Author: pghtaichi

Tai Chi (Taijiquan) instructor, second degree black belt neijiaquan, 2004 Wushu Union National Champion, internal division.

PGH Tai Chi in 2023

Coming Soon to PGH Tai Chi in 2023

Join us for a free 30 minute introductory zoom class on Chinese New Year 1/22/2023

Online Classes will start again in February 2023

In March 2023, we will add the opportunity to do some outdoor group training in Pittsburgh, PA

Registration for classes will be available soon!

For those of you in the Pittsburgh area, please contact me with the neighborhoods where you would most like to see outdoor training happen

For those of you interested semi-private or private instruction, reach out to me below

I wish everyone inner happiness and peace!

I look forward to bringing you more PGH Tai Chi in 2023!!!

Contact

The time is now

Working on your fitness, gaining or losing weight as needed, taking care of your mental wellness, studying for that upcoming test or any other goal you have all require your time.  It is easy to put off those goals and start on another day, but I have found that the best time to start is now.  You don’t have to make giant steps at first, just little ones.  With a little bit of progress each day, before you know it you may find your way further down the road toward that goal than you expect.

Don’t forget that registration is now open for classes starting in June 2021.

Registration for June 2021

Are you interested in a PGH Tai Chi T-Shirt?  We will ship shirts for those of you that are not local to Pittsburgh, PA

The shirts are a comfortable poly blend of 60% ring-spun cotton / 40% polyester.

The shirts are unisex in sizing. The cost per shirt will be $20. We are now accepting pre-orders, please reach out to us at pghcoachjon@gmail.com or via the form below.

Planning with you in mind

More and more these days, we have increased responsibility to help with taking care of our parents, our partners and our loved ones.

To help take care of those we care about, we must first take care our ourselves.

With that in mind, we have created a simple survey to find out a little bit more about you and what types of classes you may be interested in that will help you take care of yourself.

Click the link to share your thoughts: Class Survey

Don’t forget that registration is now open for classes starting in June 2021: Registration for June 2021

PGH Tai Chi

Yours in Power, Grace & Harmony.

Coach Jon

June 2021 Registration NOW OPEN!

Exciting News!

Class Registration for online classes is now open for June 2021.

Class NameDay / TimeTopicDates
Tai Chi 1aTuesday 7:00pm ETBeginning Tai Chi (Yang 10 Form)June 1, June 8, June 15, June 22
Qi Gong 1aTuesday 8:00pm ETBeginning Qi Gong (8 Brocades)June 1, June 8, June 15, June 22
Qi Gong 1bThursday 7:00pm ETBeginning Qi Gong (8 Brocades)June 3, June 10, June 17, June 24
Tai Chi 1bThursday 8:00pm ETBeginning Tai Chi (Yang 10 Form)June 3, June 10, June 17, June 24

The beginning Tai Chi class on Tuesday will be the same as the Tai Chi class on Thursday.  Likewise, the beginning Qi Gong class on Tuesday will be the same as the Qi Gong class on Thursday.

Pick any 1 class – $60

Pick any 2 classes – $100

Classes will be held online via google meet. Your meeting invite will be emailed to you prior to your first class.

To register today, contact us at pghcoachjon@gmail.com or fill out the below to let us which class(es) you would like to attend and submit payment via Cash App, PayPal or Venmo.

Cash App – $pghtaichi

PayPal -pghtaichi

Venmo – pghtaichi

P G H  Tai Chi

Yours in Power, Grace & Harmony.

Coach Jon

Do I have to practice every day?

You may be expecting me to say yes, but the answer is more accurately: you get out of practice what you put into it.  A little bit of practice is better than no practice at all.  When you can find time to practice in a day, take advantage of that opportunity.

For a moment let’s discuss the term Gōng Fu (Kung Fu). Gōng 功 can be translated as work or merit.  Fu 夫 is literally man or mankind, but it is often considered to mean “time spent”.  Together these two characters can be considered skill.  If we think about the combination of these characters we can see that it takes both time and work to achieve skill.

This term is not exclusive to martial arts, but can be used to describe anybody who has achieved a high skill in their endeavors.

So back to the discussion of practicing daily.  We can see that to achieve Gōng Fu with our martial art, it takes both time and work.  If we put in the work, but not the time it will take longer to achieve the skill.  The reverse is true, if we put in a lot of time but don’t work very hard, then it will also take longer to achieve the skill.

Talents without skills is like deserts without an oasis. ~ Arabian Proverb

P G H  Tai Chi

Yours in Power, Grace & Harmony.

Coach Jon

How to integrate Tai Chi into your daily routine

For me personally, I have success with practicing Tai Chi first thing in the morning.  If the mornings are not good for you, that is okay.  Find a time in the day that will work for you, perhaps at lunch time or in the evening prior to your bedtime.   As an example, if you have set a goal to practice 30 to 40 minutes on a given day, don’t think that you have to do that all consecutively.  Practicing in 15 to 20 minute blocks of time can be quite effective and you may benefit from having multiple shorter sessions.

Whatever time of day you choose, begin by taking a few deep and calming breaths.  Let go of any persistent thoughts, focus on the present moment and then begin your practice.

P G H  Tai Chi

Yours in Power, Grace & Harmony.

Coach Jon

How do I get the most out of online classes?

First you’ll need at least five square feet so that you have room to move.  Also, you should be able to reach both arms straight up with your fingers extended toward the ceiling without touching the ceiling.

Optimally set your tablet/computer in front of you so that you can easily see the screen and so that the camera on your device can see from your head to your feet.

Wearing comfortable clothes that will not restrict your movement is recommended.

Also you may want some room temperature water in case you get thirsty and a small towel if you start to perspire. Room temperature water is important in this case, rather than ice water.

It is recommended that you stay on mute when attending class, unless you want to ask a question 🙂

I have found it very helpful to keep a training journal. Use any notebook to help remember class information and as a place to write any questions that turn up as you practice.

P G H  Tai Chi

Yours in Power, Grace & Harmony.

Coach Jon

Construction Zone

The sound of drills running, boards being sawed in half and hammers thudding against a variety of surfaces may not be the most appreciated of soundscapes.  But, alas it means that PGH Tai Chi is getting closer to opening classes to the public.

Starting on June 1st, PGH Tai Chi will have online classes available.  Tentative class times will be Tuesday at 7pm and 8pm ET as well as on Thursday at 7pm and 8pm ET.

Day / TimeTopic
Tuesday / 7:00pm ETBeginning Tai Chi (10 step Yang)
Tuesday / 8:00pm ETBeginning Qi Gong (8 brocades)
Thursday / 7:00pm ETBeginning Qi Gong (8 brocades)
Thursday / 8:00pm ETBeginning Tai Chi (10 step Yang)

We are also planning to offer an additional time slot that works well for those of you in the IST time zone.  More to come on that soon.

If you are interested in Tai Chi or Qi Gong classes, what time zone are you in and what time in the evening works well for you?  Now is the time to have your voices heard, please fill out the form below and let us know your preferences.

P G H  Tai Chi

Yours in Power, Grace & Harmony.

Coach Jon

What’s in a name?

PGH Tai Chi takes its name from two things. First, it is named for the common abbreviation for Pittsburgh.  PGH also stands for Power, Grace and Harmony.  This is a wonderful way to describe the qualities found in Tai Chi and the internal martial arts.  In the PGH Tai Chi logo, the first Chinese character is for power 力. The Pinyin for that character is lì.  The second character is for grace 恩. The Pinyin for that character is ēn.  The third character is for harmony 和. The Pinyin for that character is hé.

May we all strive to have these characteristics within our martial arts as well as in our lives. A big thank you to my Sifu Master Nick Gracenin for coming up with the fantastic idea for the PGH acronym.

A special thanks to my family and my Sifu for supporting my love of the martial arts throughout the years!  Without you, none of this would be possible!

P G H Tai Chi

Yours in Power, Grace & Harmony.

Coach Jon

The road past 50

What is the road past 50?  Let me back up to tell this story from the beginning.  About one year ago, I was sent home from my day job due to the covid breakout and essentially told not to come back to the office until they gave the all clear sign.  I didn’t adjust well to my new situation and gained a bunch of weight.  Eventually, I got frustrated with myself and started down the journey to regain balance in my life and lose weight/get healthy along the way.  50+ pounds later, here I am writing a post on my new Tai Chi website.  During the past year of lock down I have had a lot of time to think about what is most important to me and what I can contribute to the world to make a difference.  Even the smallest ripple in water can expand and grow, so here I am ready to expand and grow with this new adventure.

P G H  Tai Chi

Yours in Power, Grace & Harmony.

Coach Jon