Lead Instructor: Troy Schott, D.C.
I first became interested in the martial arts when I was a kid. I saw the Karate Kid movies from the 1980’s and then Bruce Lee movies from the 1970’s. When I was 12 years old, my parents enrolled me in the local karate class through the parks and rec program. While I learned that eclectic American karate, I became first interested in Bruce Lee’s Jeet Kune Do, and then after finding out that he did a form of gongfu (Wing Chun) I became further interested in Chinese Martial Arts.
In the area I grew up, there was no Chinese martial arts classes at the time so I attempted to learn from books and VHS tapes usually on Shaolin Gongfu. When I was 18 years old and fresh out of high school, through the same parks and rec program was someone teaching Yang style Taijiquan (initially Cheng Man Ching style). The instructor was Steve Chevalier, he had studied not only Cheng Man Ching style but also had studied Tung (Dong) Family Taijiquan, of which I became more interested in because it had more of an apparent martial flavor to it.
After spending several years studying and then teaching alongside with Steve Chevalier, I became more interested in the other internal martial arts of Xingyiquan and Baguazhang, especially Baguazhang. After spending many reading about Baguazhang in the illustrious Pa Kua Chang Newsletter/Journal from the 1990’s, I decided to look up one particular instructor I kept reading about in that publication, Tim Cartmell.
The first time I ever attended one of his classes was at the Shen Wu Academy in Garden Grove, CA. It was his Saturday Xingyi/Bagua class where we learned the basics of the arts, especially Baguazhang and I was introduced to Tim’s method. I soon began to supplement my time at a local kickboxing gym.
Whether due to life events, or such, I found myself training in Jeet Kune Do and getting an Instructors Certificate under a guy who is now retired from teaching. I then went on to study with Ed Monaghan, a Full Instructor under the late Jerry Poteet, at Ekata Martial Arts and Fitness earning Assistant Instructor level before leaving to finish school. While in my last few years of studying at chiropractic school I took back up studying Xingyiquan, Baguazhang, and Taijiquan with Tim Cartmell consistently since.
As of 2015, I had been interested in competing in San Da Kickboxing and Free-Style Push Hands competitions to gain better experience in a competitive setting. This has allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of how martial arts can be applied against a non-cooperative opponent.
I look forward to sharing with those who wish to explore the Chinese internal martial arts in both a combative and personal development path that would allow them to grow as a better human being.
Interview with Peter Wang on the Real Fake Swords and Fake Real Swords Podcast.