The REAL TaiChi

TaiChi is all the rage, but is your instructor versed or faking the funk? I’ve been teaching since 2011, Been practicing since 1996, and I study an ancient form of Taiji Chuan, from the Chen Dynasty. Watching instructors turn to dance choreography is nice and soft, but not enough for me to join their classes.

Dancy style versions are a water down version of some of the best self-defense training you could ever receive. Certifications for TaiChi Chuan went up, but they are not very credible to the martial art. A philosophy I love, the ancient master I follow, developed The Way of Self-Reliance. The Way of Walking Alone. For me, The Master is within. I was free to study, practice and apply with no stress. I honor the book teachings in a variety of martial arts, no influencers, no Youtube vids. My colleagues were trying to become online famous, and fake this while I studied alone, for hours and trained, yes until my hands bled, and to the point of exhaustion. Not everyone is willing to go that deep, but I’m a diver & innovator!

While I give it to my colleagues for mastering the techniques of set styles, their versions differ drastically from mine.

TaiChi V. TaiJi

What is the difference, you say? Not much in the way that it just evolved. The origin of the Taiji developer already had Shaolin KungFu, (which originated in India) and Quigong. According to the legend, (which varies in several books and teachings, it’s a legend, after all) He developed the style after seeing a bird and a snake fight. The snake was calm before striking, and this was the catalyst. Years later, the Chen dynasty adopted and enhanced Taiji to make TaiChi, The GRAND Ultimate fist. 60 movements (most study 25) and this style became more popular in the 1930’s Chi, is energy and we all have this inner dragon, but you don’t get to ride him with paper certifications. You must first open the gates, and hone this energy. If you are a mover, get distracted easily, you’ll have a bit of trouble with the flow. I believe I have given the perfect balance, because that’s me. Always moving, doing, and creating, but now I can slow down and enjoy the stillness after the fire.

Bruce Lee, was a badass actor and chuck norris was cool, but I liked him better as Walker, Texas ranger. Donnie Yen is more skilled, in my view, but none of these skilled, great men were my role models. I searched for the dragon everyday within me, and when I first tasted him, I had never felt ANYTHING like this come from any workout, and I was trying all of them. I don’t give this away, so this is all I will say about that.

I’ve come across some smug characters who practice KungFu, MMA, Capoeira and other forms that will tell you if you don’t have colored belts that deem you a master, you’re not a martial artist. This is great for the Olympics, Movies, and performative showcasing, as the skill is honed with little room for diversity & it’s mostly repetition. I actually thought the belt system was a little trivial myself, I was developing my own education and martial arts techniques are just a piece of what I created. Most instructors get away from the purpose of martial arts, and this is to develop the technique, then apply the individual style. Usually it’s done the other way around. Over stylized basic technique can make anyone think they’re a master, and it’s great for marketing, but it is hollow in nature due to little or no foundational technique in how to apply the force correctly.

Working with Community

I made a home with ACRS and began teaching Seniors my style of TaiChi. At first I wasn’t sure if they liked it. Class numbers went from 10 to almost 70 people, and who knows how many more on the livestream, so in fitness marketing, this is HUGE. they love it, they’ve lost weight and THIS is what I DO! If you’re interested in sessions with no monthly obligation or subscription, check us out! We do performances for holiday parties and Lunar New Year. I just love the cultural arts and decorations the team there does, and we have it a real success.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2026 HERE COME THE DRAGON!

Cleaning UP the City of SEATTLE

Yes, we love a good clean-up! When we arrived to the city of Seattle to do business, there was quite a bit of homeless activity, drug use & deals, also trash around our storefront showroom. Trees in front had clothing, stash spots and other…um, gifts. We got down right away with our own shop, because you see, I’m not the type to settle into a run down spot and accept surroundings as bad. We strive to Improve areas we work in, so, as this was unacceptable to work in, we changed our surroundings.

We did not hesitate and I put fresh new murals up for attraction. Taggers in the area greeted me with compliments & being from the 90’s, this type of street cred is gold. I also told some of them to clean up, get off drugs and call home. I’m a grandma, so I tell youngins’ as best I can, because it takes one line sometimes to get people thinking. They could’ve heard it a million times but maybe mine was the one, who knows.

Things got scary too, since we’ve been in Seattle, we’ve been targeted for theft and assault, but we know the special arts to diffuse this and situations that could have been catastrophic or dangerously worse, were not, with no gun.

Sometimes we have to use other resources and when we went to the SODO business improvement area, we were a little fatigued. I’m not afraid to call out what isn’t ok. That is who I am so when I hit them with complaints, I was expecting ignorance, but got a a response that made me love these guys.

Cam is in charge of City clean-up & he works with law enforcement also. He assured me they would get out there and check out the situation. Now at first I was like, sure buddy, yea. Then I saw him work. He takes the cleanup very seriously got the areas we asked for, and did not dismiss us that we are not in the posh Seattle hot spots. We are in the manufacturing district which could easily get overlooked by their team.

Paul was so hands on, he came to our shop and went over exactly what to do in these situations. He is always available, and anyone who is willing to go knock on tents to see if anyone wants a bed, is a Hero in my eyes. Homeless people are still people and like I said, if one comes off the streets, it’s a WIN.

Jacob is a City planner. He was receptive and listened to our concerns. He always tries to help us. In getting to know him he’s going to make a great leader one day & he is very open to new ideas and creative ventures. Melissa is an event planner and organized this and other events that are bringing the community together they make an excellent team.

We cleaned up graffiti picked up trash & debris and it’s only the beginning. Next clean up, we’ll be there!

The new Mayor Katie Wilson, did not return our emails about our concerns. Which is a Seattle favorite. Her staff must think that by ignoring people, including the homeless, problems will go away while they tax us more for this. Her solutions for this problem are not very realistic, by letting open drug use continue and also pushing them into areas like the viaduct/parking garage where there are daily open fires.

Everyone gets labeled as a mental health case, but as someone who worked with real autism, and disabled mental patients, Overuse of drug use is not the same category and should not be treated the same. The erosion of functioning chemicals in the brain replaced by chemicals in meth, phentanyl, and other hard drugs, possibly mixed with alcohol and prescription meds, is not someone born with these diseases. However, these two categories need around the clock medical attention and care.

City argues compassion must be given by us, and this reminds me of Durkin’s backyard policy which asked homeowners to let homeless live in your backyard. It’s ironic how she, herself, did not. The NOT in my back yard was voted for overwhelmingly. If someone is mentally unstable, it is not safe or wise to do this and they can’t be left to wander the streets because they have lost capacity to safely care for themselves, so whatever they do, needs supervision.

Millions of dollars went into this, yet streets are still rife with drug use and prostitution with no criminal charges as the Mayor prior to Wilson, said he was more concerned with their ‘backstory’ and getting to know them as a person. Hey that’s awesome, Bruce, but they are still dealers and should pay for crimes. Prostitutes are often trafficked and know no other life, so their rehabilitation is unique, but dismissed as a lost cause.

We’re not impressed with any of these Mayors to say the least, but we’ll keep working with those who hold the vision of a better tomorrow. See ya in the next one!

T

BLIND SOCCER IS A THING.

We recently had the pleasure of attending a blind soccer clinic in Millcreek Wa, participants could join and experience playing blind, while other champs/ competitive athletes who are blind were also there, helping with drills and Coaching both sighted and non sighted players. All ages and backgrounds/levels got to participate so we had fun working with them.

Coach Cody, a long time blind player and organizer, is very comfortable on the field while explaining the drills. His skills are fluid and amazing. The soccer balls rattle, and he explained that one of the commands they use to let other players know they are coming is VOY, a Spanish verb that indicates coming or going, so that blind players know where another player is for safety. It is a universally recognized command and it works really well, we also use it for acrobatics when we drop or do partner work tricks.

Daniel and I got to work with Cole, an enthusiastic Goalee who is sighted, but wanted to do the clinic as a blind participant. Cole has another disability, but this didn’t stop him from giving 110! He is fun, upbeat and will try any challenge. He did express some difficulty in the drills that were unfamiliar, but by the time we finished he was balancing on a ball like a Kung Fu master, blindfolded!

HEROES & WARRIORS

Coach Joslynn got started with the organization she’s running at a very young age as a volunteer and created USABA. Joslynn’s dedication and drive to give everyone the best possible experience, bright personality and attitude makes it easy to learn soccer from a different perspective. She then founded her organization and has worked very hard for this on behalf of the blind.

She helped Daniel and I coach on the field at the event, and she also has a consulting biz, Eastside Timbers Soccer Club in Oregon. I got to speak with her Photographer, and proud mom, Holly, who explained her struggles that became overall triumphs in her growing career. Holly also spoke about having regular people try canes, power chairs and crutches. Their milestones and love for helping the sport, show a real need for more people like this in all our communities.

The other founders, and champions of the sport were also there, explaining their goals for FIFA , and how this journey has started for them. There were not just blind people there, others with disabilities showed up and showed major skill on the field!

Overall, Everyone should try or volunteer for blind soccer. Doing anything that enables you to experience how one would do it with any considered obstacle, is better support for our brothers and sisters who want to score big and play hard! Y POR ESO VOY!!!!

Check out our reel in the videos section and Stay tuned for MORE FIFA/ OAE collabs!

See ya in the next one!

T

BOXING. OAE AT IT AGAIN.

Michael is a Champion Boxer, so we didn’t hesitate to put him on our #equipment. With his sport, mainstream #workouts aren’t enough. He has to think about his #competition doing that, and then move swiftly to top that in every way.

His Coaches know combining their worldclass #boxing expertise with innovative worldclass training solutions, would help not only his win, but also elevate him. They train with OAE to get those results.

How do you get started? Contact OAE today for your quote on custom equipment & specialty training options. We help competitive athletes come out of nowhere for the Knockout!

We are REAL Athletes, we help REAL teams WIN with REAL options, and AI can’t forge Physical Prowess!

See you in the next one!

T