Workshop Leaders Bios & Details
Use Ctrl-F and enter the name to find a particular person.Also - you can watch this video for Harry Legg's intensive:
Laoshi William Phillips
Sifu William C. Phillips has been practicing Tai Chi for over 40 years. His teachers include Professor Cheng Man-Ch'ing and Master Zhang Lu-Ping Other Martial Arts experience: Nanadan, Shotokan Karate, Japan Shotokan Karate Association of North America, Godan, Ju-jitsu Sifu William C. (Bill) Phillips began his study of martial arts with Sifu Stanley Israel in 1965. He studied Karate, Jiu-jitsu, and Judo with Sifu Israel, and in 1967 also began to study Tai Chi form with him. Sifu Israel was one of Professor Cheng Man-Ch'ing's six senior students in New York. After hearing about the Professor from Sifu Israel, Sifu Phillips sought out the Professor by knocking on Chinatown doors and began to study with him in early February of 1970. From Professor, Sifu Phillips refined his form, and also learned push hands and sword form. He became the most junior student to be given permission to take pictures and make audio and film recordings of the Professor, and was the most junior student to ever be given a beginner's form class to teach at Professor's school, the Shr Jung. After Professor Cheng's death in 1975, Sifu Phillips continued developing his form and push hands skills with another of of Professor's senior students, Mort Raphael, for a couple of years, but after that was largely on his own. In 1988, a friend brought Master Zhang Lu-Ping, on tour, to teach at Patience T'ai Chi. Very impressed with his skill, Sifu Phillips asked Master Zhang if he would teach him, and Master Zhang agreed. For the next 10 years until Master Zhang's passing in 1998, Sifu Phillips learned Yang Long Form, and applications to push hands of Tai Chi form. He also greatly improved his push hands, rooting, and neutralization skills. In 1970, Sifu Phillips founded the Patience T'ai Chi Association, so named because of the quality he most wanted to be mindful of in his teaching and in his own studies. The Association has flourished over the years, and Sifu Phillips has taught hundreds of students Tai Chi, and until 1993, also Karate, and Ju-jitsu. Today, Sifu Phillips, who also holds the rank of Nanadan (7th degree black belt) in Shotokan Karate from the Japan Shotokan Karate Association of North America, and a Godan (5th degree black belt) in Ju-Jitsu from the American Ju-jitsu Council, focuses mainly on teaching Tai Chi form and push hands. He has served as a judge at numerous tournaments, and has travelled the country teaching seminars, including at the Tai Chi Farm of Master Jou Tsung Hwa. He also ran a holistic health weekend at the Fallsview in the Catskill Mountains for 12 years, and held Cheng Man-Ch'ing Tai Chi Family gatherings for the 100th and 101th Anniversaries of Professor's birth. Sifu Phillips has made a number of television appearances on programs such as The O'Reilly Report on Fox Cable and Brent Garber's Health Update, and has been featured in many publications including USA Today, Inside Kung Fu and Men's Health.
Intensives, Panels, or Workshops:
Chang San Feng Legacy Panel: Professor Cheng Man-Ch'ing
Room: Yang ChenFu Hall and On Zoom
Day and Time:Friday 10:30 - 11:45 AM
Harry Legg
There’s a good chance you have heard Harry - he has voiced for NBC Sports and is heard on Radio & TV stations around the world. He is the Founder of New Jersey Tai Chi and teaches Clear Style Tai Chi Chuan, Qigong, Nei Kung, Clear Internal Push Hands, and Self-Defense at his Verona, NJ studio. He is an advanced Fa Kung energy healing practitioner and also teaches corporate wellness programs. Harry is a Senior Instructor and the NJ / NYC Regional Organizer for Clear Tai Chi. Harry also holds a black belt ranking in the Body Mind Studios system of 8 Martial Arts.
Intensives, Panels, or Workshops:
Clear Internal Push Hands INTENSIVE 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM. ($250)
Room: Chen Fake Studio or Outside Area #2
Day and Time:Thursday Intensives (Check descriptions for times)
Join Clear Tai Chi Senior Instructor and Founder of New Jersey Tai Chi, Harry Legg, for a full day of Internal Power and Skill building with Clear Internal Push Hands. This will benefit both Healing and Martial Skillsets: The Role of Mind in Tai Chi - Yi Skill, Sinking Chi & Rooting, Whole Body Breathing Method, Increasing Ting Jin (Listening Skill) ,Zhong Ding & Energy Alignment, Internally Redirect Incoming Force, Internal Answers to Trick Pushes and Shoves $250 
Leon Omwake
EO OMWAKE has been training in the eastern traditions for over four decades. His studies include Zen, Taoism, Taoist Meditation, Buddhism, Southern Preying Mantis Kung Fu, Northern Long Fist Kung Fu, Kempo Karate/Kung Fu, Japanese Kendo, a touch of Kyudo (Zen Archery), Yang Style Tai Chi, Chinese Wrestling, Chin-Na, and Ju Juitsu. He was the founder and director of the Mind, Body, Spirit Acdemy of Martial Arts and Self-Cultivation, a martial arts training center for Kung fu and T'ai Chi in Chadds Ford, Pa. Mr. Omwake has trained with many of the top masters from the United States and China, including Grandmaster Fu Zhong-Wen, the lineage heir to Yang Tai Chi, Master James Qing Quan Fu, grandson lineage heir to Yang Tai Chi, Yang Zhen Duo, the family heir to Yang Family, Jou Tsung-Hua, T.T. Liang, Yang Jwing-Ming, He Wei Chi, Liang Shou Yu, Wang Wei-Lun, Chang Chung-Jen. He has also studied with Wally Jay, Ed Parker, Joe Lewis, Sam Masich, and other Kung Fu, Karate, and Tai Chi teachers. Mr. Omwake is a member of the Gold Mountain Jin Dan Taoist Order, a traditional Taoist order with roots going back many generations into old China. Mr. Omwake also holds a second-degree black belt in Kempo Karate and has organized his own system called Flowing Hands Kung Fu. His current raking would be around fifth-level sash. Mr. Omwake has been appointed as advisor to the U.S. American Wushu-Kung Fu Federation, has been an Instructor at the Tai Chi Farm, been a Judge at local and national level tournaments, and had many articles on Tai Chi, Qigong, and the Martial Arts published in Tai Chi Magazine and QI Magazine.
Intensives, Panels, or Workshops:
Two Person Form INTENSIVE. 2:00 to 4:00 PM. ($25)
Room: Wu Jianquan Pavilion or Outside Area #3
Day and Time:Thursday Intensives (Check descriptions for times)
It is one thing to understand the principles and concepts of one's Tai Chi intellectually -- and another to put those principles into practice. If one doesn't put the principles into practice, there is no way for one's Tai Chi to gain maturity. If the principles are just something understood with the mind or just through form work, then the principles of the art are immature and not fully in the body. When one practices the 'two person form' one learns to implement the principles and the 'energies' of T'ai Chi in real two person interaction. One learns to understand with another person, which is important.
In addition, the 'two person form' teaches much that is not in the solo form. For instance, special footwork, the applications, the feel or 'ting' jing of T'ai Chi two person interaction, sensitivity, and coordination.
One cannot just go through the movements of T'ai Chi sloppily without attention to detail. One must pay attention, focus the mind and body together, and be deeply conscious. One must apply oneself with every fiber of one's being, instead of being only partially involved or some kind of trance. The 'two person form' is a great help in getting to this level. ($25 - afternoon only) 
Marc Sabin
Marc Sabin practices and teaches Taijiquan and Push Hands as a body/mind/spiritual practice. His studies began 1976 as part of a professional acting program. Before focusing solely on Taiji, Marc earned two black belts. He was awarded one in Chinese Kempo and another in Chu’an Fa. He also earned an Advanced Degree diploma in Filipino Escrima from Angel Cabales. His research into the principles and applications of Yang and Chen styles of Taiji, plus his extensive explorations in the dynamics of Push Hands and meditation, have guided Marc’s approach to the depths and intricacies of the art. Marc had the good fortune of living in the San Francisco Bay Area, where he spent years studying under several extraordinary teachers. Throughout that time, he met with everyone he could find who could help him glean a better understanding of the principles and applications. Marc further enhanced his Taiji education on international travels where he attended classes, workshops and one-on-one meetings with other instructors. After relocating to New York, his teaching career took his studies into new heights. It is by instructing others that Marc has applied the instructions he was given and where he has grown most of all. He continues to share his love of Taiji, in the hopes of making a small contribution to this marvelous discipline. In addition to his devotion to Taiji, Marc is the chief marketing and chief sustainability officer of Advanced Resilient Biocarbon, a company with a mission to solve the global problems of climate change by creating renewed resources by repurposing waste. As an ordained Interfaith minister, Marc performs weddings and non-denominational spiritual counseling. His regular classes are held New York’s Hudson Valley. Contact him to schedule workshops or visit his website: MarcSabin.com/taijiquan.html.
Intensives, Panels, or Workshops:
Stop: Stillness and the Movement of Taiji Energetics INTENSIVE 9:00 - 4:00 PM. ($95)
Room: Yang ChenFu Hall and On Zoom
Day and Time:Thursday Intensives (Check descriptions for times)
This cooperative push hands intensive focuses on heightening the awareness of the transmission of energy. Initiation of movement comes from release (Qi). The cessation of physical movement draws clear attention to the energetic flow (Yin) so that physical movement (Yang) can follow. Stillness in motion allows being to remain present in doing. The proper sequence blends stillness and motion to generate internal power. Circular and spiral rotations must turn around a steady axis to be effective. $120
INTENSIVE WORKSHOP FEE: $95
THREE HOUR PUSH HANDS WORKSHOP
1. Central equilibrium maintains balance and calm under stress.
2. Precise alignment delivers intrinsic strength and effortless power.
3. Stillness in motion permits circular rotations and spiral advances.
4. Motion in stillness leads energy from feet to fingers to propel movement.
5. Soft, penetrating lightness coils around hardness and dismantles resistance.
Stillness creates a central pivot point around which rotations and spirals can turn smoothly. Participants test the boundaries of their ability to remain present, and discover responsive answers to challenging confrontational opposition. Winning and losing take a back seat to the adage “invest in loss.” The objective is to trace back to the cause of disruptions to a calm response. The offensive participants lower the threat level to just inside their partner’s capacity to retain equilibrium. At the edge of potential danger, the respondent learns to repel the attacker without succumbing to untrained resistance or rushing to finish the exchange with a hard, linear push.
Taiji responses turn around force without edge or hardness. An opponent’s push becomes the engine of a Taiji response. Each encounter begins with acceptance, taking in the circumstances as they present themselves. Connection is made by catching the incoming forces and transforming it by implementing Taiji principles and skills. The workshop will also show how the lessons from push hands experimentation translate to improve the solo practice. This Right to Be workshop will train precise alignments to intensify the release of energetic internal power. There will be ample opportunity to address questions. 
Susanna T. DeRosa
Susanna began training with Master Jou in 1973 and studied with him until his passing in 1998. He encouraged her to teach early on and she’s been doing so ever since, mainly in Princeton and the Lambertville/Stockton NJ area. Susanna was Master Jou’s performance partner for San Shou throughout the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s, including during a China tour with 40 Taiji enthusiasts in 1984.Intensives, Panels, or Workshops:
Chang San Feng Legacy Panel: Master Jou Tsung-Hwa
Room: Yang ChenFu Hall and On Zoom
Day and Time:Friday 8:30 - 9:45 AM
Intensives, Panels, or Workshops:
Chang San Feng Legacy Panel: Effie Chow
Room: Yang ChenFu Hall and On Zoom
Day and Time:Friday 4:00 - 5:15 PM
The Chang San Feng Legacy Panel are designed to honor our ancestors; Influential Teachers and Masters who have past away but left a rich legacy for us to share. This panel will honor Effie Chow, who was a very well known not only for her early inroads to teaching Qigong for health, but also for her role in government recognition of these arts for health purposes. She also ran the World Congress for Qigong, Tai Chi, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Natural Healing for decades in different countries. Panelists are Mary Jo Bulbrook, Rose Hong, Bill Douglas and Angela Wong.
Laoshi Ron Lambert
Ron Lambert has been involved in Martial Arts for 25 years. He studied for 18 years with a direct student of BP Chan in Mohegan Lake, NY, where he learned several of Chan's systems there, including Bagua Outer Palms, Bagua Inner Palms, Bagua Standing Set, Bagua Two-Person Sets, Bagua Push-Hands, Eight Brocades, 10 Daoist, 8 Chi Kung, Hanging Leg Set, Sitting Down Set, Lying Down Set, Standing Set, I Chuan, Eight Immortals Staff, Eight Immortals Sword, Full-Body Massage (An Mo), Deer, Turtle, and Crane Breathing, Tendon & Ligament Stretching, Muscle Stretching, and more. He studied with Tom Bisio, where he learned a circular Bagua Staff Form taught to Tom by a brother of Gao Ji Wu. Study with Frank Allen enabled him to learn several of Liu Jing Ru's weapons forms: a Straight Sword (Jian) Form, a Bagua Elbow Knives Form, and a Bagua Needles Form. He learned a Bagua Broadsword Form from Frank. In addition, he learned the 64 Hands Form taught to Frank by Liu Jing Ru.
Intensives, Panels, or Workshops:
Chang San Feng Legacy Panel: BP Chan
Room: Yang ChenFu Hall and On Zoom
Day and Time:Friday 2:30 - 3:45 PM
A panel of students of the late and beloved qigong and martial arts teacher B. P. Chan. Panelists will be sharing their memories and experiences of their time with Mr. Chan and discuss how he influenced their martial arts practices and their lives. Currently scheduled are:
Ron Lambert; Mark Jones; Rudy Curry; and Tim Folger.
BP Chan did not do interviews. He wrote no books or magazine articles. He disliked having photographs or videos taken of him. BP Chan taught martial arts for four decades in the United States and Europe. In his lifetime, Mr. Chan taught hundreds of students (One student, Ken Cohen, puts the number over one thousand). He taught at the schools of William CC Chen, CK Chu, Richard Chin's Asian Martial Arts Studio, and others. He did workshops in Connecticut, New York State, and New Jersey. He created space for, and taught, martial arts workshops and study at Master Jou Tsung Hwa's Tai Chi Farm in Warwick, NY.
How is it that this man's encyclopedic body of knowledge and training, which included Tai Chi ( Push Hands, Tai Chi Staff, Tai Chi Knife, Tai Chi Ruler), Xing-Yi (Five Elements, Linking Form, Dui Da Paired Form, Twelve Animals, Eight Posture Form and Applications, Bagua Zhang (Eight Outer Palms, Inner Palms, Standing Set, Eight Two-Person Sets, Bagua Push Hands, Applications), Qigong, Five Animal Frolics, Daoist Meditation, Northern Shaolin Kung Fu, I-Chuan, An Mo, Eight Immortals Staff, Eight Immortals Sword, and much, much more, has hardly been noticed in the United States ?
Although BP Chan passed away 23 years ago, he is still revered by his students. Many say he was like a father to them; some will not even talk about him to "outsiders", even today, because they feel that their relationship with him was so personally endearing and special.
Mr. Lee Scheele
Lee Scheele is a 30+ year student of T'ai Chi Ch'uan. His principle teachers have been Ben Lo in Chen Man-Ch'ing Style and Tony Ho in Wu Style Square Form, and he has had workshop exposure to many other top teachers over the years. In the past, Lee has competed in a number of push hands tournaments with superheavyweight victories both nationally and internationally.
Intensives, Panels, or Workshops:
Chang San Feng Legacy Panel: Steve Higgins
Room: Yang ChenFu Hall and On Zoom
Day and Time:Friday 1:00 - 2:15 PM
Jill L. Basso
Jill is a second-generation teacher in the Cheng Man Ching lineage. She is a senior student to Master William C. Phillips of Patience Tai Chi and a Certified Tai Chi Teacher. Jill started studying Tai Chi in Brooklyn, NY in 1995 and began teaching tai chi form classes in 1996 in the Hudson Valley. She has earned several gold, silver and bronze medals in form and push hands in competitions in NY, Taiwan and MD. She has been a Licensed Massage Therapist (LMT) since 2008 and blends her knowledge of body work with her students and clients to improve health, well-being and inner balance for healing. Some of these modalities include structural integration, cranio-sacral therapy, reflexology and somatic (body-based) approaches. Jill received her Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP) certification last year, which is Dr. Peter Levine’s Somatic Experiencing trauma resolution program. Jill has been living in Santa Fe, NM since 2007 and teaches tai chi classes year round in the park; Beginner – Advanced Yang Short and Long forms, Qi Gong, The Eight Brocades, Swimming Dragon, Push Hands, Self – defense applications along with the CMC Yang Sword Form, Stick form and punching forms in her Women’s Weapons class. Find more information on her Desert Sage Tai Chi website; www.desertsagetaichi.com and same named Facebook page.
Intensives, Panels, or Workshops:
Coiling with Fascia; Learn Sensing Energy for Push Hands
Room: Sun LuTang Lounge or Outside Area #1
Day and Time:Saturday 10:30 - 11:45 AM
Fascia, the beautiful web of connective tissue that holds every organ, blood vessel, bone, nerve fiber and muscle in place. The tissue does more than provide internal structure; fascia has nerves that make it almost as sensitive as skin. When stressed, it tightens up. When healthy, it’s flexible and mobile. Tom Myers, a student of Ida Rolf’s, called it tensegrity. Fascia has many sensory cells and it is highly responsive to touch. We will explore how fascia applies to improving your form and push hands. We will practice several 2 person exercises to learn the “right amount” of touch, contact and timing, to improve your sensitivity. Jill will guide you to how to bypass muscle, to foster and grow your skills of push hands. This workshop is suited for both women and men; women will learn to go around muscle power and men will learn to let go of muscle power. This is in part the exploration of one of Cheng Man Chings famous quotes “Four ounces dispels a thousand pounds”. Come join in the fun!
Cheng Man Ching Form and Function
Room: Sun LuTang Lounge or Outside Area #1
Day and Time:Sunday 10:30 - 11:45 AM
Professor Cheng Man Ching was a Master of Five Excellences; calligraphy, medicine, poetry, painting and tai chi. Professors’ teachings have been shared throughout the world in many books, articles and his students’ transmissions. In this workshop, I will share some stories, philosophy, tai chi principles of movement and form and push hands. We will practice his tai chi form, postures such as grasp the sparrow’s tail and if participants are interested, practice the applications too. While Professor was primarily interested in health and relaxation, he also threw people around! Combining form and function in his teachings, was a critical part of his curriculum. One story shared at the recent gathering at the CMC tai chi forum… Professor asked his students; What percent of the form is flow and postures and what’s the rest of it? See you at the workshop! Push Hands Gathering
Room: Yang ChenFu Hall and On Zoom
Day and Time:Friday 9:00 - 11:00 PM
Push Hands Meet and Gathering 
Jano Cohen
JANO COHEN has been a student of Margaret (Maggie) Newman since 1977 (with a 12-year break between 1984 and 1996). She was given permission to teach in 1998. Maggie was one of the six senior students of Professor Cheng Man Ching who were given permission to teach at the Shr Jung school in New York City. While Maggie is her primary teacher, Jano has also learned a great deal from classes or workshops with Lenzie Williams, John Crouse, Jeff Herrod, Weiming Yuan, Tom Daly and William Bengochea. Jano is one of six teachers designated by Maggie to carry on teaching in her stead in Philadelphia since she retired. As they rotate teaching, Jano also learns from her fellow teachers Susan Heineman, Russ Mason, Michael Ward, Jean Zimmermann, and Janet Louise. She is also one of the teachers at Maggie’s Legacy camp held once a year in Geneva, NY. As a previous dancer and choreographer Jano brings her ability to break down choreography for her students and a passion for movement. As an Alexander Technique teacher, she can share ways to release tension, enhance physical alignment, and improve movement flow.
Intensives, Panels, or Workshops:
T’ai chi Cheng Man Ching Short Yang Form – Releasing into the Ground and Allowing the Energy to Fill your Body
Room: Chen Fake Studio or Outside Area #2
Day and Time:Saturday 4:30 - 5:15 PM
We will explore our relationship with the ground, our internal space and external space by releasing tension and aligning our bodies. We will practice this with certain postures from the form, standing meditation, and simple partner work. Please bring your beginners’ mind no matter what your level of practice has been. T’ai Chi Cheng Man Ching Yang Sword – Form and Dueling
Room: Chen Fake Studio or Outside Area #2
Day and Time:Sunday 10:30 - 11:45 AM
Please bring either a wooden sword, a foldable sword, or a thin wooden dowel (2 ft or 3 ft long). Some wooden swords and dowels may be available.
We will practice some solo drills, simple postures from the sword form, and some partner drills with a focus on how to move the sword from your Tantien with a moving connection to the ground. 
Laoshi Bill Douglas
William Douglas, is the Founder of World Tai Chi & Qigong Day, a mass global annual event held worldwide. This event was observed by the Global Consciousness Project, founded by the past 20 year Director of Research for Princeton University’s famed PEAR Labs (Engineering Anomalies Labs), who shared data explaining how “World Tai Chi & Qigong Day had measurably increased coherence in global consciousness” during its 24 hour period. William is the author of “The Gospel of Science: Mind Blowing New Science on Ancient Truths to Heal Our Stress, Lives, and Planet.” A book that has been described by many as “a roadmap to the future of humanity.” Douglas’s first book, “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Tai Chi & Qigong” (Penguin Alpha Books, 2nd edition), envisioned a “World Tai Chi Day.” In the next 25 years this vision spread to over 90 countries around the world, was officially recognized by government bodies in many nations, and was covered by major media all over the planet—resulting in over one-billion potential media viewers/readers to the science on Tai Chi, Chi Kung, Yoga, Meditation, and Mindfulness science. www.WorldTaiChiDay.org. During the 25 years WorldTaiChiDay.org, the event’s official website inspired and empowered Mind Body teachers worldwide to expand their teaching into Education, Healthcare, Senior Care, and Prisons—by collecting and spreading the science on Mind Body to Mind Body professionals worldwide, government and media. These decades of collecting the science and interviewing leading scientists on the Brain, Consciousness, and Mind Body, led to his newly released Audible Book, “The Gospel of Science…” (2nd edition), and the vision of the Global Transformation Project www.GlobalTransformationProject.org The Global Transformation Project is a worldwide coalition of leaders in Science, Health, Education, and Mind Body, including the director of a United Nations campaign for Mind Body Education in traumatized areas of the planet … campaigning for a United Nations (non-binding) Resolution advocating Mind Body Education for Public Education Worldwide (Kindergarten through 12th grade). Scientific data reveals this would save the world trillions of dollars year after year in saved health and social costs, and would take Public Education to whole new levels; as science reveals Mind Body for students would increase students’ IQs substantially, increase GRE Reading Scores, Math Proficiency, Verbal Fluency, Lessen Bullying and Conflict, Increase Immunity Worldwide, and so much more. The Global Transformation Project Founders were invited to Harvard University in the fall of 2023 to present on this practical, science-based, vision of humanity’s future. You can be a part of this historic campaign by signing, and spreading, the Petition at www.GlobalTransformationProject.org. Science shared in William’s book, “The Gospel of Science: Mind Blowing New Science on Ancient Truths to Heal Our Stress, Lives, and Planet” (2nd edition) reveals that Mind Body Education as a core part of Public Education would virtually empty our prisons at a time when American imprisons more of our people than any nation on Earth. It would also reduce conflict and violence worldwide in massive ways, and produce an entire generation of Mind Body masters, thereby saving trillions annually in saved health & social costs that data shows. Bill has studied and taught Tai Chi, Qigong, and Meditation for many of the world's largest corporations, health networks, and even prisons. Bill's book, "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Tai Chi & Qigong" (4th edition) has been heralded by top Tai Chi experts as "visionary" and "an exciting new approach to Internal Arts" ...
Intensives, Panels, or Workshops:
Beyond Tai Chi Aerobics
Room: Yang ChenFu Hall and On Zoom
Day and Time:Saturday 3:00 - 4:15 PM
William (Bill) Douglas, the Founder of World Tai Chi & Qigong Day and Founder of the Global Transformation Project, and author of "The Gospel of Science: Mind Blowing New Science on Ancient Truths to Heal Our Stress, Lives, and Planet" (2nd edition), and author of "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Tai Chi & Qigong" (Penguin Alpha Books, 4th edition) will facilitate a journey into the depths of possibility as we attune to our energetic nature, and the Qi, life force, that connects us all to everything. Learn how Quantum Physics and Chaos Mathematics insights validate what ancient Internal Arts Masters and Philosophers said thousands of years ago ... and how important Internal Arts are to the future of humanity,
In this workshop you'll experience Nei Gong Meditation (Internal Energy Meditation), and a Moving Qigong experience designed to connect us to that deeper self, and tips on making your Tai Chi practice and teaching a deep Qi experience fostered by enabling our Tai Chi to be a deep Alpha Brain Wave state flowing Meditation. William draws on the scientific understanding of what science calls "Gratitude Consciousness," and "Heart Centered Consciousness," which science profoundly validates ancient Chinese concepts like "Smiling to Our Internal Organs," revealing they are not just "pretty poetry or visualization," they are real solid physical things that can change our lives and our world.
In this workshop you'll be exposed to:
The Unbendable Arm
The Microcosmic Orbit
And Learn How PUSH HANDS is not a battle, but a dance of self-discovery aided by a partner 
Mark Gallagher
Mark S. Gallagher has studied Chinese Internal Health practices for over 30 yrs., and recently became a Doctor of Medical Qigong (DMQ). Mark recently opened Sacred Space Medical Qigong where he provides energy-based healing and self-care sessions to assist those with chronic conditions get more control over their lives and symptoms. He is a member of the National Qigong Assoc. (NQA), and a Trustee at the Institute for Spiritual Development (Sparta, NJ). His Master Teachers have Included: Dr. Christopher Viggiano, Dr. Ted Cibik, Jianye Jiang, and Yuzhi Lu. A Meditation hobbyist, Mark's practices include - Daoist self-massage, standing meditation postures, active Qigong sets, sitting meditation, Animal Frolics, Swimming Dragon long forms & Short Bagua Palm sets.Intensives, Panels, or Workshops:
Qigong for Back Pain
Room: Sun LuTang Lounge or Outside Area #1
Day and Time:Sunday 9:00 - 10:15 AM
Through the spine run the most important energy highways in the human body.
Anyone can experience back pain at any time.
It is not always serious and can often get better on its own.
But lingering pain can be your body's way of telling you something isn't right.
Accidents, Alignment issues, muscle pulls, nerve disconnects, bone fractures, and sedentary lifestyle can all create chronic back issues.
Pain is often initiated by a blockage of energy flow –be that a side-to-side pull, a core twist, an accident, break or surgical fusion, or chronic degenerative conditions like arthritis.
Regardless of our situational details, we need our Spines to energetically function, to stand, move & neurologically communicate.
We need to work at awakening our spinal energies.
This session will focus on awakening the Du channel, through the use of a 'select few' fundamental postures to align spinal energy and release tension points and pain triggers.
Please Join Mark Gallagher
As we explore Qi along the Du channel. 
Laoshi Roger Jahnke
Dr. Roger Jahnke, O.M.D., has dedicated his professional life to sharing the powerful ancient healing traditions of China. He is the director and chief instructor of the Institute of Integral Qigong and Tai Chi, Santa Barbara, California; and a cofounder and recent chairperson of the board of the National Qigong Association. With almost 30 years of clinical practice as a physician of acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine and eight research tours to China, Dr. Jahnke has emerged as a key spokesperson for Tai Chi (Taiji) and Qigong (Chi Kung) and is a master teacher of these arts. He has studied hundreds of forms of Qigong with master teachers and visited numerous hospitals, institutes, training centers, temples, and sacred sites in China, focusing on the cultivation of Qi (Chi). Dr. Jahnke has presented at major conferences on advances in Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) throughout the United States. He has lectured on self-healing and emerging trends in health care and medicine to numerous hospital systems and health care associations, including the HealthCare Forum; the Catholic Health Association; the American Medical Association; the National Wellness Institute, Stevens Point, Wisconsin; and the American College of Healthcare Executives, Chicago, Illinois. He is a contributing author to numerous books on health promotion methodologies for both clinical providers and health care administrators. Dr. Jahnke's first book. The Healer Within: The Four Essential Self-Care Methods For Creating Optimal Health, published by Harper San Francisco in 1997, delivered the Qigong and Taiji revolution to a broad and general audience in the Americas and the European community. In 2002, Roger's second book, The Healing Promise of Qi: Creating Extraordinary Wellness Through Qigong and Tai Chi, published by Contemporary Books, a division of McGraw-Hill, distills the best and most important lessons gleaned from master Qigong teachers, with guidelines for tailoring a self-healing regimen for any age or medical condition. The workshops and training sessions that Dr. Jahnke conducts at retreat centers such as Esalen Institute, Big Sur, California; the Omega Institute, Rhinebeck, New York; and Kripalu in Lenox, Massachusetts have inspired health care professionals and citizens throughout North America, South America, Europe, Australia, Canada, and Asia. In 2005, Dr. Jahnke was appointed to co-convene a National Expert Meeting on Qigong and Tai Chi in collaboration with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the National Blueprint for Active Aging.
Intensives, Panels, or Workshops:
Self-Healing Through China’s Ancient Shamanic Methods
Room: Yang ChenFu Hall and On Zoom
Day and Time:Saturday 10:30 - 11:45 AM
Dr. Roger Jahnke, OMD, Founder and Director of the Institute of Integral Qigong and Tai Chi. 
Laoshi Violet Li
12th Generation Chen Inheritor and an indoor disciple of Grandmaster Chen Zhenglei and trained many Tai Chi & Qigong instructors Taught and performed the healing art to universities, hospitals, large corporations, health institutes, gyms, health retreats, museums and senior centers in many US cities as well as overseas Interviewed by Planet China and selected as one of Top 12 Chinese Women in the world in 2022 One of the Top Five Presenters at Global Qigong Summit hosted by the Shift Network Founder of "Free Daily Online Tai Chi & Qigong Lessons with Violet & Friends" with viewers from over 30 countries "Best Reporter" honored by the "World Congress of Tai Chi, Qigong & TCM" and "Tai Chi Gala". Written more than 700 articles mostly in English and some in Chinese to bring the awareness of Tai Chi/Qigong to the world. Publisher of http://www.VioletLiTaiChi.com, top ten Tai Chi site with global readership Interviewed by "National Public Radio in Columbia"(MO) Featured on "Show Me St. Louis"(KSDK) and CBSIntensives, Panels, or Workshops:
Ba Fa Wu Bu
Room: Yang ChenFu Hall and On Zoom
Day and Time:Saturday 4:30 - 5:15 PM
Ba Fa Wu Bu represents the latest initiative by the Chinese government to make Tai Chi more accessible to the general public. Created in 2018 by the Chinese National Sports Bureau, this form simplifies traditional Yang Style Tai Chi movements and is actively promoted as a core health exercise. Its popularity is steadily growing in the West.
The form incorporates the eight essential Tai Chi techniques—Peng (ward-off), Lu (roll-back), Ji (squeeze), An(press), Cai (pluck), Lie (split), Zhou (elbow strike), and Kao (shoulder bump)—along with the five fundamental footwork principles: Qian Jin (advance), Hou Tui (retreat), Zuo Gu (look left), You Pan (gaze right), and Zhong Ding (central balance).
Easy to learn and enjoyable to practice, Ba Fa Wu Bu offers significant health benefits. Master Violet Li will guide participants through the form in detail, making it accessible to learners of all levels.
Key advantages of Ba Fa Wu Bu include:
Beginner-friendly: Those new to Tai Chi or with balance challenges can start with fixed-step versions of the first three movements before progressing to full stepping techniques.
No complex turns: The absence of 180-degree turns makes it easier for learners to follow along with an instructor.
Minimal space required: Ideal for online classes or at-home practice.
No equipment necessary: Highly portable and convenient for travel or on-the-go routines.
Mirror teaching method: Instructors can teach using mirror-imaging, making it easier for students to learn and follow.
Time-efficient: The full routine takes less than 4 minutes to complete—perfect for busy schedules. It can also be repeated multiple times for a more robust workout.
Strength and endurance building: Performed in a mild squat position similar to Zhan Zhuang (standing meditation), the form helps strengthen leg muscles. As practitioners develop strength, they can gradually lower their stance for increased muscle and cardiovascular benefits.
Whether you're new to Tai Chi or a seasoned practitioner looking for a compact and effective form, Ba Fa Wu Bu is an excellent choice. 
Laoshi John Loupos
Sifu John Loupos, M.S.Psych, C.H.S.E., began studying martial arts in 1966. At the unlikely age of 15 John inherited a school of his own and has been teaching martial arts ever since. His studies have included; Okinawan Karate, Chinese Kung Fu (Bak Sil Lum, Choy Lay Fut, and Praying Mantis), Yang style Tai Chi Chuan, Liu He Ba Fa, Xingyi, and Bagua, along with various Qigong and energy oriented disciplines. With over fifty 1st Place championships John was the reigning N.E. Forms Champion from 1979-1981. John also has a background in Classical Homeopathy and currently maintains a private clinical practice in Hanna Somatics. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Association for Hanna Somatic Education. John has authored multiple books, including several on Tai Chi, as well as assorted other media. In 2012 John was named a Master Tai Chi Consultant by the lead Tai Chi Researcher for Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital for his contributions to ongoing research. John currently lives by the shore in Hull, Massachusetts. Outside of martial arts and health care his other passions include; tennis, ping pong, swimming, writing, and organic gardening.
Intensives, Panels, or Workshops:
Rainy Day Tai Chi INTENSIVE 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM ($135)
Room: Sun LuTang Lounge or Outside Area #1
Day and Time:Thursday Intensives (Check descriptions for times)
A very smart and resourceful Tai Chi master once said, "I think I'll go outside now to practice my Tai Chi." (looks outside) "Oh no... it's raining out there and I don't have room inside my small hut to practice the whole form. What am to do?" Well, smart guy that he was he figured out a way to practice Tai Chi's most essential features in his little hut by using the Rainy Day Tai Chi strategy. $135
Rainy Day Tai Chi is ideal for Tai Chi'ers of all skill levels, from beginner to instructor as it distills the individual movements that define Tai Chi into a practical bilateral training method that requires very little space. At the same time RDTC lends itself to a detailed examination of Tai Chi's structural nuances – I'll teach you how to feel this – all of which will be covered in this 1 day event. Rainy Day Tai Chi is a creative way for you to improve your understanding and mastery of Tai Chi's full spectrum of defining features. Golden Elixor Qigong
Room: Yang ChenFu Hall and On Zoom
Day and Time:Saturday 1:30 - 2:45 PM
Golden Elixor Qigong is an age-old practice that harvests and distills extraneous energy from the body's more distal areas, and then potentizes that energy for redistribution. This is a highly energizing practice. Somatics Movements for Better Tai Chi Shoulders
Room: Yang ChenFu Hall and On Zoom
Day and Time:Saturday 9:00 - 10:15 AM
Somatics Movements for Better Tai Chi Shoulders. The title says it all.
Join Sifu John to get your shoulders working in the best and freest way possible. 
Dr. Mei Jin Lu
Mei Jin Lu, PhD, is a Taoist philosophy teacher and a 25th generation descendant of ancient prestigious Quan Zhen Tao Lineage. She lectures on various disciplines of Eastern healing movements (Tai Chi, Qigong) and philosophy worldwide. She is the President of US Health QiGong Association and US Taoist Association, Rules and Regulation Committee of the International Qigong/Tai Chi Federation, and owner of “Qi” Wellness Center in NJ. She is a past executive director of the I-Ching Society in Beijing, the founder of the School of Eastern Philosophy in the US. She is also the author of the Wisdom of Tao Oracle cards, Volumes I and II (US Games Systems, Inc.).
Intensives, Panels, or Workshops:
Nei gong workshop Part 1
Room: Chen Fake Studio or Outside Area #2
Day and Time:Saturday 1:30 - 2:45 PM
Join us for Part 1 of a transformative two-hour Nei gong workshop where we learn the fundamental Taoist Nei gong practices of Microcosmic Small Orbit Meditation and Standing Qigong. Suitable for all levels, this intensive session also includes Ba Duan Jin and Heaven Earth Men qigong as the opening warm-up exercises.
Microcosmic Small Orbit Meditation is an essential Nei gong that harmonizes your Qi flow. By circulating Qi along the Ren Mai/Du Mai meridians and opening the energy channels, it enhances vitality, immune function, mental clarity, physical healing, and emotional stability. This practice nourishes organs, strengthens the Dantian, and promotes holistic well-being.
Standing Qigong is a simple yet powerful Nei gong practice that cultivates your subtle Qi movement and energy expansion through standing postures and a clear mind. By adopting a relaxed and grounded stance, you facilitate the flow of vital force through your body's meridian system. Experience tension release, stress reduction, improved posture alignment, and a deep mind-body connection.
The workshop begins with an informative mini lecture, offering step-by-step instructions, followed by a dedicated hour of continuous practice with short breaks for integration. Throughout the workshop, we emphasize breath work, proper form and mental awareness, allowing you to have a profound personal experience.
To prepare, we recommend bringing plenty of water and wearing comfortable clothes and shoes. Ensure a good night's sleep and a light dinner the evening before for a carefree and joyful mindset. Nei gong workshop Part 2
Room: Chen Fake Studio or Outside Area #2
Day and Time:Saturday 3:00 - 4:15 PM
Join us for Part 2 of a transformative two-hour Nei gong workshop where we learn the fundamental Taoist Nei gong practices of Microcosmic Small Orbit Meditation and Standing Qigong. Suitable for all levels, this intensive session also includes Ba Duan Jin and Heaven Earth Men qigong as the opening warm-up exercises.
Microcosmic Small Orbit Meditation is an essential Nei gong that harmonizes your Qi flow. By circulating Qi along the Ren Mai/Du Mai meridians and opening the energy channels, it enhances vitality, immune function, mental clarity, physical healing, and emotional stability. This practice nourishes organs, strengthens the Dantian, and promotes holistic well-being.
Standing Qigong is a simple yet powerful Nei gong practice that cultivates your subtle Qi movement and energy expansion through standing postures and a clear mind. By adopting a relaxed and grounded stance, you facilitate the flow of vital force through your body's meridian system. Experience tension release, stress reduction, improved posture alignment, and a deep mind-body connection.
The workshop begins with an informative mini lecture, offering step-by-step instructions, followed by a dedicated hour of continuous practice with short breaks for integration. Throughout the workshop, we emphasize breath work, proper form and mental awareness, allowing you to have a profound personal experience.
To prepare, we recommend bringing plenty of water and wearing comfortable clothes and shoes. Ensure a good night's sleep and a light dinner the evening before for a carefree and joyful mindset. 
Richard Marantz
Rich Marantz is the director and instructor at Green Mountain Tai Chi in southwestern Vermont. Rich has been a student and practitioner of the Chinese healing, martial, meditative, and philosophical arts for 36 years. He studied with Master Jou, Tsung Hwa at the Tai Chi Farm, and trained in the arts of Tai Chi, Qigong and External Qi healing under Wudang Taoist Master Yun, Xiang Tseng. He has trained extensively in Taoist life philosophy, self-defense, and traditional healing. He teaches integrating mind, movement and breath for coping with life’s physical, emotional and spiritual challenges through cultivating inner energy with meditation and healthy lifestyle strategies. As a board- certified holistic registered nurse, Rich aspires to be a bridge between the Eastern and Western healing modalities. In addition to teaching Tai chi , Qigong and meditation Rich offers the healing modality of clinical acupressure
Intensives, Panels, or Workshops:
Open, close, gather, release
Room: Chen Fake Studio or Outside Area #2
Day and Time:Saturday 10:30 - 11:45 AM
In this workshop participants will be guided through various movements and exercises to understand the foundational concept of open, close ,gather, release and its application into any Tai chi form.
Leon Omwake
EO OMWAKE has been training in the eastern traditions for over four decades. His studies include Zen, Taoism, Taoist Meditation, Buddhism, Southern Preying Mantis Kung Fu, Northern Long Fist Kung Fu, Kempo Karate/Kung Fu, Japanese Kendo, a touch of Kyudo (Zen Archery), Yang Style Tai Chi, Chinese Wrestling, Chin-Na, and Ju Juitsu. He was the founder and director of the Mind, Body, Spirit Acdemy of Martial Arts and Self-Cultivation, a martial arts training center for Kung fu and T'ai Chi in Chadds Ford, Pa. Mr. Omwake has trained with many of the top masters from the United States and China, including Grandmaster Fu Zhong-Wen, the lineage heir to Yang Tai Chi, Master James Qing Quan Fu, grandson lineage heir to Yang Tai Chi, Yang Zhen Duo, the family heir to Yang Family, Jou Tsung-Hua, T.T. Liang, Yang Jwing-Ming, He Wei Chi, Liang Shou Yu, Wang Wei-Lun, Chang Chung-Jen. He has also studied with Wally Jay, Ed Parker, Joe Lewis, Sam Masich, and other Kung Fu, Karate, and Tai Chi teachers. Mr. Omwake is a member of the Gold Mountain Jin Dan Taoist Order, a traditional Taoist order with roots going back many generations into old China. Mr. Omwake also holds a second-degree black belt in Kempo Karate and has organized his own system called Flowing Hands Kung Fu. His current raking would be around fifth-level sash. Mr. Omwake has been appointed as advisor to the U.S. American Wushu-Kung Fu Federation, has been an Instructor at the Tai Chi Farm, been a Judge at local and national level tournaments, and had many articles on Tai Chi, Qigong, and the Martial Arts published in Tai Chi Magazine and QI Magazine.
Intensives, Panels, or Workshops:
Chin Na
Room: Wu Jianquan Pavilion or Outside Area #3
Day and Time:Saturday 1:30 - 2:45 PM
Chin Na is a traditional Chinese martial art technique focused on grappling and particularly joint locks or seizing and 'holding' techniques.
The term Chin Na" roughly translates to "seize and control" or "catch and lock". Chin na uses skillful manipulation of the opponent to control or incapacitate them without necessarily relying on brute force. Because of this it is very in tune with the 'no force against force' concept so important to the art of T'ai chi.
Manipulating joints (fingers, wrists, elbows, shoulders) to control the opponent with very little force is the core essence of Chin na. Grabbing or seizing muscles/tendons utilizes causing discomfort and pain in the opponent which will make them restrict motion. The emphasis in Chin na is leverage, timing, and precision rather than strength. The control aspect makes it useful for non-lethal force, such as restraining without causing permanent injury
The focus of our intensive is to learn a few basic Chin na techniques. Principles of Tai Chi
Room: Wu Jianquan Pavilion or Outside Area #3
Day and Time:Saturday 9:00 - 10:15 AM
Using the Principles of T'ai Chi
Moving smoothly, feeling naturally, sensing fully: this is what real is. This is what normal is. To find Tai Chi's easiness, one needs to let one's inner feeling rest - one needs to just allow.
Pay attention to the smoothness of the movement, so that you can release and open the inner energies. Soften the joints. Find open roundness. Connect with any discomfort let it go. Relax the body and let effort drain from the shoulders -- the arms -- the eyes -- the lower back. Breathe naturally... in tune with the movements. Focus the mind and let a sensitive but calm spirit of vitality fill the whole body, from headtop to coccyx...from feet to fingertips. Nurture and nourish yourself with inner tranquility. Let your external bodily positions have structure, vitality, and fullness, and let that structure, vitality, and fullness support the intent of the movements. Don't force. Be poised..
Feel your inner satisfaction deeply. Don't rush. Feel content to flow within the process. Feel at one with each small fraction of the movement. Feel the larger movements as well. Don't over-do. Don't under-do. Know the balance of being precise.
Move caringly with yourself and in tune with all the masters of the past. Feel your deeper humanity. Know that you have all you need to access the more profound levels. You don't need anyone else...their information is theirs -- your information is yours. The body movements are empty, the spirit and intent makes them live. 
Laoshi CJ Rhoads
Dr. CJ Rhoads has been a pillar of the Tai Chi community for many years. She started studying T'ai Chi Ch'uan (Taijiquan) almost thirty years ago, and has been involved in all aspects of the martial art and integrative health practice. Rhoads has studied with the following teachers (in alphabetical order) each between four and ten years: Betsy Chapman, Sara Gellhorn, Janet Louise, Rick Marth, Maggie Newman, and Yang Yang. She has also traveled extensively to attend Tai Chi workshops and camps with some of the world's foremost experts including: Li Deyin, Ben Lo, Nick Gracenin, Ma Hailong., Yang Jwing Ming, Wolf Lowenthal, Zeng Nailiang, David Chen, William CC Chen, Bill Phillips, Jou Tsung Hwa, Peter Warr , Wu Wenhan, Wu Kwong Yu , Sun Yongtian, Cheng Xianhao, Yang Zhenduo, Chen Zhenglei, Steve Higgins, and many others. She has been running her own Tai Chi Festivals and Symposiums since 2002. Rhoads is one of the founding members of the Taijiquan Enthusiasts Organization, a worldwide virtual organization of health and martial arts players and advocates dedicated to spreading the health benefits to everyone, now a program of Health, Prosperity, and Leadership (HPL) Institute. She works closely with Bill Douglas and Angela Wong, founders of World Tai Chi and Qigong Day and board members for HPL Institute. She was advisor for the Tai Chi Club of Kutztown University for over ten years. She is also the developer of Pacem In Vita, a leadership and self-development curriculum for children and adults based upon the principles of Taijiquan. In 2010 she was named Taijiquan Promoter of the Year and admitted to the Martial Artist Hall of Fame by the Fellowship of United Martial Artists in Philadelphia, PA and served on their advisory board for over ten years. In 2018 she was awarded by Tai Chi Gala for Excellence in Spreading and Teaching Taijiquan. Dr. Rhoads holds certification at the Instructor II level in the Canadian Taijiquan Federation, one of the few organizations in the world that certify Taijiquan teachers independent of style. She is a professional member of the American Tai Chi Association, and has been a professional member of the National Qigong Association (NQA) and a member of the NQA Research and Education Committee (which she chaired for many years). She has been certified as a teacher by her current Sifu, Betsy Chapman. Recently she has been working with the International Medical Tai Chi and Qigong Association on certification, and is going through the process of certification for all the major certifying organizations as part of that responsibility. Furthermore, she's been certified by D'Youville College in the Tai Chi/Qigong for Veterans program. Rhoads has firsthand experience regarding the transforming powers of the gentle art of Tai Chi. In 2002 she was injured in a devastating car accident. In 2004 she was told by doctors that she had gotten "as good as she was gonna get" – but was still in severe pain, suffered memory and other brain injury problems, and could not work effectively. Just a few years later, with the help of a team of doctors and pain management specialists, and through a combination of Taijiquan, Pilates, Massage, and Myofascial Release she was able to mitigate her injuries. She was not only able to return to work, but was able to exceed all expectations. She was named by Governor Rendell's administration one of Pennsylvania’s Best 50 Women in Business in 2009, and awarded the coveted Athena Leadership Award by the Greater Reading Chamber of Commerce in 2011, named one of the 25 Most Influential Women in the Lehigh Valley in 2013, and Top Faculty Researcher of the Year in 2014, the same year she was promoted to Professor at Kutztown University. Rhoads is a prolific and well-known author, with dozens of books, and hundreds of articles published over the years, many on Tai Chi topics. Ten years after her accident, she revised her business plan and dedicated her business (HPL Consortium, Inc.) and non-profit organization, (Health, Prosperity, and Leadership Institute), to building an infrastructure that would support the needs of people who need integrative health services and to help community organizations utilize Tai Chi and other integrative health practices. She also started a research group called Asklepios that publishes studies on Tai Chi and Qigong. They have supported and promoted eleven highly regarded articles in the field of integrative health, eight of which are on tai chi or qigong. In the past, Rhoads has competed in the International Chinese Martial Arts Tournament circuit including traveling to Periguix, France, [where she lost to a tiny elderly woman from the Bronx], but taking multiple Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals in regional tournaments in Florida, Baltimore, and Washington DC. In October 2009 she was named the United States National Champion and Gold Medal winner in Female Push Hands [admittedly because no one else in her weight class showed up to compete that year ].
Intensives, Panels, or Workshops:
Beautiful but Deadly Taiji Fan
Room: Chen Fake Studio or Outside Area #2
Day and Time:Sunday 9:00 - 10:15 AM
Many people think of the Fan as simply an accent to a dance-like form, but they couldn't be more wrong. Performing a fan form requires all the principles and skill of an empty-hand form, and can be just as effective as a self defense method. Fan is also a much more fun way to practice tai chi for health than simple qigong or empty-hand form. In this workshop, you will learn a short fan form that doubles both as an artistic and beautiful embodiment of skill but also a deadly martial technique. While this workshop is geared toward people new to the fan, you are expected to have learned at least one empty-hand form demonstrating basic tai chi principles.
If you have a fan, please bring it. Fans will be available to borrow if you do not have your own. 
David Ritchie
Sifu David Ritchie began training in the martial arts in 1969. His first taijiquan (tai chi chuan) instructor, Master Ben Wong, invited him as a special guest to join the Sabah Tai Chi Association of Sabah, East Malaysia. In Sabah, Sf. Ritchie’s instructor was Master Wong Li Sung, under Grandmaster Huang Xing Xian, who was a senior disciple of Grandmaster Cheng Man Ching. Sf. Ritchie then studied under Master Wong Yi in Hong Kong, the Thai Elders (former Cheng Man Ching students) in Bangkok, Thailand and throughout the years with well-known masters in the US. Sf. Ritchie has formally been teaching taijiquan since 1983, and founded Central Connecticut Tai Chi Chuan (CCTCC) in Meriden, CT in 1989. This was the first taijiquan school in New England to offer complete year-round taijiquan programs with 10 instructors and over a dozen classes each week. Sf. Ritchie has also taught taijiquan in several corporate settings such as ESPN, the Ntl. Arthritis Foundation and the Ntl. MS Society of CT. Sf. Ritchie was an assistant professor at Quinnipiac University where he taught taijiquan in the PE dept., and medical qigong lab for students in the Dept. of Health Sciences.
Intensives, Panels, or Workshops:
Relaxation, Rooting and Imagination
Room: Wu Jianquan Pavilion or Outside Area #3
Day and Time:Saturday 10:30 - 11:45 AM
In this workshop we will do activities that involve breathing, relaxation, focus and imagination to improve Qi flow.
When you practice your tai chi form what are you thinking how are you moving and coordinating all this with energy flow to make it all work. When everything is working right you will get a sense of smoothness. These are all important for health and better meditative movement when practicing Tai Chi or Qigong. These three important internal aspects of Tai Chi will be practiced in this workshop.
Relaxation is the key to allowing Qi flow through the body. A human being is powered by Qi. Qi is to Tai Chi what gasoline is to a gas powered engine.
Imagination is what is necessary to direct the qi to actually move the body.
Rooting is the your energy connection to the ground while imagination is important for controlling Qi flow for health and internal power.
Marc Sabin
Marc Sabin practices and teaches Taijiquan and Push Hands as a body/mind/spiritual practice. His studies began 1976 as part of a professional acting program. Before focusing solely on Taiji, Marc earned two black belts. He was awarded one in Chinese Kempo and another in Chu’an Fa. He also earned an Advanced Degree diploma in Filipino Escrima from Angel Cabales. His research into the principles and applications of Yang and Chen styles of Taiji, plus his extensive explorations in the dynamics of Push Hands and meditation, have guided Marc’s approach to the depths and intricacies of the art. Marc had the good fortune of living in the San Francisco Bay Area, where he spent years studying under several extraordinary teachers. Throughout that time, he met with everyone he could find who could help him glean a better understanding of the principles and applications. Marc further enhanced his Taiji education on international travels where he attended classes, workshops and one-on-one meetings with other instructors. After relocating to New York, his teaching career took his studies into new heights. It is by instructing others that Marc has applied the instructions he was given and where he has grown most of all. He continues to share his love of Taiji, in the hopes of making a small contribution to this marvelous discipline. In addition to his devotion to Taiji, Marc is the chief marketing and chief sustainability officer of Advanced Resilient Biocarbon, a company with a mission to solve the global problems of climate change by creating renewed resources by repurposing waste. As an ordained Interfaith minister, Marc performs weddings and non-denominational spiritual counseling. His regular classes are held New York’s Hudson Valley. Contact him to schedule workshops or visit his website: MarcSabin.com/taijiquan.html.
Intensives, Panels, or Workshops:
Harnessing Inner Power: Moving Energy in the Stillness
Room: Sun LuTang Lounge or Outside Area #1
Day and Time:Saturday 9:00 - 10:15 AM
Join us for a transformative journey, clarifying the effective use of energy to initiate movement. Unlock new dimensions of personal power. You will explore specific exercises to implement and validate the effectiveness of Qi in Taiji. In this workshop, you will harness the inner flow of energy with exercises that restrain outward changes of position to clarify how to rely upon Qi to precede and empower your physical movement. Prepare to unlock and discover the unstoppable flow that surges inside you.
This workshop is designed for individuals who are curious about how to realize the potential of energetic flow. You will experiment with partners to prove or disprove the Taiji theory that you can use your mind to lead your Qi and your Qi to lead your body. Bring your curiosity and willingness to explore. The journey is to cover the territory T.T. Liang described as "imagination becomes reality." The session offers the opportunity to demystify Qi's mysterious qualities through direct experience.
In this experiential workshop, you will:
1. Learn the Directions of Energy Flow: Gain a deeper understanding of the nature of energy, and how it can be used to inaugurate physical movement.
2. Explore Non-Physical Energy Movement Techniques: Discover a variety of techniques to move and direct energy without physical movement.
3. Cultivate Mental Directives to Precede Physical Shifts: Use visualization and intention-setting to direct energy and induce physical shifts.
4. Cultivate Awareness and Sensitivity: Fine tune the ability to detect and work with energy through guided exercises and practices.
5. Validate Energy's Influence on Physical Movement with Partners: Test the efficacy and impact of energetic movement's effects on the outcome of intention. The Way of Harmony: Peaceful Push Hands Workshop
Room: Yang ChenFu Hall and On Zoom
Day and Time:Sunday 9:00 - 10:15 AM
Step into the world of Taiji Push Hands, a dynamic practice rooted in the principles of balance, connection, and harmony. Join us for a transformative workshop focused on non-competitive Taiji Push Hands, where the emphasis lies not in winning or overpowering your partner but in cultivating awareness, sensitivity, and mutual respect. Whether you are a seasoned practitioner or new to the art of Taiji, this workshop offers a unique opportunity to deepen your understanding and experience of this profound practice.
In this experiential workshop, you will:
1. Invest in the Spirit of Learning: Acquire Taiji skills by releasing the attachment to winning and forgoing the concern for losing.
2. Enhance Body Mechanics and Structure: Optimize body mechanics for efficiency, stability and fluidity. Receive force and return power with ease and grace.
3. Heighten Sensitivity and Integration: Cultivate responsiveness to subtle energy cues. Stay in the present moment through challenging predicaments.
4. Delve into Taiji Principles: Refine the ability to relax and respond. Maintain center and integrate whole-body connectivity.
5. Distinguish Intention from Agenda: Explore give and take by upholding the intention to push without the imposition of forceful tactics.
6. Cultivate Precise Responsiveness: Retain mental presence while facing opposing forces. Incorporate attacks, and execute effortless replies.
7. Focus on Accurate Listening and Precise Interpretations. Excise reactive impulses and expand the range of calmness before fear gets incited. 
David Vanadia
David developed his fun and friendly teaching style in gyms, health clubs, wellness studios, retail stores, acupuncture clinics, corporate settings, and in 55+ communities on the east and west coast. He’s taught people of all ages, and has extensive experience working with senior citizens. As someone who suffers from OCD (and recently had a health scare), David is especially interested in discovering new ways to employ Tai Chi to improve the lives of everyday people to cope with neurodiversity, physical challenges, and the weight of the world.
Intensives, Panels, or Workshops:
Rooting Through the Changes
Room: Chen Fake Studio or Outside Area #2
Day and Time:Saturday 9:00 - 10:15 AM
This workshop is for beginning to advanced Tai Chi practitioners who are looking to develop their root, feel qi, and understand moving from the center.
We'll approach the practice as a temporal art form so to discover its musical qualities, and we'll stitch together various concepts using a layered, meditative methodology that is designed to get you to have at least one "ah ha" moment. You don't need to know form—or anything about Tai Chi—to participate.
Laoshi Ramsey Yunan
Sifu Ramsey Yunan has been training martial arts for over 40 years and teaching for the last 25. His arts include Yang Style Taijiquan, Baguazhang and Hsing-I Chuan as well as Kuntao, Silat, Cimande, Black Dragon, Mantis and Monkey Kung Fu. His teachers include Willem de Thouars, Don Ethan Miller, Bruce Walker, Duan Zhi Liang, Waysun Liao, William C.C. Chen, Jou Tsung Hwa and Sydney Austin. He is a multi-time national push hands champion in several weight classes and now coaches for taiji competition. His current teaching focus is on Old-Hand Taiji and Kung Fu training methods.
Intensives, Panels, or Workshops:
Taoist Temple Bone Breathing Qigong
Room: Sun LuTang Lounge or Outside Area #1
Day and Time:Saturday 4:30 - 5:15 PM
An introduction to Qi cultivation and internal development with the bone breathing Qigong exercise taught by Waysun Liao. This method originates from a Taoist Temple in Taiwan and is a key part of their system for achieving health and longevity. Breathing, internal connectivity, and mindfulness are the main focuses of this practice.
Laoshi CJ Rhoads
Dr. CJ Rhoads has been a pillar of the Tai Chi community for many years. She started studying T'ai Chi Ch'uan (Taijiquan) almost thirty years ago, and has been involved in all aspects of the martial art and integrative health practice. Rhoads has studied with the following teachers (in alphabetical order) each between four and ten years: Betsy Chapman, Sara Gellhorn, Janet Louise, Rick Marth, Maggie Newman, and Yang Yang. She has also traveled extensively to attend Tai Chi workshops and camps with some of the world's foremost experts including: Li Deyin, Ben Lo, Nick Gracenin, Ma Hailong., Yang Jwing Ming, Wolf Lowenthal, Zeng Nailiang, David Chen, William CC Chen, Bill Phillips, Jou Tsung Hwa, Peter Warr , Wu Wenhan, Wu Kwong Yu , Sun Yongtian, Cheng Xianhao, Yang Zhenduo, Chen Zhenglei, Steve Higgins, and many others. She has been running her own Tai Chi Festivals and Symposiums since 2002. Rhoads is one of the founding members of the Taijiquan Enthusiasts Organization, a worldwide virtual organization of health and martial arts players and advocates dedicated to spreading the health benefits to everyone, now a program of Health, Prosperity, and Leadership (HPL) Institute. She works closely with Bill Douglas and Angela Wong, founders of World Tai Chi and Qigong Day and board members for HPL Institute. She was advisor for the Tai Chi Club of Kutztown University for over ten years. She is also the developer of Pacem In Vita, a leadership and self-development curriculum for children and adults based upon the principles of Taijiquan. In 2010 she was named Taijiquan Promoter of the Year and admitted to the Martial Artist Hall of Fame by the Fellowship of United Martial Artists in Philadelphia, PA and served on their advisory board for over ten years. In 2018 she was awarded by Tai Chi Gala for Excellence in Spreading and Teaching Taijiquan. Dr. Rhoads holds certification at the Instructor II level in the Canadian Taijiquan Federation, one of the few organizations in the world that certify Taijiquan teachers independent of style. She is a professional member of the American Tai Chi Association, and has been a professional member of the National Qigong Association (NQA) and a member of the NQA Research and Education Committee (which she chaired for many years). She has been certified as a teacher by her current Sifu, Betsy Chapman. Recently she has been working with the International Medical Tai Chi and Qigong Association on certification, and is going through the process of certification for all the major certifying organizations as part of that responsibility. Furthermore, she's been certified by D'Youville College in the Tai Chi/Qigong for Veterans program. Rhoads has firsthand experience regarding the transforming powers of the gentle art of Tai Chi. In 2002 she was injured in a devastating car accident. In 2004 she was told by doctors that she had gotten "as good as she was gonna get" – but was still in severe pain, suffered memory and other brain injury problems, and could not work effectively. Just a few years later, with the help of a team of doctors and pain management specialists, and through a combination of Taijiquan, Pilates, Massage, and Myofascial Release she was able to mitigate her injuries. She was not only able to return to work, but was able to exceed all expectations. She was named by Governor Rendell's administration one of Pennsylvania’s Best 50 Women in Business in 2009, and awarded the coveted Athena Leadership Award by the Greater Reading Chamber of Commerce in 2011, named one of the 25 Most Influential Women in the Lehigh Valley in 2013, and Top Faculty Researcher of the Year in 2014, the same year she was promoted to Professor at Kutztown University. Rhoads is a prolific and well-known author, with dozens of books, and hundreds of articles published over the years, many on Tai Chi topics. Ten years after her accident, she revised her business plan and dedicated her business (HPL Consortium, Inc.) and non-profit organization, (Health, Prosperity, and Leadership Institute), to building an infrastructure that would support the needs of people who need integrative health services and to help community organizations utilize Tai Chi and other integrative health practices. She also started a research group called Asklepios that publishes studies on Tai Chi and Qigong. They have supported and promoted eleven highly regarded articles in the field of integrative health, eight of which are on tai chi or qigong. In the past, Rhoads has competed in the International Chinese Martial Arts Tournament circuit including traveling to Periguix, France, [where she lost to a tiny elderly woman from the Bronx], but taking multiple Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals in regional tournaments in Florida, Baltimore, and Washington DC. In October 2009 she was named the United States National Champion and Gold Medal winner in Female Push Hands [admittedly because no one else in her weight class showed up to compete that year ].
Intensives, Panels, or Workshops:
Sunrise Qigong
Room: Wu Jianquan Pavilion or Outside Area #3
Day and Time:Saturday 5:15 - 6:15 AM
Different Leaders lead groups doing silent Qigong to the sunrise each morning Sunrise Qigong
Room: Wu Jianquan Pavilion or Outside Area #3
Day and Time:Sunday 5:15 - 6:15 AM
Different Leaders lead groups doing silent Qigong to the sunrise each morning Sunset Qigong
Room: Wu Jianquan Pavilion or Outside Area #3
Day and Time:Saturday 8:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Different Leaders lead groups doing silent Qigong to the sunset each evening 
Stephen Watson
Stephen Watson has immersed himself in Eastern philosophy for over 35 years. Taoism, the philosophical root of Taiji, is made clearer in a moment with Stephen than in poring over dozens of translations from the Classics. Stephen's martial training (the how) began in concert with his interest in philosophy (the why). His motto is: When you have enough Why's you have Wise. He specializes in transmitting a profound understanding of why. Ask a question and he will show you that you already know why. There are no hidden treasures only closed eyes. Stephen is has been featured in Inside Kung-Fu magazine and is known the world over for his engaging personality, kind-hearted approach to teaching and, of course, his world-class skill. Stephen travels the world offering workshops on various Chinese martial arts. Stephen Watson is the only person to compete in, referee at, and teach at martial arts tournaments for every umbrella organization at their national level. He is an International, 18-time US, and now World Champion in Taiji Push Hands. He operates a small martial arts school in Connecticut where he hosts masters from far and yon. His teachers include every person he has ever met. Come be his next teacher.
Intensives, Panels, or Workshops:
Prepare your Inner Mama Bear
Room: Yang ChenFu Hall and On Zoom
Day and Time:Sunday 10:30 - 11:45 AM
Self Defense Wisdom to Support your Self Defense Spirit
Are you betting your family's life on luck? And planning to enjoy the benefit of your dormant survival instinct when the luck finally runs out? And planning to count on insurance to rebuild the pieces of your life when your instincts aren't supported by skills and your luck has fled?
Convinced you'd fight back if your family was ever threatened? Good for you! Really.
Never developed any skills to back up your attitude? Not good for you. Really!
Competence first...confidence second.
This will be an introductory seminar for the non-Martial Artist, interested in developing life and property protecting wisdom to pair with their powerful in-born instinct to fight back.
This workshop does not require Martial Arts experience, athletic experience, or indeed any prior knowledge. This is about expanding what we know...to support what we know deep down. No one will be expected to do anything during this seminar apart from taking a seat and taking notes. Depending on who is here and their experience/fitness/interest levels, we may get into some practical movements.
The seminar is geared towards folks' developing an understanding of the elements of safety for themselves and their family and property...NOT learning how to kick and punch and throw and block.
There are so, so many topics to introduce and address. It's a brief seminar, so we very likely won't get to all of it. Partly because of the depth and breadth of the topics but also because of the many and varied questions which may come up. I encourage questions. In fact, it may work best to jot them down in your notebook as workshop proceeds, so that we can address them all at the end of our session...in a bit more of an organized fashion.
We'll proceed through the curriculum based on a rate determined by number of attendees, their experience level, the number and complexity of questions, as well as the class' appetite for physical practice.
Things to cover in this sessions:
Who is at risk from conflict?
Pre-conflict Planning for Family members
3rd Party Encounters
Color Code of Awareness
Attention Sinks
Insurance Allows Escape
Who is the true First Responder?
Personal Protective Tools
Awareness & Watching Your Back
Wildlife and Worrisome Pets
Castle Doctrine/Duty to Retreat
Transitional Spaces
Mission: Avoid ~ De-escalate ~ Escape (Identifying Danger Zones)
What's a MUC?
Ego Fights
Pet & Wildlife Safety
AAA Self Defense, OODA, pilot PISEA
Purposeful Compliance/Determined Resistance
Cover & Concealment
Tueller training (footwork, ranging)
The Three Fights of Every Fight
Counter-Ambush guidelines
6 D's of Defending Yourself
Protection Morphing into Punishing
Ending threats. Re-emerging threats.
IFAK
Effective Communication with Prospective Helpers
When you read this list, did you think:
"I need to know this for Self Defense. Wait! I don't know most of this. I need to learn this!" Dragon's Breath: Summer Fire Qìgōng
Room: Wu Jianquan Pavilion or Outside Area #3
Day and Time:Sunday 6:30 - 7:30 AM
Ignight your Practice this Summer. Step into the vibrant energy of Summer and embrace the transformative power of the Fire Element in this dynamic workshop designed specifically for Tai Chi players. Explore the rich interplay between Qìgōng and the Fire Element, awakening your inner vitality and catalyzing your full practice.
Celebrate the energy and vitality of Summer through the integrated practices of breathing, Qìgōng, and Dǎoyǐn, guided by the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). In this workshop, we will focus on how to align with the season's Fire element to enhance physical and emotional balance while nurturing the Heart organ's connection to joy and warmth.
Through guided movement, meditation, and breathwork, you'll learn to harness the expansive, bright energy of Fire to enhance resilience, connection, and focus. Rooted in seasonal wisdom and the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine, this workshop will illuminate new dimensions of your Tàijíquán journey - inviting clarity, creativity, and balance into your flow. Let's embrace Summer's Fire - through Breathing, Qìgōng, and Dǎoyǐn for Seasonal Harmony
Whether you're looking to deepen your existing practice or discover fresh inspiration, this workshop will brighten your path with warmth and transformative energy. Come prepared to energize your mind, body, and spirit. This workshop welcomes participants of all experience levels, offering practical tools to incorporate into your seasonal routine. Join us to move, breathe, and connect, celebrating Summer's warmth and vitality with mindful intention.
Guided Meditation for Tàijíquán & Qigong Practitioners
Room: Wu Jianquan Pavilion or Outside Area #3
Day and Time:Saturday 6:30 - 7:30 AM
In this immersive workshop, we will explore the profound synergy between guided meditation and the dynamic practices of Tàijíquán and Qìgōng. Designed for practitioners seeking to deepen their connection to mind, body, and spirit, this session introduces guided meditation as a powerful tool to enhance focus, cultivate inner stillness, and amplify the flow of Qì throughout your practice.
Through a blend of experiential exercises and thoughtful discussion, participants will discover how guided meditation aligns with the philosophies of Tàijíquán and Qìgōng, enriching their movements with a greater sense of purpose and presence. Let's Harmonize Mind and Movement.
Together, we will investigate how meditation can:
Ground the practitioner in the present moment, fostering clarity and intention.
Deepen awareness of the body's energy pathways, supporting harmonious Qì flow.
Enhance relaxation and resilience, both during and outside of practice.
Encourage a meditative state that naturally integrates with Tàijíquán and Qìgōng movements.
This workshop welcomes all levels of experience. Whether you're new to guided meditation or looking to build upon your existing skills, you'll leave with practical tools and insights to incorporate meditation seamlessly into your daily practice. Join us for a journey toward balance, mindfulness, and holistic connection. Seeking Function from Form
Room: Sun LuTang Lounge or Outside Area #1
Day and Time:Saturday 1:30 - 2:45 PM
Applications. In Class and in Life.
In silks and in sweats. For some, applications of our Tàijíquán don't happen in class; or not nearly often enough. For some others, we get our fair taste of application but it is restricted to class time. For a lucky few, the lessons of Tàijíquán applications have penetrated the body, the bones, and the brains. We live in a world of application. Discussion, persuasion, argument. Co-workers, children, friends, and frenemies. They are all 'opportuinites to practice'. Our arts, our ways, our lives.
In this very special workshop, originated for the Tai Chi Gala, we will explore applications of our Tàijíquán form, our Tàijíquán philosophies, our Tàijíquán push hands, our Tàijíquán Principles. We will puzzle out where these ancient-day applications apply to us, our Art's modern-day students.
Applications of Tàijíquán often seem to be Of the Mind and For the Body. They can, as well be Of the Body and For the Mind. Let the body guide the brain. What growth has your form practice given your conversation, meditation, and communication practice?
Harry Legg
There’s a good chance you have heard Harry - he has voiced for NBC Sports and is heard on Radio & TV stations around the world. He is the Founder of New Jersey Tai Chi and teaches Clear Style Tai Chi Chuan, Qigong, Nei Kung, Clear Internal Push Hands, and Self-Defense at his Verona, NJ studio. He is an advanced Fa Kung energy healing practitioner and also teaches corporate wellness programs. Harry is a Senior Instructor and the NJ / NYC Regional Organizer for Clear Tai Chi. Harry also holds a black belt ranking in the Body Mind Studios system of 8 Martial Arts.