Entries from May, 2010

Hollow Bones Shaolin Kung Fu, with Keith Martin-Smith

What: Hollow Bones Shaolin Kung Fu (See: www.hollowbonesshaolin.com)

When: Every Tuesday/Thursday nights (if there is a change in the schedule, you will be informed in advance)
STARTING ON: Thursday, June 10th

Time: 5:45-7pm

Where: Boulder Integral (BI)

Who: anyone over the age of 14

Cost: $79 for Boulder Integral members, $89 for non-members per month, to be paid by check at beginning of month. Please write check to Boulder Integral.

Space is limited to 15 students. Please RSVP to info@boulderintegral.org to reserve your space.

Becoming more focused in our life allows us to better reach our dreams and to manifest our passions.  An integrated martial arts practice can help you bring greater focus and discipline to all areas of your life, while learning to create and sustain healthy boundaries in your relationships.

These classes will include an integrated curriculum of Northern Shaolin Kung Fu, Chi Gong, Self Defense, and Psychological Strength:

CLASS STRUCTURE:

Kung Fu

This will include traditional Northern Shaolin Kung Fu:

  • Empty Hands Training – stances, strikes, kicks, blocks, and over 12 long forms between the Beginner and the Advanced Level.
  • Weapons Training – traditional weapons: broad sword, straight sword, and staff.
  • Fight Sets – fight other students in choreographed movements that teach how Kung Fu is adapted to the street.

Proper breathing techniques, control, ‘spot’ hitting, and the development of the right mindset are all integrated into your training, along with the four major fields of study below.

Chi Gong
You will learn to recognize, cultivate, and employ Yin and Yang energies in your body and through your Kung Fu forms.

Self Defense
Adapting your Kung Fu techniques to the real world is an important part of training.  You will be trained to fight against other students, against street fighters, and against senior students.  You will learn to control your opponent in any situation by learning to control yourself.

Psychological Strength
Beating someone in combat is seldom about the physical skill level of the fighters.  Your mental mindset is by far the most powerful tool you can develop and cultivate to create boundaries that other people will not dream of crossing — in the ring, in the office, on the streets, with your family and loved ones.

Rinzai Zen Meditation
Meditation was always an integral part of Shaolin training, and in China the temples focused on Chan Buddhism, which later became better known in Japan as Zen.  Chan Buddhism has all but died out in China, but the Japanese have kept the warrior tradition within mediation alive. Taking your seat fearlessly, in utter stillness, and with an open heart will be part of your training.

Testing and Levels
There are 10 levels in this training, and each level requires that a student be tested on the material they have learned to move onto the next level.

TEACHING METHOD

Boulder, CO has many strengths, but a sharp and clear lineage of spiritual and physical discipline, taught in an uncompromising way, is not one of them.  While emotional processing, the honoring of all perspectives, and go-at-your-own pace models all serve our emerging, post-conventional selves, they can be toxic to the transformational path.

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTION

Keith Martin-Smith is the only lineage holder of Grandmaster Jong Hoon Jeon.  He has been studying Shaolin and Northern style Kung Fu since 1994.  Before training under Master Jeon, Mr. Martin-Smith studied under the Venerable Shi Yan Ming, 34th Generation Shaolin monk, in New York City, and under the Iron Palm Master Brian Grey before that.

Keith became a formal disciple of Master Jeon in 2001, meaning he agreed to be trained in the very demanding and very traditional manner reserved for the most serious of students.  In 2002 he was awarded the title of Kyu Bum Nim (senior instructor) and permitted to teach on his own.  Keith ran Master Jeon’s Philadelphia school from 2002-2005, leading 9 classes a week. In 2008 he was elevated to a formal lineage holder and to a co-master.  In addition to Shaolin Kung Fu, Keith has also trained in Jin Woo (Jing Wu), Hung Gar, Wing Chun, and Jingui Qi Gong.

In 1996, he began studying the Dharma (Buddhist teachings) and took Empowerment and Bodhisattva Vows with Lama Tsering Everest in 2001.  In 2007 he met Jun Po Denis Kelly Roshi and became a formal student of his, and was given the Dharma name “Kogen” (“Tiger Eye”).  Keith/Kogen has been authorized by Jun Po Roshi to teach Rinzai Zen meditation and has been awarded the title of sensei.  He uses his Japanese dharma name, Kogen, when teaching as well as the Japanese word for teacher, sensei (the Chinese word is sifu, a combination of “teacher” and “father”).

“What is better, satisfying 1,000 desires or conquering one?”

INTEGRAL FRAME

An absolutistic (Amber) frame for teaching has been used for millennia in spiritual and physical disciplines, but has been increasingly abandoned as we moved into modernity (Orange) and postmodernity (Green).  But we are seeing in places like Boulder, CO, some of the problems when one throws out the Amber, hierarchical frame for teaching: namely, it simple is the most effective way to create change.  This is because Amber is wonderful at helping to break the body and the mind into a difficult discipline.  Orange interpretations of these disciplines can focus too much on the status and ranking of the student, while Green interpretations are, among other problems, reluctant to force one kind of training and philosophy onto students.  The result of the loss of Amber teaching methods applied to marital arts and spiritual practice has been a reduction in the quality of students and of their overall competency.

We can add Orange and Green emergent truths and understandings into pre-and-post practice structures, to honor the insights of those worldviews.  But putting those structures into the Amber frame destroys the pressure that Amber has been so carefully formatted to create, and lengthens the entire process when it doesn’t destroy it utterly.

Testimonial

For the past 4 weeks I’ve been introduced to Hollow Bones Shaolin Kung Fu by Kogan / Keith.

My 9 years of previous martial arts practice led me to ask Keith some penetrating questions about his teaching methods, which he answered comfortably. Being in 8 classes so far, and seeing 2 other students with 2 years previous exposure to Keith, has only reinforced my expectations.

Keith has high integrity, is focused on tradition, and moves the class along with an interesting variety of strength and flexibility development, form, fighting moves, breathing techniques and meditation.  At the same time he is closely aware of each student’s abilities and limitations.

I’m looking forward to mental, spiritual and physical growth as classes continue, and can assure potential students of tough workouts and good fun.

Student, Cliff Shaffran

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Daily Weekday Practice with Jeff Salzman

8am – 8:45am, every weekday morning starting 5/14/2010
Meditation Hall
Free or donation

2805 Broadway Street, Boulder, CO 80304

The goal of this practice is to start our day with greater awareness, intention, discipline and love.

It’s a chance to gather your energies, to get in touch with your highest and best self, and to recommit to spirit, other people and your work in the world.

Jeff Salzman leads the 45 minute sessions.    About half the time is dedicated to silent meditation; and half is dedicated to various integral teachings and practices.   Come with an open mind and willing heart.  And please be prompt!

During the Integral Incubator, you will be joining the “incubatees” for morning practice.

If you have any questions, please send email to jeff(at)boulderintegral(dot)org.

Jeff Salzman is lead teacher at Boulder Integral as well as part of the founding circle. He is co-founder of CareerTrack Training, and has worked in adult education / transformation for twenty five years. For three years Jeff worked side by side with Ken Wilber building the Integral Institute, an international center for integral theory and application. A Divinity School dropout, he has a Masters Degree in Indo-Tibetan Studies from Naropa University. Jeff is devoted to the Integral Worldview and to helping it arise in people’s mind/bodies through the world of Boulder Integral. At the present time Jeff is the primary benefactor of our enterprise and is responsible for the programming at out center.

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Sacred Technologies: Where the ancient arts meet modern technologies, with Eric Knouse, Steve Sky and Darrell Laham, PhD.

brainwave-sensing-300x165Friday, June 4, 7pm

$10 (Boulder Integral Members)
$15 (non members)

2805 Broadway, Boulder, CO 80304

Join us for a neurofeedback demonstration and Practice eliciting meditative brain wave states – in minutes.

Neurofeedback brain computer interface technology provides a very powerful feedback loop that confirms for the Practitioner what a meditative brain wave state FEELS LIKE. Practitioners can find and target that FEELING at any time anywhere. The MindSet, made by NeuroSky, enables the student to learn how to identify their alpha and theta brain wave states entering and staying in these states for extended periods of time. The student, with Practice over time, learns to elicit these healthy brain wave states without relying on the MindSet. No matter where you are you can find and relax into a meditative state anytime.

Join us to see, feel, hear and experience alpha and theta brain wave states. You won’t have to wonder if you are achieving meditative brain waves states any longer.

THE PRESENTERS

Eric Knouse
By surrendering himself to internal guidance, Eric Knouse, founder of The Practice, discovered a way to access deep levels of meditation — alpha and theta brain waves states,– and in the process, created a simple and straightforward way to teach others to do the same. The Practice course focuses on the scientific aspects of mind/body chemistry as well as meditative techniques using state-of-the-art neurofeedback technology.

For those who have ignored meditation or who have tried it unsuccessfully, this course provides new insights explaining why the daily practice of meditation can provide a great antidote to today’s stressful living. Eric has discovered a natural and reliable way to access inner states of awareness. Access is gained through dedicated practice involving body posture, breathing, and focused attention and non-attention through Practicing neurofeedback.

Darrell LahamPhDDarrell Laham, PhD
Darrell Laham, PhD is a cognitive scientist and technologist with a long standing interest in sacred geometry and resonance based technologies. Darrell is currently working with the Foundation for Conscious Evolution, the Institute of HeartMath, and others, to bring personal and group coherence building technologies into an internet based environment.

Steve SkySteve Sky
Steve has been working in the holistic arts and energy medicine field since the late 1980s. In addition he has over 25 years as a technology professional. Steve uses this extensive background to create synergy between these two fields through sacred geometry, crystals, lasers, computers and much more.


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Description

The Sky Chambers are large sacred geometric forms that create a field which enhances the luminous cocoon or aura of an individual or group. It greatly enhances meditation and has been described as feeling similar to an ancient Japanese temple. The Sky Chambers use laser activated computer controlled crystal transducers to generate the field within and around the compound geometric structure. These are truly unique and one of a kind structures.

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