Upcoming seminar: Ma Weiqi Bagua

eastpaw SG

Dear martial arts enthusiasts,

I am happy to announce the final syllabi and pricing for Guo Shilei’s Ma Weiqi Bagua seminars in September 2011 (Singapore).

Interested parties should contact Alvin at [email protected]

1. Introduction to Ma Weiqi Bagua
Participants: 40-50 (2 iterations)
Duration: 3 hours
Fees: SGD 15 a head (SGD 5 for NUS students)
Syllabus
1) What is Ma Weiqi Bagua?
2) Ma Bagua, Cheng Bagua, and Yang Taiji - similarities and differences in training and fighting
3) Fundamentals of MWQ Bagua (including common mistakes and power generation)
4) Ma Weiqi Bagua short form
5) Some combat applications from the form
6) Grandmaster Yang Rulin’s Bagua Five Elemental Fists

2. Ma Weiqi Bagua foundation building and neigong development
Participants: 10-15
Duration: 9 hours over 3 sessions
Fees: SGD 165 a head
Syllabus
1. Jiamazhuang (lit. horse-clipping stance)
2. Santizhuang (three-body stance)
3. Whipping power
4. Twin dragons playing with a pearl
5. Half-step power generation
6. Dragon step
7. Straight step
8. Dragon Bagua circle

3. Ma Weiqi Bagua Laobazhang routine practice and combat applications
Participants: 10-15
Duration: 6 hours over 3 sessions
Fees: SGD 110 a head
Syllabus
1. Practice of MWQ Laobazhang (old eight palms) routine
2. Combat applications of movements from the routine
3. Explication of power generation in these movements

4. Ma Weiqi Bagua push hands
Participants: 10-15
Duration: 6 hours over 2 sessions
Fees: SGD 110 a head
Syllabus
1. The purpose of push hands practice
2. Tingjin (listening) and dongjin (understanding)
3. Spherical movement
4. Asking for force
5. Unifying the dantian
6. Practical usage of the triangle step from push hands

5. Fight clinic: Incorporating Ma Weiqi fighting concepts into your current game
Participants: 10-15
Duration: 6 hours over 2 sessions
Fees: SGD 110 a head
Syllabus
1. Participants will individually demonstrate their fighting skills
2. Guo Shifu will then analyse their abilities and point out strengths and weaknesses
3. Weaknesses addressed using MWQ fighting methodology
4. Strengths will also be rounded out with MWQ combat concepts

6. Health qigong
Participants: 10-15
Duration: 3 hours
Fees: SGD 55 a head
Syllabus
1. Bagua Dantian skill
2. Whipping power
3. Standing meditation
4. Twin dragons playing with a pearl
5. Wudang health-giving qigong
6. Taiji health-giving qigong (ball rolling)

7. Ma Weiqi Bagua advanced footwork for combat
Participants: 10-12
Duration: 6 hours over 2 sessions
Fees: SGD 200 a head
Syllabus
1. Triangle step
2. Arc step
3. Circling techniques
4. Swaying techniques
5. Follow-step
6. Bagua double intercepting legs
7. Advancing and retreating
8. Advancing and retreating: paired practice
9. Nine palace step
10. Combining stepping with attack and defence

What you get
Lessons will be conducted in air-conditioned rooms (Shifu has confirmed that it’s fine as long as we don’t stand directly under the air vents). A few portions may be conducted outdoors because of space or other constraints.

Classes will be kept small so that each participant will have more personal attention from Guo Shifu. Lessons will be conducted in Mandarin Chinese, with on-the-spot translation to English by one of Shifu’s students.

On top of the lessons themselves, participants in the small classes will also receive the following:
1.   One dri-fit T-shirt printed for the seminar for each full day of training
2.   Drinking water during the seminars
3.   DVDs of your seminar sessions

Discount
In total, there are 36 hours of lessons over 13 sessions. These cost SGD 750 in total. However, participants who sign up for all sessions will be given a SGD 150 discount: final fee is SGD 600. These participants are also free to join in the large group sessions. As well, participants who successfully complete the entire series will receive a certificate of participation.

Participants from Australia, Malaysia, and the UK
We acknowledge that it is not cheap to travel to Singapore for the seminars. Therefore, to help defray your costs, we will offer to you the same SGD 150 discount for attendance of the entire series. The final seminar fee will therefore be SGD 600 (approx. AUD 460, MYR 1,470, GBP 299).

Additionally, on top of the standard package, you will also be bussed:
1.   From the airport to the hotel when you arrive.
2.   From the hotel to the training venue each day.
3.   From the training venue back to the hotel each day.
4.   From the hotel to the airport when you leave.
We will absorb the costs of this bussing service provided there are a goodly number of you and you stay in the same hotel.

As well, if you require us to provide lunch, an additional SGD 4 a day should do it. We will definitely get you tasty food!
Finally, if you wish to visit the many martial arts schools in Singapore, please let me know early which styles/schools you are interested in and I will ask them if they would mind visitors. I can’t promise anything though!

Registration
Please contact Alvin at [email protected] to register for the event!

eastpaw SG

Perhaps I should post some videos for those who are still unfamiliar with Guo Shifu.

Lift, carry, and toss: In this clip. Guo Shifu lifts Mike with whole-body power, walks forward a few steps, then tosses him. Al tries to cushion Mike's landing but is felled by momentum.

Pushing three in a row: Mike, Alvin, and Greg braced themselves for Shifu's push but ended up flying into the couch anyway. Incidentally, it HURT!

Sparring concepts: Guo Shifu explains fighting angles.

At times, Shifu's fighting intent when attacking was so focused and ferocious, and his movement so fast and hard to follow, that Alvin automatically covered up in anticipation of a massive combo.

Important concepts in push hands and sparring: In this English-subtitled teaching video, Guo Shifu explains and demonstrates several important fighting concepts, namely,
1. hu zhong xin - guarding the centre
2. da qian - attacking the beginning,
3. wen jin - asking for force,
4. bi shi ji xü - avoiding the substantial and attacking the empty,
5. fa jin - generating power,
and
6. gun dong - rolling

eastpaw SG

It's been confirmed! Guo Shifu will be in Singapore in the first two weeks of September. I have forwarded the draft seminar syllabus to Shifu, and I will post it (together with pricing) once it has been ratified.

:)

eastpaw SG

Hi all. Have edited the first post with the updated details.