Internal Marial Arts classes in NYC?

[Mtal]

Hi, I am looking into getting into internal martial arts. Could anyone recomend a school in New York City? I do like the internal aspects, health, but when it comes down to it, I would like a school that is into the martial aspects as well (plus that is the fun stuff, and is alway good to know). Please let me know when and where, and info on how the class is would be great.

Actually I am probably leaning toward Hsing. So if someone knows a good place to learn that, please let me know. I do like Tai Chi and Ba gua too, if there is a good teacher out there, cannot pass up on the opportunity.

Thank you.

[count]

Try Chen Xiao Ping for bagua. You can get contact info through this member here.

Blacktaoist

[Buddy]

Frank Allen, Tom Bisio, David Bond Chan

[count]

Li Tai Liang, William CC Chen, Novell Bell, C.K. Chu...
Man, New York seems like a great town.

[Josh Vogel]

Hi,

Frank Allen's website is www.wutangpca.com . He teaches Pakua, Hsing I, Tai chi, chi kung and meditation as well as his "Fighting for health" system which is basically boxing/ kickboxing. He is a great guy and a great teacher and I've found him very accomadating as far as teaching what aspects one wants to focus on of the internal martial arts.

I've also heard great things about Blacktaoist, especially fighting wise. His site is www.Blacktaoist.com .

Good luck!

Regards,
Josh

[emre]

AFAIK Frank Allen only teaches the 5 fists in Xingyi and short forms in Taiji, so his focus is mainly on Bagua.

[Josh Vogel]

Hi,

He also teaches two person Hsing I set, linking form, another form, and some of the animals of Hsing I. I'm not sure all of the animals he teaches. I will agree that I think his main thing is bagua, though.

Regards,
Josh

[cerebus]

For one of the best out there check out Tom Bisio at www.tombisio.com . Tom's a former president of the North American Tang Shou Tao Association and studied under both Vince Black and Hsu Hong Ji.

He teaches both Hsing-I and Bagua.

[BAI HE]

Word of advice-

Everyone want's Xingyi and falls in love with BaGua.

Happened to me and scores of others....

I've seen some clips of BT (Novell) and his classmates, they can fight and it's obvious that the the gung-fu they are teaching is the way.

I've heard David Bond Chan has exceptional Xingyi and that William CC Chen's TaijI may be one of the only transmissions woth getting, period.

[cerebus]

Heh, heh! Not me bud! I wanted the Hsing-I & I still love it!Of course I love the Bagua too, but we all have our favorite "children" even if we don't admit it often.

[Ray Pina]

Check out my master, master David Bond Chan. The focus is on fighting, but the health is built in: http://www.chan-internal-martial-arts.com/

A champion Tai Boxer visited us last weak; he still had his hands wrap and sporting the gold after the fighting .... it was held up the block and he wanted to check the school out.

This was his report posted on Bullshido.com:

Quick background: I've been studying MA's for about 15 years or so, 12 of which have been deveoted almost entirely to Muay Thai and Boxing (with a little submission grappling thrown in).

I went with Djimbe and Tigerfly to see Master Chan's class after fighting on Friday night. I was introduced to Master Chan who is an extremely nice guy. Very respectful and a great sense of humor. He worked with me to the side of his class for a little bit to show me some of what he teaches is and how he defends/counters boxing and kicks.

My observations:

It is important to state that the few drills that I performed with Master Chan were prearranged drills. We each knew what the 'attacker' was going to do first, though we each reacted (countered) without it being 'prearranged'. Also, we only did about 3 or 4 drills for about 10 minutes. I had just finished fighting in the "Mayhem on Mulberry Street" Muay Thai event, and I needed to get back to the arena to meet with my coaches and teammates.

Master Chan showed me some punch defenses. Master Chan is blazingly fast. I threw a punch and he slipped my punch and had clocked me in the jaw before it had registered that he had moved.

It was very obvious to me that he was holding back. When he hit me, he never followed through, but stopped as his strike as he placed it. Despite the fact that Master Chan was not following through on his strikes, I could feel the power behind them. We all know the difference between someone striking you correctly where it feels "solid" vs. when someone hits you wrong and it feels weak and soft. Despite Chan holding back, you could feel how solid the strikes were.

Also, when he was performing counter strikes vs. my boxing, he repeatedly was hitting the same spot on my arm over and over. Very precise, and he successfully "frogged" my arm each time.

Master Chan invited me to throw roundhouse kicks at him. He had an interesting defense where he angled his arm in such a manner that my kick kinda "slid" up his arm into his other hand to make for what felt like a very soft block. It felt like I was kicking a pillow, even though I was laying into the kicks pretty hard. (not full power, but about 70%). I only moved him with one kick.

Now, obviously my experience with Master Chan is very limited. We weren't going hard, We weren't doing anything "for real" We were just playing. What I can say is that my impression is that Master Chan is amazing. I have worked with many talented martial artists over the years, and I really feel that Master Chan is legit, and that what he is teaching is legit.

[Buddy]

And that my friends is what I'm talking about. Djimbe wanted me to school a young MMA guy but I'm nowhere in Mr. Chan's league. We could have hurt him but that just sucks. My ability or that of my students doesn't allow this sort of sublety and sophitication. This is the mark of a true adept.
My senior student would have damaged him badly (and wanted to, much to my chagrin). The Night Ranger is a small guy but a natural bodybuilder. The other guy was 18 and a buck fifty. TNR is a (ex) marine, 34, 195. Not good. TNR is on Cape Cod if you want to study with him. He has my endorsement. And from all I have heard of of Chan Laoshi, you could not go wrong by studying at his school. BTW Djimbe and Tigerfly are good people.

[Goldenfist]

The place to go for traditional Taiji with great classes is the William C C Chen school - that school has the best training program anywhere. I know cause I've been in the ring with his students to know what works. His son Max and daughter Tiffany are carrying on the tradition as great san shou fighters. My friends go there and they tell me that. Me and my friend have been to alot of schools already and now are ready to go to the best so we're getting our act together so that we can move into the city soon to take classes there. Check it out www.williamcchen.com

[BAI HE]

The account with DBC doesn't surprise me. People unfamiliar with BGZ or XY think they are evasive or soft arts.

I think of them as direct, manipulative arts with an emphasis on "manipulative".

I haven't seen anything in the MT cirriculum that differs from BGZ. The approach, strategy and training of the ideal attributes differs, but little else outside of the clinch.

I've seen Laoshi (Luo Dexiu) do some things in the "clinch" that were simply astounding (making larger man dance and yelp).

For the MT guys the clinch is rather complicit and within the rules and strategy. Both guys are tryng to to hand in there and further there agenda and strategy.

I will say that I wholeheartedly admire the conditioning of the MT school and the impartial post that kicked off this thread.

[emre]

Does anyone know where Mr. Chan's Song Style Xingyi comes from?