Testimonials - General
Trish Carney
It would be giving too much away
for me to list all of the physical
problems I was experiencing at
the start of my studies. It's
enough to say that, after many
years of beating my body with
sports, horses, childbirth, car
accidents, etc., I was feeling
older than my age - and not happy
with the limits my old injuries
were imposing on me.
Lacking the time and motivation to undertake a huge health make-over (you know the one, physical therapy or the gym, or, worse, a combination), I began to study Golden Breath as a stepping stone to get over a rough patch.This relaxed, inexpensive and deceivingly simple form of T'ai Chi has not only allowed me to regain flexibility and physical balance, but has given me invaluable tools for dealing with a life-long anxiety problem as well as teaching me enough basic self-defense to give me a self-confidence that I had possessed as a younger person.
Golden Breath is a secret, meant to be shared, that anyone can benefit from in a number of ways. I can't recommend it highly enough!
Robert Effel
Tai-chi was recommended to
me by a registered nurse
who has been working with
me on breathing techniques
at the hospital I go to
for medical treatment. She
told me that I could observe
a class on a Saturday and decide
if I was interested in joining
a class. I was only observing
for a little while when an instructor
had me up and learning the beginning
positions. I liked the
class and started going on a
regular basis thereafter.
The instructors at Golden Breath Tai-Chi have been extremely helpful and the best thing they do is constantly reminding youthat they were in the beginning stages, also. The students take an interest in you right away, are very friendly and are willing to take the time to help you when you are learning a new movement. I have been looking for this type of environment for a long time and I am trying to return the friendship that I have been given.
I have been opposed to working-out type exercises ever since I took a weightlifting course in college. After class, I tried playing basketball and I couldn’t play because my muscles were tightened by the stress of heavy exercise. I chose to be able to play sports like basketball, baseball and tennis. In Tai-chi, there is no stress on the body at all. As a matter of fact, you are taught not to exceed your space. The movements are designed to help your body and not the opposite.
To sum up: Tai-chi is a combination of breathing and movement. By properly breathing while you move, you are able to make your body more efficient in using the oxygen we need. One other benefit that I have found is that I always wanted to take dancing lessons and by doing Tai-chi, I can dance and not be self-conscious about it. Learning American Tai-chi at Golden Breath has been nothing but a positive experience for me.
Rev. Kenneth J. White, testimonial poem:
Golden Breath
I listened to Wisdom and
he sang me a dance
The movement was stillness
and the stillness is vast
He spoke of the sky and
showed me the sea
He talked of his children,
the Yin and the Yang
He said they were ancient
and yet he is young
He claims twenty-seven I
added this up
The two and the seven come
out to be nine
The number of completion
that replenishes itself
Grandfather gave me a feather
and blew it away
Meditation and motion were
married that day
I cried at their wedding
and started the dance
Their gifts were from God
and He gave them to man
As profound as a sunset
and all that's beyond
As natural as leaves swaying
from the breath of a breeze
Thank you, Grandfather,
for the dance that you sang
Thank you for the wisdom
of wind
The steps are healing of
spirit from the rhythm within
So I bow to you, Sibok, for
the Golden Breath way
Richard A. Wallace
I am 68 years old and have been
a student of Tai Chi for about
two and a half years. After a
few months as a student I started
to realize that I felt better
both physically and mentally.
This feeling made me want to
improve even more, and this desire
led me to a structured exercise
program that for the first time
in my life I wanted to do this
for me.
While working myself up to the ranks from seaman recruit to a major, we always were forced to stay in fairly good physical fitness. While I was forced into this military fitness program I did it because I was ordered to do so, not because I wanted to. As I look back it was just something else we all had to do. I find that Tai Chi does more than any physical fitness program has ever done; it changed the way that I felt about myself. The change did not come all at once or in a few weeks. It was quite slow and subtle, but none the less profound.
I feel that for anyone who wants to improve their quality of life, Golden Breath should be considered -- age and physical disability is not a factor in this equation. I want to thank Sibok and all the other students for helping me learn and enjoy this thing called Tai Chi, and I want to say in closing: Tai Chi can do no harm, only good things will happen to you.
Maggie Newman Basic T'ai
Chi, Inc., New York, NY
April 1, 2001; RE:
Letter of Support for
Sibok and Golden Breath
T'ai Chi &
Chi Gung
I teach T'ai Chi Ch'uan in
Philadelphia and New York
City on a weekly basis, as
well as guest teaching in
other states, and have been
studying T'ai Chi since 1962.
I was a senior student of
Master Cheng Man-C'hing and
teach the Yang style of T'ai
Chi Ch'uan.
I have known Jeffrey Cohen over the past eighteen years. Jeffrey is a former student who studied with me for approximately four years. Jeffrey had been sent to study with me by his kung fu teacher at that time, and he is his teacher's most senior student. Since that time I have enjoyed many conversations with him about the principles of our work. Jeffrey was so inspired by this T'ai Chi teacher, that I wanted to meet him.
I went to visit Sibok at his house and we immediately developed a rapport. Sibok is a teacher of the Golden Breath T'ai Chi and Chi Gung system. After that, I was pleased to observe Sibok teaching Golden Breath T'ai Chi to his students. The greatest testimony to his teaching is to see what his students are like. I observed the benefits of his teaching in his students. I observed qualities in his students which I admired: 1) they were open, loving, and accepting of newcomers in their group; 2) I observed Sibok's healing of sick people; 3) I understand that some of the youngsters have recovered from drug addictions. Additionally, I traveled to several youth detention centers in Philadelphia where Sibok volunteered his time to work with many teenagers. Sibok demonstrated the perfect balance of disciplining them firmly and loving them fully.
The movements of the Golden Breath T'ai Chi Ch'uan have the principles of all T'ai Chi - attempting to manifest a balanced and full life force which is a harmonious, flowing, round expression of yin and yang. Each T'ai Chi form is a microcosm, copying the principles of the universe. All the teachers have preferences as to what they hold high in their T'ai Chi form. Because of my lack of experience with the Golden Breath form, I cannot distinguish between Sibok's emphasis and what is specific to the Golden Breath T'ai Chi form. But what I see is a wonderful expression of the Chi coming out - the fullness of the movements, and the love with which Sibok works with his students to accomplish this. This makes everyone happy and of course is very beneficial for the health.
I whole-heartedly support Sibok and his students in their endeavors. I am grateful to have met Sibok and interacted with his group.
Eduardo Costa Meto
My name is Eduardo. I started practicing American Tai Chi several months ago and since then I have increased my pulmonary capacity. I had asthma from a young age and used to use my inhaler 2 - 3 times a day. Today I practice Tai Chi daily and I have not had to use the inhaler for the last two months.