Classes

For most of its history, Tai Chi was not taught in the modern class format we know today. Students usually learned in smaller groups and worked more directly with a teacher. Different students might be practicing different things depending on their level and what they needed: form, standing, partner work, applications, conditioning, weapons, or other exercises. The teacher’s job was less about leading everyone through the same routine and more about giving each student the right material, making corrections, and helping them develop over time.

That began to change in the early twentieth century, as Tai Chi and other Chinese martial arts moved into public schools, athletic associations, and physical-education programs. Larger groups naturally led to more standardized teaching. Students practiced together, followed shared routines, and learned forms in unison. That approach has real strengths: it gives people consistency, repetition, and a clear shared foundation.

Our regular class combines both approaches. The first 30 minutes are structured and stay the same each week: soft-tissue conditioning, stretching and warm-up, followed by Yang Chengfu’s 108-movement form. The next 60 minutes are open practice. Students can work independently, train with partners, or learn directly from the teacher through material tailored to their level. That might mean form work, push hands, standing meditation, drills, applications, or anything else in the broader Tai Chi curriculum.

You also do not have to stay for the full class. If you like the structured group practice, you can come for the first 30 minutes. If you are more interested in open training, you can arrive later and join for that. You can also stay for the whole thing. The goal is to keep the benefits of a modern group class without losing the more individual, flexible way Tai Chi was traditionally taught.

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