I have taken twelve years of kenpo karate, about three years of aikido, and have dabbled in Krav…read moreMaga, so when I moved to the area, I mostly was looking for any studio to continue my practice so that I wouldn't get rusty and get some exercise. I found Ziran Martial Arts after some googling, and decided to give the studio a try. After nearly a year of practicing there, I am ready to write my review. The long and short of it is, this has potentially been the best decision I have made in my adult life.
I can only speak for the adult classes, but from what I have seen from recitals and seminars, the kids classes are equally good. For adults, there is Tai Chi, Kung Fu, sparring, joint manipulation and throws, sword forms and swordsmanship training, and meditation. Sifu Davis helps you work through which of these are most interesting to you--do you care about the meditative aspects, or the martial aspects, or something in the middle--and from there you attend whatever classes you want. One of the incredible things if you attend all the classes, there are many principles and applications that fit together. I have learned so much more about body mechanics and the principles behind what I had been doing in the past than I even knew existed. I thought the only thing that I cared about in martial arts were the direct applications of what I could use to defend myself if I were ever attacked. What I have discovered instead is there is an entire science of body principles that I have been using through muscle memory that I now have the opportunity to actually learn. I especially appreciate what is taught here, because the mechanics are designed to preserve your body and your ability to continue practicing well into your 50's, 60's, and 70's--one of the things that I never considered as a child because I didn't have to was whether or not the martial arts I was doing was putting a strain on my knees or other joints. I am very grateful that I am learning things that I can use to protect myself that are not going to hurt me in the long run now, before I have done damage to my body.
There is also a fantastic community amongst the students. After attending classes for a year, I know nearly everyone by name. Everyone is incredibly friendly and supportive of one another. There is a large age range amongst the adults, which means there are people from all walks of life. We work together on forms during classes, and you can always ask another student or one of the assistant instructors to show you a part of the form. Sparring is always friendly, not competitive, and no one brings any sort of anger or attitude into class. When doing joint manipulations and throws, I have always trusted my partner to go slowly and give feedback about whether or not things are working, and respond to feedback. There are other graduate students and professors. I have been given advice about everything from schoolwork and life to how to better take care of kittens that I recently adopted. People offer to drive someone who biked over back home after class when it unexpectedly starts to rain. The studio sometimes does weekend seminars on special topics, and there are barbecues after the seminar. There's a yearly winter holiday party. There are a number of tournaments that people have the option to participate in, or to go to support participants. The community and the friends that I have gained through practicing at this studio is irreplaceable to me.
All in all, I could not recommend this studio highly enough. I am so grateful that I have the opportunity to practice here. Anyone who is looking for the entire range of traditional Tai Chi principles and forms to direct and incredibly practical applications should come and give this studio a try.
