SHIFU Greg Hatza
With over 42 years of martial arts experience, Greg started his first training in the late '60's in Shotokan karate. After five years of Shotokan, he started to gravitate to the Chinese martial arts.
At that time, he joined one of the only kung fu schools in Baltimore, called "System Kung Fu." He learned street-oriented Wing Chun/Jeet Kun Do style, some Yang Tai Chi styles (both Cheng Men-Ching and Yang Long Form), and a hard hitting style called Snow Tiger. Greg soon became an instructor at the school where he taught through the '70's until the school closed.
In the early '80's, he joined a Northern Shaolin school run by Anthony Goh. Here he learned Northern Shaolin and more Yang Long Form Tai Chi and Straight Sword. With an increased interest in the internal styles, Anthony Goh introduced Greg to Ken Fish. In the mid '80's, he became a student of Ken Fish and studied Chen Pan-Ling Tai Chi, Hsing-I, and Pa Kua.
In 1990, Ken Fish introduced Greg to SHIFU Pak Bok Nam so he could continue his studies in Baguazhang (Pa Kua Chang) (a long time interest for Greg). From 1990 to the present, Greg continued his studies with SHIFU Park; and in 1999, became a lineage disciple and licensed instructor of the Wu Tang Baguazhang (Pa Kua Chang) School. During the '90's, Greg also attended seminars with Yang Zhen Duo to continue his refinement of Yang Tai Chi Long Form and Straight Sword.
"The way of Chinese martial arts is a personal path that can be traveled throughout one's life. It is a never ending search for the elusive goal of perfection or mastery. But it's not so important the want of the gold at the end of the rainbow as is the wonders one sees on the studied path. Each spiraling level one reaches gives new and important insight to previous tasks of practice. Did you ever say to yourself, "so that's what he meant." This little thought is the revelation from hard dedicated practice. The phrase, "taste the bitter," has a whole new meaning. New levels of revelation only can come from hard practice. Vocal jousting or sparring, about this kung fu is this or that, lead to no results. When one has "tasted" something through hard dedicated practice, the resulting reward will never be forgotten."
"It is my goal to keep the arts pure and not deviate from the original source. To maintain the philosophies and principles as I was taught. Only pure transmission will ensure the arts legitimacy for the future generations." – SHIFU Greg Hatza
Senior Student Instructor - Sheryl Gallagher
Sheryl began her martial arts training with Taekwondo. She started her journey into the Internalmartial arts 17 years ago initially studying Yang Family Tai Chi with Shifu Hatza. After a few years of training with Shifu Hatza, Sheryl began studying Baguazhang. “It was the complexity of the art and the balance of internal energy combined with martial expression of movement that initially attracted me to the art”. All of her hard work paid off when she became an official Student Disciple of Master Park Bok Nam, the patriarch of the Baguazhang system taught at the academy. Sheryl is a great asset to the school and her proficiency can be witnessed in her high energy, fluidity, and form. In addition, Sheryl has a good understanding of the human physicality through her work as a personal trainer and massage therapist.
Senior Student Instructor - George Barnosky, L.Ac., M.Ac.
George embarked on his martial arts journey early as a child training in Shaolin Kung Fu. It was this system that George credits for helping rid himself of exercise-induced asthma thanks to that system’s specific breathing modalities. However, circumstances led him to abandon the Shaolin system for Shotokan Karate which he studied until college. In college, George continued his martial arts training with an American form of Karate. But, after 3 years or so of the hard style Karate training George felt like he was destroying his body. Fortunately, his Karate instructor at the time also taught a Chinese artform, Hsing-I Chuan. This was George’s foray into Chinese Internal Martial Arts. Also, at this time his teacher was himself learning Baguazhang and Tai Chi and imparted a taste of these arts as well. George says once he started in the Internal Arts “he never looked back.” After college George returned home, continued studying independently, sought out Chi Gong instruction and dabbled in Tai Chi. It was around this time that George discovered our school. The following are George’s words:
“It wasn't until I found Shifu Hatza's school that I knew I found a school I could call home. Shifu Hatza was clearly an internal martial artist who knew the art and how to teach it well. All of his students were extremely helpful and supportive when I joined the school, which spoke volumes to me. I was really drawn to Bagua because of the dynamic, fluid and powerful movements. I continue to be amazed at the depth of the art and how much it has positively contributed to my life, in all aspects.”
George is a tremendous asset to the school and his proficiency in the art can be seen in his fluidity of movement and among other things his ability to seemingly effortlessly execute and maintain both deep moving and stationary stances illustrating leg strength and endurance. Furthermore, George is a licensed and practicing acupuncturist and adds valuable insight when applicable regarding the Chinese concept of health, the Meridians and how these pertain to Chi Gong and the Internal Martial Arts. George has been studying under Shifu Greg Hatza for 10 years.