Sifu Mark Small
Mark Small discovered taijiquan in 1958 as a child actor but began serious practice as a teenager, always preferring internal practices (Neijia) over hard styles of gong fu. For over 50 years he sought out teachers and diversified his Chinese martial arts with the following prominently masters, among others: Colonel Y.W. Chang - Chen Pan Ling Taiji, Grandmasters’ Chang Tung-Sheng - Shaijiao, Dr. Yang Jwing-Ming and Huang Chien-Liang - Qin Na, Henry Look - Yi Quan, Chan Pui - Wah Lum Gong Fu Long Weapons, Masters’ Jou Tsung-Hwa - Chen Taiji, Madam Wang Ju-Rong and Master Nick Gracenin- Swords, Masters’ Ben Lo, Abraham Lu, William C. C. Chen, Peter Ralston, Sam Masich, George Xu, and Alan Ludmer - Tui Shou, Yang Yang - Chansigong, Daniel Weng & John Wang- Shuaijiao, Choy Kan Man, Wu Wen-Ching and Wei-Lun Huang - Yang Taiji, Adam Hsu and Grace Wu - Bajiquan, and Thomas Lussier - Liuhebafa.
Mark backed his way into Xingyi and Bagua by practicing Chen Pan Ling’s 99 posture Taijiquan. His book: Taiji, Xingyi, Baguaquan Throwing By Way of Our Modern Masters was published in 2011. He is also published in T’ai Chi and Qi Magazines and was a presenter twice at National Qigong Association annual meetings.
Mark is a 5th generation Yang Family Sifu out of the Choy Kam-man Academy, San Francisco, a 1st generation Ling Yun Pai disciple in the Chen Pan-ling International Martial Arts Association (ROC), and a 4th degree Black Sash master in the tradition of Grandmaster Liang Shou-yu’s Wuji Xiaoyao Pai through the International Wushu San Shou Dao Association of Vancouver, Canada. He is a member of the U. S. Kuoshu Federation (USKSF) and a board member of the Carolina Association of Chinese Martial Artists (CACMA). Along with his students, he is a past gold medalists in internal and external forms and push hands competition.