Sifu Michael Fuchs
Biography
Sifu/Guro Michael Fuchs is the Founder and Chief Instructor of Butterfly Martial and Healing Arts/ Butterfly Palm Qi Path Way School (Hu Die Zhang Qi Dao Pai 蝴蝶掌气道派 ), est. 1997, as well as the author of a number of books on his arts and numerous articles in top magazines. He is a double Sifu in the lineage of White Lotus Five Form Fist Shaolin Headmaster Tao Chi Li (since 1993 in Tai Chi and 1995 in Shaolin) and former Chief Instructor of his school and system for almost 8 years (1997-2005), a Master Level Teacher member of the American Tai Chi and Qigong Association and proud certified Instructor in the International Dong Tai Chi Federation of Master Alex Dong, a 5th Tuan Black Sash (I.C.B.A.W.W.), a Guro (Instructor) of Filipino Kali, a Reiki Master Teacher, Teacher of Qigong and Meditation, and a member in good standing with a variety of other organizations. His journey and love for his arts began at a very young age. His parents were both amazing, child prodigy artists and as a young boy he grew up in an extremely creative environment surrounded by art of all kinds and the artistic process. As such the concept of art and creating art was, and still is, perfectly natural to him.
It was at this time, pre-K, that he discovered his love of writing, reading, spirituality and philosophy, and martial arts. Early on in life due to his economic situation and other challenges he pursued these arts through self study as best as he could, via books, t.v., and movies (pre internet age). As a young man working and going to college and afterwards he was able to begin receiving high quality, professional instruction and apprenticeship.
He was spurred on to the formal study of martial arts by some serious health issues which were manifesting. As health was his immediate goal of training he sought out instruction in the Chinese art of T'ai Chi Ch'uan, which combines martial arts, health arts, and philosophy and spirituality into a single system (this was in the mid 80's). At that time in his region (central Connecticut) T'ai Chi instructors were few and far between- in fact he could not locate one even after searching for a year. Meanwhile he studied as best as he could from the few books on the art out there back then. Knowing how important having a quality mentor and guide was, especially for a beginner, he persevered in his efforts to find a teacher. Through a combination of what could be characterized as happenstance, luck, or karma he was led quite by accident into meeting the person who would become his teacher and mentor for many years, White Lotus Five Form Fist Shaolin Headmaster Tao Chi Li. This was a fortuitous meeting as Lao Shr Tao is a most unusual martial artist, a child prodigy and early pioneer of the arts in his country (USA) with a keen mind, iron will and discipline, the heart of a true artist, and deep and comprehensive training; learning from a host of the top, most world renowned and legendary grandmasters of the 20th century. He is most well known as being famous grandmaster Dr. Daniel K. Pai's live in disciple, Chief Instructor of the Pai Lum system, and one of his trained successors (in Pai Lum circles he is known as Pai Tao Chi).
With Lao Shr Tao, Sifu Mike began his formal study of traditional T'ai Chi, along with QiGong, Meditation and related principles and concepts. Soon after he received instruction in the Transcendental Meditation technique of Maha Rishi Mahesh Yogi and has been an avid, daily meditator ever since. Once he realized the quality and depth of all of Lao Shr Tao's arts and programs, at a certain point within his first year of training Sifu Mike made a vow to learn as much as he could for as long as he could from Lao Shr Tao. This vow continued for 17 years full-time until an "act of God" left him homeless, penniless and $20,000 in debt, and with no car. The Universe had new plans for him! During those 17 treasured years Sifu Mike branched out from T'ai Chi training, to adding in Filipino Martial Arts training, and then training in Lao Shr Everett's Shaolin Five Form Fist Kung Fu system. This included being accepted as a lineage disciple (his lineage name is Dao Chan I and Sifu in the T'ai Chi and Shaolin systems and as an Instructor of Filipino martial arts. In 1997 he was chosen to take over Lao Shr Everett's school, White Lotus Martial Arts Center (est. 1977) in West Hartford, CT serving as Chief Instructor of the school and system for 7 wonderful but challenging years, until 2005 when the Universe intervened.
Since that time Sifu Mike has continued his teaching, training and studies on his own and with a variety of teachers of various arts, including establishing himself as an author. In addition to Lao Shr Tao Chi Li, Sifu Mike has had the honor to learn from many of the top Grandmasters of the arts for over 30 years now, including: living legend Dr. Maung Gyi, Living Treasure Fu Shu Yun, Tuhon Leo T. Gaje, Grandmaster Manfred Steiner, Tuhon William McGrath, Jung Shee James Patrick Lacy, Grandmaster Gao Ji Wu, Prof. Chung Jie, Master Alex Dong, Master Wang Hai Jun, Sifu H.K. Chan, Sifu Joe Lok, GM William C.C. Chen, Master Katy Cheng, and various others.
An avid student and teacher of spiritual and healing arts as well, Sifu Mike has been blessed to learn from luminaries such as Dr. Maung Gyi, Susanne Grasso (click HERE to read an interview with Susane, the late, great Gov. Ella Grasso’s daughter), Patricia Warren, Sant Rajinder Singh ji Maha Raj, Gen Sherab Kelsang, Shri Anandi Ma, Mirabai Devi, Namadeva Thomas Ashley- Farrand, Self Realization Fellowship, and various others. This includes receiving discipleship, shaktipata, empowerment, darshan, satsang, and rare reiki healing arts, qigong, and meditation instruction from these teachers. Sifu Mike has also been an avid student of the yogic arts for most of his life, and is a certified Love Your Brain Yoga Instructor. Mike was one of the first licensed and credentialed Integrative Medicine Practitioners in CT and this region via a larger hospital and medical system which serves millions (circa 1997).
As an author Sifu Mike was first published in college (poetry) and has had articles on his arts published in leading magazines, including the first articles on reiki healing arts published in national magazines in the USA, these include: Internal Arts Magazine, Qi: the Traditional Journal of Eastern Health and Fitness, Tai Chi magazine, Massage Magazine, Evolve magazine, TAO Martial Arts+Lifestyle magazine, the USADOJO blog, the Black Belt Magazine Blog, Deadly Arts of Survival magazine, and The Empty Vessel. Books he has published include "The Seven Jewels of Reiki" and "The Compassionate Touch of Reiki: Healing Concepts, Elements, Methods" from Lotus Press; and "The Shaolin Butterfly Style: Art of Transformation" from Waterside Press, which was featured in “Black Belt” magazine.
Sifu Mike is a proud member of the American Tai Chi and Qigong Association, Pekiti- Tirsia International, the Kogen Kan Bugei Ryu, and Self Realization Fellowship.
Sifu Mike has been elected by his peers into multiple Halls of Honor, including the Action Martial Arts Hall of Honors, World Karate Union Lifetime Achievement Award of Honor, the Master's Hall of Fame, and the Kung Fu/ Karate Master's Expo Hall of Honors. He organized and led the first World Tai Chi Day events in the state of Connecticut, for which he received Proclamations declaring it “World Tai Chi Day” in CT from the Governor twice and has been featured on t.v., radio, and in newspapers and magazines numerous times.
Sifu Mike has led multi- day retreats and seminars on his arts in the New England region (both martial and spiritual retreats), and has specialized for over 30 years in working with a wide variety of special needs individuals. This includes Senior's, in the acute care rehabilitation hospital setting, The Brain Injury Alliance of CT, TBI/ ABI survivors, as a licensed Integrative Medicine Consultant in a large hospital and medical system serving millions, lock down psych. and neuro- behavioral units, Arthritis Foundation, MS Society, COPD, in the state prison system, inner city youth, the state college system (teaching 8 hour reiki certification classes for 10 years), teens with behavioral issues and more.
** Currently Sifu Mike shares the following arts with the public:
- Founder and Chief Instructor of "The Butterfly Reiki System," a unique version of traditional Usui Reiki Ryoho which has been under development since 1997, and which is based upon his studies of a wide variety or reiki and related arts with specific input and guidance from Dr. Maung Gyi. This system is detailed in his books on reiki healing arts.
- Sifu and Chief Instructor of "The Butterfly T'ai Chi System," this is a unique system of traditional t'ai chi ch'uan and internal martial arts, the bulk of which is the t'ai chi system Sifu Mike learned from his teacher Lao Shr Tao Chi Li, along with elements he has learned from his studies with many other t'ai chi and martial art experts and methods he has developed based upon these studies. He offers a full curriculum of traditional t'ai chi arts: concepts, philosophy, principles, jiben gong, t'ai chi qigong, health qigong, nei gong, forms study, tui shou and san shou, weapons, and more.
- Sifu, "White Lotus Five Form Fist Shaolin Ch'uan Fa," a huge and comprehensive system which is detailed in Sifu Mike's book on the rare Shaolin Butterfly style. The main lineage from his teacher White Lotus Five Form Fist Headmaster Tao Chi Li is via Shaolin GM Wu Jen Dai as well as GM, Dr. Daniel K. Pai (along with many others that fit into the system and it’s various elements).
- Sifu and Chief Instructor of "Butterfly Min Zin, QiGong, and Meditation"- this is a huge and complete set of curricula based upon Sifu Mike's lifetime study of these arts with a wide variety of top experts and world leaders.
- Instructor/Guro, Filipino Martial Arts/ Kali: Sifu Mike has over 30 years of experience in FMA, learning from experts such as Supreme Tuhon Leo T. Gaje, Jr., Tuhon William McGrath, and Lao Shr Tao Chi Li (along with self study of many others). His teacher taught his own style of kali which was primarily composed of pekiti-tirsia kali as he learned it from his teachers in that art, as well as elements he learned in his studies with other top experts of FMA, such as the famous Guro Dan Inosanto. Sifu Mike is experienced with all of the main elements of Kali/ FMA, from basics and footwork, to single stick/ sword, double stick/ sword, single knife, double knife, sword and knife, and empty hands.
** "Have Ki, Will Travel, " for more information as well as to explore opportunities for personal training and seminars in all aspects of these arts please contact Sifu Mike and keep an eye on his Upcoming Events and monthly Class Calendar for classes/events. Mike is also available for BOOK SIGNING Events, local/regional/national/international.
Diplomas / Certifications / Awards / Memberships
