Anan-Do Integral Martial & Therapeutic Arts

Happy World Tai Chi Day 🙂 Shifu Damir and Mr. Gego

Happy Easter to all my students, friends and Martial Arts colleagues 💙 Shifu Damir
https://www.facebook.com/damir.tenodi/

Distinguish clearly between Yin and Yang!

The Knowledge from the Source – for all Martial Arts enthusiasts
It’s my pleasure to announce that the three books by Master Ananda – my spiritual teacher, guide and mentor since 1987 − are now available on Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/Damir-Tenodi/e/B08TZ65GKQ
The books: 7 Essays, User’s guide 1, and User’s guide 2 are from the series “Master Ananda’s esoteric materials: Essays, Commentaries and Dialogues”.
Master Ananda’s teaching contains ideas and concepts which are relevant to every Martial & Therapeutic Arts enthusiast and aspirant, to all practitioners who want more and wish to go beyond sport, beyond the skill and even beyond Budo as practised today.
Studying this material can elevate one’s practice of his or hers chosen Martial Arts style to another level – the level of the Soul Warrior. It is philosophical, it is esoteric, it is universal and it’s practical. And it is essential – it is Yin to every Yang. It transcedents every particular aspect of practice, and unites them all.
The Teaching of Master Ananda is called The Endeavour. It comes from the Realm of Wisdom, which is the source of all the Classics of the past.

I am happy to announce that "Desperately Seeking Yin" is now available worldwide:
https://www.amazon.com/Desperately-Seeking.../dp/B08TV975Y9/
Product Reviews:
"Desperately Seeking Yin is the new Bible of Tai Chi." (Master Ananda, 2005)
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Born in Croatia with a background in karate and civil engineering, Shifu (teacher) Damir Tenodi came to Sydney in 1983. The author is well known in martial arts and chi kung circles, having studied tai chi with Sifu Chen Xiaowang, keeper of the Chen style, and chi kung with Sifu Chen Yongfa, keeper of the Choy Lee Fut school of kung fu. He has taught chi kung and tai chi for over twenty years, and currently teaches at the University of New South Wales, and various colleges around Sydney.
As the title suggests, the book is not strictly another book on “how to do” tai chi, but more a comprehensive account of the philosophy underlying tai chi chuan. It presents a unique explanation of Taoist Yin/Yang philosophy in relation to other schools of thought including yoga and quantum physics. For the tai chi student it also contains much useful and practical information on how to train and what to look for in a teacher. It has a good mix of simplicity and complexity, playfulness and serious discussion and contains some great diagrams and graphics.
Shifu Damir approaches the subject of tai chi chuan from two directions – from the point of view of the martial arts beginner and from the point of view of the serious student or aspirant. The book has two front covers, so it can be approached from opposite sides simultaneously. The “Yin” mentioned in the title refers to the “inner” or esoteric teaching underlying tai chi chuan. The author is encouraging the practitioner to see the art as more than a series of exercises for health and relaxation, but a practice that leads us to completeness by combining the “way of movement” with the “way of thought”.
Interspersed throughout the text are commentaries by Master Ananda, a mystic and teacher of esoteric philosophy of whom the author is a disciple. Amongst other texts on tai chi chuan the book is unique in that Desperately Seeking Yin expounds Master Ananda’s “Theory of Endeavour” which aims to incorporate “multiple effort” on various levels so that our progress is more complete and balanced. Unfortunately, the author has been asked not to reveal his master’s identity, which may irk some readers.
In summary, Desperately Seeking Yin is a book that could change lives of those who are ready to receive the knowledge it imparts. It is especially relevant to those who aspire to wholeness through the practice of “internal arts” such as tai chi, chi kung, yoga or meditation.
(Review by Alec Mitchell, published in A to Zen, Sydney, Issue 21, 2005. Alec Mitchell runs the Moruya Traditional Chinese Medicine clinic on the south coast of NSW. He has been a practitioner of Chinese healing arts for over 15 years. He teaches Tai Chi and Chi Kung, is a classical musician and has studied Traditional Japanese Acupuncture.)

MORE ABOUT THIS BOOK

"Reverting to Health" is a result of my first close encounter with tai chi chuan - specifically the Yang style, which I learned in 1980 in Zagreb, Croatia. The book also includes my thoughts on Karate/Kempo, which I've been practising since 1966.
My Yang style teacher was Sifu Dr. Tsao De Tsong, haematologist and acupuncturist who learned his Yang Chengfu's 108 form from his grandfather. In 1983, before I moved to Australia, Sifu Tsao simply said: before you leave, please write a book. And I did. It was published in 1986. I remember him fondly, as a brilliant teacher and an exceptional human being.
Soon after arriving in Sydney, I joined Shaolin Luohan Therapeutic Qigong Centre within Choy Lee Fut Kung Fu school (now Chan Family Choy Lee Fut & Lohan Qigong). The head teacher was the Keeper of the style (Jeung Mun Yan) - Grandmaster Chan Yongfa. From him I learned four chi kung forms: 18 Lohan, Sil Lohan, Dai Lohan and Wu Chi. Soon I've become an instructor at the Centre, and taught 18 Lohan as a certified teacher of 18 Lohan & Sil Lohan chi kung. After nine years of studying these forms under GM Chen Yongfa's tutelage he awarded me with a Diploma and I've been teaching independently ever since.
At the same time, within the CLF Centre I continued practising Yang style tai chi with Sifu Howard Choy, who learned it from Yang Sauchung, a great-grandson of Yang Luchan. While training with him I was assisting him and teaching his students.
For several years, I also intensely practised GM Huang Xingxian's Yang style with Sifu Patrick Kelly and really got the gist of that sophisticated and unique Yang method.
In 1988 I started the Chen style tai chi with the senior student of GM Chen Xiaowang. As soon as Sifu Chen Xiaowang migrated to Sydney in 1991 I continued practising Chen style with him, through regular classes, numerous workshops and seminars. Of course, I didn't miss any.
When Sifu CXW started travelling around the world I taught his classes at the University of Technology in Sydney. Apart from the regular classes there was a small, closed group of a few senior students who always organised extra curriculum practice at Sifu CXW house. Twenty years ago, after watching me doing my form, GM Chen Xiaowang honoured me by publicly stating: "Damir truly understands tai chi".
I also started practising the Wu style tai chi with Lama Dondrup Dorje, whose tai chi teaching was permeated with Buddhist philosophy. And his push hands were simply miraculous - I personally experienced the core of his mastery.
And then another great master, Sifu Wang Xiaolung of Hao style tai chi arrived to Sydney. I attended Sifu's seminars and experienced the highest level of tai chi, based on his profound knowledge of Taoist teaching and principles. He provided lots of practice and deep theories explanations.
I also need to mention my experience with Sifu Bing a.k.a. Master Dongyang, a great Hsing I teacher, and genuine Taoist internal martial artist of the Laozi Academy Sydney. Truly amazing.

MY KARATE/KEMPO JOURNEY

SHOTOKAN - I started karate in Zagreb in 1966, in the KK Kata. Shotokan at that time was the most popular style. My teachers were Senseis: Ž. Iljadica, N. Pečko, B. Podhraški, and K. Enoeda.
MUSHINDO KEMPO - After several years in Shotokan, I switched to Mushindo kempo, attracted to its Zen approach and smooth, fluid techniques. My teachers were Senseis: M. Topolšek, and T. Dukes.
UECHI RYU KEMPO - I learned this style from Senseis: Y. Shimabukuro and M. Topolšek. I call that time my "Sanchin Period".
MUSHINDO KEMPO - I switched back to Mushindo, to study with Sensei T. Dukes, because I yearned for more - for something more internal and philosophical.
VING TSUN KUNG FU - In Zagreb, I also had an opportunity to train with Sifu Leung Ting and appreciated the beauty of this branch of Wing Chun.
ANAN-DO KEMPO - In Sydney, I founded Anan-Do Martial and Therapeutic Arts centre in 1987, at request of Master Ananda - my spiritual guide, and Master Ido - my martial and therapeutic arts mentor.

WHAT DO I TEACH

CHI KUNG - At present, I teach several chi kung forms:18 Lohan, Sil Lohan, Hao style chi kung, Hsing I chi kung, Wild Goose chi kung, Chen tai chi Silk Reeling and Master Ido's whirling chi kung.
TAI CHI - apart from Chen style Laojia, 38 form and Paochui, I also teach Anan-Do vortical (whirling) Yang 108 form, which is a modified Yang Chengfu's long form - in accord with input and guidance of my two Inner Teachers: Master Ananda and Master Ido (Masters-of-the-Fifth-Level).
Master Ido helps me with all the forms within the martial and therapeutic disciplines that I teach, suggesting the way those should be executed, internally and externally. That's how I know which particular details to add in order to smoothly link the movements. The main purpose of these form modifications is that they can optimally serve as a vehicle or a medium for Master Ananda's esoteric teaching.
The forms modified in such a way give us a strong and "sealed" structure (Yang element), so that the forms wouldn't "leak" but would retain both - the energy and philosophical ideas (Yin element) of Master Ananda's Doctrine of the Endeavour.
KARATE/KEMPO - Anan-Do Kempo with its modified forms, and Kongo Kata which I created - mainly based on Sanchin and Tensho classical katas.
MEDITATION - I teach Anan-Do meditation, as instructed by Master Ananda.
PHILOSOPHY - I teach Master Ananda's theory of the Endeavour, which is practical philosophy for martial and therapeutic arts aspirants. Endeavour can be defined as Meaningfying™ daily life, and living in accordance with the nature of one's soul.
Books published: "Desperately Seeking Yin" is the author's main work, now available on Amazon. It's full title is "Desperately Seeking Yin: Exploring the neglected dimensions of modern tai chi chuan - Tai Chi Chuan as the Masters-of-the-next-level-see-it". It contains two parts: "The Way of movement" and "The Way of thought", practical philosophy for martial arts beginners as well as for aspirants, with commentaries by Master Ananda.
"SOS - fear of self" - practical guide for overcoming stress and depression, as well as the author's other titles can be found at this link:
https://anan-do.com/images/eng_ananpress.htm