This book is based upon the Tai Chi Beginner - Yang Style of Shaolin Chi Mantis book, published in 1992 by Shaolin Communications and written by Richard Del Connor, "Sifu O'Connor," This condensed version of the original student manual excludes the 444 photos that teach the basic kicks, punches, and SCM Yoga Routine™. These remaining text pages are required of all our Tai Chi students to be read in class. Based upon two decades of reading in class and utilizing this Tai Chi Beginner book lesson plan, Buddha Zhen has created this new version for the convenience of his students to use and read in class for small screened digital book formats.Richard Del Connor, founded Buddha Kung Fu in 2008, and the nonprofit charity education organization, Tai Chi Youth, in 1996. The Shaolin Chi Mantis school is the original Kung Fu school created in 1992, after he was hired to teach in a maximum security Utah prison, from which all other martial arts programs and styles are derived from. This is an official Shaolin Chi Mantis student manual with weekly lessons that pertain to each week's Tai Chi Chuan (Taijiquan) lessons.This book is the "Class Reading Manual" of the Shaolin Chi Mantis Traditional Buddhist Gongfu and Taijiquan schools, Buddha Kung Fu programs, and Tai Chi Youth nonprofit schools. Since 1992 Shaolin Chi Mantis has taught the Yang Style Tai Chi Short Form in 16 lessons over 16 weeks along with historical and inspirational essays that correspond to the Daoist intentions of each section of this unique martial arts dance of self-defense and self-development. This Tai Chi Beginner is instrumental in developing better Tai Chi concepts and comprises the "mind" training of achieving a "Body/Mind" balance. Buddha Zhen taught at a YMCA for several years without this manual, then after adding it back into the curriculum had more belt rank advancements each semester and significant health improvements in all of his students.Richard Del Connor, referred to as, "Buddha Zhen," or, "Shifu," by his students, has been teaching this Yang Style Tai Chi Short Form since 1984. Now, after using this book, Tai Chi Beginner, in over 100 classes and testing it on more than 1,000 students of ages 4 to 76 -- we bring you the Tai Chi Beginner - Class Reading Manual. These 16 chapters of 16 weeks of yoga, qigong, self-defense, Kung Fu, and Tai Chi classes will inspire, improve, and enlighten the reader's life, even if they aren't in one of our classes. Richard Del Connor has been publishing poetry since 1964, performing rock'n'roll since 1967, producing his own albums of music and recited poetry since 1972, and writing novels since 1984.Richard Connor was known as Richard O'Connor from 1980 to 2007 after seeking to define his betrothal to Rita Wolf by identifying himself with his Irish heritage. He also discovered he was a descendent of the Spanish DeLaVega and Serrano families, German Warner and Settles also. When Richard became a Freemason in 2007 he dropped the "O'" and renewed his legal name of Richard Del CONNOR.In 1984, while performing his rock opera, Coyote In A Graveyard, Michael J. Fox and the press dubbed him, "The Coyote." In 2007, after dissecting his brain and identity using his self-help website, ACT Zen, he became the happy hippie, "The Hippy Coyote." He also teaches bass, guitar, and singing lessons online.Richard began studying Shaolin Kung Fu and Yang Tai Chi in 1980 learning Southern Style Sil Lum Gung Fu, then studying at the Tai Mantis Federation school in Torrance, California, where he graduated in 1984 as a "Sifu," or Shifu of Northern Shaolin Kung Fu, Yang Style and Wang Style Tai Chi, and Northern Praying Mantis Boxing of the Tai Chi Mantis, 7-Star Mantis, and Plum Blossom heritages. His record company, Shaolin Records, was staffed with interns who received free daily Gongfu and Taijiquan lessons. This earned him the Buddhist Kung Fu name of Zhen Shen-Lang (Shen-Lang ZHEN), "Spirit Wolf of Truth," in 1994 after becoming a leader
