About – Tai Chi Healthways

Tai Chi Healthways, registered in San Diego, California, is internationally recognized as a leader in Tai Chi/Qigong education and instructor’s certification, led by Dr. Jesse Tsao who has Ph.D. in Tai Chi and Qigong education from Shanghai University of Sport. Since our first workshop in Tucson, Arizona in 1987, we established our entity and have certified thousands of instructors over 46 countries. Our mission is to uphold and pass on the traditional teachings of this unique Chinese healing art and martial art. We are committed to setting and promoting the highest teaching standards in the industry, training the instructors today and tomorrow in order to preserve and carry on the classical teachings of Tai Chi and Qigong. Leadership starts here. Tai Chi Healthways supports diversity and encourages the advancement of all styles of Tai Chi and Qigong. Our well developed Distance Learning Certification program is for you if you are not able to come to our live class for training. Our certification offers a strong proof of your qualifications to the public, including your current or potential students and employers. “I am proud to associate with Tai Chi Healthways. You probably know that Tai Chi Healthways is one of the recognized organizations by Silver Sneaker for certification, (Qin Z.) who was just certified by Tai Chi Healthways is now hired by YMCA to teach Tai Chi.

Jesse Tsao at Chen Village

Jesse Tsao, PhD in Wushu from Shanghai University of Sport, internationally known Tai Chi master, Qigong therapist, and alternative medicine and wellness consultant, is the founder of Tai Chi Healthways USA since 1987. He is specialized in the areas of self-healing, preventive therapies, stress management and mind-body wellness. He served as the chief master for Arizona State employee worksite wellness programs for 18 years, and health education consultant for CIGNA Healthcare for 21 years. He has presented tai chi on a variety of national television programs such as Pax TV in 2005, and ABC Morning News in 2008. His books have been translated into Spanish and Hungarian. He is an Amazon Best Seller in 2021, 2022, and 2023. He is the master trainer of Tai Chi Healthways rigorous instructor certification program. He has produced over 100 tai chi and health-related instructional DVDs. Born and trained in China, he has been practicing Tai Chi for over 50 years, including 10 years of intensive study with world-renowned Grandmaster Li Deyin in Beijing, China. He was the gold medallist in the Beijing Collegiate Wushu Competition in 1980. He is the 12th generation direct- lineage holder of Chen style Tai Chi, a formal disciple of Chen Style Tai Chi grandmaster Chen Zhenglei. He has also gained knowledge from workshops with Grandmasters Chen Xiaowang, Zhu Tiancai, Abraham Liu, and Daniel Lee. He has also taken advice from meetings with Wu Bin (Jet Li’s coach), Li Ziming, Wu Tunan, Zang Hongxian, Chen Sitan, Su Zifang, and many more. He has made annual international teaching tours since 2005, Germany, France, England, Ireland, Netherlands, Spain, Belgium, Italy, Russia (Moscow), Greece, Denmark, Hungary, Australia, Switzerland, Thailand, Canada, New Zealand, India, Mexico, Sweden, Finland, Norway, ….. ”I am writing to extend my appreciation to Jesse Tsao for introducing our office to an innovative and beneficial program of tai chi for use in the contemporary workplace. It is also my privilege to recommend him to other offices which are seeking such a program for their employees. In a brief period of 6 weeks, Mr. Tsao effectively communicated the basic elements of tai chi to a group of the Court’s justices and staff. His program was enthusiastically accepted by all participants, who came to value his sessions as means of reducing stress, increasing wellness and mental focus and enhancing our overall professional and personal capabilities. His unfailing courtesy, ability to accommodate the working environment of a busy office, and eminent qualifications as an recognized master of tai chi, all contributed to an overwhelmingly positive experience for our office” – Patience Huntwork, Chief Staff Attorney of Arizona Supreme Court, October 14, 1998.

Based on the north coast area of San Diego, we operate Tai Chi and Qigong classes for corporate worksites, conference presentations, national and international teaching tours, as well as local group lessons in the San Diego areas of Del Mar, La Jolla, Carmel Valley, Solana Beach, Encinitas, Carlsbad, and Rancho Bernardo. To request a class, [Email Signup]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlarBPAu3lM&t=10s

Master Tsao Lineage

Tai Chi Healthways, registered in San Diego, California, is internationally recognized as a leader in Tai Chi/Qigong education and instructor’s certification. Based on the north coast area of San Diego, we operating tai chi and Qigong classes for corporates worksites; conference presentation; national and international teaching tours,; as well as San Diego local group lessons in the area of Del Mar, La Jolla, Carmel Valley, Solana Beach, Encinitas, Carlsbad, Rancho Bernardo…. To request a class, [Email Signup]

Brief History of Chen Style Tai Chi

Chen Style Tai Chi is the earliest historically verifiable Tai Chi system in existence in China. It is commonly accepted that Tai Chi was developed in the village of Chenjiagou in Wenxian County, Henan Province, China. According to the Wenxian County Annals, Chen Wangting (1600-1680), a retired military officer and a ninth generation family member of the Chen Family, was credited with having originated Chen Style Tai Chi around 1644. Tai Chi theory is largely based on “The Book of Changes” along with concepts from the meridian theory of traditional Chinese medicine, as detailed in “The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Chinese Medicine”. He combined some war field fighting knowledge into it. Influenced greatly by the Ji Xiao Xin Shu (New Book of Effective Techniques), a book on strategy; discipline; and collation of folk marital arts by a famous general, Qi Jiguang (1528-1487) of Shandong during the Ming Dynasty. Qi Jiguang preferred the necessity of rigorous physical fitness training and effective hand-to-hand tactics, and not accepting the superiority of brute strength alone as the determining factor in battle. Chen Wangting carried forward Qi’s essential theories, and created a new way in training called Tai Chi Quan. Chen Wangting was also credited with creating push hands drills, in which students practice “adhering” to each others movements to increase their sensitivity to their partners’ intentions, which thereby function as a bridge between solo practice and free sparring.

Chen Changxing (1771-1853), a sixth generation Chen Tai Chi practitioner was famous as the first master teaching his family’s secrets to outsiders. Yang Style Tai Chi founder Yang Luchan (1800 -1873), was his best student. Yang developed his own form, a modified version of the Chen Chanxing’s original long form – Liaojia Yilu.

Chen Fake (1887-1957), a ninth generation Chen Tai Chi practitioner, expanded greatly the Chen style Tai Chi to the mainstream of Chinese martial arts. There were numerous stories of Chen Fake’s abilities as a martial artist, his courage and skill when establishing his reputation in Beijing, where he came to teach in 1928. Chen Fake taught in Beijing for nearly 30 years, enhancing the reputation of the family style, and establishing a distinguished lineage of his own students. The most famous were: Chen Zhaokwei (son); Feng Zhiqiang; Gu Liuxing, …

Chen Zhaopei (1893-1973) a 10th generation Chen Tai Chi practitioner. He was invited to teach at Tun Ren Tong, the famous medical establishment, in 1918, his reputation as a martial artist quickly grew and he was lately invited (1930) to teach at the prestigious Nanjing Central Martial Arts Academy. In 1958, Chen Zhaopei returned to Chen village and served as the chief instructor, where he was responsible for passing on the Old Frame (Laojia) and traditional weapons sets to the 11th Chen Tai Chi generation practitioners. Among them are the famous present-day “Four Tigers of Chen’s Village”, Chen Xiaowang, Chen Zhenglei, Zhu Tiancai, and Wang Xian. He was honored for his effort in saving Chen Village ‘s Tai Chi through the Cultural Revolution difficult time of China!

Chen Zhaokui (1928 – 1981), also a 10th generation of Chen Tai Chi practitioner, joined his father, Chen Fake, in Beijing at the age of 3. He was credited for passing on of the New Frame (Xinjia) to the public. So that, his father Chen Fake started the Xinjia practice, and he taught the Xinjia. He made annual visits to Chen Village after Chen Zhaopei passed away, and taught the Xianjia to the well-known “Four Tigers of Chen’s Village”. Largely due to his efforts, the Xinjia Chen style Tai Chi flushing in Chen Village nowadays!

Professor Li Deyin is the most influential grandmaster on Jesse Tsao’s Tai Chi and Wushu study

Master Tsao has spent 10 years of intensive study with Professor Li Deyin in Beijing, China. Professor Li is the primary author of the Standard Tai Chi Form 42, which became the first internationally standardized Tai Chi competition routine. He is the Vice President of the Chinese Wushu Association, and he served as Chief Judge at the 11th Asian Games. Below is the lineage for Professor Li Deyin: Professor Li is the 3rd generation of famous masters from the Li family. His grandfather, Li Yulin, was the first generation to study martial arts. He learned Shaolin and “xing yi quan” from Li Cunyi and Hao Enguang; he learned Sun style Tai Chi and Bagua from Sun Lutang (the founder of Sun style Tai Chi); and he learned Yang style Tai Chi and Wudang sword from Li Jinglin (a disciple of Yang Jianhou). He became the president of the Shanghai Shangde Wushu Institute, the main coach of the Shandong Wushu Institute, and the publisher of Harbin Taijiquan Press. He gained the honorable title “Pioneer of Tai Chi” in Northeastern China.

Professor Li Deyin’s father Li Tianchi became a doctor. He integrated wushu, medical science, and tuina (massage) in order to better treat his patients. His name and medical treatments became famous all over Harbin and Heilongjiang. Professor Li’s uncle Li Tianji studied wushu from his father, Li Yulin, as well as from his father’s masters, Sun Lutang and Li Jinglin. He graduated from the Shandong Wushu Institute, became a college professor, the executive of the Harbin Wushu Federation, and the first chief coach of the China Wushu Team. Li Tianji has been memorialized as one of the “Ten Best Wushu Masters of China.”

Master Tsao In The News & Credential Videos

Master Tsao with Grandmasters

with Sifu Grandmaster Chen Zhenglei, since 2001

with Sibo Grandmaster Chen Xiaowang Since 2001

with Sibo Grandmaster Zhu Tiancai, since 2003

**Master Jesse Tsao – the 12 generation of Chen family Tai Chi Lineage official document 2009**

Formal direct-line discipleship ceremony with Grandmaster Chen Zhenglei, 2009

with Professor Li Deyin, Beijin Renmin University, China1979

with Dan Lee – Bruce Lee’s disciple, China National Youth Boxing Champion

with Grandmaster Wu Bing, the Chief coach of Beijing Wushu Team, Jet Li’s coach, 2000

with Professor Yu Dinghai, Jesse Tsao’s PhD advisor at Shanghai University of Sport, holds the distinguished rank of nine-duan in both Tai Chi and Qigong.

with Grandmaster Sergey Basyuk, professional MMA fighter

The holy Taoist Temple – Penglai Temple, at Master Jesse Tsao’s hometown – Penglai, China.

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