About Us
SIFU TINA MASON
deeply understands the connectivity of internal awareness and how it unites to the
energy around the perimeter of the body. In addition to the study of Tai Chi and
Chi Kung (which, simply, is the practice of motivating the energy within the
body). she teaches the Heaven’s Palm Yoga class.
Sifu Mason has been a Certified Yoga Instructor for 7
years, and Certified Chair Yoga Instructor for 4 years. She taught Chair Yoga
at Kaiser Medical Clinic, Hale Makua in Maui, Hawaii. She has competed both nationally and internationally in body-building competitions, and is a Certified Personal
Trainer as well, specializing in: weight loss, strength training, toning,
competition, core training. Says Sifu Mason, “Learning is perpetual, and once
you stop learning you stop growing.” She continually attends world class Yoga
seminars for teachers at various locations to upgrade her high level of
expertise.
COMPETITIONS
• ABCC INTERNATIONALS (JAPAN)
• NCNA
(LOS ANGELES)
EXPERIENCE
• 1994 – 1995 Yoga Instructor @ Santa Fe
Gym, Santa Fe New Mexico
• 1995 – 2004 Yoga
Instructor @ Sculptors Gym, Los
Angeles, CA
• 2004
– 2007 Yoga Instructor @ Kaiser Permanente, Maui, Hawaii
• 2007 –
Present Private Yoga, & Chair Yoga Instruction, Los Angeles CA
COACH MELVIN
who is a published author, currently working on two other books, began his journey into the martial arts in 1968 by learning
Tang Soo Do Korean
Karate in Silver Spring, MD. After studying for nearly a year, he
became intrigued by the display of techniques by Kato (played by Bruce Lee) of
the televesion show, The Green Hornet. Because of that, Melvin
sought out a kung-fu teacher and, one a year later, found
Josiphus Colvin (Kungfu Joe), who was a student of Preying Mantis Master,
Jin Foon Mark.
In early February 1970, while practicing and teaching at a local
recreation center in Washington D. C., Joe accepted Melvin
as a student. A few months later, he also introduced Melvin
to a new kungfu school in the downtown area, where Melvin learned the powerful, Small Tiger form and
other techniques of the Southern Jow Ga style headed by the late, Dean Chin
and
Hoy Lee. Melvin entered
tournaments in the D. C., Maryland, Virginia area and won
various trophies.
He taught basic kungfu
techniques to a small group of practitioners in Landover, Maryland
for a year before enlisting in the U. S. Army in 1971. There, he met and
practiced with students of famous kungfu masters—like Sergio Pinion, a former
student of
Master Alan Lee of New York. Sergio helped the author to develop his
deadly “Iron Broom” sweep, a powerful
defensive technique. Melvin taught
Army recruits in basic kungfu exercises and techniques while stationed in Ft. Dix, New
Jersey. During the time he was stationed in Ft. Benning, GA,
he gave private lessons to a small group of soldiers.
Eventually, Melvin was stationed in Germany where he continued to practice and
teach, producing top local competitors, such as James West, Alan Cunningham,
Torrence Beasley and others. While in Europe, Melvin
was awarded a 3rd degree black belt (certification #6-332-82) in
1982 from Colonel
David Scott, founder of the Southwest Institute of
Martial Arts, located in Lawton,
OK.
Upon completion of his tour of
duty, he returned home, taught a small group of students, competed in various
East Coast tournaments and continued his Preying Mantis training under Kungfu Joe. Melvin became friends with and entered tournaments
with other martial artists such as
Dennis Brown and
Tayari Casel, both well
known martial arts masters on the East Coast.
Through an article published in
Inside Kungfu Magazine, Melvin read
about the famous Tai Chi and Ba Gua internal arts master,
Yun-Chung Chiang. He
decided to move to Los Angeles, and in 1978 began
training in Universal Post Standing Meditation, Northern Shaolin kungfu, and Tai Chi Chuan
at master Chiang’s Wen Wu School of Internal Martial Arts. He practiced there along-side his elder martial arts brother,
Prof. Dan Lee, former top student of Bruce Lee.
Over the years he worked out
and/or compared martial techniques with West Coast martial artists such as
Douglas and Carrie Wong,
Eric Lee,
Paulie Zink (Monkey Stylist), and became good
friends of martial artists like Prof.
Carl Totton,
Kam Yuen and many others. He has studied under some of the best internal martial arts masters such as:
•
Xiang, Gong-Zhong (retired) - Ba Gua Zhang (Imperial
Palace)
•
Liang, Qiang-Ya - International Wudang
Association - Fu Style internal martial arts
Coach with B.K. Frantzis
Coach with Master Liang, Qiang-Ya
Coach Melvin commenced studies with Master Liang on December 23, 2000, and currently focuses 70% of his attention on the internal arts (Chi Kung & Tai Chi Chuan). He teaches a combined program of exercises and martial arts, including Quiet Standing (Standing Meditation) chi kung “Opening The
Energy Gates.” The other 30% is used to teach Northern kungfu.
Ultimately, Heaven's Palm Boxing is all about preservation of
health—either your own health or the health of a loved one.
