05/27/2026
Moving Forward: From China to Local Communities and Deep Summer Training
International Tai Chi Alliance • Monthly Newsletter
Greetings Everyone,
As we settle into the warmer months, the energy of our practice continues to expand. Reflecting on our recent journey to China, the profound depth of tradition and the intensity of dedicated training reminded us of the lifelong nature of this art.
During this last trip, we had the immense honor of participating in a formal discipleship ceremony, where we received official recognition as a 13th Generation Inheritor of Chen Style Tai Chi Chuan. This milestone brings with it a profound sense of responsibility to preserve the purity of the lineage. The deep insights gained during this time have breathed new energy into how we teach and practice, and we are channeling that same focus into growing our local community.
A Heart of Gratitude for the Art, Our Teachers, and Our Students
At its core, this achievement is a celebration of community, lineage, and the beautiful art of Tai Chi Chuan itself— a practice that continuously teaches us balance, resilience, and harmony in motion.
This milestone would not have been possible without the guidance of the exceptional teachers who have shared their wisdom over the decades. We want to express our deepest, most heartfelt appreciation to our teacher, Master Lifei Zhu, whose profound expertise, patience, and rigorous instruction at the Hanfei Tai Chi Health and Fitness Center have shaped our understanding of internal energy and precise body mechanics.
Equally, we want to thank you—our students. Whether you have been with us for years or are just taking your first steps, your dedication, enthusiasm, and support are the true lifeblood of our school. Every time you step onto the floor, bring your focus to a form, or share a "lightbulb moment" in class, you help keep this beautiful tradition alive and vibrant.
Tracing the Lineage: A Journey to the Roots
To understand the weight of this inheritance, it helps to look at the intentional journey our organization has taken. Long before traveling to the East, the International Tai Chi Alliance (along with TaiChiRon.com) was already an established entity, built upon many years of dedicated teaching, training, and deep personal practice. The Alliance was founded on a mission to break down complicated techniques into patient, easy-to-understand pathways for modern students.
However, as any true practitioner knows, a lifelong art demands a continuous search for deeper understanding. With a thriving alliance already in place, the natural next step was to seek out the absolute roots of the art form.
Every movement we practice traces its ancestry directly back to Chenjiagou (Chen Village) in Henan Province, China—the historic birthplace where Chen Style Tai Chi Chuan was created centuries ago. To bridge that ancient village tradition with elite modern refinement, we connected with Master Lifei Zhu's training center, the Hanfei Tai Chi Health and Fitness Center in Ningbo, China. It was through this profound connection—and our recent immersive experiences training alongside the masters in China—that our established global organization became formally unified with the unbroken lineage of the creators. Today, the International Tai Chi Alliance serves as a direct pipeline from the historic training grounds of China to our students worldwide, ensuring the instruction you receive is both highly accessible and deeply authentic.
Connected Worldwide: Sharing Tai Chi Across Borders
Our digital hub continues to serve as a bridge for our global family of practitioners. We are incredibly grateful for the vibrant community growing on the site, which now features over 85 five-star student reviews. From beginners finding their footing with the foundational Yang 8 form to dedicated students advancing through intricate sword and Chen sequences, the alliance remains a supportive, relaxed environment where everyone can learn at their own pace.
True healing knows no boundaries, and expanding beyond our geographic borders is essential to our global vision. By sharing Tai Chi Chuan around the world, we connect diverse cultures through a shared language of movement and mindfulness. This global expansion allows us to serve as a beacon of health, ensuring that anyone, anywhere— regardless of their background or location—has access to these transformative, time-tested tools for longevity and inner peace.
Expanding Our Roots: The Power of Local Community Outreach
Closer to home, we are thrilled to announce a brand-new collaboration with the Salem Community Library!
To kick off this partnership, we recently held a community demonstration and a Q&A session. The turnout was fantastic, the energy was high, and the curiosity from the local community was incredibly inspiring. This partnership will allow us to share the health and longevity benefits of our practice with a wider local audience. We will have much more information to share on specific schedules and upcoming library programs very soon, so keep an eye out!
Reaching out to our local community through trusted pillars like the library is vital to our mission. It allows us to meet people exactly where they are, breaking down the misconceptions that Tai Chi is exclusive or inaccessible. Local outreach roots the grand philosophy of our art into the practical, everyday lives of our neighbors, providing an open door for individuals to discover improved balance, stress relief, and a supportive, health-focused community right in their own backyard.
Labor Day Weekend Intensive: The Power of a Deep Dive
Looking ahead, our major event of the season is the Labor Day Weekend Training Conference, running from Friday through Monday. This four-day intensive is designed for practitioners who want to immerse themselves fully, refine their skills, and elevate their practice by drawing directly from the lineage insights of our recent trip.
We are pleased to announce that this year's intensive will be held at the Burlington Senior Activity Center.
An intensive weekend functions differently than regular weekly classes. By stepping away from everyday distractions and committing to consecutive days of focused practice, we allow muscle memory to settle deeply and the mind to quiet completely. This immersive environment creates a "greenhouse effect" for training, accelerating progress, cementing complex choreography, and revealing subtle nuances of internal alignment that can only be captured through sustained, uninterrupted dedication.
To help you prepare, we have structured the daily schedule to balance foundational mastery with advanced form work:
Morning Sessions: Skills, Weapons, & Short Forms
We will dedicate our mornings to sharpening core structural skills, exploring traditional weapons training, and refining short form sequences to ensure strong alignment and intent.
Afternoon Sessions: The 42 Combined Competition Form
Our afternoons will take a deep, focused dive into the intricate and dynamic 42 Combined Competition Form, breaking down its nuances and fluid transitions.
Whether you are looking to solidify your basics or master complex sequences, this four-day immersive training will provide the space and dedicated time to truly progress.
Dedication to a Healthier World
Manifesting a vision for a healthier world requires more than just casual interest; it demands a deep, unwavering dedication from each of us. By committing to our personal practice, we aren't just improving our own mobility, vitality, and mental clarity—we are raising the collective health and harmony of the entire world around us. It takes consistent effort, patience, and heart to carry the calm of the training floor out into a chaotic world. Together, through our shared practice in our local neighborhoods and across global borders, we are building a legacy of wellness that will ripple outward for generations to come.
Important Note: Space will be limited for this intensive weekend, so please save the dates. Stay tuned for registration details coming in our next update!
