The World Taiji Boxing Associati

Eli Montaigue
(Erle's son and personal representative, World leader of the WTBA)

I (Eli) have been studying the internal arts most of my life. Having been home schooled by my wonderful parents Erle and Sandy, (whom I am so grateful to for not sending me to school) I was surrounded by the arts from a baby, I was brought up with older broth Ben and younger sister
Kathleen, we all got along wonderfully, (most of the time!) And our friends were the children of students that come to train with Dad. So growing up, mainly on big farms in Australia, Taiji and Bagua was more or less a normal part of life. Where ever I was, climbing trees, riding my bike, playing cops and robbers, there would always be some sort of training going on in the background,
(as you'll see if you have any of Dad's DVD's)

I think the first time I learnt the first few movements of the Taiji form, I was about 4 or 5 years old, not taking it seriously of course. As I grew up, Dad would every so often show me a little technique of some sort while play fighting, so I was training in the arts with-out really thinking about it, it was just the normal thing to do in our house, never a chore.
So when it came time for me to start training seriously as I got older, I already had a good grounding from which to build from, and a good understanding of the art, and having been home schooled all my life, I already had a loose relaxed body, and a calm stress free mind.

I started training seriously when I was 14 years old, Dad starting teaching me and my bother and sister, every morning at around 7am, the Old Yang Style, normally just one move a day, as Dad was teaching his own children, he wanted us to learn every move perfectly, and so we learnt the form very slowly and detailed, it took about 4 years to get to the end of the Taiji form, with all the rest in between of course, the Pauchui form, small San-Sau, Push Hands, Bagua, etc etc etc.

We kept up these classes for a few years, learning all the aspects of the arts.

Then the three of us started learning in our own time, I would either ask Dad for the next move of what ever I was training in at the time, as I have always had practically 24 hour access to him.
Or for a lot of things, I would learn from the DVD's, then get Dad to check it. Always doing lots of Push Hands etc.

I trained with Dad nearly every day till the day he died.
Our last training session was only about an hour before he went.
In our house it was kind of like in The Pink Panther with Kato, (not quite to that extent of course, mum didn't like it when we broke things)
Mainly with Dad and I, we were always on guard when passing through the kitchen etc, and would always just burst into some push hand, sticking hands, San-Sau etc.

I now hold workshops all over the world. And have also taught our system in France to the French Navy.

I currently teach in Swansea. With weekly group classes and private tuition.

Now with my Dad gone, it's hard, and will be for a while, but I'm continuing from where he left off, with all that he gave me, not just Martial Arts,
but a true way of life.