Tai chi is an ancient Chinese tradition originally developed for self-defense. Today, tai chi has evolved into a graceful form of exercise that's now used for stress reduction and a variety of other health conditions. Often described as meditation in motion, tai chi promotes serenity through gentle, flowing movements.
Tai-chi involves a series of movements performed in a slow, focused manner and accompanied by deep breathing. Tai chi is a noncompetitive, self-paced system of gentle physical exercise and stretching. Each posture flows into the next without pause, ensuring that your body is in constant motion.
Tai chi has many different styles. Each style may have its own subtle emphasis on various tai chi principles and methods. There are also variations within each style. Some may focus on health maintenance, while others focus on the martial arts aspect of tai chi.
Dr. Yang T. Shieh grew up in Taiwan and has a B.S. degree in Chemistry from National Cheng Kung University and a PhD. in Macromolecular Physics and NMR from Case Western Reserve University. He has worked for many large international companies such as Beloit, Voith, and Asian Paper & Pulp. Recently, he retired from APP as General Manager of the Paper Machine Division headquartered in Shanghai/Jakarta.
In Taiwan, as a middle schooler, he discovered karate and fell in love with it. He received a black belt in Shotokan karate (松濤館Shotokan ), originating from Okinawa, at dojos from Japanese masters.
Dr. Shieh studied TaiChi with master Hen-Pin Chiang (江恆平) at CCAGP TaiChi class. In the last few years, he has practiced TaiChi at the Healthplex and is interested in sharing his knowledge of Yang Style TaiChi (long form), Qigong, and related teachings with anyone who is interested.
During these sessions, students and parents will learn the basics of Tibetan White Crane Wu Shu, Lion Dancing and the music required to bring the puppet to life. By the end of the class, parents and students will be able to recognize understand the symbolism behind lion's movements, learn the basic martial arts forms that promote balance and health.
Mr. Eric Yu is a certified Internetworking expert and currently works as an engineer at Google NYC. He's been studying and teaching Tibetan White Crane Kung Fu for 27 years with San Francisco Leung's White Crane Kung Fu. Eric is a 4th generation disciple student of master Leung Kwan who is the direct pupil descendant of the late grand master "Kwong Boon Fu" and his master "Ng Siu Chung" of Hong Kong White Crane. He's competed in several international lion dance competitions and enjoys teaching parents and children interested in learning more about Chinese cultural arts.