GM Chin’s Recovery

 

Grandmaster Sam Chin’s recovery from his recent total knee replacement continues to go well.

He finished two weeks of in-house therapy, now he has to go out for intense rehab at a nearby clinic twice a week.

His leg is already stable enough to walk up and down the stairs, and when walking on flat ground he doesn’t need to use a cane anymore!

He has already started spinning hands with youngest son Hsin and eldest daughter Yen Lee as part of his daily exercise.

GM Chin and family want to express their gratitude to everyone who has been involved in this process, from the students who helped research the best possible doctors and facilities for the procedure to the fellow martial arts masters with extensive backgrounds in physiology and therapeutic modalities who called with recommendations to help speed his recovery.

Thank you to all of you for your love and support.

Members Only Livestreams

The Zhong Xin Dao I Liq Chuan Grandmaster continues to guide students around the world despite not being able to travel due to the coronavirus epidemic, in the form of members only livestreams. 

GM Chin gives specific instructions to advance our students and instructors, along with demonstrations performed by senior instructor Rich Kelly of New York.  Currently, GM Sam Chin is giving an ongoing series on the basic exercises, giving detailed refinements.

These sessions are not open to the public and will not be added to our “video on demand” subscription library.  Currently they can only be watched live by our student members, is your student membership up to date?

Featured Article

Featured Article

GM Sam Chin is featured in a full-length article by well know martial artists and author Alex Kozma in the May 2019 issue of the online journal “Martial Cultivation”.

“This month we have an in-depth report on the unique Zhong Xin Dao system of Grandmaster Sam Chin. His tireless efforts to pass his art on across the world have ensured that this school is one of the most popular amongst people serious about martial cultivation.”

If you would like to read the entire article, you can purchase the issue from Line of Intent Publishing here:

Martial Cultivation Journal Vol 1 No 5

Austria

German Language Online Classes

Due to a renewed lockdown, the Zhong Xin Dao I Liq Chuan Austria school is offering online training via Zoom again. Every Tuesday and Thursday from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. participants from the german speaking countries have the opportunity to dive into the Martial Art of Awareness.

Click here to see our available instructor lead online classes.

New Kids Classes!

Beginning in September 2020, Zhong Xin Dao I Liq Chuan Austria started a kids class for the first time. Seven boys and three girls in the age of 6 to 8 years explore the philosophy and principles of the Martial Art of Awareness through basic exercises and games.

The new kids’ classes have so far been held outdoors to practice safely during the pandemic and respect social distancing policies. 

Ukraine

“Since the beginning of the year, our group has a new hall for training in the center of Kiev. We’re conducting ILC training on daily basis, in group and individual formats. In particular, everyday morning and evening training are done.”

 

“In November the System Guide, 3rd edition was printed in the Ukrainian language, so our students have an opportunity to buy and read it.”

“During fall of 2020 there were four student grading: Sergii Kravchuk (Student Level 3), Pavel Ksionda (Student Level 2), Artem Prytyka (Student Level 2), and Alexey Bratkov (Student Level 2). Also, we welcomed five new members to the ZXD ILC family.”

USA

New Grading!

Congratulations to Arizona students Barry B, Jeremy T, and Angela CJ on their new student level (4 and 3 respectively). Barry, Jeremy and Angela train in the Phoenix Metro area with Instructor Ashe Higgs.

 

Russia

New Grading!

Kazakhstan branch (licensed instructor- Gadilbek Mursaliyev located in the city of Atyrau conducted a grading event and Marta Khaidarova successfully passed student level 1 exam. Another milestone achieved!

Instructor Gado began his I Liq Chuan training in London while living in the UK, under Instructor Eric Ling.

Upon returning to his native Kazakhstan, Gadilbeck continued his training under Chief Instructor of Russia, Alexander Skalozub, and began the first I Liq Chuan classes in the capital city of Atyrau.  

Congrats to both Gado and Marta!

We are very pleased to see Zhong Xin Dao I Liq Chuan continue to grow and flourish around the world.

I Liq Chuan Rereat

On 30 AUG – 01 SEP 2020 at the Northern Kunsangar Buddhist center near Moscow, a retreat dedicated to the basic exercises of Zhong Xin Dao/ I Liq Chuan, 21 form practicing and preparation for instructor level 1 was held. This retreat takes place every few months under the guidance of three instructors: Marina Gubnitskaya – Instructor 2, Student 8, Andrey Araslanov – Instructor 1, Student 7, and Viktor Bashkeev – Instructor 1, Student 6.

The next retreat will take place on January 23-24, 2021. It will be dedicated to three-dimension movement, changing in three planes, and the spinning force of coordination. Contacts: maryam1701@gmail.com

Master Classes

Special Moscow master-classes of Alex Skalozub and Daria Sergeeva will take place on January 8-10, 2021. It will be three days of training, each day different levels.

Space is limited to 10-12 pupils in the gym at one time due to the pandemic and social distancing guidelines. Later you can watch the video of classes off-line.

New Developments In Italy

Thanks to our cooperation with the UIKT (Italian Union of Traditional Kung Fu) Zhong Xin Dao I Liq Chuan is now certified by OPES (The Organization for Sport Education) and registered with CONI (Italian National Olympic Committee)! 

CONI, acting under the authority of the IOC (International Olympic Committee), is responsible for the regulation and management of all national sports activities in Italy. While not an official Olympic sport, Traditional Kung Fu is recognized as an Associate Sport Discipline, under the category of “Wushu Kung Fu”.

In order to teach professionally in Italy martial arts instructors must be included in CONI’s register, and through our new association with the UIKT and OPES, our instructors will now be registered, and will receive a number of benefits, including instructor and student insurance!

Congratulations to Instructor Alberto Benedusi for being the first Zhong Xin Dao I Liq Chuan recipient of this nationally recognized diploma!

On Oct 23rd, GM Sam Chin presented a special donation-based 2 hours online workshop in coordination with Penn State. 

By Nikolay Dokholyan (3rd level student/1st level instructor)

October Workshop with Prof. GM Sam Chin at Penn State University

On October 23, Grand Master Sam F.S. Chin led an online workshop “The Balance Point for Unifying Mind and Body” about how to be mindful in order to understand the relationship between the mind and the body.

GM Sam Chin focused on the philosophy of Zhong Xin Dao (ZXD), the Martial Art of Awareness, and the context of mindfulness, or awareness of the present moment, in Chinese martial arts.

Unlike many domains of knowledge, mindfulness cannot be learned but only cultivated.

GM Sam Chin explained approaches to cultivate awareness by following the curriculum he created, The Martial Art of Awareness. He also explained the relationship between the martial aspect of ZXD and how it serves as a tool to develop practices that unify mental and physical components.

Specifically, the practitioner focuses on remaining neutral, responding to the ever-changing conditions of the environment. Because martial practice does offer direct feedback on the qualities of attention quality and, thus, provides an outstanding practice tool to recognize when one is balanced in body and mind.

GM Sam Chin’s lecture was followed by Qi Gong exercises that are part of the ZXD curriculum, led by US senior student, Instructor Richard Kelly (student level 9, instructor level 4); these included stretching and breathing exercises for health. This event was sponsored by the 2021 Wellness Mini-Grant from the Office of the Vice Dean for Faculty and Administrative Affairs, the Office of Faculty and Professional Development, and Penn State Health Human Resources.

Did You Know

Did you know that GM Sam Chin underwent surgery for a total knee replacement on 04 Nov? After many years of dealing with a very bad knee, GM Chin was finally able to receive the much-needed surgery.

His knees were in such bad shape, the doctors were amazed he could even walk after reviewing the Xrays! Can you imagine? GM Chin has been teaching us for so many years with stage 4 arthritis in both knees.

The long layoff from his busy teaching and traveling schedule due to the coronavirus outbreak has given GM Sam Chin the opportunity to recover at home while spending time with his family, including his five-month-old grandson, Kai.

The surgery was a success and GM Chin is undergoing rehabilitation.

Zhong Xin Dao in Italy

Instructor Alberto Benedusi and Study Group Leader Dino Fiaschi have been working hard and representing Zhong Xin Dao I Liq Chuan in Italy with great success!

This past month the CFILCA sent Instructor Joshua Craig to assist them in their work in spreading our art throughout Italy. Instructor Alberto Benedusi joined Joshua, and together they presented Zhong Xin Dao I Liq Chuan in several cities. It was a fruitful journey with many exciting events and connections! A big thank you goes out to Alberto for making this all possible.

Of special note was the signing of the agreement, on September 12th, between the CFILCA and the UIKT (Unione Italiana Kung Fu Tradizionale), officially launching the new 3-year Zhong Xin Dao I Liq Chuan Instructor Training Project in Rome!

The Chin Family wishes to send a special thank you to UIKT President Alessandro Colonnese for the invitation, and to Pietro Nicolaus Roselli Lorenzini for all of his help in coordinating the agreement between the CFILCA and the UIKT!

It is a great beginning, and we look forward to much more to come!

September 6, 2020

Grading Workshop in San Marino with nine people achieving Student Level 1! Congratulations to everyone!

Level 1: Daniel Giuliani, Giulia Chiara Staffa, Pietro Nicolaus Roselli Lorenzini, Nicola Albatici, Simone Amadei, Maurizio Corona, Costantino Fiori, Marco Agnoletti, Laura Dolce

September 10, 2020

Introductory Workshop hosted by Marco Macelloni at Shin Yama Arashi Martial Arts Center in Pontedera.

September 11, 2020

Level 3 Grading for Dino Fiaschi! Great work Dino!

 

September 11, 2020

A great meeting with Instructor Stefano Agostini and his son, Ken Michele Agostini!

 

September 12, 2020

The CFILCA signed a 3-year agreement with the UIKT!

Instructor Alberto Benedusi, UIKT President Alessandro Colonnese, Instructor Joshua Craig

Instructor Joshua Craig signing the contract on behalf of CFILCA.

The CFILCA presented all of the UIKT Board Members with a copy of the new Italian translation of the System Guide, 3rd Edition.

September 12-13, 2020

At the UIKT International Martial Arts Day event we offered a series of four seminars, and many of the participants have registered for our Zhong Xin Dao I Liq Chuan Project in Rome!

September 19, 2020

Introductory Workshop hosted by Paolo Dilisio and Stefania Mengoni at Wing Chun Scuola Nei Gong in Latina.

Sifu Stefania Megoni, Instructor Alberto Benedusi, Sifu Paolo Dilisio, Instructor Joshua Craig

The Gang!

September 20, 2020

Introductory Workshop for the UIKT Board Members.

Paolo Dilisio, Pietro Roselli, Alberto Benedusi, Joshua Craig, Stefano Rosati, Claudio Fabbricatore

October 3-4, 2020

Instructor Alberto Benedusi lead a workshop in Cagliari, on the island of Sardinia. This was the first time the people of Sardinia were exposed to Zhong Xin Dao I Liq Chuan, and our reception was great! Alberto will soon return for the next workshop!

October 10-11, 2020

Instructors Joshua Craig and Alberto Benedusi presented the first weekend of our 3-year Zhong Xin Dao I Liq Chuan Instructor Training Project in Rome, Italy! The participants included instructors and martial arts masters from various styles and communities, all getting together on the mat to train in the true spirit of martial arts. This intensive 12-hour event was an amazing time of openness, passion and camaraderie! At the end of the workshop, Grandmaster Sam Chin spoke to the participants via video call from New York, both welcoming and congratulating them!

October 10-12, 2020
Zhong Xin Dao I Liq Chuan Martial Art of Awareness met with UIKT Unione Italiana Kung Fu Tradizionale Board Members to discuss and train in preparation for the December 19-20, 2020 course in Rome, Italy – be sure not to miss it!

Weekend 2: December 19-20, 2020 Level 1: Please confirm your participation by sending an email to: Francesca Ranucci (info@uikt.it)
Weekend 3: February 20-21, 2021 Level 1
Weekend 4: April 24-25, 2021 Level 1
Weekend 5: June 19-20, 2021 Level 1
Weekend 6: September 10-11, 2021 Level 2

This program is the ideal introduction to Zhong Xin Dao I Liq Chuan, taking you step-by-step through our curriculum until Instructor Level 1.

Zhong Xin Dao in Germany

10 of our members passed their Student Level 1 examination and 4 of them passed their Student Level 2 examinations in Germany!

Hamburg

Instructor Frederik Wahl held a Level 1 Examination! Congratulations to Sascha Vukovic, Hans-Joachim Kühne and Janina Peter. Leefke Bohde also assisted at the grading!

Darmstadt

Study Group Leader Dominic Brizin invited Instructor Joshua Craig to conduct a Level 1 Grading Workshop and Examination! Fellow Instructor Frederik Wahl was also invited as a guest. Congratulations to Benjamin Schwartz, Murat Cobanoglu, Sebastian Riedel, Ruben Bamberger, Tom-Tom Steiner, Andreas Towstoles and Dominik Lorenz!

Hamburg

Instructor Frederik Wahl held a Level 2 Examination! Congratulations to Thorsten Bernstein, Michael Rath, Sascha Vukovic, and Udo Eimers. Marvin Sadrinna also assisted at the grading!

New Programs

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This Autumn we will be unveiling two new programs! 
– Student and Instructor Certification Program
– Instructor Licensing Program
With both new programs you will have the convenience and flexibility of studying in-person and online!

Student and Instructor Certification Program
Each course will include an-depth look at the relevant Student Level or Instructor Level, and the intensive nature of this program, along with the direct approach to instruction, will allow you to complete each course in an accelerated time! Every training will be led by an instructor authorized by Zhong Xin Dao I Liq Chuan Headquarters, who will guide and support you throughout the learning process. In addition, small class sizes maximize both concentration and guarantees more one-on-one interaction time with your instructor.

–Instructor Licensing Program
Zhong Xin Dao I Liq Chuan Instructor Levels are part of our student curriculum, and once a student has successfully passed their Instructor grading they become a Certified Instructor. However, prior to becoming a Licensed Instructor, each Certified Instructor must successfully pass the relevant Instructor Licensing Course(s).
When teaching and performing gradings, instructors must be able to create specific conditions for students to recognize the principles, and also to see whether the student has the understanding and attention to see these conditions. In this series of courses, you will be guided in how to deliver explicit instruction for each curriculum level using clear and concise language, as well as how to evaluate and adjust your students using a selection of diagnostic tools.

Our in-person and online formats are a convenient and affordable way for our Licensed Instructors (and Licensed Instructor candidates) to maintain their existing License, and/or qualify for more advanced degrees.
 

Around the World

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ITALY

Grandmaster Sam Chin and the entire Chin Family is very happy to be cooperating with Alessandro Colonnese, Pietro Nicolaus Roselli Lorenzini, and the whole Unione Italiana Kung Fu Tradizionale (UIKT) Family, to bring Zhong Xin Dao I Liq Chuan, the Martial Art of Awareness, to Italy!

The UIKT is a non-profit organization, based in Rome, Italy, whose mission is to promote traditional kung fu! Our cooperation will be announced at the 2020 International Martial Arts Day events on September 12-13 in Rome!

Together with the UIKT, we will be offering our Instructor Level 1 Certification Program in Italy! This 3-year program includes Student Levels 1-2-3 and Instructor Level 1, and is the essential foundation of Zhong Xin Dao I Liq Chuan.

Each step of the training process and the examinations will be overseen by instructors assigned by the Chin Family.

Year 1
October 10-11, 2020
December 19-20, 2020
February 20-21, 2021
April 24-25, 2021
June 19-20, 2021
September 10-11, 2021

This first program will be led by Instructor Joshua Craig (representing ZXD Headquarters) and Instructor Alberto Benedusi (representing Italy).

If you are interested in participating in this program, please contact us ASAP!

In the UIKT the Chin Family has found a partner that also values both harmony and collaboration, and we look forward to working together to unify and promote martial culture and the unique inheritances of traditional kung fu!

GRADING

On Sunday September 6, 2020 Instructor Joshua Craig led an all-day Grading Workshop in San Marino. Everything was organized by Instructor Alberto Benedusi, who was also the translator for this intense event!

After a thorough review of the Zhong Xin Dao I Liq Chuan approach, every exercise was reviewed in-depth, and everyone did an amazing job!

A message from Joshua:

Thank you to everyone for their outstanding spirit and dedication! What a day! A special thank you also to Alberto for all of his efforts in preparing the group and making our union possible! Also in attendance was Study Group Leader Dino Fiaschi of Tuscany! Congratulations to everyone for passing Zhong Xin Dao I Liq Chuan Level 1!

• Daniel Giuliani
• Giulietta Chiara Staffa
• Pietro Nicolaus
• Roselli Lorenzini
• Nicola Albatici
• Simone Amadei
• Maurizio Corona
• Constantino Fiori
• Marco Agnoletti
• Laura Dolce

RUSSIA

1) Schools now reopen after pandemic quarantine since a month ago. Physical classes as well as online options are available in Russian.
2) This year marks the 20th Anniversary of the Russian I Liq Chuan School, founded by GM Alex Skalozub!
3) Special online classes of GM Sam Chin for Russian-speaking students will be coming this autumn. More information will be available soon!

Get all our news and special content not available anywhere else delivered straight to your inbox each month. Sign up for our newsletter!

Donation based and discounted online classes are provided for a limited time. Schedule and pricing are subject to change, contact the instructor directly for more details. 

Should you have any questions or concern please do not hesitate to reach us at: admin@iliqchuan.com

“Mindfulness helps you go home to the present. And every time you go there and recognize a condition of happiness that you have, happiness comes.”
–Thich Nhat Hanh —We understand that it can be a challenging time for many of us due to the unknown future brought upon us by the pandemic and the grief, anger and frustration accompanying both the peaceful protests over personal suffering and systemic injustices as well as the mayhem of social unrest and violence, too. The sorrow is across the US and around the world. While it’s completely natural to experience negative emotions, and important to recognize and understand them, it is equally important to realize that we can respond with our practice—by noticing all the feelings and how the sensations rise in us, and acknowledging that our emotions are a normal part of our human, biological systems for responding to trauma. The point of recognizing is to remain aware of our oneness, of maintaining unity: with self, others, and environment. As practitioners of an art that aims to recognize neutrality, center, and stillness, we hope to share a few tips that may help in the processing of the inundation of emotions, by finding peace through balanced actions. By cultivating internal awareness, we may find that we can be with changing moments and act from a calm center.

DYNAMIC MEDITATION
Zhong Xin Dao has a strong reference to dynamic meditation as it is a martial art based heavily on Zen and Tao philosophies. By dynamic meditation, we are referring to a meditative type of mental state while in action. This mental state can be practiced and achieved during any activity. As the basis of establishing this mental state we must put our intention on attention and attempt to be mindful in our actions and thoughts—coming back to our center.

As a beginning we can focus this attention on our breath. We watch our breathing and observe the rise and fall of the breath. We observe the breath in a passive way, not forcing or controlling the breath. The next step is to process emotions in the same way. We observe the emotion as it begins to affect us. We observe the emotion’s state as it rises and falls. In the same way we do not force our breath, we do not force these emotions to come or go, just simply observe and recognize them. It may be helpful to associate the rise and fall of the emotions with the rise and fall of the breath.

MINDFUL ZXD EXERCISES
We suggest practicing the 15 basic exercises or the 21 form, be mindful of every move — bringing the attention to our body. We can be mindful of our environment and be mindful of our physical state. Recognize the changes and be with the moment. Unifying the mental and the physical, balancing the mind and the body to relax.

 

The outbreak of COVID-19 and the associated quarantine and social distancing measures has affected each and every one of our own training and our personal lives.

As an organization focusing on physical and mental health, we would like to encourage the practices of qigong/breathing, stretching, and martial arts exercises.

Our purpose is to promote a healthy balance during these difficult times brought upon us by the Coronavirus as well as to bring our community closer together.

The Chin Family Zhong Xin Dao / I Liq Chuan (Martial Arts of Awareness) would like to give back to the community by offering these FREE live streams to be led by our instructors who have volunteered to donate their time.

These 30 minutes – 1 hour interactive sessions will be conducted live and participants will be able to ask questions related to the topic.

Scheduled Live Streams

Can You Make A Donation?

Help support our community and instructors in continuing to provide these online sessions. Donations are greatly appreciated!

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=QC92ZSEEJLT8A&source=url

Zhong Xin Dao I Liq Chuan students, instructors and friends:

For the last several years, the EWTO has been working under the guidance of GM Sam Chin and the Chin family, learning the fundamentals of the Zhong Xin Dao I Liq Chuan curriculum and methods, initially to internalize their WingTsun, and also working under the tentative approval of the Chin family to manage and spread the art of Zhong Xin Dao I Liq Chuan as a unique and complete martial arts program in specific countries, including Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, Bulgaria and Italy through its participating EWTO locations and instructors on behalf of GM Sam Chin and the international CFILCA.