Today we’d like to introduce you to Paul Ramos.
Hi Paul, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I was an overweight kid and my mother suggested that I try the local Karate Club to get in shape and meet new people since we had just moved to a new part of town
I was 15 years old when . I started attending the Bronx HS of Science where I met others also doing martial arts.
We started training together and by the time I was into my first year of college I had added Olympic style fencing, and Aikido to my training regimen.
After college I entered the US Army and met up with others who introduced me to Internal Chinese Kung fu..
I continued to train and eventually met and began to train with the top Masters (Gao Tie Niao and Liu Xiao Ling), in Shanghai China after leaving the military and starting my own martial arts school.
I began to compete in the late 1980s where I became 3 time Tai Chi Push Hands National Champion in two different Kung fu organizations.
I began training students who earned over 60 US National Champion titles over the next 20 years. We continue to add new US National Champions in various international level competitions each year. I became a tournament Judge in 1992 and continue to judge all internal Martial arts categories at top level events in the US and abroad.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
In my experience there is no easy road to mastery in any field. . One must overcome one’s own laziness, one’s own physical and psychological limits and one must develop a sense of perseverance. Not to do the activity to gain any reward but to continue forward for the love of the activity and to continue forward simply because this is the path one has chosen. I’ve worked past injuries, nay sayers who felt I was too old or too battered to continue forward and past my own insecurities based upon my then perceived inadequacies. One must be one’s own cheerleader and continue forward after one has mentally committed to making the action part of one’s life.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a full time teacher and practitioner of Chinese internal( Soft style) Kung fu systems
I teach several forms of Tai Chi Chuan, Xing I Chuan (5 Element Fist), Bagua Zhang (8 Trigram Palm), Liu He Ba Fa (Water Boxing ), several styles of swordplay, Qigong and various other internal health and martial art practices.
I believe I am best known for my wide knowledge in these areas as well as for teaching the complete arts to include the energetic, physical , historical, and self defense and martial applications of these arts.
I am most proud of being a Senior member of the much storied WuDang Long Men (Dragon Gate) lineage). It has existed over 750 years and continues its focus on Health, Martial Arts and the goal of becoming the most complete human we may attain via Taoist trainings and thinking. .I am also grateful to be able to help bring a new generation of Wudang members into the 21st century..
Many teachers over mystify the training and I believe my talent lies in transmitting these methods and philosophies in a straight forward, easy to understand. and coherent fashion that allows the students to progress relatively quickly while maintaining the essence of these arts in a traditional as well as in a way that works well and is useful in today’s chaotic times.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
Risk is inherent in modern life.
To me risk is simply to surpass what the status quo accepts as safe and usual.
Some risks along my journey have been
:
Pushing my body beyond the recommendations of those who said I was too injured to continue
I risked going bankrupt early in my teaching years and made no profit for the first 10 years of teaching
I risked alienating my wife and later my children by making my training and my business a high priority
I risked the ridicule of my peers while continuing to train others and demonstrate my skills while healing from ankle and hip surgeries.
I also risk my reputation by allowing myself to partake in gatherings where younger or purported ‘Masters’ attempt to dominate me in person on person contact sessions .
Although their attempts never bear the fruit they seek the exchange’s have helped me to maintain respect and I have made many friends by putting myself out there in the current generations view and allowing them to test me .
It is common for those in my circumstances to avoid contact with persons outside of their groups/ lineages. They fear ‘Losing Face’.
I don’t believe in this archaic mindset because I believe we cannot grow without challenge or stress., no matter what the age or skill level one has.
Pricing:
- Group classes begin at $160/ month
- Private instruction begins at $80-$100/ hour based upon the current skill level of the student and their particular goals
Contact Info:
- Website: https://DCMDTAICHI.com
- Facebook: Facebook.com/WuShenTao
- Other: [email protected]
