Gems in gyms

March 22nd, 2012 by Jan

In 1989 I was in San Francisco searching out some tai chi. I had been given some interesting directions to a small studio. Directions like, go down an alley, up some stairs to a door with no markings on it at all, don’t knock, just walk in and then wait for someone to greet you, oh and bring a gift. A friend was with me or I would not have had the courage to do any of this.

What I found was a very small studio with about a dozen tai chi players working out. Some were standing in zhang zhen, some were moving solo and slow, and a few were pushing hands. The instructor was sitting at a desk smoking. I loved it.

All around the world, in small hard to locate studios; the kind of place where you need to walk down a spooky alley, desend some dark stairs to a basement, pass a barking dog, or really you need to know someone, who knows someone, some good tai chi being played.

There is a gem of a studio in North Vancouver, not that hard to find, that for the last 10 years, has been rented by the hour, by the students. A small group of dedicated, interested, and very interesting people come to play Tai Chi. They bring open minds, big hearts, and strong legs.

It is a true delight to play there.

1 thought on “Gems in gyms

  1. Laur

    That sounds much like my teachers’ studio without the dark alley, steep stairs, and smoking thing. I was hooked up with Dorian and her Garage Studio by a mutual friend. So, having to know someone who knows somebody was indeed fortunate for me. That does not make this an “Ahoy Matey” pirate story. That I had to go search for this teacher (despite the 8 minute grueling drive and the obligatory barking greeting from Maggie) was a wonderful challenge to myself to jump back in with a new teacher. I’m echoeing you here, it is my true delight to play and study here, at my home studio, with my teacher, Dorian Gregory.

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