International disciples bring tai chi global

From left to right: Linda Arksey, Zhu Lifei, Ronald Pfeiffer. [Photo by Liu Bo for Ningbo Evening News]

Every spring, two longtime international students return to Ningbo, Zhejiang province — not just to practice tai chi, but to carry its philosophy across borders, reported Ningbo Evening News.

At the Ningbo Hanfei International Tai Chi Center, Ronald Pfeiffer from the United States and Linda Arksey from the United Kingdom are familiar figures at the front of the training floor. For the past nine years, they've spent a month each year in the city, refining their technique under Chen-style tai chi master Zhu Lifei.

Pfeiffer first turned to tai chi in 2008 after a karate injury left his knee damaged. Skeptical at first, he soon discovered that the slow, deliberate movements of tai chi offered more than just healing.

"I used to believe martial arts were all about speed," he said, "But tai chi taught me that strength lies in precision and balance."

Arksey, a former figure skater, had been intrigued by tai chi since seeing Chinese athletes use it as a warm-up before a competition in 1984. Her interest became a global pursuit — until a chance conversation with a student from the University of Nottingham Ningbo China led her to Zhu.

"They said that I should go to Ningbo to experience authentic tai chi. So I did," she said.

Under Zhu's guidance, both students began rethinking everything they thought they knew. Zhu, a 12th-generation Chen-style tai chi practitioner, teaches using a technique he developed called the "numerical command method" — breaking movements into simple, countable steps that transcend language barriers.

The training paid off. Pfeiffer and Arksey have since launched the International Tai Chi Alliance and an online learning platform with students around the world.

"It's an honor to help carry this tradition forward," said Pfeiffer.