14 Days Kung-Fu for beginner,

10 Animals Style

with Ernst Pettker, Master in Kung-Fu
and Senior Instructor of the Healing Tao
from 30. April - 12. May 2007
Retreat Price: 1 week EUR 590 exclude accommodation

Kung-Fu at the Tao Garden

Master Chia, the Head of the Tao Garden, approves and supports Kung-Fu as an integrated element of the Healing Tao.

Kung-Fu, the way it is taught at the Tao garden, is derived from animal movements; it teaches ten different animal styles like snake, tiger, crane or eagle and it works with Chi, the life force. Still, it is a full contact defence technique. While doing Kung-Fu - the forms, special breathing techniques, fighting, and destruction - the students build up a lot of energy and they activate their Tan Tien. Chi is increased, guided through the body in order to find harmony and balance. Kung-Fu in this way increases health and well-being and can also lead to spiritual development.

Since early childhood Ernst Pettker has been in contact with martial arts and later on he specialized in Tae Kwon-Do, Thai-Boxing and Kung-Fu. He became world champion in Kung-Fu four times and he is a member of the Asian Martial Arts Federation and one of its highest teachers. The more he studied and practised martial arts, the more he found out that Kung-Fu can only be called true martial arts if the internal power is also trained and well developed. If this is not taken into account, martial arts can even harm the students' health. Therefore Ernst Pettker was looking for masters in Asia who could teach him ways to build up inner strength and work with Chi.

In 1988 he got to know Master Chia, one of the true Taoist teachers. Since then he has been studying and practising the Healing Tao in many retreats until he became a Senior Instructor of the Healing Tao. To him, especially Kung-Fu and the Healing Tao are a unity and this is the way he has been teaching his many students so far.

About 1300 of them have reached 1st Dan / Black belt or even higher Dan grades, some of his students have also reached the level of instructors of the Healing Tao. A great number of Ernst Pettker's students have also integrated various exercises of the Healing Tao into their lives, thus getting the benefit of Master Chia's teaching, as well.

What many of Ernst Pettker's students like about his way of teaching is the fact that he is deeply committed to the ideals of Kung-Fu and that he also takes into account the students` physical and psychological state.

Info for Martial arts teachers:
Martial arts teachers who would like to get to know Kung-Fu as a second technique can also take part in this course for beginners. Later on there will be a special training course to become a qualified Kung-Fu teacher.