T’ai Chi & Qigong: Altair’s Background of study

Starting in 1980, Altair studied for 6 years with the Yang family lineage Master, Master Chu King Hung, in London, England. Chu was an ‘indoor student’ of Yang Shu Chung, eldest son of the legendary Yang Cheng Fu. It was Yang Cheng Fu that popularised Tai Chi, and his form is the most widely taught in Tai Chi lessons across the World.

Over 40 years since he started his love affair with Tai Chi, Altair went on to study with various Tai Chi and Qigong Masters from around the World before teaching Tai Chi lessons himself.

These include Chungliang Al Huang (USA), well known author of Embrace Tiger, return to Mountain, and Zhi Xing Wang, renowned Qigong Master(China/UK)

In 1992, at an international Tai Chi competition in Ghent, Belgium, Altair entered and won first prize in his weight, in the only Push Hands competition he ever took part in. He realised that such competitions rarely use the Tai Chi principles resorting mostly to strength and speed. At the competition he met and studied with Dr. Shen Hong Xun (China/Belgium), with whom he studied for several years. He was privileged to meet and study with the charismatic  Jou Tsung Hwa(China/USA), author of ‘Tao of Tai Chi Chuan’. He also briefly studied with Hsu Yee Chung (Taiwan) and William C.C. Chen (USA), both lineage Masters of the famous Cheng Man Ching.

He later went onto study with Taoist Lineage Master, Bruce Kumar(BK) Franztis(USA), having previously studied for several years with Brian Cooper (BK’s most senior student in the UK). Altair learned the Wu short form from BK in Crete. He found him to be one of the few teachers who divulge the internal ‘secrets’ of Tai Chi to his students.

He also studied with Christopher Pei (USA).

In 2000 Altair and his main student at that time, travelled to Handan city, China to study, one-to-one with Grand Master Yang Zhen Ji, the second and oldest surviving son of Yang Cheng Fu. Zhen Ji agreed to be the Patron for Altair’s school, and signed a document to this effect.

In 2001(a Tai Chi Odyssey!) Altair was very privileged to meet and study with Master Wee Kee Jin (Singapore/New Zealand). Jin is one of only 4 ‘indoor students’-hence Lineage Masters- of  Huang Shen Shyan. Huang had been one of Cheng Man Chings most senior ‘indoor students’.
Altair realised that for the first time ever he had met a Chinese lineage master who was willing to divulge the ‘internal ‘secret’ teachings’ of Tai Chi, normally only taught to indoor students. These include the 5 ‘Relaxing exercises’, created by Huang, which help to embody the Tai Chi principles down to cellular level, rather than it being just theoretical knowledge.

He was so impressed in fact with Jins calibre and style of teaching that he released his 20 year journey of study and subsequent teaching of the traditional Yang family long form. Instead he has dedicated himself to study and teach Master Huang’s version of the Yang form (created by Cheng Man Ching and refined by Huang Shen Shyan) because it encompasses the most profound levels of healing -both body and mind- as well as the self-defense aspects. From time to time, according to demand, Altair teaches Tai chi lessons in the Wu Short form, taught to him by Master Bruce Frantzis because of the special benefits of this form to relieve back and joint problems.

In 2009 Altair was honoured with the title of Vice President of the Tai Chi Union of GB, Britains largest association of Tai Chi instructors, for services to the Tai Chi community.

For more information please contact Altair.