My Tai Chi Path

I have studied tai chi intermittently for years. In the mid and late 1980s I attended a number of London local authority classes. Also attending was Paul Read, pictured right, who subsequently became an accomplished tai chi instructor, initially in London but more recently in Spain. He has recently completed his first book: “The Manual of Bean Curd Boxing”, which is an amusing and insightful contribution to the canon of literature on tai chi.
At times I have taken up tai chi, only to stop because of circumstances at work or home, often without having mastered the form(s) fully.
In Indonesia it has been my pleasure to study with a number of instructors. Elchomsyah Bandi (pictured right) has been most generous with his time and expertise. There were two of us studying under him. I am sure we would both agree that Elhi, as he is better known, is a dedicated, disciplined practitioner of tai chi and an excellent teacher.
Currently I study with Gunawan Rusli, a seasoned expert of many tai chi arts. He is a great source of information and learning. I also regularly attend the Wisdom Tai Chi sessions once a week at the “Taman Kota” or City Park in BSD, Tangerang, Indonesia. This group is mostly concerned with health applications and practices the 8, 16 and 24-move forms to a soundtrack of traditional Chinese music. While the 8 and 16 styles are rarely seen elsewhere, they have recently been certified in Indonesia. They make for, at least, a few minutes of practice if students have little time for the longer forms.
Of those from whom I have learned indirectly, Dr.Yang Jwing Ming has released some excellent videos, and the best book I have used is Handbook of T'Ai Chi Ch'Uan Exercises (1996) by Fuxing Zhang. Michael Gilman (pictured right and featured in posts below) has an authoritative website (http://www.gilmanstudio.com/) filled with excellent resources. These include free online courses (valuable aids to individual practice), articles and other resources. Michael, a published author with many tai chi titles to his name, has an extensive tai chi teacher training program and a DVD-based system to support it. I have benefitted from email contact with him over the years. From time to time I will post on other people who have been instrumental in my tai chi path.