Tai Chi, taichi, classes, lessons, all styles, Yang, Chen and Wu Tai Chi, qi gong, qigong, directory of lessons, free classes in the parks of Los Angeles, San Gabriel Valley, Southern California

For the Best Tai Chi and Nei Jia in the West

Park Yourself Right Here…

The Parks of the San Gabriel Valley on the Northeastern border of Los Angeles are alive with the some of the best Nei Jia and Taijiquan on the West Coast.

Whether it be taiqiquan, baguazhang or xingyiquan, you can find that special instructor within a short drive to one of the parks in the San Gabriel Valley area.

For your convenience, I have listed some of the better parks where you will no doubt find exactly what you would like to practice.

San Gabriel

Vincent Lugo Park

Located on the border of San Gabriel and Alhambra just off New Avenue on West Wells Street, there are groups that meet daily performing Yang competition forms 24, 42 and 48, Chen Taijiquan and Line Dancing.

My recommendation is a small group that meets every Saturday from 9:30 – 11:00 a.m. led by Zhaobao master Weidong Zhao. Zhaobao is one of the oldest yet rarest forms of taijiquan that traces its lineage back to the legendary Zhang Sanfeng. Master Zhao was a freestyle and push hands champion in China and is a dedicated martial artist. The group meets at the east end of the park on the far side of the baseball field. For more information, contact Master Zhao at Weidong Zhao.

Temple City – Arcadia

Live Oak Park

Located just off Baldwin Avenue on Daines Road, here you will find many groups daily doing Yang and Chen tai chi, Bagua, Weapons, Qigong, Dance and Aerobics.

My recommendation is a small group led by Huei-Tai (Hector) Lee. Master Lee teaches Cheng Man Ching 37 as well as push hands, baguazhang, xingyiquan and weapons. He is very knowledgeable and an exceptional instructor. His best feature is the ability to teach "song." The group meets daily at 8:30 a.m. – 10 a.m. (longer on weekends) by the west end of the Daines Road parking lot on the grassy area adjacent to the basketball courts. Master Lee does not accept everyone. It depends on your character and sincerity. So, you will have to go to the park and meet with him personally.

Temple City Park

Located at Las Tunas and Golden West Blvd., the park is home to a number of small groups on weekends. Here you will find groups doing Yang, Chen and Wu tai chi as well as the new Water-Nature taijiquan. Groups usually begin meeting around 8:30 a.m on Saturdays and Sundays.

My recommendation is a group led by Master Yan, a Wu Style master. He is a very fine push hands teacher. You will find most of his students to be very helpful as well.

Alhambra

Alhambra Park

Located on Palm Avenue between Cedar Street and Ahambra Road, there is a Yang group that meets daily by the recreation office building. They perform the Yang competition forms 24,42,48. Another Yang group meets on the hillside at the northeastern end of the park on weekends. A third group that does the complete Yang 108 as well as sword and taiji knife meets in front of the band shell at the south end of the park on early on weekend mornings. Later Fred Hao holds push hands practice with a small group on Saturday mornings around 9:30. Fred is a practitioner of Cheng Man Ching's 37 Yangs short form. You can view a sample video here. Also, you can visit Fred Hao's website here.

Almansor Park:

Located on South Almansor Street between East Park Street and East Los Higos Street, here there are a number of groups that meet on weekend mornings performing Yang and Chen taijiquan on the hillside by the tennis courts and along the south end past the tennis courts.

A qigong group meets on the other side of the park just beyond the basketball courts, and a line dance groups meets in the pavilion area just beyond the baseball field.

Joslyn Adult Center

If you prefer an indoor class, Peter Chen teaches a Tuesday evening tai chi class at the Joslyn Adult Center located at 210 N. Chapel Ave., just north of Mission Road. Call the center for details: 626-570-5056.

Another group meets on Saturday morning in Story Park across the street from the center.

Monterey Park, CA

Barnes Park

Barnes Park is the main park in the City of Monterey Park. Located on Mc Phearson Avenue between Newmark and Harding Avenues, this park is filled with martial artists of all kinds. You will find taiji, qigong, bagua and kung fu groups. Some groups meet daily but the busiest times are weekend mornings.

My recommendation is a group led by Grandmaster Jiang Hao-Quan. Grandmaster Jiang teaches both internal and external martial arts including taiji, bagua, xingyi and Shaolin Ch’uan. They meet on weekends from 7:30-10:30 under the picnic pavilion on the hillside at the south end of the park adjacent to Harding Avenue. Contact them at Jiang Hao-Quan Martial Arts

Another group there is led by Master Marvin Quan, the head of the Internal Martial Arts Association (IMAA).

Pasadena – San Marino Area

Damo Academy Classes are not held in a park but in a parking lot, located at 2085 Foothill Blvd. across from the In & Out Burger in Pasadena. Master Tang Wei-Zhong teaches many forms of Chinese Martial Arts, Internal Martial Arts, Shaolin Styles and Qi Gong. Classes are open to all skill levels. The Internal Martial Arts include Xing Yi Quan, Ba Gua Zhang and Tai Ji (Tai Chi). The External Martial Arts include Shaolin forms, Tan Tui (Cha Quan), Tong Bei and Drunken Kung Fu as well as weapons training. Located at 2085 E. Foothill Blvd. in Pasadena be tween Allen and Sierra Madre. See website for details: Damo Academy Rose Bowl - Brookside Park Brookside Tai Chi meets up Every Sunday Morning, to Practice Yang Style Tai Chi in Brookside Park adjacent to the Rose Bowl. This group practices the 108 Long Form, Push Hands, and Chi Kung. They meet by the Amphitheater behind the tennis courts just to the left of the Rose Bowl Aquatics center. Advanced starts at 8:30, Beginners at 10:15.
Huntington Library and Gardens Located on Oxford just north of Huntington Drive on the border of San Marino and Pasadena, there is a Chen taiji class that meets on Saturday mornings at 8:00 a.m.in the gardens adjacent to the library. The class is led by Kathy (Zenju) Chyan, a disciple of Grandmaster Zhu Tian Cai. She teaches Chen 38 plus sword and fan. She also teaches classes at Pasadena City College on Sunday mornings. Contact her for details at Kathy Chyan
South Pasadena Public Library The group meets in the library courtyard located at 1100 Oxley Street, South Pasadena. This class is for early birds. They get together daily Monday – Saturday beginning around 7:00 a.m. for two sets each of 24, 48, 42 and Fan. You can come later if you like but not after 8:15 or nearly everyone will be gone. Garfield Park Chen and Wu Taiji and qigong classes are available on weekend mornings at this lovely landscaped park located on Mission Street just east of Fair Oaks Blvd.

For those of you who prefer the great indoors as opposed to the outdoors, there are many taijiquan studios in the San Gabriel Valley area. Here are a few...

Alhambra, CA

Taiji Club of Los Angeles

Located at 2620 West Main Street, their mission is to promote Chinese Taiji worldwide by teaching online, training qualified Taiji instructors and organizing annual Olymipic Taichi Exhibitions. The school is run by Master Sun Anguan. Call (626) 576-2319.

South Pasadena – San Marino

The South Pasadena – San Marino YMCA

It is located on the corner of Garfield Avenue and Oak Street in South Pasadena. Eiji Inoue is the instructor. He teaches Yang 24 and 48 and push hands.

He also teaches tai chi and kick boxing at the West San Gabriel Valley YMCA located at 401 Corto Street just off Mission Road and Chapel Avenue and tai chi at the Arcadia Fitness Sports Club located at 56 E. Duarte Road in Arcadia on Saturday at 9:00 a.m.

Pasadena School of Tai Chi

It is located in the Collenette School of Dancing upstairs at 922 Huntington Drive, San Marino. Classes are held Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. Classes are taught by Joseph Balthazar, a student of Mary Yang, the granddaughter of Yang Chenfu. See their website for further information: www.cataichi.com.

Here are some other schools in schools in Southern California that specialize in the Internal Martial Arts.

SoCal Tai Chi