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Arm Swings with Joshua Craig Level: All, beginner to advanced. Seminar Length: 4 hours of class time, 12pm-4pm Equipment: Comfortable clothing, indoor shoes & large bottle of water. Note: Limited to 12 participants.
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A cornerstone of my practice, bequeathed to me by my late teacher, Mike Martello. Arm Swings are ideal exercises, designed to release tension, open the body and connect your power. Whether you are an internal or an external martial artist, or a practitioner training solely for health, this series of exercises will enable you to release that long-held shoulder tension. More than that, regular practice will also aid you in opening your back and chest, including those hard to reach shoulder blades. The coordination of the hips and the spiraling action of the legs will aid you in developing your root and your ability to develop whole body power. Taken from the arts of Piguazhang ("Split Deflect Palm") and Tongbeiquan ("Connected Back Fist"), Arm Swings are a great adjunct to any system or workout, and, once mastered, you will be able to easily release tension accumulated through your practice or daily life. We will begin with relatively simple actions and develop them into increasingly more complex ones. At Mike's last seminar everyone had a great laugh at themselves as they tried to practice these deceptively simple exercises. Come on in and challenge yourself, developing coordination, power and your ability to let go as you do!     Joshua Craig is the founder of Artemis Seminars and is dedicated to the preservation of the traditional Chinese martial and health arts. Joshua began his martial arts training at the age of 14, after being introduced to the art of Tae Kwon Do and Hapkido. Two years later he moved and began the study of Japanese Goju-ryu Karate and Ninjutsu. Over the next few years he explored a variety of Japanese and Filipino arts via private lessons and seminars.In his early 20s, Joshua studied Yang style Taijiquan, but quit the practice after a single year - after realizing that he had joined a "factory school". Gaining certificates in Yang 24, Yang Saber, Yang Spear, and Yang 48, he realized that his understanding of the art was shallow and that his teacher, reputed to be one of the best in the area, used an external art for self-defense and Qigong for health...relegating Taijiquan to develop relaxation. Disillusioned with the "Grand Ultimate Fist", Joshua began to study Yoga, Qigong, and Massage, leaving behind the martial arts to focus on both the healing and spiritual aspects of life. In 2000, Joshua was run over by a car, leaving him unable to work or function normally. During the accident itself, Joshua experienced a state often written about in the martial classics and, after a long recovery, he began again to explore the martial arts. Having lost a lot of muscle mass, he found that his once reliable martial arts no longer functioned and he began to look for systems and teachers that did not rely on being better conditioned than the oppponent. After traveling extensively to find a teacher and an art, this search was satisfied by the study of Qinna with Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming and Jiulong Baguazhang with Dr. John Painter. While studying with Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming and Dr. John P. Painter, Joshua assisted them in the teaching of their seminars. People soon began to request that he return to teach on his own, sharing the arts taught him by by Dr. Painter (Jiulong Baguazhang) and Dr. Yang (Taiji Ball Qigong, Taiji Symbol Qigong and Qinna). In April 2008 Joshua invited Mike Martello to teach at his school in NYC. This experience changed his whole outlook on the internal arts specifically, and gongfu in general. Mike began to help Joshua to rebuild his internal engine, refocusing his training and leading him to search out a local teacher to supplement his seminar learning with Mike. This search led Joshua to Steve Arboleda and the practice of Iliqchuan. Today Joshua specializes in the practice and teaching of Internal Arts 101 and Taiji Ball Qigong while continuing his personal exploration of internal principles through the art of Iliqchuan. Joshua's understanding of the principles at work and his knack for teaching with both humor and clarity have made him a popular teacher in his own right. Statement from Joshua: I am a student of the arts and will always be one. At first I resisted becoming a teacher, but people kept asking. I soon realized that these students were able to use what I taught them to significantly improve their practices and their lives. Today I share a close relationship with our seminar participants around the country and look forward to seeing them throughout the year.  Joshua (right) teaching at a Baguazhang Earth Palm seminar in NJ. |
Joshua's Teachers
 Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming Taiji Ball Qigong Taiji Symbol Qigong Qinna |
 Dr. John P. Painter Yixingong Five Circles Li Family Baguazhang |
 Mike Martello Gongfu Fundamentals |
 Steve Arboleda Iliqchuan |
| I first studied Qinna with Dr. Yang and it was through this study that my passion for the Traditional Chinese Martial Arts grew. In the practices of Taiji Ball Qigong and Taiji Yin Yang Symbol Sticking Hands Dr. Yang gave me gifts that not would only increase my health, but also provided me with templates though which I could understand all of the arts, internal & external. Each summer I continue my studieswith Dr. Yang at his YMAA Retreat Center in northern California. |
From Dr. Painter I learned the importance of marrying intent and structure. While studying Li Family (Jiulong or "Nine Dragon") Baguazhang I was exposed to the treasures of Yixingong and the Five Circles. These conceptual methods rounded and deepened my existing practice. The framework provided with these studies continues to influence my outlook on the internal arts today. |
In Mike Martello I found a martial artist who embodied the skills I had always read about. Mike was helping me to strip down my engine so that I could rebuild it and increase my power and fluidity. Be it Baguazhang, Taijiquan or Yue Family Sanshou, Mike provided me with a principle-based approach to learning with a combination of depth, practicality and humor. Mike passed away on June 2, 2009. A tribute site has been set up here. Mike was the best martial artist of his generation that I have met. |
Steve Arboleda is my Iliqchuan teacher. Through the practice of Iliqchuan's Spinning Hands I am able to find and correct leaks in both my structure and intent. Steve is a great martial artist and training partner who is an example of the results that concentrated and correct practice can bring. If you would like to study Iliqchuan with Steve, our class schedule is found here. |
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