Bagua with Shenyi in Valencia feb 2010
I just came back from a weekend teaching bagua for at the Shen Yi school in Valencia. It was my first time there, and whenever I come to teach somewhere new there is a degree of uncertainty… What kind of people will I find? Will they have any skill? What kind of attitude will they have? Spacey and new age, or edgy and aggressive?
What I found were an enthusiastic and welcoming group of people who supported each other in their training, worked hard and laughed. The school and the atmosphere is carefully supervised by Johan Duquet. Johan is a dedicated practitioner of Shaolin and Chen Taiji who really cares for the people who come to train with him. He was also a wonderful host to me. Johan’s Taiji teacher is Fu Nengbin, a younger brother of Alan’s teacher Wang Haijun.
I am especially glad to have spent time after the seminar exchanging with Johan. It was fascinating to see some of the similarities between his Shaolin, Chen Taiji along with the Xingyi and Bagua that I am more familiar with. The differences were equally fascinating to both of us. I think we both enjoyed the opportunity to engage in some playful push hands with someone else more interested in learning than saving face!
If you are near Valencia and you want to learn something that is both ‘traditional’ and intelligent, testing but friendly go and visit Shenyi.
Johan is seeking official recognition as the Belgium beer ambassador to Valencia, another reason to visit. I believe he deserves to be recognised as such by the Belgiian government, and varoious monastic brewing establishments soon. To support him in this worthy goal you can write to the Belgian embassy for Spain, and the Belgian chambers of Commerce in for Spain and Catalonia.
Johan is also not bad ambassador for sangria and Paella…