European Wintertraining 2025 in Götzens

European Wintertraining 2025 in Götzens

16th – 25th January

“In the depth of the Winter

– Unity –

surrounded by majestic Mountains”

Nestled between the snow-capped and well-rooted Tirolean mountains, Götzens offers an abundance of the different states of the Water element in Winter – snow, ice, crystals, and steams. Surrounded by impressive mountains, blue skies, and clean crisp air, it´s easy to palpably absorb the solidity of the earth and the openness to the heavens, inspiring us all to explore solid grounding, free-flowing energy and creativity within ourselves.

The Götzens Tai Chi Winter training 2025 was fantastic. For our 50^th year anniversary, we chose the theme unity, which was kicked off by a Jade stone remembrance gift for all participants and a meditation which acknowledged all the various people who have contributed to the growing of our school in the last 50 years as well as those who are still contributing.

Guest accommodations were within walking distance of the main workspace, which was located in the event hall of the Town Hall, a beautiful, open, light workspace with a wooden floor and large enough for all of us to fit in.

New B1 apprentices were welcomed, B2, B3, Fund, PH1, IF, and PH2 apprenticeships were offered, plus the premier of the first official sword form experienceship, which was taught by all four of the invited legacy holders. Daily Time in the Art sessions, all advanced PH’s levels, and a new and an advanced sword/fencing class.

Special events happened. A morning field trip to the top of the Hoadl mountain ski location, included doing qigong and tai chi in the cold crunchy snow, under bright sun and surrounded by a blue sky with a panoramic view overlooking the surrounding mountain peaks. Afterwards we warmed up with apple strudel and hot chocolate. Evening events included a tour of the town of Innsbruck, visiting local farms to view local handmade Christmas nativity scenes and a short course in yodeling.

A round of applause was definitely earned for Maria Gandler and her local support team of apprentices who did a fantastic job to welcome 47 participants from 8 countries (including 7 people from 4 different states in the US), to this picturesque Winter training location. Unforgettable!  (Sherry Kent, LH Amsterdam)

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I had a wonderful time at the Winter Training in Götzens. Thank you and all who help you for organizing it. Everyone was so warm and welcoming. I felt cared for as if I was with family.

I went to the Training especially to study Sword. Having two classes of swords a day made me very happy. It was also great to be able to work my level of PHs, and to take an apprenticeship. And all with the best teachers.

This was my first trip to Austria, so getting the chance to experience Austria outside of Tai Chi was much appreciated. The experience when we all gathered on the top of Axamer and did Tai Chi together was beyond words. It was magnificently beautiful and spiritual being on top of the world and doing Tai Chi together as one.

Another highlight of mine, was letting loose and yodeling with Gabi and her sister Brigitta. They were open and encouraging and so much fun. I don’t think we sounded very good, but we laughed a lot.

My “ah ha” moment is something I took back with me, I’m still processing. It is how all the forms we study: Open Hands Form, Push Hands, Sword Form and Fencing, are all very connected. Studying one with more depth enriches others.

I can’t thank you enough for making this training happen Maria. You are amazing. I smiled the whole time I was there.  (Angie Holland, Portland, US)

***

It was wonderful to be in such beautiful surroundings for this training – gratitude in waking to this each day.

The week allowed me to find more of a confidence in my own voice, and I appreciate the chance given to help teach the PH1 group, with our focus of unity and softness.

I returned home feeling grounded, with a renewed attention: Inspired to share, and my hopes to begin classes in Bristol relit. (Oliver Brouwer, Bristol, England)

***

I just loved to be in Götzens!

The beautiful environment of the mountains, the bakery with a terrace in the sun, the scale of the town, friendly people, just lovely. It was the first time for me teaching an apprenticeship. Danyal has so many skills teaching it, I still lack.

He had the overview of the material to pass, how we want the teachers to pass this material and what they need to focus on and get them to talk through it as soon as possible. Meanwhile he noticed how each student or the group could improve. And he was very creative using his wit & sense of humor to teach them the essentials, with examples they will not forget any time.

Teaching teachers is an entirely different level than teaching a ‘normal’ class. There’s not much room or time to be insecure about your skills, knowledge or yourself. You really have to be there. And I’ve got the impression that it’s really an advantage if you are a talker.

Traveling back to Holland my growth is all about my shortcomings. Getting the wording right, without trying to change my personality and staying in my dantian during all circumstances.  (Shao Lin, Amsterdam)

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I was pleased the sword experianceship was offered.  It was well taught and well attended. Sword is a demanding practice.  Take your very best intermediate form, with depth, length, add genuinely moving from the dan tien, and really have your arms moving only because the body does.  That is a challenge enough.  Then add a sword!   Then genuinely embody all of the above and you have the basics of a sword teacher.

For me, the sword apprenticeship is like the sword practice itself.  The sword is like a big lever – it exaggerates your imbalances.  Rather like “bend bow shoot tiger/the lighthouse of the form” picks up on whatever you are doing not quite right elsewhere in the form and exaggerates it, so does the sword. And so does the sword apprenticeship. A work in progress.  (Danyal Sattar, London)

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The sword program of three different sessions per day, each with a different focus, was intense, challenging and ultimately rewarding, with hands on and verbal feedback from legacy holders and other apprentices giving me clear guidance of where I need to focus my personal practice and work to grow in my embodiment of the sword form. This in turn will inform my Tai Chi form practice, I have already started this, and changes have already been noticed by my teaching colleagues.  (Griff Steer, Harrold, England)

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One of the most enjoyable parts of the Winter Training was helping with PH 5 group. Feeling the edge’, finding a deeper internal awareness of the connection between me and my PH partner, being occasionally able to ‘get out of the way,’ to listen, release and let ‘it’ happen. Over all it was very unifying and profoundly reassuring knowing I can ‘hold my ground … and be confident.

It was a great opportunity and a pleasure to work with Gerrie, Sherry and Greg and also to remember how PH5 is structured and how the different levels build on each other was a superb reminder of how great the TCF curriculum is and how lucky we are to have such talented and dedicated teachers. We are one.  (Peter Kennedy, Nantes, France)

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This year’s apprentice Winter Training in Götzens was a wonderful shared experience, all the participants were fully embraced and supported by a well-organised team led by Maria Gandler.

The training was also a fantastic opportunity for our local team of apprentices to spend some time together, sharing evening meals with a glass of good local wine. Team building is essential in fostering relationships and trust, I felt the unity of the team flourish, just by getting to know each a little more with openness and honesty during the training.

It’s wonderful when local teams come together at Winter and Summer trainings, where we all have a sense of consciousness and unity of the whole.  (Kevin Lannon, England).

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So good to reconnect with some of the European members of the Tai Chi Foundation, and meet others – great to cross-pollinate! Maria & Anita arranged visits to several notable nativity scenes for several of us.

We visited the local church, whose nativity scene boasts incredibly detailed and beautiful figures, scenery & costumes. A local artist who owns a manger scene that is carved wood and over 200 years old hosted us in his studio; grade school friends of Maria hosted us in their traditional living room with homemade schnaps & butterbrot, where they had set up their beautifully painted old paper Krippe;

and our last visit was to another paper version – again, over 100 years old – in another couples’ traditional farmhouse.

Wir Weiberleit haben Krippe gschaut! Maria taught me this dialect phrase to describe our evening – and it was dialect come to physical reality!  (Karla Nielson, New York, US)

***

For me, there was a nurturing quality to the winter training. The mountains cradled us, the practice supported us, and the teachers embraced each other. Each day I experienced a deepening of my roots and an appreciation for our shared experience. I felt more connected and in unity to the community than ever before.

Tai Ski bridged the internal work with the external application in the elements,

the metal of the mountain,

the water of the snow,

the fire of the sun,

the wood of the trees and

the Earth of the sustenance.

A gift to the embodiment of this journey.  (Ian Lopez, Portugal)

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50th year celebration.                                            

Up and up we go,

Closer to the Heavens

Enraptured by the dazzling light.

The mountains offering their sacred space for our Celebration.

In awe of Nature and its beauty, we celebrate with Joy.

Happy skiers sliding around us, music in the background,

Yet the silence of winter reflected in the snow.

Within the stillness of the mountains,

Aligned between the soft earth and majestic skies

Our tai chi celebrates our Oneness

One Sound of the snow crumpling  beneath our steps.

One Breath filled with our ever present Spirit.

A moment in time when All is Unity.  (Anne Marie Gent, Kimpton, England)

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Being on the mountain, with all of us enjoying the mountain underneath us and surrounded by the blue sky. Breathing in the pure air, a fantastic experience of being between heaven and earth.  (Gerrie Sporken, LH Amsterdam)

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47 apprentices / LHC attended the Wintertraining 2025 in Götzens.

27 apprentices were actively making this week happen, 18 apprentices/LHC were teaching and 12 apprentices helped during the week in many diffrent roles and duties. (3 helped and taught)

So many apprentices contributing to the wintertraining, is certainly a sign of a healthy and lively Tai Chi community.

Tai Chi students of Götzens were invited to a Time in the Art hour, led by Jonathan Stow. 16 of the invited students attended and enjoyed the hour.

Four Legacy Holders C. were teaching and supervising all day everyday. It enabled them to work in person with each other and process together. For all apprentices it was such an opportunity to receive feedback, impulses and teaching of all four LHCs.

The goals of the organizers were to transmit high quality, create community and be in unity in the midst of the deep winter energy.  There were moments when we gathered as the whole group where I felt deep connectedness and love for so many people in the circle. It was a week with depth, quality and connectednes that will always be a valuable memory in my life.

Thank you to all who attended, thank you to all who delivered teaching in such a committed way and thank you to all helpers in so many roles, who helped to create this beautiful spirit of the week.  (Maria Gandler, Götzens, Austria)

Tai Chi Foundation 2025