Shifu Quan Jun Liu

Shifu Quan Jun Liu, has studied traditional Chinese martial arts, tai ji quan (tai chi chuan), gong fu (kung fu) and qi gong (chi kung) since childhood, and began teaching in China in 1991 and since 2001 in the UK. He is also a practitoner of Chinese medicine, an expert in Dian Xue Tui Na, (acupuncture point and traditional Chinese massage) and martial arts therapy. His masters include Grandmaster Chen Xiao Wang and Grandmaster Chen Zhenglei (foremost Masters of Chen tai ji quan in the world today), Shifu Ji Po for Da Bei Qi Gong (a powerful qi gong – with active and meditative forms), and Shifu Kong Jian for Ying Qi Gong (Hard Qi Gong, an internal/external steel jacket training programme, originating from Tibet).

During his years in China, teaching students of all ages from the very young to the elderly, Shifu Liu also coached students for competitions in Tai Ji Quan, Wushu and Sanda and from 1994-95 he was a National Competition martial arts judge for Henan Province as well as being the senior Tai Ji instructor and judge for the Kui Tun Tai Ji Association in Xin Jiang province.

Shifu Liu a very experienced martial arts instructor, was invited to the UK to teach Meditation, Chen tai ji and Shaolin Gong fu in 2001 and now lives and works in London. As director of the Tai Ji Circle, he brings his unique skills as a teacher and healer to his classes and workshops, where the focus is on relaxation, developing energy and helping maximise students’ potential so that if they wish, they can reach competition level standard.

Since entering Tai Ji Circle students for competition in four different UK Championships 2006–2007, six of Shifu Liu's students have won medals in Tai Ji Quan, a total of 17 medals, 5 of which were Gold. Shifu Liu has also been a judge for the Traditional Forms Division at the BCCMA British Championships 2006 and The London Wushu Open Competition held at SENI 07.

The Tai Ji Circle’s range of classes are suitable for students at all levels and ages, Shifu Liu teachers the classes and aims to share his wide knowledge of Chen Tai Ji Quan, Gong fu, Bagua Zhang, Chinese massage, Buddhist principles and Qi Gong healing to enable students to help themselves, their family and friends to gain better health and happiness.

   Grandmaster Chen Xiao Wang with Shifu Liu.

Shifu Liu performing Chen Xinjia Form (Chen New Frame) with Tai Ji Circle
students at the SIED Conference at the Mermaid Theatre, London, September 2007

The Tai Ji Circle

For Chen Tai Ji Quan, Qi Gong, Gong fu, Bagua Zhang, Dian Xue and Tui Na (Chinese point therapy and massage), the traditional Chinese arts of relaxation, fitness and health

PUBLIC CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS

The Tai Ji Circle runs public classes and workshops in Chen Tai Ji Quan (tai chi chuan), Da Bei Qi Gong (chi kung), Gong Fu (kung fu/martial arts) and Bagua Zhang (another form of internal martial art). We run a specialist course in Hard Qi Gong (foundation steel jacket training) and occasional workshops in Dian Xue and Tui Na (Chinese point therapy and massage) these are all traditional Chinese arts of relaxation, fitness and health

The Tai Ji Circle was set up by Chris Jones in 2004 under the guidance of Shifu Quan Jun Liu who is now it’s full time Martial Arts Director and Senior Instuctor. We aim to offer a wide variety of classes to students at all levels from beginners to studying the more advanced forms of Chen Tai ji such as Weapons forms and Laojia Er Lu the dynamic Cannon Fist, and Gong Fu with exciting Wushu forms. Bagua Zhang has broad circular movements to it's forms that exercise the waist and cultivate the dantian; Da Bei Qi Gong, a complete system of energy cultivation, is a meditative practice with it’s roots in Shaolin Buddhism, it helps to generate energy within the body and can be used for healing purposes to help others or oneself. We also offer Hard Qi Gong Training courses from late August through to July.

Shifu Liu is a master of Dian Xue Tui Na, traditional Chinese massage and we hold periodic workshops for students to study and practice this useful skill. He is also available to give treatments by appointment (see below).

  Grandmaster Chen Zhenglei with Shifu Liu and Chris Jones, after his workshop and performance In London, 2006, arranged by the Tai Ji Circle.

PRIVATE CLASSES

• Shifu Liu is also available for one-to-one private classes in Tai Ji Quan, Bagua Zhang, XIng Yi Quan, Gong Fu, and Weapons forms

COMPETITION COACHING and JUDGE

• Shifu Liu is available for Competition coaching and Judging

DEMONSTRATIONS

• Shifu Liu and the students from the Tai Ji Circle are available for public demonstrations and displays of outstanding quality

Aims

• To spread the benefits of regular classes for relaxation, stress reduction, fitness and good health
• To help the local community by providing a range of classes for everyone at reasonable prices
• To give the highest standard of tuition to enable students to reach their personal best to achieve self-fulfillment and win medals at competition level

Shifu Liu of the Tai Ji Circle is an 'A' Graded Instuctor Member of the Tai Chi Union of Great Britain and is an Associate Member of the Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine (UK) for the practice of Tui Na (Chinese Massage).

TheTai Ji Circle is a Member of the BCCMA, the British Council for Chinese Martial Arts.

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A student's personal view of the Tai Ji Circle

  Shifu Liu adjusting the posture of student Justin Schlosberg

Relaxing is hard to do!

I never knew how hard it can be to truly relax. As a beginner in Chen style Tai Ji Quan, the over-riding lesson I’ve learnt so far is that true relaxation is a state of mind. This reflects the internal focus of the martial art, the basic premise being that mental focus enables you to stretch further, punch harder and balance easier. Not to mention de-stress and health benefits.

I had tried one or two lessons of Tai Ji in the past but never felt compelled enough to stick with it. It’s hard to explain what draws you to a particular class or teacher but for me, the Tai Ji Circle was different from the start. For one thing, there’s something noticeably real and honest about Shifu Quan Jun Liu’s teaching style. There are no life changing promises or ‘higher planes’ to speak of. It’s about achieving excellence and a kind that is much more than diplomas and belt grades can measure. Perhaps that’s because it’s measured by personal best, rather than beating others.

There seems to be no limit to how much can be learnt. Advanced students often attend beginner’s classes to refresh or reinforce the movements and even apparently simple details turn out to be extremely complicated and difficult to master. Each lesson is like unravelling a Russian doll – there’s always more beneath the surface.

It might be a journey without end, but this is what makes Chen Tai Ji both intensely challenging and uniquely rewarding. To adapt a phrase from a well known beer ad, it gets to parts other forms don’t reach. It’s hard to beat the post-class sensation of feeling at once deeply calm and bursting with energy: the fusion of opposites that matches the pattern of the Chen Tai Chi movements. A graceful, non-combative exterior hides an ultimately powerful martial art.

Justin Schlosberg 2006

Chinese Massage – Dian Xue Tui Na with Shifu Liu

Shifu Liu with Torben Hersborg of the Central London Osteopathy and Sports Injury Clinics

at the London Back Show at Olympia 2006 (see below for contact information)

Tui Na, Dian Xue and Qi Gong are traditional holistic forms of healing used in China for hundreds of years.

Tui Na is a type of vigorous, deep massage which uses many different types of hand movement (usually about 12) to stimulate the tissues and energy circulation (known as qi or chi) and bring increased blood flow to problem areas of the body. The massage movements can vary from deep massage to rhythmic pounding or soothing circular movements over energy centres.

Dian Xue is in an integral part of Tui Na massage. It is Chinese pressure point therapy applied along important acupuncture meridians of the body and therefore works directly on the organs, it can release blockages in the energy flow and help to rebalance the energy throughout the body, the affects are similar to acupuncture, but without the use of needles.

Qi Gong is a relatively recent term applied to ancient Chinese health exercises (many different types from active to meditational) which can be done on your own (to improve one’s own energy cultivation and relaxation) or practiced as a form of healing for other people. The primary focus is on increasing one’s energy and self awareness of the internal sensations and flow of energy throughout the body. Qi Gong healing is given when the body is weak and the practitioner transmits his/her own energy into the patient as part of the massage treatment.

Chinese Massage can help sports or martial arts injuries, stress, body weakness and fatigue, back problems, headaches and other internal problems.

Central London Osteopathy and Sports Injury Clinics can be contacted

for appointments at 0207 739 5666, see their web site www.london-osteopath.com

or contact the Tai ji Circle directly by email or phone 07921765848

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