Paul J. Cote, MS, PhD

Paul was born and raised in the small steel town of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. He now resides in an even smaller town, New Market, Maryland, often dubbed the "Antiques Capital". He fosters a sense of deep faith and hard work, but then credits all to having good parents, good family and friends, and above all, good teachers.

He is a practitioner, scholar, and instructor of several oriental martial arts. He has devoted more than 30 years of experience in martial arts to the research and teaching of these traditions as physical culture and anthropology. He is ranked Godan (5th Dan) in Isshin-ryu Karate and Kobudo by the IWKA. He was certified as an Instructor (Shidoin) by both the IWKA and OIKA when he was promoted to Sandan (3rd Dan). He has also practiced and researched the Northern Chinese internal martial arts of xing-yi quan, bagua zhang, and taiji quan for the past 20 years.

In the Martial Arts, Paul specializes in xing-yi quan and bagua zhang. He teaches these arts in and around Frederick, Maryland. Starting in 1987, he developed as a student in these two arts under renowned martial arts teacher and historian, Mr. Robert W. Smith. During this time, he studied the Hebei style xing-yi quan and the Cheng style bagua zhang emanating from Taiwan. This includes the Li Cun-yi xing-yi and Gao Yi-sheng bagua curriculum that was passed on to Mr. Smith via Zhang Jun-feng and Hong Yi-xiang, and later to Allen Pittman via Hong Yi-mian.

He has researched Gao bagua further via Master Luo De-xiu (Zhang Jun-feng/YiZong lineage, Taipei), and via Shifu Edward Yu (Liu Feng-cai lineage, Tianjin). He further researched the Hebei xing-yi of Li Cun-yi via Master Luo and Shifu Tim Bonson (Tang Shou Dao, USA). He is trained also in the Hebei xing-yi, Cheng bagua, and bagua staff, which are passed on today via Master Chen Yun-ching, son of the late martial arts master and conservator, Chen Pan-ling.

Since 1997, he has studied Hebei xing-yi, the Cheng, Yin, and Liu styles of bagua, and Wu style taiji, under Master Zhang Yun of the the Yin Cheng Gong Fa school. This school is the legacy of the late Grandmaster Wang Peisheng of Beijing, who was one of the most famous and skilled internal martial artists of 20th century China. Paul became a formal disciple in this lineage and currently offers classes in the xing-yi, bagua, and taiji (Wu style) from this system. He also studies the Wu style taiji sword (jian) and saber (dao).

Paul continues to develop his personal synthesis of martial arts based on the body methods and fighting applications found in Chinese internal martial arts and in Okinawan karate and kobudo. Since 1990, he has taught karate as a consultant using a unique blend of body methods that he adopted and fused from his training in Chinese internal martial arts. He is a visiting instructor to the Penn State Karate Club, where he first began his studies in 1974 under Sensei Dane Sutton, Kiyoshi-Go, 8th Dan. He has been an advisor for two local branches: the Montgomery Karate Club and the Arlington Karate Club. He offers frequent clinics on Okinawan karate and kobudo, and provides certified instruction in the Isshin-ryu system through his personal school, Academic Training Traditions.

He is a member of the Isshin-ryu World Karate Association (Shimabuku Kichiro, Hanshi), the Okinawan Isshin-ryu Karate Association (Uezu Angi, Hanshi), the International Ryukyu Karate-Jutsu Research Society (Patrick McCarthy, Hanshi), the Okinawan Shorin-ryu Karate-do Research Society (William Hayes, Kyoshi), a friend of the Shorin-kan (Doug Perry, Kyoshi, et al), and an Associate Editor for the Journal of Asian Martial Arts (Michael DeMarco, Editor).

In Mind-Body Studies, Paul practices the health and martial aspects of taiji quan that he learned via several of Mr. Smith's taiji lineage students (Yang style). He continues further study of taiji quan (Wu style) and qigong in the Yin Cheng Gong Fa system under Master Zhang Yun. He researches taiji and qigong in the traditional and biomedical literature, along with yoga physiology and psychology, which he studied from 1993-1998 under the late Dr. J.C. "Timmy" Geoghegan. Paul has served as a health education consultant on the traditional and scientific aspects of taiji quan, qigong, and yoga for wellness organizations, senior centers, community groups, hospitals, and universities.

As part of these activities, he developed simplified courses for promoting human health and wellness for novices at all ages, including children and seniors, and also for special needs populations. He also designs unique programs for human development that involve "embodied education". These combine his martial arts training, field research in transcultural holistic health systems, and advanced degree training in physiology, neuroendocrinology, and metabolism.

In the Life Sciences, Paul earned his masters degree in physiology in 1977, and his doctoral degree in the biological and biomedical sciences in 1986. He has extensive work experience as a research scientist and university professor, both of which carry through in his extramural public service contributions via Academic Training Traditions.