Taoist Tai Chi Society of the USA

I had taken Tai Chi instruction in several different places with different instructors teaching different variations of the Tai Chi form over the past 20 years or so, all but once not for long and the one other time the classes ended at the location I had been attending. Some were very good and others were frustrating, as the instruction proceeded so very slowly — in one particular class I took with another group years ago I was taught one move at a time and no more until I had basic mastery of that one move, which made it very tedious. In April it will be two years since I stumbled (almost literally) upon TTCS when I was driving by the Pleasant Hill CA location and happened to notice a sign. It has been enjoyable, relaxing, challenging, and I believe it is helpful for my physical, mental and spiritual health. There are two levels of instruction, Beginner classes and Continuing classes. The beginner classes give a rudimentary knowledge of the entire 108 move Tai Chi set. At that point one moves on to Continuing classes, in which one’s practice of the form is refined over time. There is no endpoint, as the subtleties of the form and its movements are many. In addition, the international instruction committee continues to modify the practice of the form in order to enhance the health benefits and deepen the practice as a whole. This, as I understand it, is in line with the founder’s intention. Master Moy Lin Shin founded the society as a way of promoting the practice of Tai Chi and spreading its health benefits to as many people as possible. TTCS teaches Tai Chi not as a martial art or fighting style, but as an inner practice, a vehicle for health promotion and a moving meditation. The society also promotes good personal values that translate into an honorable and virtuous life, somewhat similar to the Buddhist principles of Right Thought, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, etc.
The donation to become a participant allows one to attend classes anywhere they are offered (locally in Pleasant Hill, San Francisco, Palo Alto, Sonoma, Oakland and Mendocino, but also in many other places nationwide and worldwide). In the bay area it is possible to attend classes most days of the week and participants can attend as often as they wish to. The donations are reasonable and are 100% tax deductible. In addition to the practice leading to increased balance, agility, stamina and general well-​being, TTCS is a community. None of the instructors are paid, all are participants themselves and volunteer to instruct others. More information is available on the website,
. Navigate to the geographic are closest to you and find out when classes are being offered. New classes start regularly. I highly recommend giving it a try if you have any interest or curiosity, whether you have ever practiced other forms of Tai Chi or not.

I’ve been practicing Taoist Tai Chi for 5 years. I decided that I needed to do something for my health — I tried a gym membership but didn’t like the whole scene and never went and I don’t really like running. Then it dawned on me one morning that you don’t see too many old runners but you see a lot of old people doing tai chi, so I figured I’d give it a try.
I was reading about Taoism at the time and found this group. Tai chi is a small part of Taoist practice and this group is not really a religious group at all, although the Society has one, is a nonprofit and accepts tax deductible donations. I took a few classes before I decided if I liked it enough to commit. I liked the challenge of learning and practicing moving meditation. My lower back doesn’t hurt anymore and my whole body has opened up some from this practice.
This group is a volunteer run group founded on compassion, helping others and enjoying the health benefits of this internal art form. The people you meet are very nice, not competitive, of all ages and different careers and the instruction genuinely top notch.
While on vacation in Amsterdam I practiced with the group there — it’s the same all over the world. It is rare that you find such a dedicated and generally selfless bunch of folks who are just glad you want to practice tai chi. If you are curious about this foundation martial art, definitely check it out here.

ttcs is an international organization that i happened to hook up with about a year ago in the burbs of detroit. when i moved out here, the sf branch was the first place i hit up (membership gives you access to classes at any branch worldwide). i have participated in classes and workshops at five different branches now in the us and canada and had fantastic experiences every time.
i have to confess to being highly ignorant of other forms of tai chi and what they offer. but i can say that i have seen serious reductions in neck/​back pain & stiffness, uncontrollable anxiety, and sleeplessness since i began to practice taoist tai chi daily. the rewards for me have been extremely rich and varied and only continue to develop as i explore the form and receive ongoing guidance and corrections from the instructors here. i can tell that this will be a lifelong pursuit for me.
at any rate, a summary of the things i find uniquely appealing about this org:
– provides a highly supportive, non-​competitive atmosphere that prizes the inclusion of all levels of physical ability.
– focuses primarily on the health-​improving aspects of tai chi. (although the instructors will refer to martial arts applications at points, there isn’t a primary emphasis on that).
– ttcs is a non-​profit org. run by its members, which really is conducive to building a sense of open community among all of us who attend classes.
– with a real diversity of age-​levels, there’s an inter-​generational thing here, too, that has me interacting a lot more with people outside of my age group, which i’ve really enjoyed.
anyway, i recommend courses here without reservation to anyone interested in exploring the manifold potential benefits of a non-​taxing, enjoyable discipline.

I’ve always been fascinated by the concept of meditation in motion and I happen to come across people doing tai chi in the park and said I am so going to learn to do that.
I’m relatively young so it wasn’t for health benefits perse, but I’ve learned so much more from my experience with this group. First of all, its fun & challenging and the instructors are all amazing! We learn 108 moves (the complete set) in the beginner class, and then the continuing classes is about refining our understanding of the artform.
The amazing part about tai chi is that it higlights a major difference between Eastern and Western culture. In the West we’re all about completing an objective and moving on, where as with tai chi the idea is that there are so many levels to this one artform that you can spend a lifetime doing the same thing and still learn something new.
The benefits: My balance and coordination certainly has improved, and I no longer feel as stiff as I used to… Also, if I ever need a moment to center myself I can just do tai chi anywhere. Memorizing the set is a great little mental exercise too.
It does take commitment but once you do it, you’ll be a fan!