Moving Together Mind Body Center was founded by Arthur Goodridge who in the past forty years has studied martial arts, healing arts, dance, yoga, meditation, music and psychology. Arthur’s vision is that Moving Together will be a place where people, young and old, feel safe to explore and grow and become healthy and strong. Growth and health occur on many levels. At Moving Together, Arthur and his colleagues create an environment in which the physical, emotional, spiritual, artistic and political aspects of the student have an opportunity to be expressed, challenged and grow. At Moving Together we believe that emotional, spiritual and physical health thrives in a proactive and not reactive environment.

We have group and private classes in Tai Chi Chuan, Ba-Gua Zhang, Shing-Yi, Chuan Do, Push Hands and Yi Chuan Chi Kung. We also have out reach classes for seniors, children, and people with special conditions such MS, HIV and Aids. We offer private sessions in Goodridge Vibration Therapy, Chinese Energetic Medicine, Cranial Sacral Therapy and Reiki.

We sponsor music and dance recitals and workshops in a wide variety of topics.

The focus of our classes is on developing body awareness and physical and mental flexibility. During the course of a class a student may work alone, with a partner, or in a group. Students are often called upon to teach one another and give each other feedback. We believe that true learning starts when you teach. There is a set time at the end of each class for informal discussions about class or issues students are working through. We strive to build self confidence, strong agile bodies, and an understanding attitude.

Although our work is primarily physical, spiritual, and artistic, we seek to maintain a political awareness and involvement. We support the struggles and concerns of African-Americans and other People of Color, and the rights of women, and of gays and lesbians. We are aware of the stress and lack of support many people experience and believe that the practices we teach and the environment that we create at Moving Together can help people deal more constructively with the tensions in their lives.

Tai Chi Chuan
Tai Chi Chuan and Yi Chuan are the foundation on which Moving Together is built. It is through the study of these two arts that all the other things taught at Moving Together get deeper meaning.

ADVANCED TRAINING
Most of the advanced techniques are taught through the various tai chi sets. Although students who study Yi-Chuan or Ba-Gua will be given advanced techniques and concepts to work with, it is through the tai chi curriculum that the student gets the whole training of internal martial arts and healing arts.

Tai Chi Chuan is an ancient Taoist practice of meditation in motion. Its slow soft flowing movements gives the student time to release the tensions in their body. This soft approach develops yin energy. Yin energy is healing energy and it slowly and gently heals the body physically and psychologically. The challenge is to be strong enough to be soft and brave enough to be vulnerable and look at one's psyche. Once the yin aspect has been developed then the student is ready to develop the yang aspect. Yang energy makes the body vibrant and sturdy. Yin energy is yielding, while yang energy is rooted and assertive. Through the development and blending of both the yin and yang energies, one becomes a balanced, secure, healthy person.

Because this work is so multi-layered, we say that the fastest way is to go slowly. We encourage our students not to think in terms of goals, but to become sensitive to what is happening to them during the process of learning. We also stress that it is important not to be judgmental during this time of exploration. Arthur stresses what he calls the Three A’s. The first ‘a’ is Awareness. We are putting our bodies and minds under a microscope when we meditate and do these introspective practices. So our awareness of ourselves expands. As our awareness expands it is common to become critical and judgmental about what we become aware of. We see that we are not perfect. But being self critical and judgmental creates tension and blocks in our bodies which in turn, makes progress very difficult if not impossible. So the second ‘a’ is Acceptance. As we become aware, we must also develop self acceptance of what we become aware of. This self acceptance develops an understanding compassion for ourselves, a love for ourselves. This letting go of self judgment also leads to compassion for the short comings of others. The third ‘a’ is Action. When we become aware without judgment, then we are in a place to not only take action, but our action will be clear, clean, compassionate and loving. This is what real internal development is and this is the philosophical foundation of Moving Together.

Yi Chuan – Chi Kung
The chi kung system taught at Moving Together is called Yi Chuan or I Chuan, Mind Intention Boxing, which is another name of a Kung Fu system called Dachen Quan, Great Achievement Boxing. Yi Chuan was developed by Master Wang Xiang Zhai in the early 1900s. Arthur’s teacher, Dong Yuan Pei, studied with Master Zhang Chang Xing, who was a disciple of Wang, as well as with Master Yu Peng Xi, another disciple of Wang. Arthur has been studying and exploring Yi Chuan for over twenty years. Much of the Chi Kung that is practiced through out present day China and in many of the hospitals in China can be traced back to Master Wang Xiang Zhai.
At Moving Together we look at Tai Chi Chuan and Yi Chuan as two sides of the same coin.

ENERGY TRANSMISSIONS

All of Arthur’s classes start with sitting and standing meditation. During the meditation Arthur gives energy transmissions to his students. Energy transmissions (shakti in yoga systems) are usually given to advanced students at a high price. Arthur feels that it is necessary to give these transmissions as an integral part his classes so the student can release blocks in their bodies in a steady, smooth and safe manner. Because of the energy work, many students ask if he is a Master. Arthur says, “If I were the master, then you would be the slave. I am a teacher and coach. Through the practice we all can become more open and perhaps more liberated."

But Arthur also says, “Yes, I am a master because I have devoted time and energy to my practice. But remember that you are also a master. You have mastered many things in your life, so bring your “mastery’ to class and add to it.”

CURRICULUM
LEVEL ONE TAI CHI
You will learn the long Yang family style, Tai Chi form. Done with correct understanding, the form takes between 30 to 60 minutes to perform. Before starting the form, you will be taught a walking exercise that will give you a better understanding of how to move in a soft Tai Chi manner. You will also learn some Yi Chuan exercises. You will progress at your own pace and not as a group. You will be introduced to push hands. This is the yin aspect of your training.
LEVEL TWO TAI CHI
Having completed level one Tai Chi, you will learn some basic Shing-i and Ba Gua. Shing-i and Ba Gua are also internal systems but are done with more speed and work on connecting and strengthening the body. After learning the basic Shing-i and Ba Gua, you will integrate some of the Shing-i and Ba Gua with the Tai Chi. The end result is a dynamic fast form that takes about 10 minutes to perform. You will also be doing more Yi Chuan and intermediate level push hands. This is the yang aspect of your training.
LEVEL THREE TAI CHI
In level three you will learn several variations of level one and two. You will learn the ‘weighted set’, the ‘extended set’, the ‘bubbling well set’, and finally the ‘pulsing set’. You will also be exploring more mysterious aspects of energy and more advanced levels of push hands. This is the blending of the yin and yang aspect of your training.

Ba-Gua Zhang
There are three basic internal martial arts. Tai Chi Chuan is relatively well known and is characterized by its slow graceful movement. The other two, not as well known internal arts, are Ba-Gua Zhang and Shing-Yi.
Ba-Gua Zhang means ‘eight palm changes’, and is characterized by walking at a normal or fast pace in a circle. As one walks in a circle, to change direction, one has to do a ‘palm change’ and in each style of Ba-Gua there are eight ways to ‘change’, thus the name ‘eight palm changes’.
When watching Ba-Gua Zhang, one quickly associates it with a whirling dervish. Ba-Gua has an immediate cardiovascular effect on the practitioner and is usually taught with a more martial application intent then Tai Chi.
At Moving Together there are two Ba-Gua forms taught. Both forms are based on the ‘Dragon Style’ but are not traditional dragon styles since Arthur has added some of his own ideas to the sets.

Shing-Yi Chuan
Shing-Yi means mind intent boxing. Most people who are familiar with Shing-Yi, usually see it spelled Hsing-I, but Arthur’s teacher, the late Sifu Kenny Gong, spelled it Shing-Yi. Although Arthur has studied martial arts for over 35 years, he only studied Shing-Yi for a very short time. So he doesn’t consider himself a Shing-Yi teacher but uses the chi-kung and basic ideas of Shing-Yi to help his students learn how to connect and integrate their bodies.

Shing-Yi is characterized by its straight line powerful techniques. At Moving Together, Shing-Yi is taught to the intermediate students as they learn the more advanced sets.

Push Hands
Push hands can manifest in many ways. It is a two-person exercise in which people touch wrist to wrist or hand to wrist or forearm, and shift their weight back and forward as they circle their hands. The intent of this exercise will determine how it looks. Some do it for developing sensitivity. As you come forward, I yield and go back. Some do it to develop strength and rooting. As you come forward I don’t yield and resist you and ‘root’ into the ground so you can’t push me. And the variations go on and on.
At Moving Together we use many ways of practicing push hands but our reasons for doing push hands is to further develop our energy or chi. Arthur calls push hands ‘interactive chi kung’. When doing tai chi, ba gua, chi kung etc, it is like a river flowing and learning how to get rid of any obstacles in the river that inhibits its flow. This getting rid of the obstacles makes the flow of the river more powerful.
In doing push hands as an interactive chi kung exercise, it is like two rivers coming together, merging and sharing their flow. This coming together, this ‘moving together’ creates even more energy and power for each of the players than just ‘flowing’ alone. So sometimes we yield together, and some times we resist together, but all in a listening, aware attentive way so that each of us is benefiting from the exchange.

Chuan Do
Chuan Do means the way of the fist. Chuan Do is a system that Arthur has synthesized to create a ‘hard-soft’ self defense system. It includes forms synthesized from Okinawa karate to short and long forms from Chinese Shaolin Kung Fu. Some of the chuan do forms are taught to the tai chi and ba-gua students to broaden their martial arts understanding.

Workshops
There are two catergories of workshops at Moving Together, ‘In House’ workshops and ‘Public’ workshops. In House workshops are for students who study at Moving Together. Public workshops are just that, workshops that are open to the general public.

‘Public’ workshops are: Three States of Energy Awareness, Breath of Fire, Reiki One, Reiki Two, Reiki Three, Basic Yi Chuan One, Basic Yi Chuan Two, Basic Yi Chuan Three, Goodridge Vibration Therapy One, Shing-Yi Chi Kung and Shing-Yi Five Elements.

‘In House’ workshops are: Advanced Yi Chuan One, Advanced Yi Chuan Two, Advanced Yi Chuan Three, Goodridge Vibration Two, Goodridge Vibration Three, Staff Form, Two Person Staff, Tai Chi Sword Form, Double Sabre Form. Note: The staff form and two person staff are taught as part of the Tai Chi and Ba-Gua curriculum.

Teacher Training
Teaching is an excellent way to deepen your knowledge. Whether you plan on teaching or not, taking the teacher training will only add to your practice. Teacher training is open to students who have been practicing for at least three years. Moving Together offers teacher training and certification in Tai Chi Chuan Level One, Basic Yi Chuan Level One, Ba-Gua Level One.

Classes and workshops in:

Tai Chi Chuan

Yi-Chuan

Shing-Yi

Ba-Gua Zhang

Three States of
Energy Awareness

Breath of Fire

Push Hands

TheWay of the Fist

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