Bagua in San Antonio TX?

[CD Lee]

I have a friend who does MT, and BJJ who is very intetsted in the internals. You know how difficult this can be...I was hoping some of you guys could recommend some very good Bagua or Xingyi teachers in the San Antonio area. I would hate for this guy to get into some crappy school and miss out on what the internals are about.

[GLW]

Sorry...you won't find GOOD Bagua or Xingyi in San Antonio.

Closest you can do is to travel to Houston....

Chinese styles are EXTREMELY limited in San Antonio. You CAN find a bit of Taijiquan and Wing Chun...but not much more.

[CD Lee]

That's kind of a real bummer to hear. Guess those of us with close good teachers are pretty lucky.

[ewallace]

GLW is quite correct. There is very little in the way of CMA here. There are a couple good W/C schools and old folks tai chi. Other than that it's pretty much TKD and Kenpo. And of course the Kali school I just started training at.

[ewallace]

Where does your friend train at Mike Rangel's?

[CD Lee]

I am not sure where he trains. Sad thing is, he said he took about four months of Tai Chi there, and he had no idea the things I am talking about with internal principles. He was extreemly interested in my blocking and deflecting methods, which I think are really basic kung fu in the internals.

This guy has been in street fights I would never want to get into. Real multiple attacker stuff, gettin beat up real bad type stuff. So he knows what fighting is. He said he wants to get away from the mat rolling and hard Mui Tai stuff, because it is just so abusive to the body.

We worked a project in Dallas a few months back, and he was going around Dallas trying different Mui Tai places. The thing I noted from him, is that when he fights Mui Tai, he is not in the mind set of taking someones center or balance, and then controlling them. He is just sport fighting, which is fine if you win, but you can take quite a few shots in the process. Also, that is not a good recipe for street fighting or self defense.

I'll bet I can find out where he trains...more to come

[CD Lee]

BTW ewallce...I know how important a good teacher is in ANY style that understands fighting principles, and body dynamics, situational and emotional stress, etc. What have you heard around San Antonio about really top level teachers? Any art.

[ewallace]

As far as Wing Tsun goes, William Parker is a 4th level technician. I have heard good and bad things about that school. I went to check it out and it wasy okay. Just wasn't for me though.

There is also Gilbert Leal. A couple of his students post on this forum. I hear he is a good teacher too.

BJJ- There is a purple belt that teaches at concorde karate. His name is Karun Fiederer and is a student under Pedro Alberto. I have not been to check out this place but I have heard nothing but positive things about it. If I somehow come up with an extra 75 or 85 dollars a month I will train there.

I have done countless searches on the web as well as visited quite a few schools before I finally decided on pekiti-tirsia. The instructor really went out of his way to accomodate me and they really make you feel like part of a family. It was also the most realistic training. They train very hard but the environment is somewhat layed back. Class is a helluva workout too. I haven't left once where I wasn't totally drenched. Then again I am not exacty in shape like a world class athlete.

I really would have loved to find a Longfist school here, and Sifu Leal does teach N. Shaolin LF, but only to his more advanced wing tsun students.

[TaoBoxer]

For those who don't know about good internal in SA, it's only because you keep looking in the phonebook. You gotta hit the parks. I was in SA for 6 years and I had 3 private teachers. My Yang style sifu was 70+ years old and a university professor from Beijing. I also studied Tang Shao Tao Hsing I while I was there and did 3 years of Bagua. There is some good stuff in SA but you gotta dig for it. My Hsing I Sifu moved, but the Bagua school is open and practices regularly.

As for Gilbert, I'd advise against him. Same for Horracio Lopez. Sal De La Rosa does Chen and while I haven't met him we have several mutual acquantiences and I have heard good and bad about him. As far as his Tai Chi, mostly good things.

If you're looking for some really good self defense and Muay Thai, Phet Fong Savane is on Austin Hiway. I know there was also a guy teaching Tai Chi and Shuai Jiao on Lackland a few years ago.

San Antonio is defintly grim for Kung Fu, but if you really want to find it, it is there.

Bill

[TaoBoxer]

Ewallace.... Who are you doing Pekiti with? Ricky Rillera? Or Gabe Martinez?? They are both really stand-up guys. I went to the Tim Wade seminar they sponsored last year right before I moved.

Say hello to them for me, whichever you're practicing with.

[future man]

Dr. Gary Stier teaches Sun Style Tai Chi, along with some Ba Gua and XingYiQuan in San Marcos, TX.

Last I heard, he was teaching Tai Chi on Monday evenings and was available for privates in Ba Gua and XingYiQuan during the week.

[TaoBoxer]

Is Sifu Steir in San Marcos now?? I trained with him like 6 years ago when he lived out south of Austin but north of Johnson City. THe commute was killing me and from what I remember he was REALLY pricey......... San Marcos woulda been A LOT closer..... Too bad....

[ewallace]

I'm training under Gabe Martinez. He just opened a new school at wurzbach pkwy @ perrin beitel.

[TaoBoxer]

Gabe is a great guy.....very dedicated....very serious. You're lucky to have him.

So Mr. Steir is teaching Sun style huh?? He told the the only kung fu he ever practiced was a family style he learned in Michigan. Interesting.....

[future man]

I could be wrong, but if my memory serves me right (based on a conversation I had with him over a year ago) he is teaching Sun style.

And yes, last time I spoke with him he was teaching in the parking lot outside of his Acupuncture business in San Marcos.


:)

[CD Lee]

I have heard of Gary Steir. I know a guy that had some trouble last year finding out exactly where he was. Mike Patterson lists him as a resource.

Is he pretty good with the internals? Anyone know his mix between forms, and fighting applicaitons?

[future man]

I can only speak from limited experience when I participated in one of his Tai Chi classes over a year ago.

However, from that one class and my surrounding conversations with him, I got the impression that he was the real deal and knew his stuff when it came to Chinese IMAs.

The class I participated in was focused mostly on Tai Chi form practice with emphasis on correct body mechanics, alignment, and use of the internal principles. There was also some push hands work and some basic Chin Na.

That evening, the class consisted of about 8-10 students ranging from mostly beginner to one or two advanced students.

At the time of my visit, I was particularly interested in Ba Gua and Hsing I (in addition to Tai Chi). However, his only public class was the Monday night Tai Chi class. He said that he did teach Ba Gua and Hsing I to advanced students and also was available for private lessons in the other styles depending on his schedule during the week.

He came across as a nice man who was very knowledgeable and serious about teaching quality stuff. Yet, I live in North Central Austin and the reality of commuting down to San Marcos on a regular basis weighed heavy on my decision to study with him. I continued my search here in town and found someone right up the street teaching similar styles.

[swmngdragn]

CD,

You might want to ask Chris McKinley. He may be in Oklahoma, but has exceptional contacts all around the south west/south central portions of the U.S. He is a regular contributer to these boards, and is decent about providing/researching those i.m.a.'s that seem decent enough. If Chris doesn't respond, e-mail me, and I'll have him get in contact with you directly.
(my e-mail is in my sig.) :) Good luck.

[CD Lee]

Thank you guys very much for the help. I have emailed Chris and hope he responds. Quality takes time right?

[Prairie]

There was an author in the Nov/Dec 2001 KungFu QiGong magazine by the name of Bill Lewitt. The article's author information gave San Antonio as his home. He is a bagua practitioner. I have no idea on his level of skill in practice or in teaching as I only know of him through the article.

[ewallace]

Heh. Here's a hint Prairie: The gentlemen you referred to has actually posted on this thread. :)

[Prairie]

Ah Ha! I had a sneaky feeling about that :)

[TaoBoxer]

All I can say about him is that he is a thoroughly disreputable sort. I saw him in a park once doing somthing that resembled Ba Gua.

Last I heard he had been run out of Texas, accused of being a Carpetbagger... Last I heard he was teaching TKD or somthing up North

[Prairie]

Those carpetbaggers always are disreputable sorts.

:p

[TaoBoxer]

The truth is actually this:

I left San Antonio last year and I have been teaching Near Range Combatives, Weapon Retention, Defensive Knife, and Tactical First Aid in New Hampshire for an obscure European weapons consortium named Sig Sauer. My skill is still poor, rivaled only by my horrible visage and my inability with a pen.

I am still in close contact with my Sifu in San Antonio and classes are still being held. I actually plan on flying him up in the Spring to help me teach an advanced Tactical Medicine program and berate me for how horrible my Changes are. Sifu Etheredge, in addition to being an excellent Bagua player also taught the US Military SOMED (Special Operations Medicine) program at Ft Sam Houston for about 6 years, graduating literally thousands of ParaRescue, Force Recon, SeAL, Ranger, and Green Beret medics.

Our BaGua is a combination of that taught by RW Smith in Bethesda, MD, and that of Peter Cheng who also practiced Chung Chao Tung based Ba Gua, but from a line a generation or 2 back from Smith. (Basically, we do what the Hung Brothers did.... No matter how you slice it.) We teach 32 Linear sets, and 32 Circular sets, along with many ancillary push hands and Tienn Gunn-like exerscises.

Sifu Ethredge also has made contact with many of the masters in and around Texas. In 2000 a group of us made a pilgramage to meet Colonel Y.W. Chang (Ret) in New Orleans to see and learn his Chen Pan Ling style of Taiji. Col Chang was a consumate host, teacher, and gentleman. At 6'1 and 300 lbs, literally double his size, I couldn't lay a hand on him and I have tape of him dumping me on my unskilled posterior repeatedly and with ease. He was in his (undefined) 90's when he passed away earlier this year.

I think the problem with San Antonio is that people expect a little more flash than what they get from John. We meet in the park (and recently at the Kempo school in Alamo Heights), we have no uniforms or tropheys, and we don't break boards. We sweat...practice changes... No one is there to hurt or intimidate anyone else... We just practice... ALOT. When you're ready for more John will give it to you... No questions, no begging. If you slack, you won't get very far. He is very low key and very understated, but very good and very dedicated.

Just remember.... If you come to Saturday class, bring Taco money... We usually go to Maria's on Walzem for chillequille tacos after class!!

Now Reppin' the 617......

Bill

[chud]

Sorry for digging up an ancient thread, but Gary Stier is now teaching Sun Style Bagua in the Stone Oak area of San Antonio, one evening per week. Contact him at HillCountryHealer(AT)hotmail(DOT)com, or call me at 210.391.1082.

[3DeeMonk]

Yes, this is a response to an old post but there is an authentic private teaching of Yin Style Baguazhang in Austin, Texas.

You can contact us at www.BaguaKungfu.com

Email and lets get started with the prelude enlightenment.

3deeMonk

[pinglocalhost]

Sorry...you won't find GOOD Bagua or Xingyi in San Antonio.

Closest you can do is to travel to Houston....

Chinese styles are EXTREMELY limited in San Antonio. You CAN find a bit of Taijiquan and Wing Chun...but not much more.

We do have Hung Gar in San Antonio :P

Bagua or Xingyi just might need to network with right people.

You should come out for Tai Chi Push Hands Sunday

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/p...38662649497058

We just had a new guy so up from Maryland he was doing Xingyi, and my Kung Fu Bro does Xingyi he came from California.

San Antonio is limited but with a nice under ground network :)

How many hand shacks are you away from a Xingyi teacher that is the question

Maybe 2 come out Tai Chi push hands networking always good.

have a good weekend and if anyone comes out see yall sunday