Herman Kauz TAI CHI a New York state of mind?

My name is Jamie I study Tai Chi in San Diego. Unfortunately we do not have a formal Push Hands Club here. We do have a class in the park by Herman Kauz (Author of several books master of none), but I was kicked out for asking questions. Some of the questions I asked were : ' I'm not sure I understand when you (Herman) palm strike me on the forehead, karate chop me to the neck, chokehold my throat with your right-hand and grab my right arm to the bone with your left, when you resist my left handed push with your shoulder and throw my right arm that is barely touching you into a standing arm bar, when you double grab my forward arm and pull it across my body with such force the grip can not be shook loose; I do not uderstand why is the gentle non violent push hands that the professor (Zheng, Manjing) taught, but when I strait push you with 'tui' or press that is TOO HARD!????? How it is that I am too hard and your (Herman's) not that is what I am here to learn? Herman's response was 'your arguing with me' Jamie:'I'm asking questions, no premise involved , I just want to know how it is your so soft and I am not?' Herman Kauz: 'get out of my class and don't ever come back' This is the closest we have to a push hands club. My teacher encourages me to go to every Tai Chi class and school possible and get what I can and use what I like and keep what is useful. I ask all kinds of wild questions and always get a smile and a honest answer from my teacher. I have questions? Like is this supposed to be a sensitivity exercise or is it an arm grabbing 'chin na' knock me off my feet competition? I've tried a few competitions and was bruised up from loaded palm strikes, and choked and even slapped all by the same guy the last national match here in San Diego and I know there is a huge inconsistency with what most schools (excluding Herman's-that does not even teach what it says it teaches) teach and what is practiced in tournaments. I'm wondering do you other schools around the United States teach:- do what I say and not what I do-and do not ask questions? I mean isn't Herman part of the early New York Push Hands Club? This isn't what Zheng, Manjing (Chen man Ching) taught is it?

: We do have a class in the park by Herman Kauz (Author of several books : master of none), but I was kicked out for asking questions. Some of the : questions I asked were : : ' I'm not sure I understand when you (Herman) palm strike me on the : forehead, karate chop me to the neck, chokehold my throat with your : right-hand and grab my right arm to the bone with your left, when you resist : my left handed push with your shoulder and throw my right arm that is barely : touching you into a standing arm bar, when you double grab my forward arm : and pull it across my body with such force the grip can not be shook loose; : I do not uderstand why is the gentle non violent push hands that the : professor (Zheng, Manjing) taught, but when I strait push you with 'tui' or : press that is TOO HARD!????? : How it is that I am too hard and your (Herman's) not that is what I am here : to learn? : Herman's response was 'your arguing with me' : Jamie:'I'm asking questions, no premise involved , I just want to know how : it is your so soft and I am not?' : Herman Kauz: 'get out of my class and don't ever come back' : This is the closest we have to a push hands club. My teacher encourages me : to go to every Tai Chi class and school possible and get what I can and use : what I like and keep what is useful. I ask all kinds of wild questions and : always get a smile and a honest answer from my teacher. : I have questions? Like is this supposed to be a sensitivity exercise or : is it an arm grabbing 'chin na' knock me off my feet competition? : I've tried a few competitions and was bruised up from loaded palm : strikes, and choked and even slapped all by the same guy the last national : match here in San Diego and I know there is a huge inconsistency with what : most schools (excluding Herman's-that does not even teach what it says it : teaches) teach and what is practiced in tournaments. : I'm wondering do you other schools around the United States teach:- do : what I say and not what I do-and do not ask questions? : I mean isn't Herman part of the early New York Push Hands Club? : This isn't what Zheng, Manjing (Chen man Ching) taught is it?

He taught just the basic form, which was probably gentle. Herman has a background in martial arts that is very external. He is supposed to be good if albeit awkward at classical external rough stuff as you found out. That's what someone posted here who studied with Herman in Brooklyn?

If you want to see what Chen Man'ching taught, you might want to look up Benjamin Lo in San Francisco or the best would be William C.C. Chen in New York city. But I heard that Chen does not teach easily. His student who won a championship in Asia is supposed to be good, Peter Ralston? or something like that. The first white man, as I recall, to win an all-open championship.

I hve not answered your basic question because I don't know for sure. I took classes with Maggie Newman, one of Chen's 5 main students in NYC, and like Herman, she was full of it and herself. I am sorry you asked questions and got shafted. Your question was too good. Herman is really doing his external stuff. But they both know the form. I guess Herman does not know enough to do the internal? Look up Ben Lo who is pleasant. Or talk to the others. And I guess after all is said and done, internal or external, fighting is fighting, it's not a moving meditation, as some made it out to be.

How much Chen taught in NYC is hard to say. I heard from one there he was doing a lot of drinking in the end. Maybe he was just tired and only taught the form. He taught William CC Chen how to actually fight, but that was not in the USA. Before they came here, he taught Chen. Chen lived with Chen.

I have a hard time believing your story. I live in San Diego and attend Pacific College of Oriental Medicine. Herman teaches a pushing hands class there and has recently started teaching the empty-hand form.

I went to the pushing hands class when it first started, but I did not like the teaching style, so I continue to work on my own with a friend. However, from what I gathered from those classes and from what I hear from others who attend his class regularly, I cannot believe what you wrote.

I think there had to have been more to the story.

I remember you Brian Allen. You, have studied iron fist kung fu and wanted to know if Herman taught the real Tai Chi or a bunch of techniques I offered suggestions. Like White Dragon, Taoist Sanc., Ted Purpura in the park (you said you would check him out) and that you did not like Sui Fong-Evans Wushu style push hands. If you do not think what I say is true go - I really don't care - He is an abusive controlling cripple that does not teach any of what Zheng- manjing taught. I doubt that he even knows what Zheng manjing taught certainly Ben lo, Mr. Liu and William CC Chen do not admit even knowing who he is. So he is a big fish in his own fantasy pond, and this is a deluge of Tai Chi lots of delusional thinkers of if he does this then I'll do that. Chiba has a studio and I'm sure nobody walks out onto Adams ave. with an esoteric false sense of security. After all Pushing hands is an exercise to enhance skill like a speed bag or something. It somehow has degenerated into a chin na wrestling match that focuses on not moving the feet- the goal has gotten way off track.

rereading your post- Maybe your not talking about Mario Napoli. I think you must be talking about somebody else. I do know that William CC Chens children are very good boxers and might even do Muy Tai type boxing utilizing the Tai Chi principles. as for moving meditation I guess it could be worse that New Yorker Justin Stone has self promoted himself into popularity even out here in San Diego. I guess in the end the Martial Arts world is full of phonies. and I may not be a champ but at least I'm real and I'm not taking money to teach what I don't have. Overall there are several teachers in San Diego that do not have any thing I want Herman just one on the list of several delusional phonies.

: must be talking about somebody else. I do know that William CC Chens : children are very good boxers and might even do Muy Tai type boxing : utilizing the Tai Chi principles.

Whoa, are you off here, dude. He Chen is the real thing, internal power. He is of very slight build and very deadly, can both take it and dish it out. Mario Mapoli is a pusher, champion pusher from what we hear. Chen is a real boxer who uses t'ai chi. Why are you making fun of someone you cannot possibly know? When you do something like that, then I begin to think as that other poster said, there is more to this Herman thing than you are letting on. If you annoy people with gratuitous cheapshots, then they will get in your face.

: as for moving meditation I guess it could be worse that New Yorker Justin : Stone has self promoted himself into popularity even out here in San Diego. : I guess in the end the Martial Arts world is full of phonies. : and I may not be a champ but at least I'm real and I'm not taking money to : teach what I don't have. : Overall there are several teachers in San Diego that do not have any thing I : want Herman just one on the list of several delusional phonies.

From what his student said, he is the real thing. He can actually fight. Whether he uses t'ai chi or not. And he was one of Chen Man'ching's 5 core students. If you look at one of Chen Man'ching's books, you will see a picture Maggie Newman in the front. Damn, can't remember if Herman is on that cover or not. Regardless of my being annoyed with her, she taught the form to me very well, whatever it was for. How do I know? I met a really good Chinese fighter who liked my t'ai chi form only because I was the first American he had seen who was doing the form well. Chen taught Maggie and the others how to do the form well. It's not a ballet or stick movement and it really helped to have someone like Chen teaching. At least the basic form got taught well. The rest was forgotten because, as Chen implied, the students were not up to the task:

He said something like, if you hit the bell deeply then it will ring deeply. When replying to why none of his students were as good as he. Chen was not reffering to William CC Chen with this comment but probably his American students.

But that's another issue.

I here Zheng Manjing's earliest student in Taiwan Mr. Abraham Liu used to teach at a place called the Taoist Sanctuary-but Herman has classes there too. Mr. Abraham's student that leads the Taoist Sanctuary is mainly focused on Chen style now but I've sent him a e-mail asking about Push Hands Classes. Maybe the great ledged of Mr. Abraham Liu has advanced student near by ?? Chris Luth is kind a far from where I live in the city. Yeah there has never been any doubt Herman's Techniques are HARD LIMITED AND WILLFUL and his form only vaguely resembles the tapes I've seen of Professor Zheng Manjing (Chen Man Ching) Thank you for the encouragement : i WILL LOOK FOR THE BEN LO'S IN MY AREA AND CONTINUE ON MY SPIRITUAL JOURNEY OF SELF GROWTH. With love and all my best intentions Jamie

: walk and uses a cane doo think his form is exeplary?

That's an ugly thing to say. You are angry at him but he can still clean your clock even though he is not the young pup he once was. Because someone is not what you think he should be and is not nice to you, and additionally, you think is not being honest or true to his principles, try to avoid, at least in public, making a generalization that has not much to do with the argument, namely his age or his impediments. It's also very un-San Diego like, in general. Emulate those blonde laid-back southern Californians, lucky dudes, even live longer than the rest of USA.

: I understand the core students to be The Chinese students Man Jan did not : speak English= Ben Lo, Mr. Liu Abraham, William CC Chem, TT Liang, and the : New York 6 Patrick Watson, being the sixth- Mario's teacher Stan Isreal was : one I have never heard of Maggie- I was not making any fun of her but I will : say Herman was not one of the 6 core students of Man Jan. :> He said something like, if you hit the bell deeply then it will ring :> deeply. When replying to why none of his students were as good as he. are : you quoting somebody you dont know or making fun of him?? Whomm are you : quoating Man Jan or William CC chen? : just a question?

I made some mistakes here, name and all, damn, but the paraphrase, not a quote, is accurate and it's from Cheng Man'ching's most popular book. The one from Tuttle Press and co-authored by Robert Smith? If you look in the back, there is an interview with him. The question was why none of his students were anywhere near his ability. A tough question and an honest answer. But, well, one could say he was implying it was the students' fault. But was it? Completely? Maybe it was just a question of language, in the end, as you point out, he, the Professor Cheng did not speak English. That could be a killer especially if the students did not speak or read Chinese. That would mean the entire body of information and explanations, almost all in Chinese back then, was not available to the American students in New York City. That's too much handicapping.

I was not questioning your assessment of his skill (or lack of). I just found it hard to believe that he was an 'abusive controlling cripple.'

Chen Xiaowang does live in San Diego now. I don't know if you are interested in Chen style or not, but it is good taiji. He does not teach public classes, but does seminars at the Taoist Sanctuary.

Brian;

NSW Austrailia and was thinking of moving to San Diego in the next couple of years. This was last year. He introduced me to the application of Push Hands with a Fajing that threw my #230 body 3 times up into the air and down on to the hard pavement of the ally we were in. There is no doubt he has incredible ablity and knowledege. He is very soft spoken and unassuming and even gave me some calligraphy the first time we met. I am still learning Yang style but as time goes on I may find I grow in different directions. I will look for his seminars. Thanks and Namaste Jamie