"You must understand that ordinary efforts do not count; only super-efforts count." -Gurdjieff
Our Group
Based in Cambridge, MA, we follow a traditional system of taiji for inner cultivation transmitted by Patrick Kelly, a close "inner school" student of Huang Xingxian.
This system uses movement and attention as a way to support inner development. Training gradually brings awareness to how we move, how we respond, and how we relate to others on more subtle levels—creating the conditions for deeper change.
Our approach emphasizes long-term growth beyond gentle exercise or health maintenance. It tends to resonate with younger people who want to learn deeply and work consistently over time to actively change and grow. People with previous taiji experience are also welcome if they are open to exploring the material from a fresh perspective.
Genuine taiji transmission requires deep, sincere, and sustained effort from both teacher and student. We ask prospective students to observe a full class before joining, so they can get a clear sense of how the training works.
Training Curriculum
· Huang Xingxian's 5 loosening exercises
· Zheng Manqing's 37 posture short form
· Yang Chengfu's 108 posture long form
· 8 basic fixed pattern push hands
· guided meditation
Taiji is an intelligent system, refined over thousands of years, that offers a proven method for working on the "self-sensing" taught by the Sufis. While the traditional forms provide a framework for this work, the core of the practice involves understanding and gradually changing the internal dynamics behind movement, rather than simply learning choreography.
Our push hands are cooperative partner exercises that bring the principles of the practice into direct interaction. They develop sensitivity, timing, and the ability to respond more intelligently to external pressure. Training involves regular physical contact and is practiced in a controlled and respectful way.
Meditation is a key component of our practice. Our meditation requires deep concentration beyond modern notions of "mindfulness" or simple quiet awareness (which many good teachers from different traditions warned against), and its purpose is much higher than mere relief from the stresses of daily life. One of the most important benefits of genuine taiji training is that it helps brings the mind into the deeper state required to access true meditation practice.
Instructor Bio
Our group was started in 2021 by Charlie Liu to develop a local community to seriously train with. Charlie has been exclusively training Patrick Kelly's approach since meeting PK in 2014, with particular support from Patrick’s students Tim Suh, Guillem Bernado, and Christine Schneider.
Prior to meeting PK, Charlie studied with Liam Comerford (a student of Zheng Manqing) from 2001-2007 and Ben Lo (Luo Bangzhen) from 2008-2010. During those periods, Charlie also took a few classes with Maggie Newman, Ed Young, and Mark Lord.
落魄红尘四十春，无为无事信天真
生涯只在乾坤鼎，活计惟凭日月轮
八卦气中潜至宝，五行光里隐元神
桑田改变依然在，永作人间出世人
-吕洞宾