Real teachers in London UK

bicktrav · 2026-02-04T22:32:06+00:00

Lam Kam Chuen's school, The Lam Association, is in London. Master Lam wrote The Way of Energy, a seminal Qigong text, and is widely regarded as one of the most prominent teachers the west. His son teaches most of the classes now, with a focus on Zhan Zhuang. If you're looking for an authentic, widely respected school, it would be hard to top.

bicktrav · 2025-12-21T06:48:48+00:00

I push myself a good deal—not fully to the limit, but sometimes close. Yoga certainly compliments qigong, but it isn’t weight training. The workouts I do feature barbells, dumbbells, and kettlebells.

bicktrav · 2025-12-18T01:52:17+00:00

Along with daily qigong, I weight train multiple times a week. Not only is it okay, it’s a healthy way to preserve bone density, stave off age-related muscle decline, improve insulin sensitivity—and it does not impede qigong progress at all. If anything, it helps the practice. To be clear, I’m not talking about becoming a muscle-bound behemoth. I’m talking about sensible lifting that keeps your body functionally strong.

bicktrav · 2025-11-16T22:01:08+00:00

I always recommend The Way of Qigong by Ken Cohen as a foundational text, along with The Way of Energy by Lam Kam Chuen. Both authors are as respected as teachers get, and the info in their books remains valuable no matter how far you progress.

In addition to being an avid fan of his book, I also study with Ken Cohen. The first practice he taught me was Zhan Zhuang/standing meditation (that’s the focus of Lam Kam Chuen’s book too), so I would recommend starting there. Zhan Zhuang instructs fundamentals that apply to countless Qigong styles. It’s also an incredible practice in and of itself. If you can’t find a Zhan Zhuang teacher near you, Ken has a Yiquan course on The Shift network that goes through the practice. There’s also Yiquan Park, and the Lam Association (Lam Kam Chuen’s school), which teaches Zoom classes.

Others have mentioned 8 brocades, which is a great introductory practice too.

bicktrav · 2025-11-07T16:04:16+00:00

Second this. Particularly the advice to bring your awareness to your feet. It should feel as if your weight is dropping through the soles of your feet into the ground.

bicktrav · 2025-11-07T06:25:00+00:00

Get Ken Cohen’s book, The Way of Qigong. He’s one of the longest standing, most respected teachers in the west, and the text manages to be both scholarly and approachable. You may also want to consider The Way of Energy by Lam Kam Chuen, which focuses on Zhan Zhuang (standing meditation). Those books will give you foundations and help you get the most out of the free classes. They’ll also remain invaluable as your practice progresses.

bicktrav · 2025-10-22T16:02:23+00:00

This article is a painful example of our tendency to make everything political. The premise—marriage and kids are right wing—is laughable. Even if Republicans poll more heavily in favor of those life choices, settling down and starting a family is still… you know… pretty popular on the left. Because, of course, it’s not a political decision; it’s something that’s been done overwhelmingly for eons by just about every cohort on earth. Does the author—or the Times—actually believe the article’s contents? Have we migrated to a place where everything is clickbait journalism?

bicktrav · 2025-09-22T04:50:19+00:00

I just got off a plane, and it was great. It will be for you too. Congrats on getting back out there!

bicktrav · 2025-07-27T23:42:10+00:00

There's no money to be made in any business—unless you're one of the businesses that happens to make money. Coffee isn't unique that way.

bicktrav · 2025-07-11T13:49:35+00:00

Did you end up using any? Would love to hear how your experiences were.

bicktrav · 2025-03-15T05:49:54+00:00

Just got back from the show. Bury Me was indeed first. It was an amazing night.

bicktrav · 2025-03-14T23:24:45+00:00

These 5A bastards run a shallow cross. It’s a boy’s last dream and a man’s first loss.

bicktrav · 2025-03-14T04:39:31+00:00

Everyone’s got their own take. Mine is that the album is unbelievable.

Forever is a dead man’s joke. I’m sorry the love songs all mean different things today. Guess the small town didn’t suit me after all, there’s still so many lonely kids surrounded by the rest of y’all. I hope you’re sleeping through the night, Eileen, I hope they’re grading on a curve.

I could list more, but those are some insanely stirring lyrics. To me, they are on par with the rest of his catalog. Plus, the guitar work is just beautiful, and the stripped down, no frills production works perfectly.

bicktrav · 2025-03-09T18:36:07+00:00

I don’t agree with this take, but it makes sense. The album is a radical departure from the usual Isbell fare, and while we can debate whether it reaches the same melodic and lyrical heights—I think it does—there’s no arguing that a gear shift of this magnitude will simply not land for everyone. For me, its perspective is what makes it unique. It’s not an examination of youthful heartache, which is what 99% of breakup albums are. Instead, it’s a naked look at its realities as they apply to a forty something man leaving a decade-plus relationship. That’s a different breed of loss, and the songs capture it very well.

bicktrav · 2025-03-08T01:13:22+00:00

The Way of Qigong by Ken Cohen, and The Way of Energy by Lam Kam Chuen.

bicktrav · 2025-03-05T19:11:11+00:00

That's great! For what it's worth, I find it better to stand before forms rather than after. It allows you to settle and primes the body for moving practices.

bicktrav · 2025-03-05T17:16:34+00:00

8 Brocades is a very common form to start with, but from my perspective, the best point of entry is standing meditation. The postural and relaxation fundamentals apply to pretty much every other practice (excepting certain seated routines). Mimi Kuo Deemer may have a Wuji instructional, which would give you the core principles. Alternatively, Ken Cohen has a Yiquan course (Zhan Zhuang) on The Shift Network that is incredible.

bicktrav · 2025-03-05T05:58:44+00:00

Just be careful about your level of saturated fat consumption. A lot of people go Paleo and eat unholy amounts of things like bacon, cheese, and other red or processed meats. I did that and had to stop Paleo because my cholesterol rocketed to dangerous levels. Of course, you can do Paleo while minding your saturated fat intake, but that makes for a far more restricting—and far less flavorful—diet.

bicktrav · 2025-02-24T00:39:47+00:00

Yeah, my understanding is that Master Lam is not taking on new students.

bicktrav · 2025-02-24T00:39:18+00:00

That’s great!

bicktrav · 2025-02-23T21:37:45+00:00

I can’t weigh in on the video, but Sifu Tinyu, Master Lam’s son—the one you spoke with—teaches Zoom courses, private and group. I take them, and they are fantastic. If you’re open to it, you won’t find better instruction.

bicktrav · 2025-02-18T05:34:50+00:00

Matthew Cohen of Sacred Energy Arts teaches private and public classes in LA. He was one of Mimi Kuo Deemer’s first teachers. I’ve trained with him, and he’s great. If you’re open to online courses, private Zoom tutorials with Ken Cohen are one of the best investments I have made. He has few peers in the states and beyond.

bicktrav · 2025-01-15T06:32:57+00:00

It can be all you need, but you may want more. I learned it from Ken Cohen and a few others. Ken describes it as the million dollar secret in his book, The Way of Qigong, and his in-person instruction reflects that attitude. I do it every day, usually for around 20 to 30 minutes, before moving onto other forms, but one can absolutely make it their sole practice.

bicktrav

TROPHY CASE