To: bovik@cs.cmu.edu
cc: edss@cs.cmu.edu
Subject: tai-chi addresses
Date: Fri, 03 Sep 93 17:32:45 -0400
Message-ID: <16880.747091965@GS55.SP.CS.CMU.EDU>
From: Edouard_Servan-Schreiber@GS55.SP.CS.CMU.EDU

The advice I have received in choosing a way to learn tai-chi is that
content and quality of teacher is much more important than cost. 

Tai Chi instructors tend to fall into two camps.  On camp teaches it as
a Chinese meditative exercise whose goals are health and the acquisition
of 'inner harmony'.  The other views Tai Chi as the 'ultimate' martial
art and stresses health, 'internal strength' and martial skill.  You
might want to decide which aspects of TC interest you and make your
choices accordingly.

As far as choosing a teacher goes, a good strategy is to make a list of ones
you want to try and give each one a shot for a month. 
One comment, if any school insists on a contract, walk out.

Here is a list (not exhaustive, but close) of places to learn tai-chi, with
comments from the people who shared this information with me. Therefore the
'I's' do not always refer to the same person.

Stan Swartz 421-8580. $60 for ten weekly one hour lessons.
Many people have learned and are currently learning from this guy, and all
whom I have heard of him from are very enthousiastic about their teacher.
He is the most frequently recommended teacher, it seems. He teaches in 
various places. It seems  his classes lean more to the meditative
variety although he teaches the beginnings of martial applications to
his more advanced students.

Dr. Kenneth Hancock 362-9880. $7/one hour lesson ($28/month).
Dr. Hancock is a chiropractor and teaches at the Friend's Meeting House 
on 4836 Ellsworth Av in Oakland.
The two references I received on him indicated that he really knows what he
is talking about and seems to be a really effective teacher. He also teaches
yoga and advertises his practice as 'holistic treatment'.

Tom Kimberly. FREE lessons.
Shadyside Hospital on Center Av (near the crossing of S. Aiken), between the
West Wing and the Nursing School on the courtyard. MWF 6:15 - 8:30 AM.
This is part of a program for health education that the hospital supports.
The man is pleasant and teaches the yang style (there are five styles
total). You can show up at any time within the above hours, it is meant to
accomodate for widely varying schedule constraints. The danger here is to be
stuck forever with beginners.

The Continental Dance School on sixth street opposite the Fulton theater
should be avoided.  They teach dance, that is all.

The Shaolin School on the South Side should also be avoided.
The few ex-students I have met made very disparaging comments about the 
head instructor.  The school requires a contract.

Oom Yung Doe on South Craig street should probably be avoided.  In its
previous incarnation as Moo Duk Kwan, the parent organization was
investigated in Boston on charges of running a pyramid scheme.  Also, in
Chicago they were investigated for using 'cult practices' to extort
money out of students.

The Oakland School of Dance houses a Tai Chi class, I believe, on Sundays.
Head instructor there is Tony Haddad.  They claim to be the one true
practitioners of martial Tai Chi in the city.  I find their students to
be extremely (almost excessively) enthusiastic.  I've practiced with a
couple of them.  Some knew what they were doing.

The Bending Bamboo Tai Chi Chuan Association is headed by Glen Hairston. 
It teaches the martial variety of Tai Chi.  The student from this class
was very excited about his school in a very pleasant non-proselyte way.
They hold a beginner's class every Saturday at the Oakland Beehive from 
9:30 to 10:30 am.  The cost is $7 per class.

Good luck guys. Zen lives.

Edouard Servan-Schreiber