Sifu Mark Angel

At his home in Carmel Valley, California, Sifu Mark Angel teaches Sun Style Taijiquan, Qigong and Taoist arts of self-healing, self-defense and self-cultivation as a way of life. His focus is on helping students of all ages learn to heal and protect themselves physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually.
 
Sifu Angel has studied the Taoist arts of Qigong and Taiji since the 1980s. He began training in the martial arts while on the Carmel High School wrestling team, as a supplement to the sport. He then studied Fencing at Monterey Peninsula College. In the late 1980’s, at University of California Santa Cruz, he studied Aikido and fenced competitively as he pursued a degree in Psychobiology and a minor in music. At about that same time he began training intensively with Professor Jerry Allan Johnson in Pacific Grove, California. Sifu Johnson taught Mark basic Qigong, as well as scenario-based martial applications and free from fighting.
 
In 1992, Sifu Angel had the opportunity to learn about Maori martial and spirituality while living on a Marai in New Zealand. His education there included learning aspects of spiritual and cultural practices of the Tinerau Tribe and their 8 Animal Style form. He also became familiar with the use of the Toko Toko (a staff for spiritual cultivation) and the Taiaha (a bladed wooden weapon).
 
In 1995, Mark returned to the Monterey Peninsula, and studied Joanne Connolly. Sifu Connolly earned her Sifu credentials from Professor Johnson and went on to study with other prominent martial arts teachers including Tim Cartmell at the Shen Wu School of Martial Arts in Southern California.

On February 11, 2005, Mark was made Sifu and certified to teach Sun Style Taijiquan by Joanne Connolly and Tim Cartmell. Cartmell learned the Sun Style Form from Sun Lutang’s Daughter and Grandson.

Sifu Mark has also completed a Masters Degree in Instruction Science and Technology at California State University Monterey Bay. His Capstone project was "Get Up and Move (GUM)" getupandmove.net and is now the foundation of his daily activity program developed to help people move more often throughout the day to minimize the damage done by sedentary behaviors like sitting too much.