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T'IEN
TI TAO
The Founder
and current Chief Instructor is Mike Symonds. Since
his early childhood (4-5 years of age) he played at a
Chinese style of "Shadow Boxing"
to while away the hours indoors. This was not like western
boxing but very much akin to Taijiquan. The facts were
that then no one had heard of Taijiquan, and he had no
contact, no books, no television, as this was pre-1953
when the first TV sets were brought into his home and
even then, there were no Martial arts on the single channel
TV set.
His practices also included a kind of bag
punching, shoulder throws and other techniques, all
of which seemed to come naturally to him. These came
in useful when he attended school, aged just 4-1/2, and on his first day
he double-punched two bullies who were trying it on at the same time! His Shadow Boxing games
became more serious and took on the form that he later
in life realised was true Taijiquan. These considered
scenarios he called, "What happens if... ?"
situations and later they all proved useful at school. No
bully ever got the better of him, even though he was apparently
quite small and skinny at the time.
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1965
~ 2005. Tiandidao, as it is pronounced, was founded on the following principles:
- From studying many popular styles and analysing their core concepts and principles.
- From examining and testing the core principles and incorporating some.
- Examining all basics, starting with Stances, for strengths or weaknesses and uses then rebuilding where necessary and incorporating into basic syllabus.
- Likewise examining Blocks/Deflections, Punches and Kicks.
- Dissolving traditional styles and tracing 'root' principles back to China: e.g. Hap Ki Do (85% Chinese originally), Karate (Stemmed from Fukien White Crane), Jiu Jitsu (Chi Chu Shu), Shorinji (Created from Trad. Shaolin and Ju Jitsu mix), etc.
- 'Translating' core principles and techniques back into Chinese Traditional Versions;
- Evaluating core principles of Chinese Taoist and Internal Arts;
- Merging all above elements into broad-based system.
- In 1974 the external style principles were exhausted and Shih-fu Symonds needed to discover the principles of Taoist Arts. Along came Professor C. Chee Soo and Mike was invited to his Teacher's Training classes in Dunstable after writing to him for advice.
- Shih-fu Symonds studied the Taoist Arts for 5 years with Lee Family Arts and was awarded Instructor grades and Professor C. Chee Soo opened a club for him in Gt. Yarmouth (c.1978), teaching Taijiquan and Taoist Yoga, etc.
- Many principles of the traditional Li/Lee Family Arts were incoporated into Tiandidao (with Prof. Soo's blessings) to fill out the syllabus and help further develop the Internal Principles alongside the External Principles.
- All Forms (Sets) have taken a minimum of two years to develop. Each one teaches different principles and techniques, is Short Gate, Medium Gate or Long Gate based.
- The first Form (Ssu Wan Ch'uan, c.1972) ) was a 'translation' of a Traditional Shorinji/Shaolin into something similar but reflecting the Taoist philosophical principles.
- The syllabus was then built up into basic sections. After 14-15 years this was subjected to testing with the BKPA (UK branch of ICKF China) in 1985 and after a further two or more years it was accepted in 1987 as "Genuine Traditional Chinese Arts" by the ICKF.
- The syllabus was then slowly "padded" as further Forms and sections were developed along traditional lines. The second Form was 'Kung-I Ch'uan Shi' (Strength Shaped Fist Form).
- In 2005 the syllabus has undergone many years of development. If we count just the founding years, then that number is 33. If we count the years of study including psychology and other subjects, all part of the pre-foundations studies, then that number is around 42. If we count the years that Shih-fu has been practising some form of Chinese Martial Arts, then we must go back to his youth when he used to do his "strange shadow boxing" and that counts up to an amazing 55 years! No wonder we all enjoy our training sessions and the fathomless font of wisdom.
Chris.
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Note from Shih-fu: Thanks for the flattery but that won't guarentee your next grade! ;-)
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Copyright (c) 1974-2007+ T'ien Ti Tao. All rights reserved.
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