Water  ●  Wood  ●  Fire  ●  Metal  ●  Earth

Stephen Schachter
Sifu

TAI CHI of Gainesville
QI GONG • TAI CHI • TIBETAN HOP GAR KUNG FU

CURRENT CLASS SCHEDULE

16 NW 7th Avenue, Gainesville, FL 32601

Tai Chi Chuan & Qi Gong Class:
Tuesday 7:15 - 8:45pm

Advanced Tai Chi Class:
Thursday 7:30 - 8:30pm
 * Invitation Only

Hop Gar:
Thursday 8:30 - 9:30pm

Qi Gong class:
Call the office 352.375.7557 for current classes
or Email

What is QI GONG?

Qi Gong is an exercise system that increases health from the inside out. Using breath, relaxation and intention our body finds new ways to release stress and inflammation.

The practice involves easy repetitive movements are done in a meditative mode. This improves circulation, energy flow and brain relaxation. The practice is a type of mindfulness. Often certain organs are directly stimulated to help them heal.

Technically, Tai Chi is a Qi Gong, and they do go together and support each other. There are numerous styles of Qi Gong, they can be sorted into ones that are just for health, ones that lead to more meditative outcomes, and ones that are only for martial artists or hardcore athletes. Some forms are thousands of years old and some are brand new. The key is if they create actual change in your health level, or do they just make one feel good in the moment.

What is TAI CHI CHAUN?

Tai Chi Chuan is an exercise program that originally was a martial art, but is now used mostly for health and wellness. It is done slowly and meditatively. It produces inner calm, quiet strength and flexibility. Many studies have shown a myriad of positive health effects for Tai Chi and Qi Gong.

TIBETAN HOP GAR KUNG FU

Hop Gar is a martial art that started in Tibet and migrated to China. This rare style is a unique art and science of fighting. The body movement, stance work, footwork and mechanics of striking allows one to penetrate easily with unified whole body power.

Lineage:
Wong Yan-Lum
Wong Heng-Ling
Ng Yim-Ming
Chin Kwok-Ching (David Chin)
Stephen Schachter

Good reference on the origin of Hop Gar: https://www.kungfumagazine.com/magazine/article.php?article=661

Who is SIFU STEPHEN B. SCHACHTER?

Steve started his martial art studies in 1987 with Japanese and Vietnamese styles. He switched to Tai Chi Chuan in 1994. In 2007 he started studying directly with Grandmaster David Chin until his passing in late 2020. As a lineage disciple, Steve is qualified to teach his whole system of Qi Gong, Tai Chi and Tibetan Hop Gar Kung Fu.

Sifu Steve offers instruction in the Water Tai Chi form, Original Yang Style, Yang Short Form (Cheng Man-Ching), Wuji Tai Chi and Yang Style Straight Sword. The Sin Tien Wu Ji Chi Gong set includes many different exercises that activates the organs, acupuncture channels, the 3 Treasures and the mind. An integral part is Standing Meditation (aka Yi Chuan or Posting). While class time of Standing is only 10-15 minutes, it’s a powerful method of Qi development and easy to do at home.

For Qi Gong he teaches the Sin Tien Wu Ji system and various "forms" from other systems.

Tibetan Hop Gar Kung Fu is a very rare style known for its ferocity, penetrating power and whole body integration. At it’s core, the principles are much like those in Tai Chi Chuan. Once Sifu Chin mastered this art, "he never lost a fight." Steve is one of two instructors in this art, having gotten permission to teach it right before Sifu’s passing.

After being introduced to GM Chin, Steve applied himself and eventually became accepted as a disciple, learning deeply from his inexhaustible well. Since his untimely death in 2020, Steve is dedicated to passing along as much of Sifu’s teachings as possible. GM Chin was a lineage holder in a number of arts and was known in the worldwide community as a man of deep Kung Fu skill.

Sifu Chin taught a very short Yang Form based on his 60+ years of hard core training and fighting. This “Water Tai Chi” form is easy to learn yet still fills the requirements of a lineage based form. We use it as a solid introduction to Tai Chi and for deep training in Qi Gong.

The Original Yang Style is from Sifu Kuo Lien-Ying, an old style master and fighter. Sifu Chin was the only student to get the real teaching in this form along with Kuo’s Xing Yi. (This form is also known by another name, Guang Ping.) It is an indoor style of the Yang family that predates the Yang forms taught world wide. The form is difficult to do and master. Sifu Kuo learned Standing Meditation personally from the Yi Chuan creator, and passed this to Sifu Chin.

Steve continues his 20 year study of Yang Style Sword with Master Ken Van Sickle, along with more training in the CMC form. (Sifu Ken was one of only 13 Americans to be certified to teach by Professor Cheng Man-Ching.) At age 85, Master Ken still teaches privately in NYC, and is considered one of the best Tai Chi sword masters in the USA.

Steve’s first teacher was Sifu Bill Smith, training in Yang Short Form- Cheng Man-Ching style. This included studies of the Tai Chi classics, a lot of Push Hands training and some big staff work; eventually becoming his number one student. Sifu Bill, who is another long term disciple of GM Chin is currently teaching in Denver.