pete5770 wrote: I started Tai Chi in 1974 or 75 when I lived in Denver, Colorado. The names of my two instructors eludes me at the moment(old age I guess). One was Chinese and couldn't speak English so I guess I can be forgiven for forgetting his name. Here at my current residence in Toledo, Ohio my most recent teacher was Doctor Harold Lee, a Biology professor at the U. of Toledo. He retired some 10 or 15 years ago and moved to California and is now teaching classes out there. I took over teaching his class for a few years but I guess I just didn't have his charisma, plus I wasn't Chinese(which didn't help). I any case classes wound down like they always seem to do. I have taught some since then but nothing steady. My main focus these days is Yang Long Form but in the past I flirted with the Wu variation of Yang. Yang has been the one for me as I long ago found out that I simply don't have the time to spend on everything, so I picked Yang. I have an hour or two a day to spend on Tai Chi and then "other things" creep into
life as we know it. Cycling is a passion of mine as is playing the violin(maybe a much better word to describe my fiddle prowess would be practicing). Carnegie Hall hasn't called yet. I've been retired now for about 2 years so maybe, just maybe I can find a bit more time to devote to all 3 pursuits. Unless of course my wife has filled up the Honey-Do jar. It's always something.
Thanks Pete! My own martial history is not unlike yours except I started a bit earlier...1966, with Judo. Most of my martial career has been in the 'external' arts of Tae Kwon Do, Wing Chun, Aikido, Iaido and Jo Do. In the early '90s I met Dr. Yang and started training Taiji Form, QiGong, Shaolin Chin Na and Taiji Chin Na. This continued for a number of years until I met Sifu Ding Teah Chean (London) with whom I've been training ever since in Traditional Yang Style Taiji. I run one of his Acadamy's branch schools here in Ireland.
Also, like you, I am retired (in 2009)...having worked for 35 years in the scientific community...but I retired early in order to pursue my passion for Taiji and the teaching of it. This year, 2012, sees me in my 46th year of training/studying and teaching martial arts....and I'm looking forward to next 40 or so years!! ;0)
Anyway...as my Sifu says...'Bu Yi, Bu Qi'........'No Intention, No Qi'
Brian