Jing Ying Plans Workshop In Las Vegas

How do you celebrate Independence Day? Last year, a group of Marylanders had no fireworks, parades, nor sightings of the USA flag, except for one they brought with them. Despite that, it was their most exciting Fourth of July celebration ever!

In the trip of a lifetime, the Jing Ying Institute took students to Chen Village, China, for the 20th International Chen’s Tai Chi Advanced Workshop at the birthplace of tai chi.

Activities started with a banquet for the 70th birthday of Grandmaster Chen and the opening of the Chen ZhengLei Tai Chi Academy and Exhibition Hall. That night, the hall held more than 1,000 guests for a birthday banquet and award ceremony where Shifu Billy Greer received an award as an Outstanding International Teacher.

The workshop included six to seven hours of daily training between meals, and nights filled with lectures, exploring Chen Village, or collapsing in exhaustion. The weather was similar to Maryland – hot and humid. The hotel rooms were air conditioned, but the training halls were not, making the training traditional.

In Chinese culture, serious students become disciples of their teachers. As part of the 40th anniversary of the formation of the Chen ZhengLei Association, Grandmaster Chen accepted his first in-chamber disciples from the United States in a special ceremony. Three people received this promotion to the highest level of student, including Greer, who became the only USA in-chamber disciple not born in China and the first foreigner to undergo the ceremony in China.

At a July 4 farewell banquet, Greer and the Jing Ying team presented a proclamation from the Maryland State Senate congratulating Chen ZhengLei on his new academy and exhibition hall, thanking him for his many teaching trips to Maryland, and celebrating his 70th birthday. A U.S. flag from Maryland was also presented, celebrating the start of our nation and our first flag being created in Maryland. Greer expressed his hope that this would be the first of many flags to hang in the new training center representing the numerous nations brought together under the common banner of tai chi.

June 30 through July 5 is the next training camp in Las Vegas with options for beginners to advanced students. If you are interested in attending, contact the Jing Ying Institute at 410-431-5200 or visit www.jingying.org.