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The Body Balance Healing Arts school is located on two acres in the Montgomery County Agricultural Reserve outside Clarksburg, Maryland. Students say that their stress levels ease as they arrive at the school. The school is surround by gardens and woodland, and the interior is decorated with beautifully painted murals.
Body Balance was founded by Master Pat Hancock in 1986 to offer training in a holistic approach to lifelong health. Tai Chi, Kung Fu, meditation, massage and acupuncture are offered. Today, we use our bodies much differently than people did 50 to 100 years ago. Our sedentary lifestyles have weakened our connection to our inborn vitality. Both the healing arts of acupuncture and massage as well as the martial arts of Kung Fu and Tai Chi can reconnect us to physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health. Body Balance classes are fun, energizing and challenging.
Master Pat Hancock
Pat Hancock has practiced martial arts for over 35 years and is a world-ranked master instructor. He was trained by Huang-Chien Liang, Grandmaster of the Tien Shan Pai system who gave his blessing for Pat to establish his own school. He is the 1996 gold medalist in the International Kung Fu competition and the 1986 bronze medalist at the World Kung Fu championship in Taiwan.
Pat met his master when he gave a friend a ride to a Kung Fu class. An agreement for six months of classes evolved into a lifelong commitment. Pat started learning Kung Fu, but found that Tai Chi helped him build muscle control and strengthened his health. This allowed him to improve his Kung Fu training, which led him to the world championships. Offering instruction in Tai Chi to individuals with serious health issues, such as substance abuse and cancer, and seeing their health improve, inspired Pat to open his own school. His commitment to making healing available to others is now leading to the expansion of Body Balance to include massage and acupuncture.
While he experienced years of strict traditional training from his master, Pat has used his intuition and compassion to develop a teaching style that is gentle and encouraging. His unique style, honed through years of experience, combines the relaxed internal style of Tai Chi with the fast smooth character of Kung Fu in a holistic manner that makes martial arts available to everyone.
Body Balance was featured on CBS Capital Edition, Washingtonian Magazine and Tai Chi Magazine. Pat served as consultant to the National Institute of Health and as stress management instructor for Maryland public schools. His services are recommended by area physicians, psychologists and chiropractors.
Facility Rental
Our beautiful Body Balance school building is available for rental. The 1500 sq. ft. building is air conditioned, lined with mirrors on one wall, and has organic wool carpeting. The building backs up to woodlands. It is excellent for meditation, dance, yoga, drum circles or seminars. No food or beverages, other than water, are allowed in the building. Contact us for further information.
Lineage
Supreme Grandmaster Wang Chueh-Jen
Supreme Supreme Grandmaster, Tien Shan Pai
"Double Broadsword King" of China
Member, First Professor/Research Class of Central Kuoshu Academy
Grandmaster Huang Chien-Liang
President, The World Kuoshu Federation (TWKSF)
Vice President, International Chinese Kuoshu Federation (ICKF)
President, United States Chinese Kuoshu Federation (USCKF)
Grandmaster Tien Shan Pai
Certified Tenth Tuan (Degree) by TWKSF
Certified Eighth Tuan (Degree) by ICKF
1992 Director/Chief Arbitrator-7th World Cup Kuoshu Championship
1986-2000-Head Coach of the US Kuoshu National Team
www.tienshanpai.org
Master Pat Hancock
1996 International Gold Medalist
1986 World Championship Bronze Medalist
World-ranked Master Instructor, developer and trainer of unique Tai Chi/Kung Fu style
www.bodybalancehealingarts.com
Shih Fu Eileen Hancock
International Kung Fu Champion
Body Balance-Northern California
www.bodybalancenc.com
Shih Fu Nick Hancock
International Kung Fu Champion
Balance & Harmony
www.balancenharmony.com
(Call Out)
Watching the graceful, gentle movements of the Tai Chi form, it can be easy to forget that Tai Chi is a martial art, a highly effective form of self-defense available to people of all ages. When Pat was competing at the international level he had the opportunity to spend time with Supreme Master Wang Chueh-Jen, his teacher's teacher, who was then in his 70s. The master invited Pat to engage in push hands, a two-person Tai Chi practice. To his great surprise, the Supreme Grandmaster sent Pat flying across the room three times while barely moving. Pat was profoundly inspired (and humbled) by this demonstration of the power and ability that people of any age can find in Tai Chi. |
