Dịch
Greg Woodson
Welcome to last installment of TCF’s 50th Anniversary Blog! Each month this year, we have shared writings and images highlighting aspects of our school’s remarkable history — revealing the bigger picture of our community through the stories of individual practitioners.
As we approach the close of 50th year, the final post in the series features a discussion between Legacy Holder and senior teacher Greg Woodson and TCF Board member Charlotte Booth. The conversation explores Greg’s early journey into Tai Chi and the centuries-old practice’s potential benefits for our deeply conflicted world.
ROOTED in CHANGE: Continuity and Evolution across 50 years of Tai Chi
Greg at a street fair demo with former classmate Eugene Nowacki in the 1970s
As Greg and Charlotte began their conversation, Greg offered this as a place to start: There is a whole lot of goodness that has happened at our school over the past 50 years, and it gets to continue. And I want to make sure that everyone understands the depth of where we come from, so that we can tap into that, not just accidentally, but on purpose.
Charlotte: For me, that frames the whole point of doing this 50th anniversary project, not to lose the important pieces before they get away from us — the direct words, connections, and experiences that comprise the history of the school. It doesn’t preclude looking forward at all, but this is a liminal moment. Don’t leave the past behind —take the important part with you as we look ahead.
What’s important to you to share?
Greg: I think that Tai Chi, because of the nature of its grounding work, is supremely useful to humanity, both to all of us on an individual basis, health-wise, feeling better, less pain, but also in terms of awareness, readiness, calm, presence. It supports us being better humans, more willing to stay connected to those we might disagree with. I mean today —in these times—in every culture and country, to be able to be a grounding and neutralizing presence in the midst of conflict, because there’s plenty of conflict to go around.
Charlotte: Is this what you would like the school to point to? And do you feel that that’s been a conclusion you’ve come to over the 50 years? Or was that also the intent at the beginning? What’s different and what’s the same over your journey with regard to this goal?
Greg: Well, I think it’s both. What I say now, and what I can put into words and hopefully convey in my teaching, is, to me, very consistent with how we started, but it wasn’t always explicitly spelled out. Our founder, Patrick Watson, had a lot of big plans and often talked about tai chi helping to change the world, but it wasn’t clear how that would happen. Now I see it as an organic process of connection with a calm, grounded person spreading to those around and in contact. So in this regard, it really relies upon us each doing the work to discover our inner calm and to moderate our over-reactions.
Working within Tai Chi principle gives you the kind of courage to hang on, persevere, be present, deal with, and see yourself. Tai Chi itself is a path of self-observation, which is sometimes confused with self-criticism, but it’s not the same thing. It’s about just seeing, accepting, changing, moving on, and being patient with yourself over the whole process of change, releasing, and transcending.
This connection was there from the inception because this school, this Tai Chi school that we know, started with Oscar Ichazo, founder of the Arica School, asking Patrick Watson to make it happen. It started as the Arica Tai Chi Association. And then, for organizational reasons, it became independent. Nonetheless, the focus on service to humanity has been there the whole time. My understanding has grown, for sure, but I don’t feel that I’ve grown away from the original purpose. I feel like I’ve grown into the original purpose. It is possible to be distracted by the details involved in “doing” tai chi. Staying aligned with the simplicity of learning to be relaxed is the real key.
Click to Read the Entire Interview
Greg with fellow Legacy Holder, Margaret Olmsted
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AND FINALLY~
IN PRAISE OF UNSUNG HEROES
As we come to the end of the Tai Chi Foundation’s 50 years of service, there is much to celebrate, and even more to be thankful for. The cohesion of our teaching in so many different parts of the world, the training we are privileged to receive, and the simple, extraordinary fact of continuity over 50 years gives so much to so many.
Our Legacy Holders: Margaret “Matsu” Matsumoto, Sherry Kent, Margaret “MO” Olmsted, Greg Woodson, and Gerrie Sporken have stayed true to the work they were passed, with the very able assistance of Els Eijssens as facilitator. Their individual commitment to this art is inspiring and edifying. Their collective commitment to the content of our curriculum, to teaching, and to the teaching of teachers is palpable throughout the school. The inclusion of Jonathan Stowe and Vanessa Costigan in the Legacy Advisory Council (LAC) ensures this work will continue.
But their efforts, as remarkable as they are, only represent the ‘tip of the iceberg’, the visible, acknowledged nucleus of a much larger organism. The Tai Chi Foundation today is the result of many thousands of details attended to by a host of unsung heroes, whose work has built the network of schools that benefit the LAC’s leadership. If you are reading this, you may know a collection of unsung TCF heroes, and quite possibly, you may be one yourself.
While we can’t possibly name all the people who have provided all this work for all of these 50 years, we offer our deepest thanks to all who have handled any of these functions:
- Securing venues for classes and trainings
- Researching insurance for teachers and events
- Providing publicity- word of mouth to social media
- Procuring snacks for hungry tai chi players
- Sweeping the floors, our shoes softly traverse
- Arranging meal choices to meet all needs at trainings
- Fundraising in person, by snail mail, and online
- Keeping a library of worthwhile Tai Chi books to buy
- Designing, printing, and selling merchandise
- Building the structure of the TCF
- Creating a Board of Directors
- Setting up the non-profit business of TCF
- Recruiting committee and Board members
- Recording and circulating minutes of meetings
- Collecting the socks left behind and locating the owners
- Serving on any committee—take your pick!
- Persevering to provide TCF with tax-exempt status
- Sharing expertise with TCF, be it …
- legal
- learning styles
- design-oriented
- business-related
- conflict resolution
- personal counseling
- or related to body work
- interviewing applicants for apprenticeships and scholarships
- Financial management
- Keeping records, especially in the pre-digital years
- Pivoting in the pandemic, taking us online
- Attending meetings locally, regionally, and beyond.
For the many hundreds of people who have followed through on many thousands of tasks over many millions of hours, may we all include our gratitude for you in every round we do.
This is the last word in the 50th Anniversary blog series, complete with the invitation to share other tasks for which we should be grateful on our Active Apprentice channel. We hope the series has strengthened your connection to our school, and, as always, we invite you to contact marketing@taichifoundation.org with your ideas for future blog posts.
Thank you all for all you do.
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Are You Beginning a Tai Chi Journey of Your Own?
You can learn more about tai chi by exploring the diverse offerings of the Tai Chi Foundation (TCF). TCF provides live online courses, allowing you to participate in guided sessions in the comfort of your home. These virtual classes offer unique opportunities to connect with experienced instructors, ensuring that you receive personalized guidance and feedback. Additionally, TCF offers Teachable on-demand classes, providing a flexible way to learn at your own pace. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced practitioner, these online resources offer a wealth of knowledge to enrich your tai chi journey. For those seeking a more hands-on experience, check out the in-person course offerings of TCF’s affiliated local schools.
TCF is a not-for-profit educational organization that promotes, funds, and teaches programs that enable people to learn tai chi chuan and embody its principles.
Be sure to check out our TCF 50th Anniversary Shop, where you can find stylish tai chi t-shirts and other great branded merchandise!
The Tai Chi Foundation Editorial Team
Photos courtesy Tai Chi Foundation Inc.
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