KUNG FU with WORLD CHAMPION MARILYN COOPER

A remarkable opportunity for rising 6th-8th graders! Kung fu Master Marilyn Cooper has taught and trained for more than 40 years and is one of the world’s most accomplished martial arts experts. Cooper won First Place World Title in Tai Chi (1997), the Kung fu National Grand Championship (1987), and gold medal titles in other national and international competitions throughout her life work. We are so honored that she will be bringing her passion for teaching and extraordinary talents to Head-Royce. Each class will begin with various warm-ups targeted at specific meridians for increasing circulation, immunity and focus, and stretches that increase range of motion and introduce finesse and control into their subsequent stance work, kicks, blocks and punches. As students gain coordinated strength and mobility, they will be taught a basic form known as Tan Tui (springing leg), which is the foundation for all subsequent training in any style of martial arts. Students all learn tai chi push-hands, a non-invasive two-person drill. By exchanging slow, gentle pushes, students learn to absorb force within their own frames, and learn that force against force is never a solution. This class will include some basics of Chinese philosophy (Buddhism and Taoism) to help students better appreciate and grasp basic concepts, some of which stem back as far as 6,000 years.