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August 28-30, 2015
In north central Illinois, 90 miles West of Chicago, an unusual outcropping of sandstone buttes and canyons rise above the plains on the banks of the Illinois River.
This is a spiritual and historic place – where Native American tribes once lived in harmony with nature – with abundant fishing in the rapids below and plentiful game in the surrounding forests. Today, this area is known as Starved Rock State Park and this year was the site of the 2015 World Ki Gong club annual clinic.
On August 28-30th, World Ki-Gong devotees joined WTSDA Grandmasters Beaudoin and Strong for three days of guided development of inner strength development, breathing and healing exercises.
The 46 attendees included non-martial artists and WTSDA members. A record number of WTSDA Masters were in attendance from all over the US and including Master Klaus Trogemann from Munich Germany, the European World Ki-Gong leader, and guest instructor Master Bob Mansulisch.
Instructors also included red-shirt level members Master Tim Schroeder, Master Michael Inoshita, Master Klaus Trogemann, Mr. John Robertson, and blue-shirt level members Lupe Thomas, Rolf Gordon, and E.D. Francis.
The expansive curriculum set a high bar for the annual clinic and included our traditional World Ki-Gong forms Ki Cho Ki Gong, Hyang Gong I & II as well as Tae Kuk Ki Gong, T’ai Chi Ch’uan, Xing-Yi, Bagua, Reflexology, Tendon Nei Kung, 8 Pieces of Brocade, Spring Forest QiGong, Bo Kun Jahng Soo Gong (Longevity), 12 Points Tapping and Hand Swinging and the challenging Dragon Gate form — all interspersed with Nature walks in the beautiful surrounding forests and meditation sessions that brought everyone “one with nature”.
The extensive set of offerings enabled attendees to choose between basic or advanced practices – so all levels – beginners and experienced practitioners alike were able to attend sessions aligned to their learning needs.
Lectures included sessions on Basic Ki concepts, Meridian Theory, The Five Phase Theory and Clinical Uses of Five Phases.
On top of all these riches, attendees experienced an amazing meditation session, led by Yolanda Lozano, featuring Singing Bowls that release strong tonal vibrations to enable deep relaxation and inner healing.
An additional extra-curricular educational session on the formal Chinese Tea Ceremony led by foremost tea expert Dan Robertson was a fascinating cultural experience – in addition to tasting some rare and amazing teas!
With all these energy-building activities, attendees left refreshed and energized. Many commented on how this year’s clinic brought not only breathing and healing, but also the added dimension of the application of Ki-Gong techniques to martial arts practices – weaving together the two separate but related disciplines.
The camaraderie and sharing was once again a highlight of the gathering. Many recalled when Kwan Chan Nim Shin first introduced the Ki-Gong practice into a WTSDA Masters’ Clinic almost two decades ago. For many of us, this started us on this journey of guided practice in recognizing and enhancing energy flows in the body and channeling them through breathing, mediation and relaxation for healing and energy development.
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