Eight weeks Lion Foundations series, Maryville

As the Knoxville (and Maryville), Tennessee, representatives of Yin Style Baguazhang, we're happy to provide an opportunity to share our martial art with anyone who has interest in learning it.

A demo of some of what we do is available on our YouTube channel, with a clip included here. 

Our mission is one and the same with the mission of the small but committed (and growing) international community of Yin Style Baguazhang overall, which reads as follows:

Our mission: to seek out and train hardworking, motivated individuals who are willing to commit the time and effort necessary to attain proficiency in the martial art of Yin Style Baguazhang.

What we provide: systematic instruction to help motivated individuals to attain the "cold, crisp, and fast" fighting methods of this art.

To best facilitate this goal,  we have opened up our study group meetings to the public and invite anyone who wants to see or learn the art to come out and study it with us--for free, at least for those who work hard. To get this endeavor off the ground even further, we are offering an eight-week session on Thursday nights in Maryville to introduce the foundations of one branch of this art.

The following promo for the event lives on the Facebook fan page for Yin Style Bagua, Knoxville.

We are hosting an eight-week series to present the fighting methods of the most vigorous and powerful branch of baguazhang, itself a high-level martial art.

Yin Style Baguazhang is an advanced-level fighting art. The official representatives of its lineage holder and of the art in the Knoxville area are here to provide systematic instruction in the art to hardworking, motivated individuals in and around Knoxville. It is said, and we have repeatedly seen, that not everyone can succeed at Yin Bagua: it requires hard work, perseverance, physical ability, and a sharp, dynamic mind to do well in it.

The art features cold, crisp, and fast fighting methods that are of value to anyone interested in the martial arts.

• Grapplers and wrestlers can develop real-world fighting skills in a standing position that translate effectively to the ground, often transitioning directly from take-down to submission in a quick, fluid way. Many effective chokes and joint locks are translated for use in a stand-up scenario as well. 
• Karate practitioners can deepen their understanding of bunkai (application of technique) and the requirements of committing to their techniques for effective use. My own understanding of the karate I have practiced in the past was greatly enhanced by applying the deeper understanding that Yin Style Bagua has to offer, both in use and in methodology.
• Mixed martial artists can learn powerful and effective setups, strikes, takedowns, and throws that are off the beaten track in the cage. Additionally, YSB features many creative standing submissions and smooth transitions from striking to throwing to submission, all without having to leave your feet if you choose.
• Kung fu practitioners will benefit from having direct access to the deepest branch of the highest-level Chinese fighting art available. This art is "internal," if that means anything to you, and it is practiced in a realistic, attainable way.
• Anyone interested in learning practical fighting skills will be able to find them. 
• Additionally, Yin Style is a tremendous workout for essentially the whole body.

This series will meet on Thursday nights at 7:00 pm until roughly 8:30-9:00 pm, starting on May 10. It will take place in the pavilion behind Sam Houston Elementary in Maryville, TN (660 Cunningham St., Maryville). The series is paid for in interest, sweat, and hard work. Monetary payment is negotiable if you don't think you have those to offer.

Each meeting is stand-alone, so if you can't make it to some, you don't have to skip the whole series. The more you can attend, the more you will benefit, though.

The details of the individual meetings will be posted there and here, in varying amounts of detail. Stay tuned!