Sal LeVassar – Landscape Architect

“I practice Tai Chi.  The Holy Grail (to use a western metaphor) of any Asian health or martial arts system is to tap into powers, strengths and abilities that are greater than those we can muster through our ordinary physical efforts.  In meditation systems these are called the siddhis.

While my all my previous teachers could teach me the forms and movements of tai chi or another movement art (and I thank them for it), they would at some point invariably test us. They would ask the class to stop, then would push us and occasionally, only occasionally,  we would be rock solid, immovable and wondrously strong.  The teacher would grunt approval—but usually the teacher would push us over, shake their head and go on to the next student. Perhaps the form had to be done just so to get this effect, but it was damned difficult for any teacher to say how so to get this effect.   Nobody could say how to get the strong effect other than practice for more years.  Nobody knew in a way they could explain. Nobody, no teacher, no master nor discussion with any colleague student, not any book or video I have encountered in 30 years of this pursuit including a philosophy degree at UC Berkeley and the bookstores or internet could show the student how to be instantly or consistently in that goal (or Grail) state of union with greater power.   No one, until I met Greg Yau.   

The masters of martial arts are unquestionably in touch with power in (or through) their bodies that leaves no doubt in our minds that something very special is happening here.  The movies from the East (go ahead, name some) are filled with a mythological lore of tremendous abilities…lost to society now except for a few who have managed to find the way (as the Tao is called).  But how to teach it!……A monumental and monstrously difficult task.  It is extremely rare to find a master with the insights and abilities alone.  Farther and fewer is someone with the advanced verbal and artistic abilities to transmit the understanding and the experience of power that we in the west know very well as Kung-Fu.   For this reason it is a great pleasure and honor to be able to attend a monthly 3-hour seminar with Greg Yau.

Greg doesn’t teach me Tai Chi.  He teaches the energy principles that underlay any movement, be it golf, tennis, tai chi, basketball, Kung Fu, reiki healing or massage, you name it, he can improve in a verifiable manner to a greater effectiveness of that movement/system…and he can show you how to experience it.  This is phenomenally rare.  The only other place I have encountered this was when Tony Robbins used NLP to improve the shooting scores at the Army’s pistol range despite the fact that the Army has been teaching pistol for many, many years.  

Let me be practical for a minute, because after all, this is California and the woo woo is everywhere.  Let me take you back to a university class that I attended in the early 70’s when John Searle, a philosophy professor at U.C. Berkeley announced at the start of his class that the goal for his career as a professor of philosophy and indeed the major goal for all of the social sciences was in fact to explore and ultimately create a technology of and for the social sciences. The physical sciences are the undisputable model for the meaning of the word technology.  Physics has created a technology of materials that has transformed (and endangered) the world in ways that I don’t even need to mention to you, because you know. But as for the social science and humanities—-they are still struggling for a technology, an applied and visible way to express and extend into the world the powers and technology for a better human and society. Oh there has been a few:  B.F. Skinner’s conditioned response; Neuro-lingustic-progamming; Freud and psycho-analysis; but by and large the abilities that we as human suspect we can attain have escaped our societal and personal grasp.  Is there a hunger for this type of applied social-technology?  Just look at the number of people engaged in religion as an indication of the demand people have for an improvement in human abilities, capabilities and condition. Mr. Yau understands the symbols and energies of many of these groups in an unique and powerful way that delivers us to the technological heart of the practice.

Let me continue to be pragmatic. Why is Greg Yau living off his home equity loan and doing this energy Research and Development for the last 10 years?  Why is he compelled to be a Chi-Gung designer, giving landscape contractors from Marin energy lessons when his mom (and probably his wife) expected him to be a doctor? I think it is important to understand that Mr. Yau has had access to world class family style Kung Fu here in California.  Through the network of his extended Chinese family and Kung Fu masters associated with his remarkable uncles, especially Grandmaster Chris Chan, Greg has come to deeply know a cultural specialty accessible to very few people.  This authentic access to information and culture coupled with a astounding—but reproducible, talent is why he is at the ability level we see.

But how to present Mr. Yau’s very different approach to this Kung Fu knowledge to the world and not seem to compete with the family? —How does he continue to honor his uncle, -certainly not by starting another style or Kung Fu school. Being in this family network that has extensive access to varied and bona fide Kung Fu means that Greg Yau’s information must by honor have high standard of practicality and effectiveness…at least strong enough to withstand the competition of the Wing Chun system of Yip Man and Chris Chan and improve it to boot. But the young nephew must find another way to present his systemized view of this information to the world, and that way is the way of business. And it is for business that he comes to you, to me and enriches us in the transaction.

In reference then, let me say that G.K. Yau can deliver the extremely subtle experience of outside power coming through your body in a way that you can take note of, while you will also notice being in an extreme state of normality and health. Ask him to show you.

Like Ray Charles, Mr. Yau. I believe, has the potential to cross over from what was a purely ethnic cultural system to all sections of society. True power is when we are at a remarkably restful and 
loving place. The question is the road to get to that market place.”