Tai Chi Pearl City

The popularity of tai chi is rising due to the many benefits it offers. The most basic is the gentle manner in which it can strengthen the body and increase range of motion. No matter your age or physical limitations, you can still do tai chi. Other benefits include lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol, and improvements in those who suffer from arthritic, pulmonary, circulatory, and even mental well-being such as dizziness and vertigo. Through tai chi, the student learns to breathe and relax properly, and learns to be aware of their bodies.

Each person who walks through the door of Tai Chi Pearl City gets individual attention to make sure they get a good start in tai chi. Beginners are taught the mechanics of the basic stances and "empty stepping." Once they have a general understanding, they are ready to join the rest of the beginning class in learning the long form.

There is always the question of, “Is this a good school?” That’s true, as a novice, how can you tell the difference between a good school and a bad one? Firstly, if you’re searching for a place that’s right for you, go around and sit in a few classes. You want to find an instructor and environment that you can feel comfortable in. Next, look at what’s being taught.

The most important thing to look for is stances. The stances should be long and low with knees always bent. If you see students standing practically straight up with knees straight, the tai chi being taught is next to useless. One of the greatest and most immediate benefits to doing tai chi at all is long and low stances. With the leg muscles constantly and properly engaged throughout the long form, even seniors with physical limitations can gain increased leg strength. If you ever watch world competitions in tai chi, all participants have beautiful long stances. This is the kind of excellence we strive for.

The plague for most seniors is the weakening of the legs which makes them susceptible to falls. Did you know the one of the main reasons most seniors end up in nursing homes is because they lose the use of their legs? Don’t allow age and infirmity to take away your personal freedom, do something about it! Tai chi is gentle enough and at the same time tough enough to strengthen arms and legs, tighten the midsection, and increase range of motion and flexibility. Seniors are constantly asking if they are too old to do the required stances. Absolutely not. In the beginning it's hard because the legs need to be strengthened and developed. It happens very fast if you keep following the basics. Within 3 weeks you will see an incredible difference in your leg strength.

Working with seniors and getting them into long stances is very challenging; along with the physical difficulties, Sifu Paul must also work with a student’s preconceived notion of what they can and cannot do. Yet, he gives every effort to each student so they can achieve their goals because he feels they have entrusted themselves to him in hopes that he can help them have a better quality of life. He says, "I will never give up on a student." Teaching with such dedication takes its toll, but for Sifu Paul the end result is well worth the effort.

General Class Information:

Click here for information regarding location, class schedule, monthly tuition, discount plans, and contact information. Feel free to call or email us for more information – or just come down and visit us!

How old are the students?

The ages range from 50-70 years, but we do have students who are younger and older. The youngest is in his mid-20s, the oldest is mid-80s. Because of the patience required, we only accept adults.

What is the proper attire?

Any kind of comfortable clothing is sufficient. Most of our students wear long cotton pants or long shorts (jeans tend to restrict movement) and T-shirts. Athletic shoes are recommended for best support and stability. Some students bring small towels and water because we promise you, after an hour of tai chi, you will sweat!

What are your classes like?

	Everyone appreciates Sifu Paul's perseverance with each student. Getting each student on track with a good solid foundation is foremost. Aside from that the form is explained step by step, movement by movement. Each detail is slowly explained as the student does the form. There are moments of intense instructions, moments of continuous movements and moments where everyone is bursting out with laughter. Tai Chi Pearl City has a very "family" atmosphere.

The form is so long, how can I memorize it?

The Yang Style Long form consists of about 108 total moves. Within those moves are other moves so in total there’s about 367 total moves. If you try to memorize the moves you will definitely quit -- it’s too much to memorize. Sifu Paul asks the student to memorize only the first 8 moves of the form because it has elements that compliment most of the moves in the form. Don’t worry about memorizing, just be good copiers.

How long will it take before I can do the entire form?

Sifu Paul devotes the first 1/2 hour before each beginners class to teach new students the basics of the stances. After that you go into the beginners’ class. You can usually do the entire form in the first session.

What’s the most difficult thing about tai chi?

The hardest part of tai chi is getting use to the stances and movements. The first few weeks are crucial to the student because the foundation is being built. If the foundation is built incorrectly then the student will always struggle. If the student is struggling with wrong movements, every time the movement is executed, it is reinforced in the brain. Repeated movements make it hard for the brain to adjust itself again. The most crucial task at this point is for the student to understand the basics of each stance. The hand movements are not difficult because those can be easily changed as you learn.

I'm not sure if Tai Chi is for me, what is your recommendation?

	Tai Chi also teaches you determination and perseverance. You cannot achieve these goals with a negative attitude. Commit to taking Tai Chi for at least 3-4 months before you form an opinion. It takes that long to really get a good feel of the program.
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This is the official class we start actually going into the tai chi form. The form is broken down and explained in detail: the proper stepping, technique, breathing and timing. There is a lot of "stop-go" in this class because it would depend on what Sifu feels he needs to correct and also on the needs of the class. If the class is having difficulty in one portion of the form, Sifu will stop and take more time on that portion. The form is not always completed during this class, but it’s a great class to learn the details. The wonderful benefits of this class, at the most base level, is increased leg strength and better posture. Our students have claimed to have better balance, breathing, and over all health even after only 2-3 sessions. Our classes have a wonderful “family” atmosphere and every class is an enjoyable one.

There's no ranking in tai chi and this class is for students who feel comfortable enough or those who’re just willing to try to do the entire form nonstop. The Yang Style Long Form is done in its entirety to gentle music and can be completed anywhere between 30 minutes to 1 hour. TCPC's standard time has been a 45-50 minute form and has been known to be called the "workout" class because by the end of the form, all the students are drenched in sweat. Sifu will walk through the class to correct students here and there, give guidance and suggestions, but the entire form is always completed. It’s a really nice class where the students can work their muscles and sweat out their stress, leaving them with a great feeling to end an evening or start a morning.

TAI CHI PLUS. August 2008, we’ve officially began our Tai Chi Plus “class.” It’s not really a special class, it’s an option to attend both the beginner and general class at the same time. We originally didn’t like this idea, but a few students have done this and we started to see some great results. They decided that they liked the details of the first class and then applied what they learned in the advanced class as we do the entire form. We wouldn’t suggest this to a brand new student, but for those who’ve been with us a while and would like to enhance their tai chi experience, this could be an option for you.

Tai chi in general can help anyone no matter what their level of health and physical ability. But don't just take it from us, listen to the voices of our real students:
	“It's difficult to put into words how Tai Chi has helped me because I believe I'm not yet fully aware of all its benefits. In a few short months, I've noticed increased leg strength and less muscle aches. At home, I try to do the stretches we learn in class. Also, I'm more aware of my breathing throughout the day. Naturally my response to stress is to hold my breath or to shorten it. But I can hear Sifu or Sensei Sherine's voice, "Breathe, don't hold your breath" and I remember to breathe deeper. This simple modification of behavior, which is to say literally breathing, helps me to stay calm and focused. As a beginner to Tai Chi, there is so much to learn. I thought I was in fairly good shape when I signed up for class, but quickly found muscles in my legs that obviously were underused. It was so humbling to leave class with leg pain and muscle tightness. I was [so] overwhelm[ed] the first few classes and feeling so challenged forced me to look within myself. I had to tell myself to keep at it, things will start to flow. Slowly but surely and with the help of the new Monday session, things are beginning to take shape. I'm grateful the instructors are patient and provide a lot of encouragement. I have other friends who also take Tai Chi, but only learn the form. The basics - stances, empty step walking, balance and strength building are not emphasized. I'm thankful that we learn not just the form, but we are also working on a solid foundation that has many health benefits for me now and as I age. Everyone is class is nice and supportive. I enjoy seeing the now familiar faces of everyone in class. Having such cordial people in class makes it all the more enjoyable and worthwhile.”
	--Gwen Zakahi (3/2/09)
	“I really enjoy the classes. It energizes me and reminds me what martial arts is really supposed to be, not the martial arts I walked away from after 20 years of studying. I believe … Paul [is a] great sifu who knows how to mix up the seriousness with levity. I appreciate [his] … patience with this undisciplined person.”
	--Arnold Wong, 2 mo (7/20/08)
	“I want to express my appreciation to [TCPC] for your sincere interest and effort in teaching tai chi. As a retired person with a lot of free time, I have been spending most of that time golfing. Although I enjoy golf, I felt I needed to learn something else that will help keep me strong both physically and mentally as I face the challenges that aging brings, such as illness and death. I chose to explore tai chi. So far I find it interesting and I like the workout. It is hard for me because I am so uncoordinated. But with patience, I think I can learn it and in time reap the benefits, enjoy it, and most importantly make it apart of my life.”
	--Nancy Gyotoku, 3 mo (7/20/08)
	“I enjoy how it relaxes me. I also need to do exercise that do not further hurt my left foot, [and] I believe Tai Chi is one of the reasons that my blood pressure has returned to normal.”
	--Christine Asuka, 5 mo
	“I really like your class. I know it will take me a lot of time to get where the others are, but I don't want to give up. [Even] the one day a week has been helpful to me. Most of the time, I like the pace. I have noticed that my leg muscles are much stronger now than when I first started. It has made some things easier for me both at home and at school. Definite improvements in agility - but, a long ways to go. Thanks for asking and also for sharing your valuable time with us.”
	--Diane Yorita, 4 mo (7/15/08)
	“What I like mostly about TCPC is that the instructors stresses heavily on stance. I am a firm believer in maintaining a good stance. By maintaining a good solid stance I'm more likely to move more freely from the hips up.”
	--George Ganal, 4 mo
	“Ann and I have been really enjoying the classes. Sifu Paul was correct in telling us that our legs will get stronger as Ann has found her legs to be much stronger going up different stairs and doesn't need to use the hand rail as much. We like the fact that the instructions are repetitive and that you and Sifu Paul are very, very patient with us seniors. We are happy that we have found Tai Chi, since it will benefit us physically and mentally as we enter our ‘golden’ years. While at class, I forget all of the daily stresses in life as I am concentrating on remembering my left foot from my right.”
	--Ann and Bob Kawai, 6 mo (7/11/08)
	“I have definitely seen an improvement in my personal being. 1) For one thing, I have a permanent numbness on the left side of my face due to an elective surgical procedure that alleviated a nerve pain in my face. When I am in tai chi class, and a few minutes after, I actually don't feel the numbness. I feel like my face has feeling and energy is flowing. 2) Another improvement has been an awareness of my physical posture and balance, and also the importance to stretch my muscles. 3) Still another improvement is my understanding of the art of tai chi, how important it is to be grounded and the appreciation of ‘hara.’ I love Tai Chi Pearl City because you all have given me the opportunity to learn and experience the benefits of tai chi. [There] are excellent instructors and mentors. I gain by repetitiveness, so when the instruction is slow and we repeat the form several times, it helps me to remember.”
	--Meredith Omura, 6 mo
	“I enjoy Tai Chi. It has made me learn to control my breathing and to calm myself. It has also helped in lowering my blood pressure. Thank You.”
	--Gavin Walker, 9 mo (2/20/09)
	“Other benefit that I noticed is that I am more aware of body and that I am using my core more. I also feel very relaxed after, I think it helps to relieve stress, not just work stress but stress on your body.”
	--Leanne Kaichi, 2.5 yrs (2/28/09)
	“The caring atmosphere in the class (thanks to [Sherine] and Paul) and the camaraderie among the class members encourage me to persevere. Tai chi, even if my attendance is not consistent, has become a way of life for me. My general well-being has been maintained, in contrast to the health issues affecting many colleagues, friends, and family members much younger than I. My brother on Maui, who sees me infrequently, commented that tai chi has had good influence on my health. Class is challenging, yet stress-free with individual pacing. I am more attuned to my body and I feel better balance physically, emotionally, psychologically, and even spiritually. [Of course, my faith also has a great deal to do with my overall well-being =).] The increasing support for tai chi by medical personnel bolsters my confidence that I am spending my time wisely. I also have respect for the wisdom of the ages. Tai chi would not have lasted so long if it did not provide benefits, even if the specific benefits cannot be enumerated. In the big picture, it is exercise for wellness...and it is fun.”
	--Harriet Carmody, 7 yrs (2/26/09)
	“The longer I do Tai Chi, the more addictive it becomes for me. The more I do Tai Chi, the less I seem to know about Tai Chi. The flow of my inner energy transcends my outer physical movements and provides a calming effect on my body and mind. If I don't do Tai Chi at least once a week, my body feels agitated.”
	--Jimmie Paulino, 15 yrs (2/27/09)
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	Set back foot first before stepping forward in stance. Weight distribution ratio is front 60% and back 40%. Shift your weight completely off your back foot. Turn foot out 45 degrees to where you are facing. Shift all your weight into the foot. Bring feet together, making sure you have 4" space between feet. Step out 2 shoulders long. Keep hips straight when stepping. Extend stepping foot out without placing weight on it. Keep weight on back foot. Place stepping foot heel on the ground. Make sure foot is pointed in. Outside of lead foot straight. Place weight on lead foot. Knee should be in like with webbing of the foot. Check back leg for "big" bend. Should face out to side. Keep back straight.

Set back foot first before stepping forward in stance Weight distribution ratio is back 70% and front 30%. Shift your weight completely off your back foot. Turn foot out 90 degrees to where you are facing. The outside of foot forms a 90 degree angle to where you are facing. Shift all your weight into the foot. Bring feet together, making sure your lead foot is inside of back heel. Step out 2 shoulders long. Keep hips straight when stepping. Extend stepping foot out without placing weight on it. Keep weight on back foot. Place stepping foot heel on the ground. Make sure foot is pointed in. Outside of lead foot straight. Place weight on lead foot. Since all the weight basically is on the back leg, the front knee should face straight to the sky. Back hip should be back and 45 degrees to front.

	Set back foot first before stepping forward in stance Weight distribution ratio is back 90% and front 10%. Shift your weight completely off your back foot. Turn foot out 45 degrees to where you are facing. Shift all your weight into the foot. Bring feet together, making sure lead foot is inside of back heel. Place all your weight on back foot. Extend the lead leg straight out. Place foot on ground with toes pointed in or outside of foot straight. Front foot resting only on big toe, in line with knee. Hips should be 45 degrees.

Weight distribution ratio is 50:50. Extend leg out to side 2 shoulders wide. Outside of both feet should be parallel; facing straight. Drop weight down; head height same as front stance. Push hips in and back straight. Open both knees out wide, pressure on outside of thighs. When standing in this position, your knees will fall inside the feet, should not be in line with feet.
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We ask that students memorize the first few moves that we call "until the Single Whip". As the student progresses in tai chi, you’ll see that the Single Whip repeats often during the form. Tai Chi Begins ... natural stance
		Up … hands only Down … knees bend as hands go downward Turn … turn right, don’t lift your toe Grasping Sparrow’s Tail … step left, front stance Ward Off … bring in right foot, cat stance, step forward into front stance Roll Back … shift into back stance, extend out the hands Press … shift info front stance, press the right forearm Separate … separate the hands, shift back into back stance Turn and circle … turn 45 degrees, circle as if a big barrel is in front of you Push … push with the hands, shift into front stance Shift back, turn left … be sure your right toe is facing left Relax and scoop … relax the hands, scoop the left hand, start shifting to your right Chicken Beak … shifted completely into right side, chicken beak with right hand Single Whip … face left, left palm facing your face, back stance first, then shift front stance, palm facing out
Tai Chi Ends … shift back toes up, relax the hands, and turn facing forward. Scoop both hands and shift left while bringing in your right foot. Cross your hands in front of you, right hand on the outside (your knees are still bent). Swipe the hands downward and uncross the hands, straighten your knees.

Tai Chi T-Shirts For Sale

We have school shirts available!

Colors: black or grey.

Sizes: small, medium, large, X large.

Cost: $15 per shirt.

The shirts are pictured left.

Thanks to Gail Koga and Joan Ganal for letting me take a picture of them and their shirts!

(posted 4/18/09)

Special Tai Chi Summer Session 7/10/10!

We had our 1st tai chi special session of 2010 and we had a great time! We started off doing our usual warm up and walking. Although we don’t really need to warm up for tai chi, we found that students really like the extensive stretching. We, of course, did empty step walking in both front and horse stances which allows the student to focus on controlling their weight and balance.

The Long Form.

Next we did the Yang Style Long form nonstop for 30 minutes. The majority of the students who came today haven’t done the form regularly or this was their first time. They did great! Everyone thinks tai chi is so slow that it’s not much of a workout, but ask our students who’re dripping with sweat after every class! It’s a challenge for the legs, improves posture, and if you do it right, it’s a great cardio workout too!

Building the Chi.

Sifu Paul began his explanation of chi gung which was designed to be a continuation of the last special session. (The order of the pictures is left to right, top then bottom row.) The purpose of building your Chi is to activate the body's awareness. The student starts off by relaxing all parts of the body and gets the entire body to feel the breath process. The first 3 moves of the exercise are meant to wake up the body. Three sounds are made; OM, AH and HUM and each sound should resonate through each point. The rest of the process activates the chi sensations in the body and opens up the body's 12 Channels.

We continued for another 45 minutes or so, just standing and working with breathing and chi. It seems odd to just stand there for that long and I myself felt a little dubious about the whole thing, but I was surprised to feel a growing tingling in my hands. It didn’t seem unusual because that’s normal for me during the regular form, but the odd thing was how the tingling became more intense and began to spread up my arms. After this session, several students came up to us to tell us how intense the session was! We learned to focus chi between our palms, but eventually pulled the palms farther apart and then even focused on kidneys etc. Nearly everyone felt their chi power to some extent. It was amazing!

This was towards the end of the session (you can’t see, but a lot of us were pooped and ended up just plopping down on the floor!).

Sifu is doing a quick demonstration on pressure point striking. He is pressing the wrist pressure point. When this is hit, it sends messages to the brain that the wrist is broken.

Secondly, once wrist pressure point is struck, point on the high forearm is also hit.

Last point or the third point is the triple warmer point on the side of the neck. These three points lined up will cause unconsciousness for 20 minutes.

Gwen Zakahi, Michael Kim, Sharon Respecki, Vince & Betty Tanaka, Nancy Gyotoku, Richard Draper, Karen Lee-Igeta.
May Asato, Joleen Higa, Lorraine Antonio, George Ganal, Meredith Omura, Elaine Lee.

Michael Yoshida, Julia Walker, Vince & Betty Tanaka, Carolyn Yoshida.
Chris Roller and friend.

Richard & Jing Jing Draper. (So cute!!)

Rachel Yoshida, Karen Teruya, Joan Ganal, Fe Yoshida, Janice Kakazu, Carolyn Yoshida.

Charmaine & Charles Kapahua, Bob & Ann Kawai.

Me and pumpkin dessert!
Me again and (thanks to Elaine Lee) whip cream!!!!!!

We had such a great time! Sincere THANK YOU to Sifu Paul who spent a lot of time and effort to put together and conduct this special program for us. It’s not purely just the information, but it’s the depth of love and caring that he pours into each student because he worries about everyone’s health! He did a lot of research, taking into consideration the different students and their ailments, thinking about what would benefit them the most. Thank you, Sifu! We appreciate you!!

Thank you to all our wonderful students who were able to participate and join us for lunch, it was a wonderful fellowship. Thank you all for helping me set up and clean up afterwards – it was so fast and easy! I used to do everything myself and it was just exhausting! So I most definitely appreciate everyone chipping in to set up and break down the tables and chairs, clean up the food, sweep up the floors. You guys are awesome!

We always do our best to keep a positive tone in our classes and we do laugh and play because having a smile on your lips and laughter in your heart makes learning so much richer. All of you enrich our lives and we hope to continue to do the same for you!

Special Tai Chi Winter Session 12/9/09!

This is kind of late (mostly because I threw all these pictures on FB!), but our pictures from our first special tai chi session! Tai Chi Pearl City started off pretty small so we’ve never considered doing a special kind of training session as we do our karate side, but we’ve really grown! Sifu suddenly felt the need to do something special for our tai chi students. As I recall (dusting off my brains), Sifu lead us in extensive stretching exercises and taught us a lot of 2-man stretching to intensify the stretch. He also showed us knee strengthening exercises since a lot of us have knee problems as well as glut stretches for those with sciatica issues. He had everyone pair up and we learned how to “rake the back” using our fingertips to “wake up” the senses in our back. We ended this portion doing the Yang Style Long form for about 45 minutes.

Sifu then taught everyone how to awaken the chi in their bodies and led them through a series of hand techniques to accomplish this.

We ended with a fantastic potluck lunch (which we probably gained 10 pounds from) and enjoyed each others’ company. It was Christmas time so the air was really festive.

Everyone commented how good this was and Sifu was inspired to make this special session a 2x a year event!

Left to Right:
Standing: Kay Tomiyama, Fe Yoshida, Gavin Walker, Joleen Higa, Vince Tanaka, Betty Tanaka, Russ Goode, Sherry Goode, Lorraine Antonio, Michael Kim, Amy Shiraishi, Richard Draper, Leanne Kaichi, Barbara Mishima, Jimmie Paulino, Pauline Yoshida, Gary Namba, Karen Teruya, Frances Ching, Debbie Mun.
Crouching: May Asato, Harriet Carmody, Charmaine Kapahua, Charles Kapahua.
Sitting: Chris Roller, Nancy Gyotoku, George Ganal, Julia Walker, Christine Asuka, Janice Kakazu, Sifu Paul Imada, Sherine Nohara, Jing Jing Draper, Karen Igeta-Lee, Rhoda Hirokawa, Gwen Zakahi, Joan Ganal.

TCPC Now on Facebook!
Yes, your tai chi school can now be found on Facebook (FB). I plan to use FB for news, schedule changes, general information, pictures, and possibly video. I will still post information on our website, but most of it will be on FB.

If you already have a FB account:
Do a search for Sherine Nohara and send me a Friend Request. Please pick the account where I’m pictured in my gi with maroon curtains in the background – that’s the school’s account. After I accept your request, I’ll send you an invitation to TCPC’s group. I will be accepting only current registered students only.

If you DON’T have a FB account:
Okay! Welcome to the modern world! The first question usually is: What the heck is Facebook? FB is a website for social networking – meaning, you can talk story with your long-lost (and not-so-lost) friends and family. You can do a lot of things on FB: post news, pictures, chat with friends, etc. You can think of it like a “public email” where everyone can see each other’s comments and make their own comments.

How to set up your account:
1. You need to have an email account – you won’t be able to set one up without it. If you don’t have one, a lot of websites offer free email – you can visit Gmail, Hotmail, or Yahoo. 2. Go to http://www.facebook.com/ and start up an account – it’s very easy, just follow the instructions. 3. Once your account is set up, go to the upper right corner and click in the box that says Search. 4. Type in Sherine Nohara and two accounts will show. Pick the school’s account – I’ll either be in my white karate uniform or black tai chi clothes. 5. On the right opposite my picture, click on Add as Friend. 6. I’ll accept your request once I get it, and send you an invitation to join TCPC group on FB; please accept.

I’ll be posting comments etc – it’s for us to keep you informed, but it’s also an open forum for students to talk to each other. I know most of us are unused to something like FB, but give it a try, it can be a lot of fun. I was a little uncomfortable with it at first, but it’s kind of neat because it allows me to keep in touch with mainland family – I can see them too because a lot of them post pictures. Just jump on and give it a try, click on stuff, it won’t bite! If you have any questions, you can talk to me in class or just email me at senseisherine@skckarate.com (which will still be my main point of contact).

Hope to see you on FB soon!! (posted 5/23/09)

Some Light Reading

Light? Well, if you consider the earth light, then it’s light reading; ha ha. Well, seriously speaking, Sifu Paul has mentioned a couple books in class and I thought I’d show you which ones he was talking about. They’re pretty heavy duty and not even I’ve slogged through the whole thing yet. But if you’re brainier than I am, maybe you can read them and explain everything to me! Hey, I’m a student just like all of you! ?

T’ai Chi Classics by Waysun Liao

This one is kind of way out there and I think I only got to page 20-something. It goes into details of chi (internal energy) and jing (power generated by chi energy) along with some general history. The concepts are a bit too “Wha-?” for me, but perhaps you’ll get more out of it than I did. I was trying to practice the “tai chi skeleton” concept for a little while, something I learned from this book. It’s hard to apply, though, but if you’re into the whoosh of tai chi (“whoosh,” as in the sound of concepts flying over my head), this is the tome for you.

Mastering Yang Style Taijiquan by Fu Zhongwen

This one was more palatable and straight-forward, and it breaks down the techniques and how they should be executed. Fu Zhongwen was a disciple of Yang Chenfu (creator the Yang Style) so it’s kind of like getting information straight from the master himself. It’s pretty neat. There’s also easy-to-follow drawings and also pictures of Yang style practitioners (me like pictures) so you get to actually see some of the people Sifu Paul is talking about. I didn’t read it all simply because I’m too lazy, but if you’re a detail type of person, this is the tome for you.
There is a sea of books out there. If you like to read and want to learn more about tai chi in detail, see about picking up these two books since they’re both recommended by Sifu Paul. Maybe you can order them from Borders if it’s not on their shelves, but if not, you can get them both on Amazon. (posted 3/9/08)

Memorizing the Form.

It never fails, in every batch of new students we get, someone invariably asks for an outline of the entire form … and we almost never give it out. Why? Because to a new student, looking at the form on paper, the length seems daunting and the tai chi terms doesn’t mean very much. It’s actually more discouraging than helpful. But it occurs to me that a student with a few months tucked firmly behind their belt would like it for reference. I still think the original is junk (I mean … a challenge) because I couldn’t follow it to save my life. So with Sifu Paul’s blessing, I decided to redo the whole sh’bang to match how he teaches it in class. Keep in mind that this is NOT meant to be instructional, it’s purely a sequence of techniques, but it should be more helpful than the original. Remember, we don’t require anyone to memorize the form, but if you’d like to remember the little sets within the whole form, that would probably be helpful to you in the long run. So back by popular demand, a new and improved outline of the Yang Style Long Form. (Posted 8/25/07)

Old Newsletters.

I started writing newsletters for both karate and tai chi at the end of 2004. I can’t believe it’s been so long already! That’s around the same time Sifu Paul started offering Wednesday night tai chi (February 2005). I thought he was nuts, but well, he does a lot of things I think is nuts. The classes started out pretty small and I could only make a couple Wednesdays a month. Well, things certainly changed since then! But I digress – for those interested in old editions of my newsletter, please click here. Enjoy. (posted 6/24/07)

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