I had been watching videos of Gregory Fong’s Yiquan and Taijiquan for three years before moving to Portland, Oregon from Rhode Island. Sifu Fong’s style was unlike anything I had seen. At first, I thought it was a little bizarre and quirky. But I could tell from the videos that there was some real speed and power that wasn’t really visible in the videos themselves. I could tell that if I saw this man, in person, I would be able to see the real power. That’s why I kept watching and why I reached out to him when I did move here.
I had emailed him a few months before we arrived with interest in Baguazhang and Xingyiquan. But Sifu suggested that I come instead to his Yiquan class. After living in Portland for a month, I came to a Thursday night Yiquan class. That first class was possibly the most painful martial arts class I had ever experienced. Not because I got thrown around or bruised by powerful strikes.
