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Our Mission
“To improve health, well-being, and awareness through the study, practice, and teaching of Tai Chi and Qigong, by an increasing number of people worldwide.”
The Tai Chi Foundation (TCF) is a not-for-profit educational organization that develops and promotes programs that enable people to learn to practice, and ultimately teach, Tai Chi Chuan and its internal principles.
Today, we have over 250 instructors (“apprentices”) teaching Tai Chi classes in 30-plus cities around the world. Each teacher follows the curriculum and team teaching method developed by Patrick Watson. The school’s instructors also gather together regularly (at Winter and Summer Trainings) to continue learning from our most senior teachers.
This helps maintain high standards of teaching and consistency in how the art is taught. Students can study with an TCF teacher and receive the same careful attention to the principles and details of the art of Cheng Man-Ch’ing’s form.
Our 2024-2027 Strategy
We have recently updated the TCF strategy to cover the next three years, spanning from 2024 to 2027.
Teachers can access the full strategy document by clicking on this [link], which will direct you to the TCF Governance section within the “Teachers Only” pages menu.
For those without teacher access, we are pleased to share our three key priorities for the upcoming three years:
1. Developing TCF online:
(a) Increasing the number of live online classes and the number of online students attending those classes;
(b) Expanding our Teachable on-demand library of online classes;
(c) Increasing our presence and influence on social media.
2. Celebrating our curriculum:
(a) More recognition for the hours and years our teachers put into formal training to teach our curriculum;
(b) More visibility for our curriculum of Continuing Education for teachers;
(c) Attracting more people to learn (and teach) not just Form, but also Push Hands and Sword.
3. Reaching new communities.
(a) Marketing tai chi in a way which attracts younger people;
(b) Marketing tai chi to specific communities or groups (sch as those with special health needs);
(c) Increasing public attendance at in-person TCF trainings – including the Summer retreats.
Our Organizational Structure
TCF is primarily a volunteer-run organization, with only a few people paid for specific administrative tasks that must be completed to hard deadlines or that require specialist skills.
The picture below shows our the simple organizational structure we use to manage this army of volunteers.
It shows that most activities or projects are undertaken by small teams (of volunteers) created for a specific purpose to deliver a specific outcome. Oversight of these teams is via the three sub-committees of the Board – the Finance Committee, the Internal Affairs Committee and the External Affairs Committee – which meet in between Board meetings to monitor team activity and set up new teams as needed. Our paid administrative staff support both these small teams and the committees.
The bi-monthly Board meetings try to focus on forward looking discussions and strategically important decisions. The Board is advised by the Legacy Advisory Committee (LAC) – which includes all the current Legacy Holders and some other members – on anything which might be related to the teachings handed down to us (the ‘legacy’). It is also advised on specific issues by the Governance and Ethics committee, which includes several past presidents who are no longer Board members.
Visual Organizational Structure Coming Soon
The sub-pages to this one provide pics and bios for our Board, the Legacy Advisory Committee (which includes all of our most senior teachers – the “Legacy Holders”), and our professional administrative staff.
If you have any questions about how TCF works, please don’t hesitate to contact us via administrator@taichifoundation