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Food, Travel & Lodging...

Great room & food packages await your arrival. There's also train, bus and airplane travel with FREE hotel shuttle service. Now EVERYONE can go!

YES! How Do I Register?

It's easy to register. Find out how you can register: online, by phone, fax, or mailing in a downloadable registration form. It's fast, safe and secure!

Learn All About It!

What is the Tai Chi Gala? Why is it no longer called the Zhang San Feng Festival? What is the Gathering of the Bagua Circle and... Why should I go?

Don't Miss Out on This Early Bird Special!

GREAT as a gift to yourself or for someone you know

Ask for a gift certicate!

Register by May 20, 2010 for the ***Early Bird Discount! ***

Order Your Tai Chi Gala T-Shirt NOW

And have it waiting for you when you arrive at the Tai Chi Gala! T-Shirts must be ordered by May 15 the latest, and are only available while supplies last. Order now to guarantee you get one.

This year's shirt was designed by NJ art Student, Ty Burdon. For clarity, it's shown here in black and white. BUT the T-Shirt will be Metallic Gold on Royal Blue with Chinese and English writing.

2010 is the Chinese Year of the "Metal Tiger." With principles of feng shui and Chinese astrology, it's designed to bring power and good luck to the owner. We wish you all the best!

June 7-11: Dr. Painter's Gathering of the Baguazhang Circle
If you're going to do anything for a week, THIS is something you don't want to miss - no matter what your interest or level of experience. Check it out!

Visit Albany earlier and enjoy Pre-Gala Workshops at Master Jiang's local school!
Master Jianye Jiang, a featured presenter of the Tai Chi Gala, invites you to register for June 2-3 workshops at his Albany school! These include: Wudang Bagua, Wu Ji Special 8 Section Brocade Qigong and Chinese Yoga (Daoyin) w/ Rubber Resistance Bands. Very close to the Best Western Albany Airport Inn. Call: 518-459-6869 for workshop details!

TAI CHI GALA PRESENTER BIOS:

(Listed in alphabetical order by surname)

The Gompa PO Box 1777 Arlington, TX 76004-1777 Ph: (817) 860-0129 Email: theGompa@aol.com Website: www.TheGompa.com

Shifu Bob Castaldo oversees the Jiulong Baguazhang programs at Dr. Painter's school, "The Gompa," where he is a fully-fledged shifu. He is also a sergeant in the American Rangers Law Enforcement Martial Training Institute, specializing in hand to hand combat and pistol methods. He has served Dr. Painter with distinction in this capacity, training corrections officers, sheriff’s officer elite squads and members of the FBI and DEA. Mr. Castaldo teaches motion picture production at the University of Texas and has worked as a film editor and director on several motion pictures. He also teaches self-hypnosis and is skilled in Chinese acupressure and tuina bodywork.

Yee's Hung Ga Kung Fu Academy 68 Union Ave. Clifton, NJ 07011 Ph: (973) 772-8988 Email: pcyee@yeeshungga.com Website: www.YeesHungGa.com

Sifu Pedro Cepero-Yee is a senior disciple and adopted son of Hung Ga Kung Fu Grandmaster Frank Yee. He is President of Yee's Hung Ga International Kung Fu Association. Pedro C. Yee also teaches and practices tuina therapy and is a registered instructor (AOBTA) and diplomate of Asian bodywork therapy (NCCAOM). For the past 18 years his full-time Clifton NJ branch school has been offering instruction in Hung Ga Kung Fu, tuina therapy as well as treating patients. Sifu Pedro is also a certified qi healing instructor (CHAC) and practitioner, which he holds workshops on as well as treats patients for a multitude of disorders. He has been featured in both national and international magazines as well as two covers. He has co-starred alongside his teacher instructing form and fighting aspects of Five Animal Kung Fu in China on GDTV’s morning show entitled "Exercises of the Martial Arts Field" which aired 7 days a week for over a year and is still played today.

Boston Baguazhang PO Box 35 North Quincy, MA 02171-0001 Ph: (617) 595-8097 Email: info@BostonBaguazhang.com Website: www.BostonBaguazhang.com

Shifu Dale Dugas founded Coiling Dragon Internal Arts Association. He holds over 30 years of martial arts experience and black belts in numerous Chinese and Japanese martial arts. With his BA in Japanese Studies, he lived in Iwate Prefecture, Japan while working for two boards of eduation. He also appeared on National Japanese TV. He was introduced to the Chinese internal arts (xingyiquan, taijiquan and baguazhang) and qigong methods under Taoist Master, Kwan Sai Hung. In 2006, Dr. John Painter and Shifu Castaldo certified Dugas as an instructor of the Jiulong Baguazhang system. After having been exposed to different martial systems over the years, Dugas has made a personal vow to follow Dr. Painter to propagate the Daoqiquan and Jiulong Systems. In addition to his 15+ years of uninterrupted training in 3 methods of Iron Palm, Sf. Dugas also continues his research in shuai jiao, qinna, kettlebells training, and has extensive practical knowledge of dit da ke (trauma medicinal skills). Sf. Dugas is finishing his Masters Degree in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine at New England School of Acupuncture. He maintains a Chinese herbal pharmacy and sells both dit da jow and other supplies via his company, CDIA Supplies: http://www.coilingdragon.com/store/.

US Kuo Shu Academy 11000 Owings Mills Blvd; Suite #5 Owings Mills, MD 21117 Ph: 443-394-9222 Email: usksf@verizon.net Website: www.TienShanPai.org Website: www.USKSF.org

Shifu John Green is a 4th-degree black sash disciple of 64th generation Tien Shan Pai Grandmaster Huang Chien-Liang. Sf. Green has studied the internal arts of taijiquan, xingyiquan and baguazhang for over 10 years with Shih-Ye Huang. Sf. Green is a multiple tournament internal arts champion at the local, national and international level. He is also a 2-times US Kuoshu Federation Internal Arts Competitor of the Year. Sf. Green is the senior internal arts instructor at the US Kuoshu Academy in Owings Mills, MD, and is a certified instructor through the US Kuoshu Federation as well as the Tien Shan Pai Wu Kui Tang. He continues to be active in the internal arts community as a guest lecturer, instructor and tournament judge.

Capital District T'ai Chi and Kung Fu Association Mailing Address: 29 W. Dillenbeck Drive; Albany NY 12203 Studio Address: 1095 Central Ave.; Albany NY 12206 (Behind Little Anthony’s Pizza) Ph: (518) 459-6869 Email: sales@jiangtaichi.com Website: www.JiangTaiChi.com Click here for group trips to China, including Wudang Mtn!

Master Jianye Jiang began his wushu studies at age 5, under tutelage from masters such as Yu Mingwei, Yu Hai, Ruizhang Zhao and Yongxiang Zhou. He completed his BA and masters degrees from Qufu University and Shanghai Physical Education Institute. He's been a tournament judge in the US and China, and is a board member of the USA National Tai Chi Chuan Federation. Master Jiang has acted in movies produced in China, Japan and Australia, and himself has produced over 300 instructional videos in Chinese martial arts and qigong. In addition to being a wushu expert and teacher of over 30 years, Master Jiang is also a master calligrapher, having won national and international awards. Sales proceeds of his prize-winning calligraphy have raised over $10,000 in donations to the Shandong Disabled Association in order to better the lives of those living with disabilities.

Capital District T'ai Chi and Kung Fu Association Mailing Address: 29 W. Dillenbeck Drive; Albany NY 12203 Studio Address: 1095 Central Ave.; Albany NY 12206 (Behind Little Anthony’s Pizza) Ph: (518) 459-6869 Email: sales@jiangtaichi.com Website: www.JiangTaiChi.com

Master Yuzhi Lu is the wife of Master Jiang. She co-owns and operates their wushu and qigong school in Albany, NY. She is also involved in the production of their vast array of instructional videos and other projects, such as their annual group trips to China. Master Lu has studied wushu since age 12. She received her bachelors degree from the Physical Education Dept. of Qufu University in China and has instructed there for over 16 years. She then continued her wushu sutdies in Beijing, Shanghai and Shandong Province. She is certified and experienced to teach many forms of wushu and qigong healing therapies.

The Gompa PO Box 1777 Arlington, TX 76004-1777 Ph: (817) 860-0129 Email: theGompa@aol.com Website: www.TheGompa.com

Dr. John Painter began his training as a young boy in Chinese and internal martial and healing arts with Master Li, Long-dao of Sichuan province. He studied with the master from 1957 to 1969. From there he went on to study Chinese medicine, massage and acupressure with Dr. Pao, Sun-Lung of Hong Kong and Tibetan yoga and meditation with Lama Trangu Rinpoche. He attended Texas Tech University majoring in psychology and theater arts. Dr. Painter holds a Ph.D. in naturopathic medicine and is listed in Who’s Who in the Chinese Martial Arts. He was elected to the Texas Martial Arts Hall of Fame and was twice elected to the Inside Kung Fu Magazine Hall of Fame. Dr. Painter has appeared in feature films and on many martial arts magazine covers. He is the author of hundreds of articles on Chinese medicine, healing principles and the internal martial arts. Dr. Painter has also been heavily involved in medical and scientific research involving the study of qi life force energy, through work with the Life Sciences Qi Research Institute. He has received awards from NASA and other science organizations for his work. A Captain in the American Rangers Law Enforcement Martial Training Institute, Dr. Painter is considered one of the world’s foremost experts in practical, hand-to-hand combat training. His private client list includes members of the Israeli military combat training corp., FBI, DEA, US Army Rangers, US Army Special Forces, and US Marine Military Police officers.

Patience T'ai Chi Association POB 350-532 Brooklyn, NY 11235 Ph: (718) 332-3477 Email: staff@PatienceTaiChi.com Website: www.PatienceTaiChi.com

Shifu William C. Phillips is a direct student of Grandmaster Cheng Man-Ching, who was the most famous disciple of Grandmaster Yang Cheng-Fu. Though holding several high ranking black belts in the Japanese Arts, including jiu-jitsu, Sf. Phillips' specialty is taijiquan, which he was first introduced to by Sf. Stan Israel. He also studied under Prof. Cheng's senior students and then spent many years being self-taught. From 1988-1998 Sf. Phillips also studied under Master Zhang Lu-Ping. Sf. Phillips has been a judge at many tournaments and travelled the country teaching seminars, including at Master Jou's Tai Chi Farm. Sf. Phillips also ran a holistic health weekend at the Fallsview in the Catskill Mountains for 12 years, and held Cheng Man-Ching Tai Chi Family gatherings for the 100th and 101th Anniversaries of Professor's birth. Sf. Phillips has made a number of TV appearances on programs such as The O'Reilly Report and Brent Garber's Health Update, and has been featured in many publications including USA Today, Inside Kung Fu and Men's Health. He is completing a book on taiji, and is working on a breathing and advanced form correction video to complement his very successful DVDs teaching Professor Cheng's 37-Posture Yang Short Form and Push Hands. Sf. Phillips is well-known for producing students who excel in push hands and who have won many national and international championships.

Central Connecticut Tai Chi Chuan Meriden, CT 06451 Ph: (203) 235-5703 Email: cctcc@sbcglobal.net Website: www.CentralConnecticutTaiChi.com

Shifu David Ritchie began training in the martial arts in 1969. His first taijiquan instructor, Master Ben Wong, invited him as a special guest to join the Sabah Tai Chi Association of Sabah, East Malaysia. In Sabah, Sf. Ritchie's instructor was Master Wong Li Sung, under Grandmaster Huang Xing Xian, who was a senior disciple of Grandmaster Cheng Man Ching. Sf. Ritchie then studied under Master Wong Yi in Hong Kong, the Thai Elders (former Cheng Man Ching students) in Bangkok, Thailand and throughout the years with well-known masters in the US. Sf. Ritchie has formally been teaching taijiquan since 1983, and founded Central Connecticut Tai Chi Chuan (CCTCC) in Meriden, CT in 1989. This was the first taijiquan school in New England to offer complete year-round taijiquan programs with 10 instructors and over a dozen classes each week. Sf. Ritchie has also taught taijiquan in several corporate settings such as ESPN, the Ntl. Arthritis Foundation and the Ntl. MS Society of CT. Sf. Ritchie was an assistant professor at Quinnipiac University where he taught taijiquan in the PE dept., and medical qigong lab for students in the Dept. of Health Sciences. He is a regular guest lecturer for physical & occupational therapy classes on the topics of taijiquan and qigong.

 

International Dachengdao Inc. 86-18 Whitney Ave. Elmhurst NY 11373 Ph: (646) 279-1428 Email: dachengdao@yahoo.com Website: www.dachengdao.com

Master Wang Ren-Gang is the 5th generation lineage holder for northern Hao Style Plum Blossom Mantis under Hao Wei Zhi, as well as 3rd generation lineage holder for Dachengquan (yiquan) under Wang Xuan Jie, and 6th generation disciple for Sanxi Style Xingyiquan and Cheng Style Baguazhang under Li Tai Liang. He is considered as the world's leading expert of the Mantis 2-hand Sword. He is the president of International Dachengdao, Inc., a director of training on the Board of Directors for the Civil Aid Society, and is a certifying master of the International Kung Fu Federation. Master Wang has been featured in several international martial arts magazines, travels for exhibitions and tournament judging and teaches seminars worldwide. He trains stunt fighters for movies and is the NY State Director of the World Stunt Association. Master Wang taught both kung fu and art at the 2006 Mensa World Gathering in Walt Disney World. His short film, "The Lesson" won several indie festival awards. Master Wang currently owns a school in Elmhurst, Queens (NYC).

International Dachengdao Inc. 86-18 Whitney Ave. Elmhurst NY 11373 Ph: (646) 279-1428 Email: zhenshen_w@hotmail.com Website: www.dachengdao.com

Sean Wang is a shifu at Master Wang Ren-Gang's school, "International DaChengDao, Inc." Zhenshen (Sean) Wang was born in Shanghai, China.  He began his kung-fu training at the Shanghai Chin-Woo Federation, one of the most famous global martial arts unions with100 years of history. There he learned several styles including tan tui, and ba ji quan.  "I was always a top student and that made my parents hope that I concentrate on academics instead of kung-fu," Wang said. But once he proved his talent in this field, his father, who learned He Bei style xingyiquan, changed his mind. Sean Wang began to learn He Bei style xingyiquan from his father since then.  After he graduated from New York University with a Masters Degree and settled down in the city, he began to seek for a master. After investigating approximately 30 schools, he followed Master Wang, Ren-Gang as a senior discipline of Hao style praying mantis, dachengquan and Shan Xi style xingyiquan. Shifu Sean Wang comments that to him, kung fu is “like climbing a mountain; the higher you are, the greater the view and the clearer you understand that every different, but correct, way leads you to the same place."

Internal Gardens Tai Chi, LLC 418 Rt. 23; Ste. D Franklin, NJ 07416 Ph: (973) 827-8805 Email: InternalGardens@Yahoo.com Website: www.InternalGardens.com Website: www.TaiChiGala.com

Shifu Loretta M. Wollering is lineage holder of Master Jou Tsung Hwa's teachings and methodologies in taijiquan and Daoist (Taoist) practices. She has used these methods to cure herself of a knee injury from prior martial arts and to self-cure Crohn's Disease while finishing graduate school. In 1990 she underwent baishi ceremony in apprenticeship to Jou. At that time she also managed Master Jou's famous school, "The Tai Chi Farm" and directed his Zhang San Feng Festival, workshops and retreats. She accompanied him in the US and internationally as an assistant instructor and served as an editor on the last edition of his best-selling book, The Dao of Taijiquan. Shifu Wollering has been featured in publications and TV news and has authored several articles. She has won numerous awards, including being the first taijiquan instructor to receive the Community Leadership Award from the President's Council on Fitness and Sports (Washington, DC). She is also a member of the USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame and the International Independent Martial Artists' Association. She owns and teaches in a formal school of taijiquan in northern NJ. She has simplified the name of Master Jou's Zhang San Feng Festival as the "Tai Chi Gala" and runs it in his honor and tradition for all enthusiasts of the Chinese internal arts to share and enjoy.

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