Dr. John Painter is the man responsible for preserving Daoqiquan ("Martial Way of Vitality") and its component arts and transmitting them from the Li family lineage to several thousand students over the last 50 years. He travels twice every year to Saskatoon (the ends of the earth from his viewpoint, the centre of the universe from ours!) to share his very deep knowledge on health, vitality, and martial skills.It is a rare opportunity to study with one of the world’s best living martial artists of the last half-century. Dr.Painter inherited the entire Daoqiquan (“Martial Way of Vitality”) system from Li, Long-Dao and is, thus, the world’s authority on the Li Family Arts.

 

In honour of the opening of the Tai Chi for Health course this year, the focus for the Xin Fu Gompa student body is to invest in Song 鬆. Song means “loosen,” or “relax”, but a very useful interpretation is “release” with connotations of "letting go" and "opening one's grasp."

 

Song is the most essential skill required for development in Taijiquan, whether one practices for Health and Vitality or for Martial prowess. Song is often only discussed as it pertains to muscular tension. Learn to let go of excessive muscular tension, release inappropriate emotional attachments, and soothe frenetic mental ruminations.

 

A homonym, in Mandarin, for Song 鬆 is Song 松, or Pine Tree. The pine tree is evergreen and represents longevity. It has a straight and vertical trunk like the posture Daoqiquan students aspire to develop. Its branches do not strain for the sky, they hang in a relaxed manner, down and out from the trunk embodying Song 鬆. Finally, the simple pine tree shows us the Daoist ideals of Wangwo, "Forget the Self," Ziran, "Naturalness," and Wuwei, or "Non-Action." Consider what the pine tree “does” in the lines below given to Dr. Painter by his teacher, Li, Longdao.The ancient pine stands tall.

 

Branches laden with falling snow in winter’s moonlight.

One more flake falls.

A limb bows low,

Releasing its icy burden to the waiting earth,

Then springs back ready to catch more.

      - Li, Longdao, 1948

 

​