Workshop Lesson/Special Book Offer – 8/15/22

There was a poster up on the bulletin board at the Food Co-op advertising a free Tai Chi workshop scheduled for Memorial Day weekend. Kan and Li, both long time students, decided it would be worth the effort, as the instructor was well known as a wise person, and gifted teacher.

There were so many “Ah-Ha” moments – too many to list now, but Kan and Li put their heads together to share with fellow students, when they returned, the most important lessons they had learned. It took some effort, but here is an especially meaningful one:

Their classmates were awe struck and ever so grateful. I am too. Are you?

In 1996, I had been teaching Tai Chi for 24 years and never played competitive Push Hands. Mostly “Studio Push Hands”, exercises to help explain the principles of Tai Chi.

At a workshop, I met Sam Masich, then a young Tai Chi competition champion. We hit it off, and he shared many of his winning techniques with me. There was a Push Hands tournament – A Taste of China All Tai Chi Championships, coming up on the East Coast so I decided to attend. I ended up the Grand Champion, and that changed my life.

When I got home, I wanted to share some of the insights that I gained, so I started to write articles for Tai Chi Magazine, and then my first book entitled A String of Pearls – 108 Meditations on Tai Chi Chuan, which I self published. It was/is a “why to” book, not the usual “how to” book.

It was well received and the publication and distribution was taken over by YMAA Publications Center. They encouraged me to write a second book (also a small pocket guide) which was called 101 Reflections on Tai Chi Chuan. Both books were translated into French and Italian and are still in print 26 years later.

My initial first printing was 500 copies. Just the other day I was cleaning and organizing and found 30 copies of the original first edition of A String of Pearls. So here is my offer. The first 30 people who contact me will be able to purchase an autographed copy. The price is $20 which includes shipping in the US.

Here’s how it will work. If you want to purchase a copy, you will email me at gilmanstudio@yahoo.com. For payment, I can take cash, check, or PayPal. That will be settled when you contact me. Don’t just send money until we work out the details. You can then decide what you want me to say in the autograph or you can leave it to me. It would make a great gift for a Tai Chi friend.