Master Fong Ha

Sifu Fong Ha has been practicing Chinese internal arts for nearly 60 years and has studied with many renowned teachers. Fong Ha started his formal training in Tai Chi Chuan in 1953 first with Master Tung Ying-Chieh, and after his death with Master Yang Sau-Chung, the eldest son of the legendary Yang Cheng-fu. Fong’s exploration then led into the realm of I Ch’uan.

One of the few I Ch’uan teachers in the West, Fong Ha is well known for his power, graciousness, and cosmopolitan charm. With humor and insight, he encourages students to be true to themselves, to recognize their inner strengths, develop at their own pace, and actualize their potentials.

He directs the Integral Chuan Institute in Berkeley, California and teaches nationally and internationally. He is the author of Yiquan and the Nature of Energy: The fine art of doing nothing and achieving everything (Berkeley: Summerhouse Publications, 1996). He also produced the video, Stillness in Movement: The Practice of T’ai Chi Chuan with Master Fong Ha (Vision Arts Video, 1996). For more information on Sifu Fong Ha see his website at www.FongHa.com.

The Essence of Our Practice

Ch’i Kung (qigong) practice is expressed in four fundamental disciplines: Sitting Meditation; Wu Chi Chi Kung (Wuji Qigong), or “standing meditation;” I Ch’uan (Yiquan), or “intention practice;” and Tai Chi Ch’uan (Taijiquan).

We begin with sitting meditation and Wu Chi Ch’i Kung. Ch’i Kung, literally “practice of vital energy,” helps us break through a lifetime of old habits and programmed patterns of behavior and movement, allowing what is essential in us to come forth. This practice cultivates chi (qi), breaks down blocks to the free flow of ch’i throughout the body, and integrates the upper and lower body.

I Ch’uan (or “intention practice”) develops our ability to direct ch’i, through focusing the intention. In the broader sense, this practice develops our ability to focus the mind for improved concentration, creativity, and productivity. 

From stillness, we begin to move.  Practice of the 108 moves of the Tai Chi Ch’uan long form further develops ch’i and i, builds strength in movement, stamina, and the ability to relax in strength. At the highest level of practice, the movements of the form become informed or filled by ch’i. (See below for photos of last year's workshop)

From our China trip