Writing has always been a big part of my learning and teaching experience. This winter I decided to thoroughly purge the hidden corners of my house. In one I found a large box of notes from my training that harkened back 42 years, to when I started martial arts. My first teacher (Judo), the man of few words, said to me one day, "you might want to keep a few notes - after each practice, jot down what you remember." Being a good student, I of course did.
That tip has really made a difference in my capacity to learn, remember and develop my abilities. It also helped me to gradually understand what I was feeling on the inside, both sensations and emotions and how the process of training was influencing my life. Over the decades I have gained a perspective that is at once an integration of all the lessons, the teachers, the students and colleagues fused with the course of my life. Dug into my 6th decade now, I am as grateful for the practice of writing as I am for my training.
In rifling through the few boxes of history that remain from my winter purge I am not finding many photos from 1999-2002, but I am finding quite a bit of writing. Starting from early days teaching here in Seattle, before the online presence that all of us moved into, I published very beautiful newsletters 2-3x a year. They were professionally laid out and edited, typeset and printed old school, stamped and mailed out to my students. I remember they were around $1500 to produce, not a small amount for a budding Tai Chi /Qigong professional. It must have been important to me to do them.
This piece from 1999 was a threshold for me, it was the moment I connected with my capacity to write about the internal experience in a way that was poignant and beautiful. It's fascinating to re-read it now, 21 years later, in the midst of the global reckoning we are experiencing: Montana
Andy Dale 1998-1999
One of my favorite & most influential teachers ever is Andy Dale, who I met around this time period, 1997-98, and studied with for several years, in his garage, in his studio, in the parks. Andy put together fantastic workshops and was always inclusive of all teachers. I consider him in that rarified atmosphere of the best teachers around, but I also consider him my friend, as do many of us.
I'm not sure he realizes the place he has in my personal and professional evolution. Even though I had begun to have traction, I had little confidence and no connections in the community. Andy invited me to come to Lake Crescent, one of his famous workshops. I attended with great fear and trepidation because it would be the first time I met some real players of our region. I was sure I would be a mouse in the corner. Instead Andy asked me to demo my fan form (I guess he saw me practicing by some tree) in front of everyone, which I did. What was I going to do, say no?
After, Andy complimented me, saying he'd seen many fan forms and didn't really think any of them exhibited martial intent and skill, but mine did. That moment was pivotal for me.
Later I started studying with Andy when I realized I was over my head with Chen Taijiquan and needed some more guidance. I continued for several years with him studying Chen & some very intereting Qigong and Andy continued to support and nurture my growth and development, both personally and professionally.
I also met and trained with many amazing people because of Andy many of whom became a part of my and the Moon's formative years. I was even invited to Bandon - a real treat and met Master Yeung! Andy Dale, Respect! Salute!
Andy Dale & me at Lake Crescent
Madame Gao Fu, 1998
In 1998 I met Madame Gao Fu and began studying Chen Taijiquan. Gao Fu single handedly changed the Tai Chi landscape of Seattle. With rare exception every teacher here studied with her, and in turn our students. Chen Tai Chi took root in our town, which has become one of the US hubs of great Chen.
Gao Fu was an amazingly generous and kind teacher but also very strict, especially with those of us who were teachers. We would barely step left, raise and lower our arms when she would say, "stop!" And correct us to the most minute detail. Everyone remembers how she put our hands on her own body to feel what was happening on the inside of the movements. It was a revolutionary teaching style - especially for a Chinese woman to have such hands on in this way.
She did many workshops and classes, but I primarily studied privately and semi privately with her. I had met Feng Zi Qiang, her teacher, in 1991 in China and had a tape of that trip and meeting as well a couple of photos of then, so we really hit it off. Gao Fu was a revelation to me, a small powerful woman. She showed me who I might become, both as student and teacher, through Chen Taijiquan.
There are years of wonderful memories of her and our training, but also with her socially. She had spunk and enjoyed having a good time. One of my favorites was of her carving her first pumpkin at my traditional pumpkin carving party, that year at my house on Whidbey Island, October 1998.
By the way, if you are ever at Seward Park, there is a bench we all bought in her honor. It looks right at Mt. Ranier, between 2 cottonwood trees.
I wrote this article in 2005 for Tai Chi Magazine for their tribute after her death: One Movement
Madame Gao Fu and me
The Moving Space 1997-1998
The transition from 1997 - 1998 was substantive for me. I just started to gain traction as a teacher in Seattle; I was teaching the several classes a week at Crossroads Learning Center in Capitol Hill and a few classes in the hospitals around First Hill. One day I received a phone call from an established Acupuncturist, Randy Clere, telling me he and Mary Forlenza (Now Treya) and Kathy Englehart were opening a movement healing center called The Moving Space. They had heard of me and wanted to invite me to rent from them. I was terrified. I would be leaping from $16/hour week to week rent to $1500/mo and a year commitment- on the other side of town! I think I was still leaving Seattle!
My grandfather loaned me the money. I jumped.
I had competed at A Taste Of China right before I made this committment. My mother said I should send out a press release and mention my win and my new classes. I thought oh what the heck, nothing will become of it. I went for brunch the Sunday it hit the stands. When I returned there were 65+ phone calls on my then answering machine! My classes opened up a week later to 135 people spread out over 8 classes of various Qigong's and Yang Style Tai Chi.
I was overwhelmed, and it didn't sustain but it sure was a fun way to launch what would be the next six years. Much to my delight, many of these students from Cap Hill came with me. Several are still with me and others who I met during that opening week stayed with me until they either moved or died. We had great times and crazy times at The Moving Space. I also grew classes and my capacity to host workshops because I now had a dedicated space. Here you see my good friends Solala and Christine Payne-Towler presenting a Qigong workshop. The other photos are random pics at The Moving Space, including my 3 year anniversary party where Randy’s band played. It was amazing. I’ll never forget that band!
Enter Lindsay Pyfer, Kathleen O’hanlon, Anna Crook, Paul Sverk, Cyndi Wolf and Kevin Fetherston into my life, all who stayed with me for over 20 years. Lindsay, Cyndi & Kevin continue to study with me to this day.
Only a few glimpses of all the learning within The Moving Space, 1997-2003
Li Style, Yang Style, 1996-1997
I was looking to improve my Taijiquan as my own classes grew. Dr. Lincoln Wang had recently moved to the area teaching an obscure Tai Chi form, Li Style, that is now considered the sixth main form of Taijiquan. He was friendly and attracted a wonderful group of people. Our classes were on Friday nights and I remember never wanting to miss them. I’ve received my fair share of certificates and awards in my day, but this remains among my favorite.
Dr. Lincoln was a kind and nurturing teacher and several of his students have continued to teach to this day.
Enter into my life Leisei Chen and Deborah & Gary Magallanes. Leisei and I were a part of a magnificent event, The Movement Meditation Project choreographed by Pat Graney. Leisei became a renown musician living in L.A.Deborah & Gary continue to teach in Kirkland and Deborah is one of my dearest and most intentional colleagues and supporters through the years, taking classes and workshops now and again, including now! Online!
Leisei and Kim at the Movement Meditation Project by Pat Graney
I was also studying with Sifu Jane Hallander. Jane was a beast of a teacher! (And a huge contributor to the literature & magazines of early internal martial arts). She really nurtured her students, especially women since we were definitely 2nd class students (and teachers) at that time. I trained with her for several years. She raised the level of my Standing Meditation practice and my forms. As well, she trained to compete. too, I won 2nd place, loosing only the the All Around Champion at A Taste of China in 1997. Competition was not my interest though so I did not pursue it.
Jane and I knew each other for many years and ate many cinnamon rolls together. When I went to San Francisco to train with her I stayed with her. She took me along to her interviews where I had a chance to encounter some of the early high levels stars in internal arts. (She actually helped me to not become overly enamored with them because she know their back-stories!!) However, what I really remember was her African Grey "Jing." Jing was an uncaged bird who terrified me more than Jane did! As I slept on her couch, Jing would watch me open eyed all night long!
This collage is from The Moon’s second anniversary seminar and party. I see many people I have known for so long. A couple of these students remain with me to this day: Mark McCormack, Joyce Broderson stand out. Others were with me for a long time but are gone from this world now. Others still train elsewhere and others moved on in their life. That was a great seminar.
Soaring Crane Qigong, 1996
I did not feel equipped to head into what I saw coming. I had strong training in Judo, some training in Aikido but somewhat less in Tai Chi and Qigong. I had excellent beginnings, but my training was interrupted when I lived in Japan and concentrated on Aikido. When I came to Seattle, I found little available unless one had connections. There were teachers, but they were hidden and took few students, much less women. I found a couple, but never really resonated with them for long. Also, I had a more modern approach to what I was doing. Because of my experience with people in pain I felt strongly that these practices could and should be accessible to all. I was old school in my heart, always attracted to traditional approaches and methods, but I was determined to be flexible in my approach. Then and now, I know there was always a way to make something work. Always a way to modify.
And so, it was difficult to find teachers to guide me. Also, because I had no advanced degree, just a B.A., I had little credibility in the Medical Community beyond a certain point. Even though I was popular with them I was just a bit behind the eight ball. I always had to affiliate with someone with an advanced degree. I never wanted to spend the time pursuing one because I wanted to spend my time training. Consequently I sought out certifications in my field. There were 2 in the country at that time.
I joined one and after 3 years graduated from Chen Hui Xian’s Soaring Crane Qigong Training program. I credit her and her methods for giving me a solid foundation at that time, though I fought the rigor of her approach and frankly wondered if this Qigong was actually what she said it was. She came to me in a dream close to the end of my training, stared straight at me and said, “you have to work harder.”
A few days before the next training I got into very bad car accident. I was hit side-on and was quite injured. I had to get to that training however, it was the second to the last of the three years and I would have to wait again for another cycle to complete it. A friend drove me down and I laid on pillows most of the weekend. At the end of the workshop I was able to move again. I taught that specific Qigong for 20 years and many people benefitted. Several of my students, including Andrew Walker, became certified to teach several of her forms. In fact, Andy Walker was my first student to become certified by one of my Grand Teachers. I continued with Professor Chen for many years after and became a lineage holder through her for one of the companion forms, Essence Qigong in 2017.
Professor Chen Hui Xian
Gentle Medicine, 1995
Though I was still sure I was leaving Seattle sometime soon, on May 25, 1995, I changed my business license to Embrace The Moon School for Taijiquan and Qigong. Then I decided to run an ad in the local alternative magazine, “Common Ground.” Shortly after I got a call from one of their writers, Lily Casura. She was writing an extensive article on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and her own journey to heal from it. The magazine made an exception to having their writers and their advertisers co-mingle because they thought the topic was important enough to do so. Lily and I met in the University District for ramen and she interviewed me. Then, she joined my classes. That fall her article, “Gentle Medicine” came out (along with my ad). That article launched my career, really, as Embrace The Moon School. Lily remained in my classes for years, healing from her Chronic Fatigue though intentional work with acupuncture Tai Chi, Qigong, among other therapies she found.
A decades long folded hard copy of the article that launched my career. “Gentle Medicine” by Lily Casura, Common Ground Magazine, November 1995.
My classes continued to grow and were focused exclusively for people in pain. I got to know some amazing people and was honored to be a part of their healing journey and in many cases, their dying journey. As a Midwesterner I had a knack for being able to talk to Western Docs in straightforward non-jargonistic ways so I became a safe bet within the Western Medical circles, and began doing a lot of in-services and educational talks for MD's I was also tagged for small studies and grants. I worked for the Center for Complementary Care. The first addition of "Alternative Treatments for Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome," was published, citing my work. One day a student said to me, “I think I’m well now, do you have any regular classes?” I think I was still planning leaving Seattle.
Enter Mark McCormack & Joyce Broderson into my life. They study with me to this day.
Miss Ivy, I Have Your Logo, 1994-1995
During that time Dr. Taylor and I were trying to do what we could to convince Western Medicine of the efficacy of what we were doing. We were involved with the early years of Bastyr University’s rise in complementary medicine and Harborview’s development of their complementary services. However, there was no real research – the breakthrough study on Tai Chi and Balance with Emory University was in the works but would not be published until 1997. Bill Moyer’s “The Mystery of Qi” series with David Eisenburg had been out for only a short time. The only research we could find in English were some mediocre articles published in Tai Chi magazine. Basically, Western Medicine wasn’t buying it. Patients, on the other hand, were curious.
One of the Pain Clinic Classes. Many of these folks stayed with me for years.
One day Dr. Taylor and I had a joint presentation scheduled at Swedish Hospital, part of a trial seminar on Complementary Medicine, which was just starting to emerge in Seattle. (This is before insurance companies ok’ed acupuncture and Bastyr was still in the University district’s red brick school house.) Doc Taylor told me to get whatever research I could from those magazines, and he would add the MD credibility to it. Right as we were stepping on stage to present to the audience of 60 medical professionals and patients, he was pulled away. He looked at me and said, “I have to go into surgery.” I stepped on to the stage alone.
I couldn’t fake being and MD, but I could be a Tai Chi teacher! I had to think fast so I asked everyone stand up from their tiny little auditorium chairs and said, “follow me, please.” I taught them “Cloud Hands” and “Parting Horse’s Mane from Yang Style.” There was little room; somehow it worked. I’m sure I spoke about our program at the Pain Clinic a bit. All I remember is wanting to get out of there as fast as I could. No one knew I had once again made plans to leave Seattle.
As I was leaving, a group of people tracked me down. They wanted to know where I was teaching. I said, I’m not, I’m finishing up a program and will be leaving the area. I remember one woman, Candace Sanders, said, “And who will teach us?” “I’ll get you a list of teachers,” I replied. (There were 2 here at the time.) She wasn’t having it. “But no one can teach people in pain like you did today, I’ve tried to find them.” I looked at the line of people and said, “Ok, I’ll give you 8 weeks.” There were 16 people in that first class at the then Crossroad’s Learning Center in Capitol Hill.
That one class became two when someone asked me if I had a class at a different time for a friend of hers. I was teaching Yang Style at the time when another student said, “what is the name of our school?” “We have a school?” I was baffled. She said, “Look around!” Another one said, “Isn’t it “Embrace The Moon? You are always saying that!” (A nic-name for the transitional movements in the form some teachers used at that time to get students to put their hands in the correct position). Well, I knew “Ch’i In Motion,” the name I was using for a business license at the time, wasn’t a school name so I thought, “sure! why not.” Photographer Fritz (Fredrick) Dent and I were good friends from the Macrina Bakery days. One day after he saw me practicing, he said, “Miss Ivy, I have your logo.” (Neither one of us will ever tell how he did it!)
Embrace The Moon Logo, by Fredrick Dent
From the Beginning, 1993-1994
Hi Friends!
I've given this some thought and during May I'd like to celebrate Embrace The Moon's 25 years. On May 25th, 1995 I formally registered my business license as "Embrace The Moon School for Taijiquan and Qigong." I launched myself, full of intention, into the great unknown with no idea what would happen next! We can't have the in-person party I had planned on having, so everyday this month I’ll post a story and photo, from a significant time of that year, over the past 25 years. Please feel free to add a comment or story of your own as you read your own story within mine.
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My first martial art was Judo, which I started when I was 20 living in Tucson, Arizona. With rare exception, I have been in a dojo most days since then. I studied there for 10 years, earning a black belt. I moved from Tucson and travelled a bit, landing in Portland, Oregon in 1988. I took up Aikido. On the advice of a psychic I also took up Qigong. I began Tai Chi a year later. I was still studying Aikido and doing yoga as well. I did my best to hold down my real estate career but all I really wanted to do was train. I was starting to teach a little and enjoyed it but there was not enough money to stop my other job.
My grandfather knew I had a feeling for Asia. One day he sent me a copy of the Omaha World Herald where there was an advertisement for a job in Japan. I applied and in 1992, off I went. When I lived there I studied Aikido and Iyengar Yoga but did not study Tai Chi or Qigong. After my job finished I travelled around Southeast Asia for a few months and decided to head back to the United States.
I moved to Seattle in October of 1993. I didn’t want to return to any other place I had lived; I wanted a fresh start. A friend lived here so I arrived with little money and no plans. I got an apartment in Belltown and a job at Macrina Bakery, then the beginning of Leslie Mackey’s journey – a small little bread and coffee place in Belltown. Within a few months I was getting bored and depressed and knew I had to do something with my life. I was 37 educated, travelled, but still had not quite found my way. I didn't really care for the real estate work, so had no intention of getting that fire lit again.
I quit the bakery and made arrangements to move out of Seattle and go back to Tucson. On my last day I was saying goodbye to some friends I made there when one, a nurse, said, “what are you going to do?” I replied, “I have no idea!” She said, “well, what did you used to do?” “I taught a little Tai Chi and Yoga in Portland, Oregon before I moved to Japan.” She paused and said, “Well, I know an anesthesiologist at Swedish Hospital’s Pain Clinic who is looking to start a Tai Chi class for his patients in chronic pain.”
I called Dr. Ric Taylor. We met and he hired me on the spot to teach an 8-week class at his clinic. It was a hit with the students. I basically made it up as I went, pulling from whatever I knew and my intuition of what might help. The students were primarily those with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, MS and Cancer. A couple were rehabbing from a stroke. They gave me a lot of feedback about what worked and what did not. Somehow it made the news too and before we knew it, we had a program.
This quilt was made for me by a mother-daughter team, master quilters. For the 8 weeks, they drove from Ocean Shores 2x a week for their classes. On the back it says, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” -LaoTzu