Information, News, and Events
Posted May 15, 2026
Posted May 11, 2026 This hard-working group asked rich questions and offered enlightening comments: always a bonus in a workshop. The heart-stretch/chest opening, toryu, donyu, Brush Knee, Repulse Monkey, and Part Wild Horse's Mane were the main moves addressed and worked on. And what about that lunch! Who knew Kamloops can produce that many varieties of deviled eggs! MMM. Many thanks to all the members who contributed to the feast, and also to those who organized the smooth-running and very productive day! Regina Puetz wrote: Well, this was a fantastic workshop, would do it again in a snap! A big shoutout to all who brought that fabulous food variety, I think everyone enjoyed that. Robin and Wendy were great instructors, getting the point across with humour and understanding. My biggest personal take away from this was the insight into listening to your body while doing certain movements, and the internalization on how movements can change when you pay attention to your whole body instead of just concentrating on a particular part of the movement. Wave Hands Like Clouds especially brought those points home. At the end of the day I was exhausted, mentally more than physically, but came away with a deeper appreciation of what tai chi is all about. Bea Bibby wrote: The day flowed with contagious energy as we practiced our principles of receptive & active balance. Wonderful food, warm connections and laughter throughout made it a day to celebrate our "oneness" in this art. Our heartfelt gratitude to Robin & Wendy for their considerable instruction & facilitation talents which enabled all of this to happen. 
Posted May 11, 2026 On Day 1, 35 instructors (including instructors-in-training) from the Western Region and a couple from Central Region, learned about and practiced the concepts which would be presented during the Day 2 and 3 of the workshops. At the end of Day 1, six advanced instructors met to be given feedback on their donyus and toryus in preparation for being floating workshop helpers during the weekend. A binder was provided for the instructors which outlined key concepts, and included reflection assignments on what was observed while the workshop was in progress. As a result of the preparatory session with the advanced instructors, there was support during the weekend workshops for those who requested help - which many of us did! Nancy Hilmer, a Kelowna member wrote the following: I was fortunate to be one of about 100 people who attended the tai chi workshop. We practiced with partners who provided a small amount of resistance during certain moves so we could feel how small adjustments can have a large effect on balance and stability. Doug told many stories of training with Master Moy. Master Moy was exceptional at recognizing the needs of each person and would often modify moves to meet specific needs. How someone was guided to do a move depended on what they were working: it wasn't a one-size-fits-all approach. I'd like to extend a huge thank you to Doug and Sherri for leading the workshop, and to the many people in our club who worked so hard to make it possible and to flow so wonderfully. 
Posted March 12, 2026 We spent quite a bit of time on the standing postures. I particularly liked the instructions to pull the elbows away from the body as if we were hugging a big tree, but our fingers don't quite touch. It was here that I first felt the opening of the shoulders at the back, a kind of stretching and flattening out, or maybe a slight rounding of the back, and an engagement with the whole trunk I'd not experienced before. Though it felt great, it was a surprising amount of work to maintain this stretch.
Bill Ogilvie
Posted February 6, 2026 Many of the concepts presented for sabre are similar to the 108 Tai Chi and Lok Hup sets:
One of the highlights of the workshop was listening to David's stories during the breaks describing what it was like to be trained by Mr. Moy. 
The adventure didn't stop when the workshop ended. The next day several people had their flight out of Nanaimo completely cancelled and had to scramble to find other flights home. Others had their flight delayed. What do you do when waiting at the airport after a sabre workshop? Why, you practice sabre of course! The airport authorities in Nanaimo and Vancouver would definitely not appreciate sabres being waved around. However, there were no rules against moving with pens, leading one of us to say, "The pen is mightier than the sabre." It was a great time with a lot of learning and lots of laughter. Many new connections were made with people from across the country. A big thank you to the Cowichan BC location for hosting this event, and of course to David deBelle for his enthusiastic leading of it. Nancy Hillmer (with input from other attendees) 
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