School of the Macabees

Tai Chi Over 4,000 years ago, Chinese wise men uncovered the secret of the body’s energy. They called this life force “Chi”. Over centuries a technique was developed to help replenish the chi. Today millions of people around the world practice Tai Chi daily in order to live a more balanced, energetic, and harmonious life. Tai Chi is an exercise almost anyone who can walk can do safely. Tai Chi takes the joints gently through their range of motion while the emphasis on breathing and inner stillness relieves stress and anxiety.
Several studies have shown that regular Tai Chi practice has benefits: It can reduce falls in the elderly or those with balance disorders — sometimes dramatically. In one 1996 Atlanta study, elderly people who practiced Tai Chi for 15 weeks reduced their risk of multiple falls by 47.5 percent. Falls are a particular danger for elders and others with brittle bones, or osteoporosis. For such people, falls frequently result in broken bones. Research has shown Tai Chi has other benefits, too. Participants in the Atlanta study also had lower blood pressure at the end of the study; and a 1999 study that looked at people with multiple sclerosis who practiced Tai Chi found that it contributed to an overall improvement in quality of life for people with chronic, disabling conditions.
Yang Style 24-Movement Form In 1956, the National Physical Culture and Sports Commission of the People's Republic of China developed a simplified and shortened version of a Tai Chi form. It was based on the Yang family style of Tai Chi. The new short form consisted of 24 movements, and could be performed in 4 to 8 minutes. The Beijing short form could be taught fairly quickly to students of various ages in physical education programs. The brevity of the form appealed to students of all ages. The short form provided a standard form for use in some competitions. The new short form was less physically demanding than longer forms and other styles, and appealed to older beginners. It provided a good introduction to the basic elements of the Yang Family Taijiquan long form. When done properly, the short form can exemplify grace, beauty, and many fundamentals of the art. For these reasons, the short Peking version of the Yang style T'ai Chi Ch'uan form has become quite popular and is now practiced and played all over the world. This program is taught in a 10-session seminar. Group rate minimum 7 participants. For availability please contact Master Lunon at: macabeemartialarts@comcast.net
Shaolin White Dragon Kung Fu Pai Lum Chuan Po This is the authentic family style of the late Grand Master Daniel K. Dai. The emphasis is on hard training with strong body balance. We concentrate on making the student strong enough so that he is able to break through anything with his body first, and then his fist. Stance training is first, then postures, and finally technique. There are no shortcuts. We build the warrior from the ground up. Inner strength training begins at the very first class, teaching the importance of a strong mental discipline through the practice of respect for others, good manners, good conduct and leadership skills. Stand like a mountain, move like the wind, be as quiet as a forest, and be as fierce as fire!
Training Curriculum Conditioning is the key to all of our training. The body and the mind are linked, and one cannot be healthy without the other. If the body is in bad shape and not taken care of, then the mind cannot be focused or disciplined and disease begins to set in. We train the body aerobically and anaerobically. Stamina and endurance are every important to the martial artist because they increase overall health as well as give one the strength and energy he or she needs. The muscles are trained to move quickly to respond to threats, and through this type of training the muscles become extremely toned.
Along with physical conditioning, stretching is taught to keep the body limber and injury free. Sports Yoga stretching is taught as well as Chinese stretching. This combined with ethics creates a strong foundation, which has been handed down from teacher to student for many generations.
Ranking System In Chinese martial arts there is no ranking system that is familiar to Westerners. There is pupil, student, disciple, and master. These are divided further into categories. To keep things familiar, we blend the belt/sash system together into: novice, intermediate, advanced, student instructor, instructor, master, senior master, and grand master.