Senpai Geoff Busbridge

Senpai Geoff Busbridge instructs tai chi, karate, and kobudo, bringing over a decade and more than two thousand hours of experience in the martial arts and philosophy of China and Japan. His passion for the martial arts has spanned most of his life and taken him to various sources, including western boxing, American kick boxing, European fencing, Brazilian Capoeira, White Crane kung fu, Hung Gar kung fu, and Taijutsu.

Gratitude is important to Geoff. He has seen many teachers and trained with many fellow students and friends. Each and every encounter has value, and he strives to find, accept, and appreciate it.

In 2003 he discovered Classical MartialArts Canada (CMAC) and quickly made it his home. CMAC offers an integrated program of Goju karate, tai chi chuan, and kobudo that aims to see these arts from a classical perspective and maintain high levels of quality. Originally drawn by the ancient weapons of the kobudo program, Geoff joined CMAC and quickly found himself involved in karate and tai chi as well. This allowed him to see the similarities and differences between each of the arts and the way they complemented and interacted with one another. Currently he holds a 4th degree black belt in Goju Ryu Karate-do, a 4th degree in Kobudo, and is ranked 4rd level in niai chi / tai chi. Other aspects of his training include chi kung, bagwa, kung fu, wushu, aikijitsu, escrima, jodo, and iaido.

Senpai Busbridge has been teaching since 2008. His experience running his own school highlighted how much he enjoys teaching and helping others - and how little he likes business and advertising. This, combined with growing family obligations, forced him to take an extended leave from professional martial arts teaching. Although Senpai Busbridge no longer operates his own school, he continues to train, and to teach and assist wherever he can.

All the programs are valuable, but it's his view that tai chi is the most important thing he has to offer. The program is accessible and offers universal benefits. As our population gets older, and in the face of a mounting health care crisis, it has become vital that we take charge of our own physical and mental heath, finding inexpensive and effective ways to stay well.

"Not everyone want's to learn how to fight, but everyone wants to be healthy. It is true that tai chi chuan is an effective martial art, and I do emphasize this at certain times in the training. But everyone coming to my classes can benefit from the gentle, low impact movements, the breathing, and the meditation of tai chi."

Sometimes life throws us unexpected hurdles. In recent years Geoff was diagnosed with type one diabetes, an auto-immune disorder that cripples the body's ability to regulate its own blood glucose. Dealing with this new challenge has given Geoff a greater appreciation of health, as well as the need to modify our training to account for our limitations. It also highlights that while there is no way to predict or prevent some illnesses, it is important to do everything we can to protect our well being so that we can thrive in other areas of our lives.

Senpai continues his studies with Classical Martial Arts Canada and plans to teach, casually or professionally, for the rest of his life. He has co-authored three books on the martial arts with his Sensei at Jade Buddha Publishing, and blogs occasionally about martial arts philosophy and strategy. He also enjoys reading all kinds of material and finds time to write fiction. Being a father of five, he has plenty of experience in creating order out of chaos - and achieving Zen in a less than conductive setting!

* On Dec 1, 2012, Geoff Busbridge was promoted to Senpai, which can roughly translate to instructor or advanced practitioner. *