First Encounter with my Teacher

I can sum it up in one word...momentum

Eric Reynolds and Dr. John Painter - November 1996

The Workshop

I first encountered John Painter at a Nine Dragon (Jiulong) Baguazhang workshop in 1994, but I was one of many students at that event. I attended another workshop for Jiulong in the summer of 1996 and became fascinated by this unique art.

In November 1996, we spent time together at a weekend Taijiquan Combat workshop. Here, I experienced a reason to sign on with him as my teacher.

My primary interest was and remains Jiulong, but Dr. Painter had been invited to Toronto by a Taiji club to teach combat methods using that art. So, having had such a great experience the previous June, I signed up.

Dr. Painter is the representative of the Li Family Internal Arts, known collectively as Daoqiquan. Its arts include Baguazhang, Taijiquan, Xingyiquan, Tibetan Snake Boxing, and more. (click here for more information)

Among the many aspects of Daoqiquan, I found it intriguing that the principles behind the movements, mind-body connections, etc., are the same for all its arts. While many systems emphasize the differences between internal arts, this one spoke of the similarities.

So, at the Taiji combat workshop, we learned about Quiet Sitting & Standing, internal connections, the power of relaxation while moving, and more. All of it was in the context of Taiji, but it was made clear that these same internal principles were identical in Baguazhang while the external movements were different.

The Encounter

Towards the end of Saturday, Dr. Painter taught the idea of whole-body power, best described as all body parts involved in a particular movement being in motion at the same time. He set up a demonstration exercise in which partners face each other at arm’s length so each can touch the shoulder of the other.

He asked for a volunteer, and my hand shot into the air! He gestured me towards him, and I stood facing him with our hands on each other’s shoulders. As he spoke to the group, he placed his left hand underneath my right elbow and his right hand on top of my left. He explained the importance of yin and yang in this configuration. In this case, his right would press downwards while pulling towards him, and his left would lift while pushing slightly forward.

There was also a weight shift on his feet from left to right, which was to happen quickly and simultaneously. As he paused in his explanation, he leaned forward and whispered in my ear, “I’m going to throw you down now.” I no sooner had said, “Where?” when everything happened!

I felt the uplift of my right side combined with the downward motion on my left. These combined to produce a third sensation, rotation in the center of my body. At the same moment, I felt lighter, which made perfect sense since my feet were no longer on the ground. I was airborne and flying to my left!

I rolled with the momentum onto my left shoulder and was able to control the roll so that I returned to my feet in a crouched position. Both my feet felt firmly planted, and I momentarily assumed that I had stopped. Nope!….and now came the moment that I decided to sign on with this guy!

The feeling of the momentum he had generated in me was not finished. As I stood there, feet planted in that crouched position, I felt the sensation of being thrown sideways still in motion…and over I fell! Then, the momentum finally stopped.

My immediate thought was something profound like, “Wow” or “Whoa”! I also knew that this guy really knew something and that I wanted to learn more.

Dr. Painter and I later discussed opening a study group in Toronto, which led me to go to Texas the following January to get started. I tell that story in “My Non-certified Certification.”

Having a hands-on experience like that at the beginning is a great way to start with the conviction that one is on the right road. It turned out to be a lifetime of study and friendship, so I am most grateful for that moment of “I’m going to throw you down now.”