Beginning
with Breathing Concepts introduced to
Soke Riedner by Dr. Roy
Brown under the "Aka Ryu Shakai Kempo" system, Dr. Riedner was more
formally introduced to what is now taught as "Ba Men Chaun Fa"
by
Dr. Andrew P. Tamper. Dr Tamper gave Dr. Riedner the 8 gates of Ba Qua
as the basis for the continued development of the Chinese connection
between other martial arts techniques and Tai Chi. Dr. Tamper's
inheritor,
Si Gong Wm Van Camp has issued Sijo recognition to Dr. Riedner for the
style
"Aka Ryu Shakai Kempo" ---aka "Ba Men Chaun Fa." Several other Masters
have
made a substantive contribution to the style including Soke Scott
Sikes,
Sifu Mike Martin and Kyoshi Earle Marvin.
BA MEN CHAUN FA (8
gates fist way) is both a Martial
Art designed for grappling/in fighting as well as a curriculum of
teaching the main principles of Tai Chi which may be then applied to
one's Martial Art. The Martial applications of Ba Men revolve around
the application of the 8 gates to a combative situation. The Tai Chi
forms and breathing principles are taught to enhance the student's
understanding of Chi flow, breathing and eventually the application of
these to the 8 Gates methodology.
The 8 Gates are learned as a unit and then
application is made to
various attack/defense situations, using the 8 gates in combination as well
as drawing upon the principles of Chin-Na as advised by Dr Tamper. Basic methods of breathing are
applied to the 8 gates as well as to our basic organ cleansing form.
The primary goals of Ba Men are not to see how many forms the student can learn,
but rather how the student can apply the principles of breath and Chi
flow to his arts as well as personal health.
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