ACADEMY OF MARTIAL ARTS: (Taiji) see schedule

Beginner Level

This is the beginning of your Tai Chi journey. At the Academy we start training you for a lifetime interest in this fascinating study. First you learn the basic postural and movement exercises. You won't have to wait to feel what Tai Chi is about. You will immediately grasp the conscious movement and relaxed postures that make Tai Chi special. Once you have a lesson or two of the fundamentals you will start on the Tai Chi Linking Form. This only takes about five to seven minutes to complete but it has the core motions of Tai Chi. It is symmetrical so you practice both sides at the same time. It is exclusive to the Academy and its instructors. Then we start you on the Partner Practice, a little Push Hands, a few basic self defense concepts more to give you an idea of Tai Chi's potential and help with you efficiency of movement than anything else.

That's it. Even at the Beginner's level a few months of training will give you enough Tai Chi—should you chose just to concentrate on these regimens—to practice the rest of your life. We are professional Tai Chi teachers and will teach you traditional and authentic information while customizing it to your needs.

Intermediate Level

Ah, so you fell in love with Tai Chi and actually want to get better in it and to explore further. Well, we think of the beginner's stage as maintenance for health and relaxation—nothing wrong with that!— and this stage as where the fun starts.

Here are just a few courses in this section:

Yang Style T'ai Chi Long Form: This is the form most people think about when they imagine Tai Chi. This is the full, long form from the Yang family. This is the "centerpiece" of the entire Tai Chi system.

Intermediate Push Hands: engages two people in a learning situation where they can playfully start to learn about balance, softness, posture and function.

T'ai Chi Staff: This instrument improves eye-hand coordination and waist flexibility. A great form that's fun and graceful.

Tai Chi style Qigong: This introduces the specialized energy training of Tai Chi; considerably more advanced than most of the remedial Qigong presently being taught.

Advanced Level

At the advanced level movement, consciousness, energy all merge into a spontaneous and graceful flow. What many people—who have never passed the "beginning" stages of Tai Chi—don't know is that there is a strong creative aspect to the practice. At this level everything is geared toward exploring that creative use of energy.

Chen Style T'ai Chi "Old" Form: Special emphasis on "Coiling Energy" and the engagement of the whole body.

Tai Chi Sword: A beautiful version of the famous "13 Quality" straight sword, the most elegant weapon of the Kung Fu arsenal.

Spear Training : The ultimate Kung Fu weapon not only for its use but more because each movement of true spear practice awards the student with skills vastly improved.

San Shou Fist: Here is a choreographed partner form which is graceful and yet shows functional applications for T'ai Chi self-defense.

Energy Training : This advanced level of T'ai Chi develops a higher level of skills involving the entire body, breath and mental training.