WEBSITE MENU:
HOME • REGISTRATION • SCHEDULE • CLASSES • LOCATIONS • ABOUT • CONTACT
SHOES? LOOKING FOR TRAINING SHOES? SHOES?
- State College classes are held at Tempest Studios
- Bellefonte Classes are held at Young's Tae Kwon Do
- N Atherton classes are held at Tudek Park (weather permitting)
WU-TANG TAOIST KUNG FU, TAI CHI, QIGONG, MEDITATION, & SWORDSMANSHIP
New Year / Winter 2024 CLASSES
Intro To Tai Chi (6-Week Course) - State College
- Classes held at Tempest Studio
- 140 Kelly Alley. State College
- Tuesdays & Thursdays @ 6:00PM
- February 20th - March, 2024
- $200 first 6-weeks, then $100/month after
- 1-hour course per class, 2 x per week
- Certificate Included with successful completion of the first 6-week course.
For those joining our tai chi class for the first time, this program will be your first month and a half of practice. This course meets twice a week in the evenings and is intended for adults interested in the wellness aspects of tai chi.
We are focused on developing new understandings of our body mechanics, subconscious coordination, strengthening/healing joints, functional living meditation skills, and so much more. A unique feature about our tai chi is its focus on practical techniques for developing specific benefits, and an understanding of why. You'll notice tai chi in everything you do!
Once completing this course, you are invited to continue with the Level 1 Bi-Weekly practice classes at 6:00PM, or repeat the introductory course for a deeper understanding when available.
Save $10/month/person when paying with friends, family members, and/or significant other.
No contracts. No uniforms. No gear purchases. No additional fees. Gear and equipment available for purchase, by request.
Workout or sweat pants; t-shirt or sweatshirt, & and indoor training shoes recommended. No bare feet please (socks at minimum).
Class will be held at Tempest Studios, in downtown State College. This location is just below the Fraser Street parking deck, on Kelly Alley.
DISCLAIMER: This program is intended only for beginners and new comers to tai chi. Those with previous experience in tai chi are asked not to enroll without discussing it with Teacher Xia first.
Intro To Kung Fu (6-Week Course)
- Classes held at Tempest Studio
- 140 Kelly Alley, State College
- Tuesdays & Thursdays
- February 19th - March, 2024
- $200 first 6-weeks, $100/month after
- 8:30 - 9:30 PM
This course is designed for first time martial artists and those interested in moving into the internal kung fu styles of Wudang (Wu-Tang).
This course will offer basic stances, footwork, punches, & kicks which are the primary components for all Wudang martial arts including Taiji, Bagua, Sanfengquan, & swordsmanship.
After this program finishes, students will be encouraged to continue training at a monthly rate of $100/person. Save $20/person when signing up with friends, family members, and/or significant other.
No contracts. No uniforms. No gear purchases. No additional fees.
School T-Shirt optional. Indoor training shoes recommended. No bare feet please.
Class will be held at Tempest Studios, in downtown State College. This location is just below the Fraser Street parking deck, on Kelly Alley.
Wu-Tang Swordsmanship & Fencing (Weekly Class)
- Classes held at Tudek Park
- 400 Herman Dr, State College
- Sunday Afternoons
- 3:30 - 5:30 PM
- Sign Up Anytime!
- Wooden swords provided
- $100/month or 180/month for couples
Wudang Daoist Swordsman Michael Xia Chongyi is one of the world's foremost experts in the Wudang (Wu-Tang) & Daoist (Taoist) style swordsmanship. Xia has traveled the world offering workshops in body mechanics, forms, combat application, free-fencing, & sword dancing. In this course, you will begin your own journey into the art of the sword.
Xia focuses first and foremost on good body mechanics for good health. The second focus is on authentic applicability to fencing and sword fighting. With the practice of unique and beautiful forms along with partner fencing, every student will develop the skills they need to have an authentic and functioning sword art in their life.
This course will be divided up into: warm-ups, body mechanic & technique drills, forms & sequence training, combat application with partners, taiji fencing, sword dancing, & cooldowns.
This course is $30/session (cash only, rsvp via email), or $100/month (cash or online). We will meet until weather will not permit. We provide wooden practices swords for class. You will have the option to buy one a handmade wooden sword ($75-250), but it is not mandatory.
No contracts. No uniforms. No gear purchases. No additional fees.
School T-Shirt optional. Outdoor training shoes recommended. No bare feet please.
Class will be held at Tudek Park, near the Park Forest area of State College. We usually gather in the wooded picnic area, across the from the tennis court parking lot.
Taoist Seated Meditation (Weekly Class)
**This course is on pause for 2024, until we have more interest**
- Classes held at Tempest Studio
- 140 Kelly Alley, State College
- Sunday Evenings
- 7:00 - 8:00 PM
- Sign Up Anytime!
- FREE WITH ALL OTHER REGISTRATIONS
- $80/month or $150/month for couples
In this weekly program, attendees will work on a variety of skills and practices to help improve their abilities to reach meditative goals and states.
Each session will begin with seated stretches and warm ups to prepare the body. Then we will have a short lesson with ~10 minutes of practice. After a small break for discussion, we will then do a final meditation between 15-30 minutes, depending on time remaining in the class.
There are no religious components to this course that would exclude people from other religions or faiths from participating in this course. There are no chantings of gods names or any vows. The exercises will focus on the body, thoughts, and breathwork. Any Taoist context is for the goals of refinement and their historical and cultural relevance to the art. We hope people of all faiths can join us in meditation, while enjoying their time learning about the Taoist traditions, cosmology, and wellness practices.
We will work on understanding the 5 major families/branches of meditation work, as our program grows and practice deepen. We hope everyone will quickly develop:
- Improved focus
- Calmer mind and decision-making
- Stronger core muscles
- Less stress hormones in the body
- Deeper, smoother, and less burdened breathing
- Inner peace with past trauma & memories
- Improved attention span & patience
- Improved circulation & blood flow
- A better understanding of your body and spirit
- A deeper relationship with your inner-self
- Stronger legs, back, neck, shoulders, & hips
- A community to be a part of and contribute to
If you're interested in joining our meditation group, you can sign up for any of our other classes, and meditation is included for free! If you are only interested in the meditation course, it is $80/month ($150 for couples).
NO CONTRACTS • NO UNIFORMS • NO TESTING FEES • NO ASSOCIATION COSTS • NO REQUIRED PURCHASES
There are no product purchases required to join any of our classes. Those interested in contact sparring, breaking, weight training, alternative weapons, etc. will need their own equipment, but these are all optional programs. We provide free practice swords for sword & fencing classes. Appropriate casual/athletic attire is required in class. Formal testing is optional. Progression is based on consistent comprehension & performance. Pace of curriculum is at the instructor's discretion.
ABOUT SEVEN MOUNTAINS WELLNESS & MARTIAL ARTS
7SWMA offers classical Wudang (Wu-Tang) internal martial arts & the traditional Daoist (Taoist) wellness & fitness practices. All programs are taught by recognized Wudang Daoist swordsman, Michael Xia Chongyi.
Extracting the source benefits from the traditional martial arts, our programs focus on correct posture, alignment, & the functional development of the joints & support structures of the body. With the goal of creating tangible & authentic benefits to one's health & self, 7MWMA ensures that all material is grounded–without a reliance on mysticism– and has been used heal and strengthen the body for thousands of year. Many martial arts programs compromise health for combat or flashy skills, & eventually require knee & hip replacements; along with long term pain & injury. But because of our internal approach, our lineage masters have continued their training into ages over 100 years.
7MWM offers both wellness & martial courses, along with the combined practices. Those interested in wellness without combat will enjoy our Life Nourishing Tai Chi program, along with our meditation & qigong training.
Those that are interested in the classical Wudang martial arts for self-defense, weapons training, fitness, & performance skills, will enjoy our Kung Fu programs. Each student can focus on different skills and practices depending on their goals.
WELLNESS or FITNESS?
The ideas of wellness and fitness can sometimes be confused or treated as the same thing. But they are both unique from one another. As aspects of health, wellness can be consider yin, while fitness is considered yang. What does this mean?
Yin is about turning inward, introspection, and reinforcing what you have. Building the small muscles groups & tendons, our wellness training allows someone to reach their maximum health. Maintaining one's health to prevent the declines of age, laziness, and dealing with pass injuries, are all qualities of one's wellness. Getting through day to day life becomes easier as you refine your wellness. Your ability to stand or walk for extended periods of time, using all your joints, core strength, and a focused mind are all aspects of wellness.
Fitness on the other hand, is the yang idea of health. Fitness includes cardio, strength, flexibility, & expanding one's ability to interact with the world around them. While wellness increases the quality within, fitness increases the qualities to interact outward. Your ability to lift more, run faster, wrestle stronger, touch your toes are all aspects of fitness.
All training is both! If you practice wellness skills, you will gradually become stronger, better cardio, etc. And when you lift weights or run, your gains will be noticeable faster, but you will be more prone to injury without practices that also develop the supportive structures for sustainability.
Many martial arts sacrifice wellness for fitness. This is true about many practices. Even yoga has these two polarities in the different styles! In the Wudang & Daoist arts, we have both practices. Younger students are recommended to train 70% fitness & 30% wellness. As you age, you will want to preserve the benefits you gained with your fitness practice, and prevent injury. To do, over the lifetime of your training, you will begin to switch their balance to 70% wellness. Those that are dealing with injuries, getting over sickness, or are starting physical activities late in life should focus mostly on wellness until they feel comfortable with all the primary skills for healing & protecting the body.
- Tai Chi - Tai Chi (or Taijiquan, traditionally) is one of the most prestigious martial arts in the world. The most practiced martial art in the world, tai chi has developed over the past 100 years into something completely new. With a focus on wellness & health, many martial artists in their old age will transition into more internal and softer martial arts, as a way to preserve the body & prevent injuries. As the art grew into a health program instead of a martial skillset, Taijiquan become what we call Tai Chi. Here at 7MWMA, our tai chi programs are based on Xia's completely redesigned approach to tai chi for health. Life Nourishing Tai Chi extracts those key principles that have been lost over the years as people practiced only the dance (the choreographed form of all the movements), and lose the qualities. In this program, the basic mechanics are discovered, and put into the body. Life Nourishing Tai Chi amazes all students when even after the first class, they begin seeing their body and interactions with the world in a new way. If there is one health program Xia would recommend, it would be the LNTC program.
- Qigong - Qigong is a term we use in the west that blankets a wide array of wellness practices. The umbrella called Yang Sheng Gong (Life Nourishing Arts) includes all practices that focus on health and development. When you do fitness, this is body work. When you coordinate breath and action with the focus on a health benefit, this is Qigong, or effort/energy work. When you practice internal body awareness and traversing intention, you are now practicing spirit/intention work. All of our health arts are a combination & a variety of these practices. Qigong is the term that is most familiar for these types of awareness development, moving the joints, & stretching the body while doing breathing meditations.
- Meditation – Meditation is the cornerstone of spirit practices. Not spirit in a magical sense, but as a collective term for willpower, intention, perseverance, focus, & the other mental and personality traits. Meditation is not about seeing who can sit still the longest (only in the kids class). Meditation is not about achieving some mystical skill or clairvoyance. If you can practice meditation, you are enhancing your mental flexibility & constitution in all situations. By being able to return to a meditative mind throughout your day will bring both health and energy benefits through out your day. Our meditation exercises are all from our Daoist lineages, as Xia has structured the program to develop the skills & abilities, instead of just mimicking an image, idealization, or misconception of what meditation is.
CLASSICAL WUDANG MARTIAL ARTS
"In the north, Shaolin is respected. In the south, Wudang is revered."
Wudang–or Wu-Tang–kung fu is one of the most famous martial arts in the world. Even if you haven't heard of that! Infact, Tai Chi (Taijiquan) is a traditional Daoist martial art, born on the Wudang Mountains. In addition to Tai Chi, the monks in these mountains were famous for their longevity, internal cultivation, & swordsmanship.
The Daoist were focused on internal cultivation and serving their communities. But as traveling priests, they were required to learn martial arts so bandits and gangs would not rob them. In addition, many military generals would retire from the world in the peaceful temples Daoist have in the most remote mountains. By learning from these generals, and with experience on the road, the Daoist combined their wellness & fitness practices with the necessary martial skills.
The primary martial arts you will find at 7MWMA:
- Xingyi – Our foundational traditional combat art. Xingyiquan (intent-to-form boxing) is designed to delivery explosive power from the ground up through the body, this art focuses all of the necessary methods of delivery power for striking, clinch fighting, & wrestling.
- Sanfeng – Sanfeng Sect martial arts are named after Zhang Sanfeng, the creator of Taijiquan. Xia is 16th generation in the Sanfeng linage, meaning he is 16 generations of students & teachers passing this art to modern times.
- Taiji – The most famous and most practiced martial art in the world, tai chi was originally a combat system focused on understanding how power and pressure interact in a fight. Generally speaking, Taijiquan is not a useful martial art for self-defense. But what makes it such a profound combat art is when it is used in combination with any other martial art. Taiji will enhance all internal and external combat skills. Because it is also wellness oriented, Taiji progress is slow, yet life changing.
- Bagua – The most comprehensive martial are in the world, Baguazhang–Eight Trigram Palm–combines 8 styles, each with 64 basic techniques & 3-8 variations for each. This complex art focuses the training on various footworks. Most famously, bagua is often seen walking in circles. Although many people claim this art was designed for fighting multiple opponents, in actuality, the function of this style is based on transitioning angles for ideal deflection with structural alignment, superior position with complex but naturalized footwork, & an ability to perform a variety of techniques in every situation and from every position you find yourself in.
- Wu-Tang Sword – In the world of modern Chinese swordsmanship, Xia is regarded as a pioneer as Xia is famous for extracting the key principles of swordsmanship, and reintroducing the world to the authentic combat abilities that have been lost over the centuries of modern weaponry. As most schools teach a sword form, Xia's Daoist Sword Arts curriculum focuses on skill development, physics with body mechanics, wellness, fitness, combat clarity, moving meditation, and a qigong; all at once.
We focus on progressive sparring and fencing. This means we always begin light, slow, & easy. Then as you get comfortable over time, you will begin increasing your coordination, reaction time, and general awareness of each situation. Using his understanding of swordsmanship & fencing, Xia has created the Taiji Fencing sport, which is now practiced on every continent, by over 100 schools.
Private Training
1 hour 20 minutes · $100
For those with extra social distancing concerns, specific goals and/or ailments, or learning limitations are invited to sign up for private training. These 1 hour & 20 minute sessions are customized to the student, and include an additional 15mins available for discussion & notes. If you have a consistent schedule, prices will be adjusted & you are welcome to join us for the Saturday Excursion Training.
**Those with financial difficulties are invited to send an email, & we will see what options are available