August 3-5, 2012
Berkeley High School, Berkeley, California
Work-Study Applications • Housing, Meals, and Transportation info
Group Rebates
Understanding Energy and Sharing at Camp
Simu Janet Seaforth
PAWMA camp has been a major source of my training. The variety of instructors and various forms from many martial arts sources provided a rich experience in my development and understanding of energy.
While Qigong and Tai Chi were always my main focus, it was beneficial to work with other martial arts as well, especially Aikido. Aikido as a partner form lets you test your ability to send and receive qi or ki. Tai Chi and Aikido are both considered to be internal arts or "soft arts", so they are compatible.
Left to right: Denise McMilan, Janet Seaforth, and Michelle Dwyer at camp in 1979. Photo courtesy of Janet Seaforth.
Martial Arts Healing Arts is one of PAWMA's themes. The organization was formed by women for women to work in a non-competitive way to help each other practice our various arts and network together and create support for all women.
I met the founding mother of women in the Martial Arts, Betty Braver, when she taught self defense and body mechanics at the Country Women's Festival of 1974 and 1975. It is also where I saw Tai Chi for the first time, and it was love at first sight. I found a teacher in 1976 in my town, at the time, of Sonoma, and also met Michelle Dwyer as a fellow student in Sifu Nam Singh's classes.
