| Email info@yangtaichiseattle.com to register, or if you have any questions |
What does the course cover?
This course will cover the fundamentals of tai chi posture and movement and teach the first section of the traditional 103-movement Yang style hand form (listing, Master Yang Jun performance).
There will be an drop-in Open House on Sunday, September 21st from 1:00 to 3:00 pm to learn more about the course and chat with our instructors and Center Directors. Everyone is welcome. Light refreshments will be served. Venue: Kirkland Dance Center, 835 7th Ave, Kirkland, WA 98033.
Is it suitable for beginners?
Yes.
We welcome both beginners and students who already know and want to deepen their understanding of the traditional 103-movement Yang style hand form.
When and where is the class?
- Sundays October 5th to January 25th, except holiday closures for Thanksgiving and Christmas
- 10:00 – 10:55 am
- Kirkland Dance Center (Back Studio), 835 7th Ave, Kirkland, WA 98033
How many students will there be in the class?
We expect about half a dozen students, ensuring that everyone will get personal attention from the instructor.
How much does it cost?
The fees are $25/class or $80/month except December which is $40 due to holiday closure. There is a 10% discount if the four-month course is paid in full at the beginning.
Monthly fees are payable in advance, except for the first month which is payable after the first class.
Who is the teacher?
This course will be taught by JP de Vries. He began tai chi in 1999 and studied with Master Yang Jun from 2001 to 2009. He is proficient in, and has taught, several hand forms, the sword and saber forms, and push hands. He has been a tai chi teacher since 2019.
JP holds the 4th Rank (of six ranks awarded by examination) in the Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan Ranking System. He is accredited by the International Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan Association as an Associate Instructor. He is a Yang Family Tai Chi judge.
What is the Yang Chengfu Tai Chi Center Seattle?
Our Center was founded in 1999 by Master Yang Jun, fifth-generation lineage holder of Yang Family Tai Chi. Master Yang is a 6th-generation direct descendant of the founder of Yang style tai chi, Yang Luchan. Nancy and Mike Lucero became center directors in 2016.
The school has eight instructors and teaches tai chi both in-person in Kirkland, Woodinville, and Maltby, WA, and online via Zoom. The school currently offers eleven in-person classes per week teaching and practicing various hand forms including the 103 form and Senior Form; weapons; and push hands. We also offer ten online Zoom classes that include hand forms, weapons, and yoga for tai chi. For details, see the class schedule.
What is tai chi?
Tai chi began in China as early as the 1300s as a form of self-defense and military martial art. It has grown in popularity in the 20th century due to its numerous health benefits. It is an “internal” martial art practiced as a series of movements, connected in a flowing pattern, and governed by principals of correct body usage. To gain precision and deep body awareness, tai chi is performed slowly and is suitable for people of all ages and levels of physical ability.
What is Yang style tai chi?
Yang style is the world’s most popular version of tai chi. Its signature characteristics are slow, even, gentle, and expansive movements.
Key figures of Yang Family tai chi include
Yang Luchan (1799–1872), founder of Yang style tai chi. He learned tai chi from the Chen family, practitioners of the oldest known form of tai chi, about 200 years ago. He moved to Beijing and began teaching members of the Imperial Chinese bureaucracy. This was the beginning of the spread of tai chi from the family art of a small village in central China to an international phenomenon. Yang Luchan is acknowledged by four of the five major tai chi families as having transmitted the art to them.
Yang Chengfu (1883–1936), a son of Yang Luchan and one of the most famous martial artists of the 20th century. The form he developed has become universally recognized as the standard for Yang style tai chi, and is the form that will be taught in this class.
Yang Jun (1968–) is the 6th generation Yang Family member to continue the teachings of his ancestors. He is a great-grandson of Yang Chengfu, the fifth lineage-holder of the style, and president of the International Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan Association. He founded the Yang Tai Chi Center Seattle.
What are the benefits of tai chi?
Tai chi has been widely studied for its effects on both physical and mental health. Peer-reviewed academic research consistently shows that tai chi offers significant benefits for physical function, mental well-being, and quality of life, especially in older adults and people with chronic health conditions.
Physical Health Benefits (academic literature)
- Balance & Fall Prevention. Strong evidence for improved balance and reduced falls, especially in older adults and those with frailty or chronic illness.
- Muscle Strength & Endurance. Moderate improvements in lower limb strength, handgrip strength, and walking distance.
- Flexibility. Increases in thoracolumbar spine flexibility and overall joint mobility.
- Osteoarthritis & Pain Relief. Reduces pain, stiffness, and improves physical function in knee osteoarthritis.
- Cardiovascular Health. Benefits for blood pressure, heart function, and rehabilitation after heart disease or stroke.
- Quality of Life & Well-being. Enhances physical and mental quality of life, sleep, and mood.
- Chronic Disease Management. Positive effects for COPD, hypertension, osteoporosis, and Parkinson’s disease.
Tai chi is generally safe, with minor and rare adverse events, making it suitable for a wide range of ages and fitness levels.
Mental Health and Psychological Well-Being (academic literature)
- Moderate reduction in stress.
- Small-to-moderate reduction in anxiety and depression.
- Improved mood, self-esteem, and quality of life.
- Compared to non-mindful exercise (like walking or stretching), tai chi shows small but significant additional benefits for anxiety, depression, and general mental health.
| Email info@yangtaichiseattle.com to register or if you have any questions |