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 U.C.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 year?  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.”