My first contact with martial arts started when I was overseas in the military. Tae Kwon Do classes were being offered and I enrolled in what is considered a “hard style” of martial arts. But after a short time I became dissatisfied. I felt that something was missing. After being discharged from the Army, I continued my martial arts training in various other styles as I continued my “search for the Tao”. From  1988 until 2001, I taught classes at Ed Parkers' Kenpo Karate Studio in Pasadena.  During that time I instructed men, women and children of all ages.

My introduction to Tai Chi Chuan began in 1995 when I learned the Yang style 108 long form. But once again, I felt that something was missing. While my instructor knew the form, he was lacking in knowledge of the essence of the material. In 2001 I began study in the Wu style of Tai Chi Chuan with Master Yan Yuanhua who is originally from Shianghai, China. He has direct lineage through his instruction to the founder of the Wu style. He introduced me to “true” softness and made tangible a full expression of the idea of  “chi”.

Additionally, Master Yan taught Chi Gong which is a form of meditation and energetics.  After all my years of training, I have come to understand that power comes not from trying to be more powerful  than someone else, but from one being centered within themselves.

“Finally, one merges with the Tao, which enables a human being to attain a thoroughly fulfilling, holistic harmony and coordination with the universe and with Nature, and also to fully employ the results of this training to attain the goals of disinterring extra-ordinary latent capacities and extending the life span.”

--Shi Ming