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Tai Chi Classes at Open Sky
Tai Chi classes are currently offered at Open Sky on Monday (beginner) and Thursday (intermediate) evenings from 5:45-6:45. Our practice is primarily Chen style Tai Chi forms, with some limited partner practice.
It takes around 1 year of weekly classes (plus solo practice) to learn a basic Chen form from start to finish in this class format. Classes during the year of form study are paid for in sessions one to two months long, often with a week break between sessions. We find this longer commitment and common start point maximizes success for students. Returning students are encouraged to repeat forms after learning them to support ingraining the movements, receiving more detailed corrections, and routinizing their practice. We ask students attending the new intermediate class to frequent the beginner class as well for foundational practice and corrections.
New students with little to no martial arts experience are welcome to join us again Fall 2024 – ideally joining us Sept 9, 2024 on the first day of our new basic session. Prospective new students who cannot make the first day should reach out and try to join in the Fall to make catching up most successful. New, serious students with Tai Chi or body movement backgrounds are welcome to join “mid-session” (at other times in the year), but may need to practice more on their own outside class to catch up.
Last year: Monday evenings 2023-2024 a cohort of committed students completed the 18 count Chen style “short” form. In the 2024-2025 practice session we are repeating the short form Monday evenings and adding an intermediate class Thursday nights to focus on the straight sword (jian) form.
Current & upcoming sessions
Monday Night Beginner Class: 18-count short form
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Thursday Night Intermediate Class: Straight Sword
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All Tai Chi Basics classes include…
- Warm ups & loosening the joints
- Chen style walking
- Chen style arm, leg, and “Silk Reeling” movements
- Movements from the Chen 18-movement “short” form
The evening basics class also includes technical details, 8 energies (jin), and some martial applications. There may be opportunities for push-hands practice with partners once a movement foundation is built.
Logistics
- Arrival Time: Classes start and end on time; it is best practice and good martial arts etiquette to arrive 10-15 minutes early to settle into a practice mindset and begin your personalized warm ups. Likewise, plan on coming 15 minutes early to the first class of the session to get acquainted with the school & sign waivers if you are new. Dues can be paid in person, but paying online (see below) saves time.
- Waivers: All students will need a current practice insurance waiver on file. This can be emailed in or completed in person. Please find the waiver on the New Students page.
- Attire: Loose, comfortable clothing. Bare feet or clean soled (indoor only) Tai Chi shoes allowed on the mat. The sword form requires a sword – ideally, purchase your own for the year’s class (a “jian” around 30 inch blade, 39-40″ total), though there also will be swords available. You can try out swords in early classes before deciding which you want to buy.
- Paying for class: Payment can be made online for full or half sessions ($100 for full session; $50 for half session). Please pay online – this saves precious time before and after class. The first class of the new year (Mon Sept 9, 2024) may be tried for free. Intermediate students can attend both classes (Mon and Thu) for the same cost.
- Aikido cross training discount: Current members of the Aikido program may attend the Tai Chi program for a discounted rate of +$40/session for full 8-10 class sessions and +$20/session for half 4-5 class sessions.
- For other questions, please email Mike at taichi@openskymartialarts.com.
Previous / historical sessions (2023-2024)
- Fall 2023 : Mon Sept 11 – Mon Oct 30 (8 classes – $100.00)
- Early Winter, 2023 : Mon Nov 6 – Mon Dec 11 (5 classes – $50.00; no class Nov 27)
- Late Winter, 2024: Mon Jan 8 – Mon Feb 26 (8 classes – $100)
- Early Spring, 2024: Mon Mar 11 – Mon Apr 29 (8 classes – $100)
- Late Spring, 2024: Mon May 20 – Mon Jun 24 (4 classes – $50; open mat May 27 & June 10)
- Mid Summer: Mon July 8 – Mon July 29 (4 classes – $50)
Tai Chi Classes at Duke University
Steve Kaufmann teaches Tai Chi in the Physical Education department at Duke University.
Students can find the Tai Chi course syllabus here.
What is Tai Chi?
Tai Chi is an internal art of self-defense that harmonizes the external body with internal energy. Its external movements stretch and strengthen the fascia of the muscles, tendons, and ligaments, while the unique spiraling and twining movements massage the body’s internal organs circulating chi energy throughout the body. Studies by Western scientists continue to document more and more health benefits for students of all ages who practice this ancient art.
Open Sky Tai Chi classes teach basic Tai Chi movement in a step–by–step way. Movements are repeated and refined. These slow movements of Tai Chi, such as silk reeling exercises and forms, allow students to observe and feel their own body in motion. As legs and belly strengthen, awareness of back alignment increases and posture improves. Students will learn to recognize and release upper body tension and become increasingly supple through daily practice of Tai Chi movements. As students feel their own posture and balance improve, energy flows, healing and strengthening the body.
Times & Dues: Open Sky offers Tai Chi classes year round, in 5 class to 10 class sessions. Classes are typically either foundation-focused (for beginner students and those wanting deep practice) or form-focused (for intermediate students).
For questions about the Tai Chi program, please email us at taichi@openskymartialarts.com or see our contact us page for instructions on watching a class.
Tai Chi Instructors
Steven Kaufmann, Jesse Kaufmann, and Mike Dolan Fliss studied Tai Chi with Grand Master Wang Hai Jun, a master teacher of the Chen style of Tai Chi at the highest level. Wang Hai Jun was the first non-Chen family student to be traditionally trained in Chen Village in Henan in modern times. His teacher, Grandmaster Chen Zhenglei, is one of the “Four Golden Tigers” of Chen style Tai Chi.
Mike Dolan Fliss began training in martial arts over 30 years ago and was introduced to Tai Chi 20 years ago. Mike was inspired by meeting Grand Master Wang Hai Jun to take Chen style Tai Chi training seriously after early practice healed old injuries and provided surprising martial applications.
He enjoys the deep conditioning of the Chen forms, particularly the Lao Jia, Xin Jia, spear, and sword forms, and enjoys push hands and martial applications of practice. He has done occasional demonstrations locally for World Tai Chi day, and finds the movements of Chen Tai Chi to be useful for understanding Aikido, and vice versa.
See the Instructors page for a more detailed martial arts biography for Mike.
Steve Kaufmann began his studies of Tai Chi over 40 years ago, before studying with Wang Hai Jun, along with a lifetime of Aikido and meditation practice. He has studied with such notable Tai Chi teachers as William Chen, Lou Kleinsmith, Paul Gallagher, Lindsay Williams, Kumar Frantzis, and Nick Gudge.
Steve and Jesse are the the co-founders of Open Sky.
See the Instructors page for a more detailed martial arts biography for Steve.
Steve primarily teaches Tai Chi at Duke University and is semi-retired from teaching at Open Sky.
Jesse Kaufmann has been a student of Grandmaster Wang Hai Jun since 2006. Before studying with Master Wang, Jesse studied with Michelle Dwyer and Lindsay Williams in San Francisco and Berkeley. She has practiced Tai Chi for 18 years. Jesse practiced and taught Aikido for 20 years. She has a 2nd degree Aikido blackbelt from the USAF. As a girl Jesse studied ballet. She studied modern dance with highly regarded dance instructors in her twenties. She has an MA in Interdisciplinary Arts from San Francisco State.
Jesse’s classes show you how to use your body consciously and how to ground yourself. She encourages you to explore Tai Chi’s slow movements, body alignment, and deep breathing. You learn how to move with greater balance and awareness. Your benefits are feeling relaxed and springier, grounded, and realizing that you are more connected to yourself and to the natural world around you.
Jesse loves teaching Tai Chi because it is beautiful and healthful. She enjoys people, loves laughing and joking with her students, and loves coaching students and seeing them absorbing more of what they’ve learned in class week by week. She provides limited private practices to serious older students.
Jesse occasionally leads small semi-private lessons and is semi-retired from regular teaching at Open Sky.