Qigong/ meditation. There are also students who come to Gaithersburg to do private outdoor or indoors instruction in or outside of the Clear Circle location. Contact Paul via email or phone (301-651-3617) to discuss options. Fall is almost here and outdoor classes have become more fun and popular so if you’d like to schedule your outdoor lesson do so quickly because available time slots are disappearing rapidly!

QUOTES of the Month

Where there is love and inspiration; I don’t think you can go wrong.

Ella Fitzgerald

It’s one of the greatest gifts that you can give yourself; to forgive.

Maya Angelou

A small act is worth a million words.

Ai Wei Wei

August 2021 WST NEWS

 COVID -19 Update

 Push Hands has resumed on Thursdays (7:30-9:30 pm), at Roda Movement located at 7014-A Westmoreland Avenue in Takoma Park, MD. Participants should be vaccinated, and temperatures will be taken prior to push hands play. Masks are being worn at present. 

We are scheduled to resume classes at the Dance Exchange on Saturday September 11, 2021.

We begin classes at 10 am in this order: Tai Chi form at 10 along with Kids Kung Fu. Push Hands class at 11am, Internal Self Defense at 12, Xing-I/ Bagua at 1 pm and a possible Swordplay (if there is sufficient interest), class at 2pm.

We plan to have a second day of classes at the O’Day- Parcelli Training Center located on Nicholson St NW on Thursdays from 6-8 pm. Further updates on this to be given as all elements pertaining to this location are confirmed.

Please contact Paul at longmen987@gmail.com to say whether you feel ready to get back to class or not. (you may text response to 301-651-3617).

 Also, we continue to offer Zoom classes in form, theory, history, principles and in Qigong/ meditation. There are also students who come to Gaithersburg to do private outdoor or indoors instruction in or outside of the Clear Circle location. Contact Paul via email or phone (301-651-3617) to discuss options.  Summer is here and outdoor classes have become more fun and popular so if you’d like to schedule your outdoor lesson do so quickly because available time slots are disappearing rapidly!

KUOSHU INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENT

 The annual Kuoshu International Championship event was held at the Delta Hotel in Hunt Valley MD on July 23-25, 2021.  As expected, the number of competitors was less than in previous years’ but the COVID situation made that inevitable. The events spanned two floors of ball rooms and proceeded in an orderly and efficient manner.

The US Kuoshu Championships this year included Qualifying divisions for the World Championships which are to take place next year.  Our own Terance Nicholson moved up to Judge level this year and did a fine job of learning the ropes.  Stephen Genus, the current World Champions in Bagua Zhang decided to only do three events this time around from which he earned three gold medals. He was top qualifier by winning Advanced Yang form securing his spot on the US team as well as winning both Limited Step and Moving Step Pushing Hands divisions. Evan Colton our second Push Hands competitor won Gold in Moving Step Pushing Hands and came in second behind Stephen Genus in Limited Step Push Hands. Joe Dudley gets honorable mention for a good performance in the Advanced Tai Chi weapons division. Marketa Ebert who was originally supposed to compete had to, unfortunately, withdraw from competition due to injury but came to root on her teammates and to take photos and video.  We would like to thank the WST students who came to the event to support their classmates and see some high-level Kung Fu forms, weapons, sparring and pushing hands.

QUOTES of the Month

 Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.

-Jean-Jacques Rousseau

  The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.

-Marthe Troly-Curtin

 The beauty is that through disappointment you can gain clarity, and with clarity comes conviction and true originality.

-Conan O'Brien

July 2021 WST NEWS

EVENTS and CLOSINGS

 Closed July 4 Holiday- NO Classes Monday 5 July 2021

 International Kuoshu Championships- July 23-25 2021 at Delta Hotel, Hunt Valley MD

 COVID -19 Update

Dance Exchange is following  County guidelines which will permit fitness studios to operate at 50% capacity. Vaccinated persons may train without masks if desired.

There is currently limited responses to the idea of returning to in-person training at the Dance Exchange.  Push Hands will resume Thursday July 8 at Roda Movement (7;30-9;30 pm), located at 7014-A Westmoreland Avenue in Takoma Park, MD. All vaccinated participants are encouraged to attend regardless of experience or style. Temps will also be taken before being allowed to push

We are currently attempting to restart our classes at the Dance Exchange. We would like to start with Saturday classes-only, on an expanded schedule. We are looking at having the first Saturday of classes on Saturday July 24. UPDATE: Since COVID schedules have changed we now have a confirmed Start up date of September 11, 2021 at 10 am.  The previous time slots have been given away since we were not coming in. We are asking to begin classes at 10 am in this order : Tai Chi form at 10 along with Kids Kung Fu. Push Hands class a 11am, Internal Self Defense at 12, Xing-I/ Bagua at 1pm and a possible Swordplay class at 2pm.

We would appreciate a timely response from all those who hadn’t responded to a headcount inquiry sent out a week ago to ensure that we have enough students committed to participating in order to create a new tenant lease with the DX. Please contact Paul at longmen987@gmail.com to say whether you feel ready to get back to class or not.(you may text at 301-651-3617).

 Also, we continue to offer Zoom classes in form, theory, history, principles and in Qigong/ meditation. There are also students who come to Gaithersburg to do private outdoor or indoors instruction in or outside of the Clear Circle location. Contact Paul via email or phone (301-651-3617) to discuss options.  Summer is here and outdoor classes have become more fun and popular so if you’d like to schedule your outdoor lesson do so quickly because available time slots are disappearing rapidly!

TIEN SHAN PAI  LEGACY  TOURNAMENT

 The Tien Shan Pai Legacy event was held at the Delta Hotel in Hunt Valley MD on June 6, 2021.  As expected, the number of competitors was a little less than previous years’ but the COVID situation made that inevitable. The events spanned two ball rooms and proceeded in an orderly and efficient manner. The entire event was finished in about 4 hours and the judging was fair and those who did well  were awarded appropriately.

The US Kuoshu Championships this year will include Qualifying divisions for the World Championships which are to take place next year.  Our own Terance Nicholson and Stephen Genus, are current World Champions in Xing-I Chuan and Bagua Zhang respectively and we’d like to keep those championships (as well as in Tai Chi), within the family.  Empty hand and weapons divisions are included as qualifying events.  Those interested in competing this year should contact Paul so that we can clean details and progress skills so that we may be competitive with the varied competitors from other schools.  Online registration is available now. (https://www.new.wu-kui-tang.com/  ).Info/ registration for the July Championships can be may also be obtained at www.usksf.org.

QUOTES of the Month

 Nature magically suits a man to his fortunes, by making them the fruit of his character.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

There is only one success- to be able to spend your life in your own way.

-Christopher Morely

 Nothing is easy to the unwilling.

-Thomas Fuller

June 2021 WST NEWS

CLOSINGS and SPECIAL EVENTS

Tien Shan Pai Legacy Tournament- June 6, 2021 at the Delta Hotel in Hunt Valley MD

Kuoshu International Championships- July 23-25, at the Delta Hotel in Hunt Valley MD

COVID -19 Update

County guidelines will permit fitness studios to operate at 50% capacity.

However, there is currently insufficient interest in returning to in-person training at the Dance Exchange. Hopefully we can look toward returning to classes at the DX in July.  Please contact Paul at longmen987@gmail.com to say whether you feel ready to get back to class or not.

 We continue to offer Zoom classes in form, theory, history, principles and in Qigong/ meditation. There are also students who come to Gaithersburg to do private outdoor or indoors instruction in or outside of the Clear Circle location. Contact Paul via email or phone (301-651-3617) to discuss options.  Since warm weather is here outdoor classes have become more fun and popular so if you’d like to schedule your outdoor lesson do so quickly because available time slots are disappearing rapidly!

 TIEN SHAN PAI  LEGACY  / KUOSHU CHAMPIONSHIPS TOURNAMENT

 The Legacy event (June 6- register online), is one of only two currently known Kung Fu tournaments scheduled to take place in the area at this time. Paul Ramos will be judging there and is seeking competitors to participate in this event.  It would be be a good warm up for the Kuoshu International Championships taking place at the same venue the July 23-25th weekend.  Contact Paul if you’d like to compete or feel free to view the event as a spectator. Contact Paul at longmen987@gmail.com for all questions or concerns.

The Kuoshu Championships (July 23-25, 2021), this year will include Qualifying divisions for the World Championships which are to take place next year. Our own Terance Nicholson and Stephen Genus, are current World Champions in Xing-I Chuan and Bagua Zhang respectively and we’d like to keep those championships (as well as in Tai Chi), within the family. Empty hand and weapons divisions are included as qualifying events. Registration for the qualifyers and other divisions in July, is available online now. Those interested in competing this year should contact Paul so that we can clean details and progress skills so that we may be competitive with competitors from other schools.

Info on July event may be obtained at www.usksf.org while registration for the June 6 Legacy event is available at www. tienshanpai.org/ legacy-tournament.

QUOTES of the Month

A leader has to appear consistent. That doesn’t mean that they have to be consistent.

-James Calahan

Let us not look back in anger, nor forward in fear, but around in awareness.

- James Thurber

Nothing will ever be attempted if all possible objections must first be oovercome.

- Samuel Johnson