The Tai Chi Chuan Retreat is an optional 5 day extension to your stay in Toronto and will start Sunday Sept 7th, the day after the Banquet. Transportation will be provided for a small fee – see the registration package. Transportation leaves Toronto Sunday at 2pm (location TBD), and leaves the Retreat after lunch on Friday. The trip takes about 2 hours.
If you want to see more of Southern Ontario while you are at the retreat we suggest you rent a car or van. For our some of our visitors from aboard it’s important to emphasize: Southern Ontario, although a small part of Canada, is big. It’s best to check Google Maps or something like it to calculate travel times.
The Bayview Wildwood Resort has a history that actually predates the King Edward. In the early 1900’s, visitors to Toronto would take the train up to Port Stanton for the Canadian wilderness resort experience. Eventually roads were built to Port Stanton and the train station closed. But trains still run by the resort and through the village.
The resort is on Sparrow Lake, part of the Trent-Severn waterway. The waterway is a 386 km route of interconnected rivers, lakes, locks and canals that connects Lake Ontario to Georgian Bay. The Resort has been managed by the Stanton family for 5 generations and has just been fully renovated. There are many activities available including biking, water sports (the water will be warm for swimming), tennis, fishing, hiking (it’s in the Canadian Shield) and others. Complimentary equipment is available for many things and fishing boat rentals are available. Check out the website for details.
There are many great things to do! We will not be the only people at the resort, but we will be the great majority. So the resort will feel like ‘ours’. There’s a place for beach-side fires for example. Whatever we decide!
But the focus of scheduled activities will be training together. We want to make this a place to train together, exchange ideas, and get to know Wu Style practitioners from around the world. We’re planning 2 hours of Tai Chi Chuan in the morning, and another 1-2 hours in the evening. That leaves the rest of the day and evenings for resort or off-site activities.
It’s going to be a great time!
Getting There – Don’t miss the bus!
The bus to the Retreat leaves at 2pm Sun Sep 7th, from the Chelsea Hotel, 33, Gerrard St. West. Toronto.
If you are travelling in your own car you should plan to be at the Retreat at The Bayview Wildwood Resort, 1500 Port Stanton Pkwy, Severn Bridge, ON, at 4pm Sun Sep 7th (checkin time)
Current Schedule
We will be updating the schedule as changes occur so check back frequently.
If you are interested in doing something, please let us know and we’ll put it on this schedule. You can contact us at the email that you received the ‘Important Information…’ email from, or at the phone numbers in that email.
Or you can just get some people together and use Glyde Hall. We have both rooms listed below available for us at any time.
Meals times: Breakfast: 8:00-10:00 am, Lunch: 12:00-1:30 pm, Dinner: 6:00-7:30 pm
Training Rooms available all day:
- Cedar Room: Public Classes – Classes here may have drop-ins and spectators. 64 x 36 , 12’ ceilings (can be split into 2 with dividing wall, then each side is 32 x 36)
- Glyde Hall: Private Classes – By invitation of Instructor only. Talk to David Robert to book time for this space. 30 x 24, 9’ ceilings
Here is our current Schedule. For more information on a session check the notes below.
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
| 7:15-8:15am General Training Jonathan Krehm Cedar Room | 7:15-8:15am General Training Jonathan Krehm Cedar Room | 7:15-8:15am General Training Jonathan Krehm Cedar Room | 7:15-8:15am General Training Jonathan Krehm Cedar Room | 7:15-8:15am General Training Jonathan Krehm Cedar Room 8:15-8:30 Group Meditation | |
| 8-10am Breakfast | 8-10am Breakfast | 8-10am Breakfast | 8-10am Breakfast | 8-10am Breakfast | |
| 10-12am Special Workshop* Sifu Eddie Wu Cedar Room | 10-12am Special Workshop* Sifu Eddie Wu Cedar Room | 10-11:30 Open Push Hands 1/2 of Cedar Room 10-11:30 Open form/weapons refine. 1/2 of Cedar Room 11:30-12 Daily Group Form Cedar Room | 10-11:30 Open Push Hands 1/2 of Cedar Room 10-11:30 Open form/weapons refine. 1/2 of Cedar Room 11:30-12 Daily Group Form Cedar Room | 11am Checkout | |
| 12-1:30pm Lunch | 12-1:30pm Lunch | 12-1:30pm Lunch | 12-1:30pm Lunch | 12-1:30pm Lunch | |
| 2pm-3pm Sword Refinement Evonne Tan 5-6pm 12 form intro. Ellen Schwartz Cedar Room | 3:30-4:30pm Tai Chi Chuan for Seniors Bob Roth Cedar Room 4-5pm Sword Refinement Evonne Tan 5-6pm 12 form intro. Ellen Schwartz Cedar Room | 2pm-3pm 24 Form Spear Evonne Tan 4-4:45pm Stretching & Relaxation Claire 5-6pm 12 form intro. Ellen Schwartz Cedar Room | 2-2:30pm Mark & Jonathan Embodiment Case Study Talk 2:23-3:30pm Sword Refinement Evonne Tan 3:30-4:30pm Tai Chi Chuan for Seniors Bob Roth Cedar Room 5-6pm 12 form intro. Ellen Schwartz Cedar Room | 1:30pm Bus back to Toronto | |
| 6-7:30pm Dinner | 6-7:30pm Dinner | 6-7:30pm Dinner | 6-7:30pm Dinner | 6-7:30pm Dinner | |
| 7:30-8:30pm Two person Saber Jono and Egon Cedar Room | 7:30-8:30pm Wu Style Manuals Albert Tse Cedar Room | 7:30-8:30pm Two person Saber Jono and Egon Cedar Room | 7:30-8:30pm Two person Saber Jono and Egon Cedar Room | ||
| 8:30-9:30pm Power Level David Robert Cedar Room | 8:30-9:30pm Power Level David Robert Cedar Room | 8:30-9:30pm Power Level David Robert Cedar Room | 8:30-9:30pm Power Level David Robert Cedar Room |
Session notes:
Special Workshop – Sifu Eddie Wu:
Per-requisite: None – additional fee
Please note there is an additional fee for these – $150 CND per person. This is for *both* mornings. This fee goes directly to Sifu. Please bring cash.
12 form introduction – Ellen Schwartz:
Per-requisite: None
For attendees that are just starting out, Ellen Schwartz will be teaching and refining the 12 form – a great way to get started in Wu Style!
Ellen has trained Wu Style Tai Chi Chuan since 2000, and is one of Sifu Genie Parker’s disciples. She was certified on the advanced level by the Grandmaster in 2011. Ellen teaches beginner and intermediate form classes, as well as Tai Chi Chuan sword at the Ann Arbor Academy.
More information
Tai Chi for Seniors – Bob Roth:
Per-requisite: None
Bob Roth has studied Wu Style Tai Chi Chuan since October 1987 and has been very active making the art meaningful and accessible for a wide range of students.
This will be an interactive class. Participants will be guided through explanation, demonstration, and partnered exercises. They will directly experience how Wu Style principles can be adapted for elderly learners, strengthening both body and mind.
More information
Examining Wu Style Tai Chi manuals in early 20th Century China – Albert Tse
Prerequisite: None
This workshop will trace the development of Wu style Tai Chi Chuan through martial arts manuals and other artifacts during China’s Republican era (1911-1949).
Albert Tse has an M.A. in Chinese Historical Studies and has been studying Wu Style Tai Chi Chuan since 2018 in Hong Kong and Toronto.
Two-person sabre routine – Jono Podmore and Egon Janikowski
Per-requisite: Familiar with the Saber warmups and Saber form
Jono and Egon are disciples of Gary Wragg and teach at the Bethnal Green Academy in London. Jono also runs his own club in Forest Hill. Together they have developed a two-person sabre routine of 6 short sets of applications taken directly from the form.
In this workshop they will begin to teach the routine and explore some of the principles in each set.
The power level of form training – David Robert
Per-requisites: Excellent ability with the 108. Martial and advanced push hands experience will be an asset.
David is the Chief Instructor of the Toronto Academy and has been teaching the power level of form training both in Toronto and Internationally for some years. The sessions will emphasize body awareness, internal connections, and balance as the basic building blocks of power.
Open Push Hands – A Senior Instructor
Per-requisite: None
Just come and push! A senior instructor will be present for questions and to ensure training is safe.
Open Form Refinement – A Senior Instructor
Per-requisite: Knowledge of the 108 form
According to Interest
Detailed refinement of the 108 hand form.
Open Weapons Refinement – Various
Per-requisite: Knowledge of the weapon form being refined
According to Interest
Detailed refinement of a weapon form :
Sword, Spear (24 form, 13 form), Sabre – Jonathan Krehm, Evonne Tan, David Robert, Doug Collins
If you are interested in holding a workshop or practice session please let us know. You don’t have to be ‘the best’ at it, just have a passion. You can contact us at the email that you received the ‘Important Information…’ email from, or at the phone numbers in that email.
