Last week I had the pleasure of presenting a seminar for my friend Jim Babka’s Tai Chi class in Copley. Jim and I are fellow students of Sifu Larry Vincent in a Yang family lineage that goes back through Robert Lapointe (Sifu Vincent’s teacher) and Chao Chi Liu. Grandmaster Liu was a Tai Chi student of Xiong Yangho (1886-1984), who was a disciple of the great Yang Shaohou (1862-1930).

It was wonderful to see our teacher, Sifu Vincent, at the event. (In the photo you can see Sifu Vincent on the left, Jim in the middle, and me on the right.)

In the seminar I presented elements of Spring Forest Qigong and Temple Style Tai Chi, and how these practices can complement our study of Yang Style Tai Chi. Just as our study of T’ien Shan Pai Kung Fu and grappling helped us to see the martial applications inherent within Tai Chi, Spring Forest Qigong is especially good at showing how breath work, movement, and visualization contribute to health and wellness, while Temple Style Tai Chi is particularly helpful in understanding the movement of qi and how to maximize our application of the body’s life-force energy. All of this contributes to a greater understanding of Yang Style Tai Chi, in my humble opinion. 🙂

I had a great time with Jim and his students. Jim is a fine teacher of Tai Chi, and if you’re looking for Tai Chi instruction in the Copley, Ohio area, I heartily recommend his classes!