About Us
About the Instructor
Sifu Larry Hawkins has practiced Tai Chi Chuan since 1976. He studied in China where the Wu style of Tai Chi began. He began teaching in 1996 under the supervision of Grand Master We Kwong Yu, and became a disciple of his in 2003. Sifu Hawkins moved to Washington in 2004. He continues to train annually with Grand Master Wu Kwong Yu in Toronto.
Our Classes
The Washington DC Academy opened its doors in the Capitol Hill Community in February 2008 and joined forces with the Hill Center, a hub of community activity, in the fall of 2012. We utilize a bright, open space overlooking the Hill Center's gardens that is ideal for instruction in both Tai Chi and weapons. Our classes are conducted in a relaxed, go-at-your-own-pace, collegial spirit infused with the seriousness and discipline that the study of Tai Chi demands.
We are a registered LLC organization. Students pay $150 a month for three hours a week of instruction.
The Curriculum
In addition to the Tai Chi forms, Sifu Hawkins teaches Chi Kung (breathing exercises), meditation and "push hands" at all levels.
Push hands is a series of two-person exercises designed to further challenge your balance and develop sensitivity and reflexes enabling the student to neutralize oncoming forces. Push hands is the first step toward the martial side of Wu Style tai Chi Chuan.
It is followed by instructions in applications of Tai Chi movements to combat and the study of weapons including saber, sword and spear.
Our History
In 1975, Grand Master Wu Kwong Yu, the eldest son of the 5th generation, came to Toronto to establish the Canadian branch of the Academy, which has its roots in Asia, Europe and the U.S.
The Wu Family Tree
