Welcome to the home of Bozeman Chinese Martial Arts

Bozeman Chinese Martial Arts is dedicated to teaching and promoting Chinese martial arts in Bozeman and surrounding areas. Classes are offered in traditional Chinese martial and healing arts that train the mind as well as the body. Directed by Mike Wiseman, BCMA offers access to world class instructors and material through classes, workshops, guest speaking and private lessons. If you're new to Chinese martial arts or want to know more about me, some quick answers to common questions are in the FAQ. 

July 2010

In an effort to expand my offerings for martial arts enthusiasts, I have added a Gear tab (above) with access to three different suppliers for all kinds of gear. I am keeping prices as low as I can and making quality items available to everyone. Also included are school patches, stickers and custom embroidery. Plese take a look and contact me with any questions.

Mark your calendars for upcoming workshops. The sword workshop with Scott Rodell will be August 28th and 29th. Specific format has not been determined, but we may incorporate a push hands session again as that proved to be very popular, and we'll have a test cutting session for continuing students. Master George Hu will be in Bozeman for a fall workshop the weekend of October 9th.  Topics to be covered will be announced soon, but at least one session will focus on Bagua's Eight Elbows form and applications. These workshops are always a treat, so watch for more information or sign up to receive the newsletter for the most up-to-date announcements.

May 2010

I have finished putting together the FAQ for Bozeman Chinese Martial Arts. Thanks to my friendly editors for input, I think it goes a long way to helping people new to Chinese martial arts get a better picture of what its all about and how I teach.  Take a look here.

I'm excited to announce a first ever kids kung fu class! I'll be teaching this summer class through the Health Balance, 2030 Stadium Drive, Thursdays from 3:30 to 4:30pm. This is an 8 week class from June 17th to August 12th and cost of the class is $95. The promotional flyer can be seen here, and more detailed information is here.  Please contact me or Mary Meier at the Health Balance if you are interested.

April 2010

I finally have a moment to post a long overdue update on events at BCMA, and there are quite a few. I had a wonderful trip to Houston to visit Master George Hu for six days of intensive training. There is a lot of material I am still integrating into my practice and that comes up in classes. After 18+ years of training, I still feel sometimes that I am only scratching the surface- a true testament to the depth of the art. I am in the process of putting together some material for students based on that trip that will hopefully clarify some otherwise obscure concepts.
After a bit of juggling to get times nailed down, I now have another venue for Tai Chi at the Health Balance facility located in the Stadium Center. Classes are Monday at 12:05pm and Wednesday at 1:05pm. This is a beginning class, and they have a fee structure that allows anyone to drop in on classes. For non-members, it starts at $10 per class, with discounts for pre-paying. Contact them directly via the link above for more information and check out the Classes page. This is a very nice facility and memberships are worth looking into.
In other big news, I want to congratulate Brad Freeburg for competing in the beginners sword tournament in Vermont. Brad spent a lot of time training for this event and represented the Montana club well. It takes a lot to step into the ring with someone you don't know who wants to whack you with a big stick and keep to the Tai Chi principals, but that is what the training is for. Whether it be a sword tournament, a verbal confrontation or a clash with a co-worker, remaining receptive and calm is the key to reacting properly in any situation. Nice job, Brad.
And finally, as the weather starts to warm I will move classes outside when I can. The sword class will move to Bogert park full time as soon as practical, and other classes will continue to meet where they are held and we will walk someplace from there. I can't wait!
And don't forget about the push hands practice sessions. We've had a great turnout each time with students from other Tai Chi styles and other martial arts disciplines. These continue to be held the second Sunday of each month. 

January / February 2010

The noon Tai Chi class at MSU is starting up for the spring semester. This class will present the 13 Kinetic Movements, a condensed version of the long form's first section. MSU students, faculty and staff are all elegible for the class, and non-students may take the class for a fee. Class starts Monday, January 25th.

The group push hands class has become a regularly scheduled event. This group will meet every second Sunday of the month. We will continue to meet at the Aspen Ark studio, and I'd ask participants to consider a small donation for use of the studio. This money goes to a local charity Chris Furtak has chosen, and is a small price to pay for such a nice space. Participants can also bring food donations for her "healthy" food bank. See the classes page for more info.

November 2009

At long last the group push hands practice will become a reality. Ron Davis and I have been talking about getting different schools in town together for push hands practice for some time, and our first practice will be Sunday, December 6th, 9:00am to 10:00am at the Aspen Ark Yoga studio, 3945 W. Cascade St. Bozeman. This is a push hands practice session that is open to all students and geared toward encouraging training in a fundamental aspect of Tai Chi Chuan. The intent of this practice is to get experience and practice with other players, regardless of style, form or ability (including non-Tai Chi Chuan background). Ideally, we will meet once a month in a loose setting to explore fundamentals of push hands and get exposure to different body types and skill levels. Chris Furtak has graciously offered her studio space for free, so there will be no cost for attending. While there will be instructors in attendance, this is not a formal class setting. Instructors will suggest some different exercises and give some guidance if necessary, but the practice will be largely experiential. Many different Chinese martial arts styles have their version of this practice (including Ba Gua Zhang, Wing Chun, and others) and this will be open to anyone with martial arts experience interested in joining us. My hope is that we can foster a wider practice group among the different schools and styles in town. Please join us and help build a larger martial arts community. See the Classes page for more info.