Meet the Instructors of Pen and Sword Tai Chi
Master Arthur Rosenfeld
Pen and Sword
Tai Chi Sifu [teacher] Arthur Rosenfeld has been practicing martial
arts for nearly 30 years. He is an authority on the spiritual
dimensions of Eastern thinking for a Western world, and is a contributor
to national magazines including Vogue, Vanity Fair,
and Parade. He has also been seen on Fox News and other
Along with the Dalai Lama, Rosenfeld was a finalist for the
prestigious Books For A Better Life award for his bestseller
The Truth About Chronic Pain (Basic Books, New York,
May 2003) and has been cited in national media including Newsweek,
Ebony and Parade. He is the author of the martial
arts thrillers The Cutting Season, The Crocodile
And The Crane, and Quiet Teacher (YMAA Books,
Boston, 2009). He has also penned several optioned motion
picture screenplays, the critically acclaimed novel of magical
realism A Cure
For Gravity, and the hard-boiled mystery Diamond Eye,
the first and only novel to be promoted by the federal government
.
A Yale graduate, Rosenfeld combines the scientific background
and communication skills gained through post-graduate studies
at Cornell and the University of California with real-world
savvy gleaned from creative, high-level corporate positions.
His seminar audiences include prison inmates, healthcare professionals,
and captains of industry.
Sifu Jennifer Beimel
Tai Chi instructor in Boca Raton, Florida
I'm originally from Pittsburgh, PA and have been living (and practicing
TaiChi) in South Florida for 10 years. I am married with two young children
and have a typically busy life! I started out just "looking for
something to do" and ended up completely hooked! I found that for
some reason the practice came naturally to me, especially since I have
never been very "athletic" and have no other martial arts
background. I like that I can do the practice as strenuous or as lightly
as I wish, and that I will be able do this for the rest of my life without
worry of aging or injury. There are so many different benefits of the
practice, everyone seems to take something away from it, and sometimes
different things at different times. If you ask what people get out
of the practice, it could be personal (mental) growth, physical work,
meditation, connections with others and the world around us, and on
and on. I encourage new students to give it a real try because sometimes
the results come slower (or differently) than expected, but they do
eventually appear! Plus the classes are always a lot of fun!
Chris Dankowski
Tai Chi instructor in Atlanta, Georgia
Bio coming soon.
Dr. Cary Schwimmer
Tai Chi instructor in Plantation, Florida
Tai Chi has been part of my inner search since 1979. Chen Tai Chi has brought a new understanding of Tai Chi as spiritual practice and martial art. I am a husband, father, psychologist, and friend. Each of these have been impacted by Tai Chi in its own way. As a teen I learned how to meditate and practiced martial arts. Tai Chi brought these together for me. As I enter my fifties, Tai Chi is a vital link to my strength, balance and health. I teach at the YMCA in Weston FL, and see what it takes for students to begin to internalize the quality of movement that is the core of Tai Chi.
Grant Clyman
Tai Chi instructor in South Florida
My youthful interest in a path that encompassed mental and physical discipline, philosophy, and self-discovery ultimately lead me to Chen Tai Chi. Having studied tai chi, yoga, several martial arts and philosophies, and becoming a nationally certified personal trainer in my search, I found a home in the traditional Chen Tai Chi taught by Sifu ( teacher) Arthur Rosenfeld at the Pen and Sword school. Through Sifu Rosenfeld's tutelage, I've gained not only greater skill in the art of tai chi, but a deeper understanding of the universal truths inherent in the philosophy and practice that make it an all encompassing way of life. I believe that health and well-being begins with the connection of mind to body and self to the world around you. The practice of tai chi is a process of continually deepening those connections, the result of which is a profound transformation that begins within you and radiates into the rest of your life, as you continue to grow in the art of harmonizing opposing forces. The beauty in the practice is that it meets each individual where he or she is, because it's a practice that begins with awareness of yourself internally and progresses naturally as you progress. My passion for teaching this art arises from the benefits I have experienced from my practice. Chen Tai Chi has made me stronger, given me greater balance and agility, helped me remain calm in stressful situations, and improved my relationships. Another benefit that changed my life was improved respiration, since I was born an asthmatic. I feel like keeping Chen Tai Chi to myself would be like discovering the Fountain of Youth and keeping it secret. It's too good and too special for that. I've been practicing Chen Tai Chi for over nine years, and I know that I'll continue to discover greater depths in the practice for every year to come for the rest of my life.
David Hollinshead
Tai Chi instructor in Weaverville, North Carolina
A personal fitness trainer and massage therapist who has over twenty
years of martial art training in various styles, a third degree black
belt in Okinawan karate David decided his joints needed a break from
the beating they had been taking. He loved the challenge of the arts-the
focus and discipline of the mind, body and spirit-along with the practical
and functional training of physical movements that build balance, power,
strength, endurance, and flexibility, all skills necessary for sports
and the challenges of everyday life. Tai chi met all those requirements
and much more. It creates energetic body and mind that adapts to life
challenges in a gentle and peaceful way. With a background in physical
therapy, massage therapy and personal training it seems like the perfect
fit to balance the teacher as well as the student.
Mary Jane Ward
Tai Chi instructor in Durango, Colorado
My interest in Taijiquan really grew out of my interest is Daoism. When I was in eighth grade I studied world religions in school and wrote a ten page paper on Daoism. I have been hooked on the concepts ever since. For many years I studied the philosophy. My physical outlet for 20 years was yoga but I was never satisfied. I started looking for a taijiquan teacher and went through several before I found my first teacher, Yu Wen Hong. Even before I found a teacher, I knew that Taiji was something that would always be part of my life. She was recently from China and was amazed that I had read the Tao Te Ching. Her English was basic so I spent hours helping her to translate her ideas into English. When she stopped teaching, I started looking for another “real deal” teacher and found Arthur. At the time, he was teaching Yang style and I studied that with him until he made the change to Chen Style. Once I started practicing Chen style, I knew that I could never go back. For several years with Arthur, I studied open hand, jian and dao forms and then I moved to Colorado. I started Dancing Heron Taiji to expose folks to Chen style taiji.
Kit Bredahl
Tai Chi instructor in Boca Raton, Florida
I was a teacher for 35 years and came to Tai Chi from Hatha Yoga. There was something about the graceful movements in the TV commercial where a lady is in the park with her dog doing Tai Chi that spoke to me. I had no idea how powerful those movements were and was shocked to find that I would be using swords, spears, and tools hard to pronounce to train my body. The Guan Dao is now my favorite training tool! It didn't take long for me to realize that this practice is far more than a series of movements. Soon after I began training I started to notice parallels in my practice and my life. Sometimes my life showed up in my practice and sometimes the practice showed up in my life. As I learned to have better phyical balance I also began to have better emotional balance. I became more comfortable in my own skin. Difficult situations became less difficult. To me Tai Chi is more than a physical practice, it is a lifestyle--.so many life lessons in its principles. I am a retired middle and high school teacher.
Angel Clyman
Tai Chi instructor in South Florida
I've been practicing Tai Chi since 2001, and I love it! I always wanted to try a martial art, but I was afraid that I wasn't athletic or graceful enough for the activity. Despite my insecurities, I began taking Tai Chi classes and found that although it was challenging, it was an art that anyone can benefit from if they have the desire to take the journey. My Tai Chi practice has helped me lose weight, improve flexibility and strength, and relieve stress, but even more importantly, it was through this art that I found new joy in movement and discovered a deep connection between my mind and body. The best thing about Tai Chi is that you can take it with you everywhere, and as you improve, there is always another layer of understanding to reach.
Nicole Dubois
Tai Chi instructor in South Florida
In 2002 my best friend had asked if I wanted to come to a Tai Chi class with her and her husband. Prior to going I had never actually been interested in Martial Arts, and always thought of it as a guy thing. My only athletic experience at that point was my school's swim team. But, after the first class I felt better than I had ever felt. I felt really connected to my own body, and have been practicing Tai Chi ever since. The beautiful thing about this particular art is that anyone can do it. It's an internal art focused on your own ability to tap into what your mind and body are capable of, and has really helped me gain a better understanding of my own potential. I suffer from a pinched nerve in my back, and Tai Chi has helped me to find the source of my pain, and relax the tension. I have lost a great amount of weight, I have gained better flexibility, and I feel much calmer. You're only limitation is your mind, and once you get past what you think you can't do, Tai Chi will help you realize everything you can do.
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