Special guest Santanu Rahman of Austin Kung-Fu Academy will present a movement workshop Kung-fu for Mental Health on Wednesday, November 29, from 4 to 5:40 p.m. in Cook Hall, room 305. This workshop is free and open to anyone in the Illinois State University campus community who is interested. No experience necessary. Attendees will learn kung-fu movements inspired by the four elements: earth, water, fire, and air.
Rahman offers an innovative and holistic approach to student mental health, drawing from his kung-fu teaching practice and the principles of the four elements. He will teach a martial arts “form” (series of movements) where each of the classical elements—earth, water, fire, and air—represents distinct emotions and mental states that students often encounter. By blending these elements with kung-fu movements, Rahman provides both education and empowerment, giving students physical and mental techniques to navigate and surmount challenges in both their academic and personal journeys. This fusion of art, culture, and mental wellness serves as a compelling method to bolster student well-being and resilience.
Rahman has trained in the martial arts for over 30 years and has been teaching for over 20 years. He reached a Black Belt instructor status in the Choy Lay Fut Kung-Fu Academy under Master Tat Mau Wong (San Francisco), and has trained extensively with Sifu Sam Ng (Chicago).
Rahman holds a bachelor’s degree in counseling psychology and a master’s degree in education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He has worked in the areas of multicultural education and leadership development at the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) and University of Texas at Austin. He was also an education coordinator for the City of Austin at the Asian American Resource Center. His work has been published in a variety of journals. Rahman has a deep passion for education and teaching. He uses martial arts as the vehicle to help people see a bigger picture of themselves. His belief is that martial arts is not simply a tool for self-defense, but rather a pathway towards self-improvement. He leads by example, training at least one and a half hours every day and doing qigong meditation every morning for 30 minutes.
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This event is sponsored by the Wonsook Kim School of Art, School of Music, School of Theatre and Dance, and the Creative Technologies Program in the Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts.
If you need an accommodation to fully participate in this event, email Rose Marshack. Please allow sufficient time to arrange the accommodation.
