This internal martial art workshop offers you inspiring physical and mental journeys into your original Self. Discover your inherited natural talents, release, and strengthen them. We will work at locations are in atmosphere and natural beauty so similar to the Taoist holy mountains in China.

Taikiken - advanced: from 27 July till 02 August 2008
This workshop starts from the foundation of the internal martial art, Naikaken (neijiaquan.) You learn how to control your subtle body movements by using an image (inen or yi nian.) This is even for the most experienced ‘modern’ martial artist often the missing link with the more traditional Wushu and Budo forms. The workshop concentrates on Taikiken (yiquan), as Master Kenichi Sawai’s Meiji Jingu group trained it back in the early nineteen-seventies. Taikiken training as it is meant to be, optimizing your natural skills to apply them intuitively in real combat. In the MartriX concept is Taikiken the axis, and is of value for everyone who is really interested in the practicability of internal martial art. The concept is not only effective a real physical fighting, but can be used in everything you undertake in your daily life. This workshop introduces you in the dynamic way of moving and the passion of Kenichi Sawai’s Taikiken.

Instructors: Ron Nansink and Nadja Kotrchova

The program offers a broad set of Taikiken exercises:
• Ritsu zen,  Han zen, Iron shirt, (zhan zhuang) standing meditation postures
• Hai (mo ca bu), walking in friction step
• Yuri (shi li), testing the strength developed through ritsu zen
• Neri (zou bu shi li) kneading, hai footwork with yuri movements
• Mukaete, meeting hand
• Shashite, defense and attack simultaneously
• Harai-te, parry by twisting
• Hakkei ( fa li) exercises to use force in an ‘explosive’ way.
• Suishuo (tui shou), pushing hands
• Daken (da quan)  delivering strikes, using shoulders, hands, fists, legs, etc.
• Tanshu (shadow boxing, health-dance)
• Kumite (san shou), sparring
• Coordination training: step-reach, body-reach, arm-reach in one
The above exercises linked together form a kind of kihon, the fundamentals which you later can train on your own. Ritsu zen, yuri, hai and neri are the most important exercises that are designed to help you develop the ‘force’ (kongen ryoku or hun yuan li) used in combat. You will practice a wide range of Taikiken applications, the essence of practicing these applications is that you learn to apply defense and attack in one. Besides Kenichi Sawai’s two-line system we will put attention on the three-line system as practiced by Hatsuo Royama, based on moving and stepping out of the central line in defense and attack.

For Who? This workshop is suitable for adults with advanced skills in a martial art. Advanced skills or experience in Taikiken or Yi Quan are not necessary. A good general physical and mental condition is recommended.