The Association for Traditional Studies is a 501c3 not for profit dedicated to the preservation, documentation and dissemination of China’s Traditional arts and knowledge. ATS has been working in China since 1991, and its founder, Andrew Nugent-Head, has lived in China since 1986.
To find out more about ATS and the importance of preserving traditional knowledge, click here.
Online Videos, Free to Watch on Our Site
ATS’ mission is to preserve, document and disseminate China’s traditional knowledge, and bringing this to you in books, DVDs and online is an important part of this work. With advances in technology, we are now actively encouraging the practitioners we work with to consider releasing a small sized version of their material for free on the web. Most of the videos featured on our site are also available as DVDs from our store–if you found the information important to your practice and understanding of the traditional arts, please consider purchasing a copy for your permanent library or making a tax deductible donation online.
•Chinese Medicine videos can be found here
•Martial Arts videos can be found here
•Internal Cultivation (daoyin) videos can be found here
ATS Focus: Dr. Li Hongxiang Project
Since 2005, most of ATS’ focus has been on 85 year old professor Li Hongxiang. Born and educated pre 1949, Dr. Li is the last traditional doctor left still practicing in the traditional way. Almost dying of tuberculosis in 1939, he was cured with Chinese medicine and became his doctor’s disciple in gratitude. He earned the highest rank of #1 in TCM licensing in 1946 and went on to become one of the most famous and outspoken doctors of traditional medicine outside the TCM university system.
Working with ATS, Dr. Li has just completed the first draft of his book: Interpreting Chinese Medicine (a traditional perspective) and we have begun the work of preparing it for translation. ATS is also filming candid discussions on the different aspects of Chinese medicine with Dr. Li and setting up a film series of the classic texts next year.
This is some of the most important work ATS has done to date, as Dr. Li is the last window left into China’s traditional past.
Support Our Work
The last traditional practitioners who were educated before 1949 are in their final years, and our mission is to document their rich experience and teachings before it dies with them. Their depth of knowledge in Chinese medicine, martial and cultural arts has simply not been fully passed on to the next generation and must be preserved now.
The greatest race for ATS is against time. Our window to record this knowledge is closing fast. Without your financial donations, volunteer work and pro bono services, we wouldn’t be able to continue our mission. Your donations are tax deductible and are important to our success.
To support our work and make a donation, click here.
Please also take a moment to visit the following companies who donate a portion of their profits to ATS:
Preserving, Documenting & Disseminating China’s Traditional Knowledge
The Association for Traditional Studies
The 2010 Oregon College of Oriental Medicine Seminars are Now Available to View Online
•The Current State of Chinese Medicine in China (2 hour lecture)
•The Eight Functions of Qi & Their Use Diagnosis & Treatment (4.5 hour seminar)
•Understanding Daoyin from the Yin Style Bagua Tradition (5 hour seminar)
•64 Attack Method Form of Yin Style Bagua: Several years ago, Andrew Nugent-Head created a form that connected all 64 attack methods together. Originally designed as a simple warm-up practice to run through all 8 animals’ striking methods, its movements and applications soon became his favorite practice. Currently in filming.
•Yin Style Bagua Butterfly Sword Form: In ATS’ search for quality sabers, we came across the live blade weapons from Cold Steel. Andrew Nugent-Head immediately purchased a large variety of them and ended up creating a Double Butterfly Sword form. Based on the octogon footwork and animal sections of the saber form, these weapons are now fully adapted to Yin Style Bagua’s style of fighting and training. Currently in filming.
•The Yin Style Bagua Short Staff Form: With the octogon-8 animal pattern adapted to both single and double handed weapons, Andrew Nugent-Head began using the form to train a variety of weapons: katanas, escrima sticks, medieval swords, and staffs of various lengths. The short staff became a favorite, blending single and double hand moves in one weapon. Currently in filming.
•The Yin Style Bagua Bodywork Protocols: Filmed in 2005, this 5 day seminar showcased the YSB hand techniques for treating specific illnesses and conditions. Filled with lectures, demonstrations, discussions & questions/answers, these put the Tangible Qi lectures into clinical application. Presented by Andrew Nugent-Head, MSOM
ATS is a registered PDA provider for NCCAOM certified practitioners. ATS currently offers 45 PDA points through a wide variety of seminars & lectures and is pending for another 11.5 PDA points. As a not for profit, we are able to offer many of the seminars online for free on our site, and offer the PDA points at an incredibly reduced cost. For more information, visit our Chinese Medicine page for more information, or click here.
After almost 5 years of trying to find a quality manufacturer, ATS decided to work with Cold Steel’s unsurpassed quality of traditional weaponry from around the world. These are real weapons with live blades reproduced after studying originals in museums. Visit our Martial Arts page for more information, or click here.
ATS has submitted applications to the California Board of Chinese Medicine to become an accredited CEU provider for distance learning. Please check back next month for an update on our progress in becoming certified in California.
