The best seminar I ever took was..

[thelerner]

I'll have to give this some thought, but thought it'd be a worthwhile open question.

What seminars made the biggest impression on you? Why and what practices did they teach.

 

Thanks.

[soaring crane]

Just last weekend, a workshop with Sifu Lam Kam Chuen.

[silent thunder]

Mine was in Santa Cruz, CA little over three years ago.

Fire Hands Qi Gong from Wu Dang taught by GM Zhou Ting-Jue.

 

Changed/changing my life. Health improved, decades of chronic pain released.

Emotional stability is improving, my desire to punish has all but disappeared, replaced by a driving desire to heal.

My relationships are thriving, my body is thriving, my mind is still a rapid monkey most of the time, but there are breaks.

 

So funny how a small conversation can alter the course of a life.

So much Gratitude...

[Nungali]

A Dave Brown sword workshop .

 

Dave is a member of Akikai but (IMO) unlike most he has travelled and cross-trained to 'prove' his take on the art.

 

He does 'other stuff' too; http://www.isiiad.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=75:violins-flutes-and-japanese-ink-painting&catid=31:montsalvat&Itemid=56

 

Some of the things I liked most about it:

 

The demonstration of how much of Japanese unarmed martial arts were executed considering that one IS carrying a sword anyway, may decide to draw it or the opponent may be trying to or about to draw their sword.

 

A more correct (again IMO ) usage of Aikido techniques and demonstrations of how that can be interpreted and compared with some unarmed karate kata bunkai.

 

Concepts of relationship and rhythm when practicing with sword (how the way it used is a reflection of relationship with others and your relationship with yourself - v.interesting) and some practice to explore that.

 

A story at the end after training; I knew Dave had been around to a few clubs and trained and he went to this one ... when he mentioned it I thought, 'O - Oh ..! ' ( I know a bit about that 'Sensai' ... here is a hint http://www.alfmorley.com/joemeissner.htm ... NOT a dojo to strut into without REALLY knowing how to handle yourself ). He connected with the boss it seems as he invited him to do a session with his black belts. They didnt like it ... but had to wear it. At the end, one particularly annoyed guy asked "How does your stuff go up against a guy with a knife?" "Try it." Dave said. So they guy goes over to his bag against the wall and starts rummaging through it. Dave thinks ; "Oh -oh ... I am used to a wooden tanto - nothing was stipulated here, he might pull out a real machete or butterfly knives or anything, so while the guy was bent over going through his bag Dave grabs a sword off the wall and mimics decapitating him with a loud ki-ai. ... ... the guy is furious but his teacher steps between them and tells him he is an idiot for challenging someone to a knife fight and then turning their back on them ... bad luck mate, you are dead. So Dave mimics hanging

the severed head on their weapons rack, quickly packs up and bolts.

 

A good story but I am .....

 

'A few months later I see Dave and Joe on the cover of Aussie Black Belt Mag ... with a shock headline 'Hard man of Australian karate goes back to white belt and takes up aikido,' with a big rave inside about how his whole attitude has been turned around.

 

Anyway ... a pleasure to do a seminar like that where it all made sense and the teacher knew what he was doing. .. not just repeating stuff that he was taught .

Edited June 3, 2014 by Nungali

[GrandmasterP]

Tony Parsons ( the Open Secret guy).

His seminars are mini satsangs.

It's all good.

Edited June 6, 2014 by GrandmasterP

[Aetherous]

Kunlun 5 day course in Hawaii. The setting was awesome of course, and the teachings and practices were pretty great and interesting...but the main reason why it was and probably will be the best for me is due to the closeness of the students. We all just had good chemistry, compared to some other classes. Although we are truly just acquaintances and have only barely kept in touch, if I met up with them again and they needed some help, I'd do anything for them, just like my closest friends or family...I think I feel this way because we shared a time of deep spiritual experience. Chilling after classes can develop some good bonds.

Basically, I just have fond memories of the people there and the limited amount of time we shared during that week. Funny how that can make a seminar great, versus the content of the classes. Having experiences is enriching...it's what you do with knowledge that makes it worth something or worth little.

Edited June 6, 2014 by Aetherous

[GrandmasterP]

+1 on that.

If a seminar group 'gels' everyone gets so much more out of it than with 'spiky profile' groups.

Edited June 6, 2014 by GrandmasterP

[AlexKarmazin]

My best seminar was my first meeting with Taoist school Zhen Dao Pai. When I read a book about John Chan I was obsessed with mastering Neidan. All my thoughts was about fusion of yin and yang. So when I recognized that guy that telling about Taoism is master who already done this fusion I was very impressed. It was like taking part in fiction story by your own.

One of the things that not letting me forget this time was standing meditations for 2 hours each morning After I start meditating each day I have remarkable improvements in my health. Now I experienced a lot of different phenomena related to chi but first seminar or better to say retreat was unforgettable.

Edited June 10, 2014 by AlexKarmazin

[thelerner]

 

My best seminar was my first meeting with Taoist school Zhen Dao Pai.

One of the things that not letting me forget this time was standing meditations for 2 hours each morning After I start meditating each day I have remarkable improvements in my health. Now I experienced a lot of different phenomena related to chi but first seminar or better to say retreat was unforgettable.

Vitalli has written about how demanding the seminar is. Just how intense was it? He seems to have them in exotic locations, where was it at?

[Brian]

The best seminar/workshop I've ever attended was the Stillness-Movement workshop I went to in March.

 

Ask me again in early July, though, and my answer may change...

 

[AlexKarmazin]

Vitalli has written about how demanding the seminar is. Just how intense was it? He seems to have them in exotic locations, where was it at?

Seminar that goes for 2 days is not hard at all. But I start not with 2 day seminar but with 10 days retreat and it was little bit too much for me standing 2 hours each morning. But main problems was in my head, our body have big untapped potential and our mind hide it from us. So we need pushing our limits if we want really achieve something. Now I do almost the same amount of practise everyday and it seems easy to my.

About location, it was in Crimea that now under russian occupation.

There is different intensity retreats, ordinary retreats is not very intensive so everyone could attend it. Of Course 2 hour standing meditation and 1.5 hour sitting meditations for 2 times a day plus other exercises could seems scary but it is absolutely normal. And there is traditional retreat it could be more demanding but still it is ok for someone who already practise for some time. Trick in all sorts of meditation is to use Chi to help keep going meditation. So with your achievements in mastering Chi you will be able to meditate more and more even beyond your body limits.