Tai Chi Classes held at
Summit Martial Arts Academy
The years came slowly at first. A little stiffness in the morning. A sore knee going down
the stairs. The need to sit more often than before. Then the losses came faster.
Balance went first. Not all at once. Just to notice. A missed step at the curb. A hand on
the wall when turning too quickly. Standing on one leg to put on pants became work
instead of nothing at all. Strength left too quietly too. Carrying groceries felt heavier.
Getting up from a low chair took thought. The legs tired early. The back tightened after
simple chores. The joints ached in the cold and after long drives. Sleep grew thin and
broken. Some nights the mind stayed awake long after the house went dark.
Fatigue became a companion. Not the kind earned from good labor. This was dull
fatigue. The kind that sits in the body all day. The kind that makes a man move less
because movement costs too much.
So life became smaller. More sitting. Less walking. Less confidence in motion. The
body still worked, but it no longer moved with trust.
Then one day I returned to Tai Chi. Tai Chi began long ago in China as a martial art.
Men trained it to develop balance, timing, rooted strength, calmness, and control of the
whole body moving as one.
the stairs. The need to sit more often than before. Then the losses came faster.
Balance went first. Not all at once. Just to notice. A missed step at the curb. A hand on
the wall when turning too quickly. Standing on one leg to put on pants became work
instead of nothing at all. Strength left too quietly too. Carrying groceries felt heavier.
Getting up from a low chair took thought. The legs tired early. The back tightened after
simple chores. The joints ached in the cold and after long drives. Sleep grew thin and
broken. Some nights the mind stayed awake long after the house went dark.
Fatigue became a companion. Not the kind earned from good labor. This was dull
fatigue. The kind that sits in the body all day. The kind that makes a man move less
because movement costs too much.
So life became smaller. More sitting. Less walking. Less confidence in motion. The
body still worked, but it no longer moved with trust.
Then one day I returned to Tai Chi. Tai Chi began long ago in China as a martial art.
Men trained it to develop balance, timing, rooted strength, calmness, and control of the
whole body moving as one.
Over time, people noticed something else. Those who practiced regularly often
remained steady on their feet, calm in mind, flexible in body, and strong into old age.
The art that once trained warriors also helped ordinary people live better and age better.
Today science has begun to explain what the old practitioners already knew. Slow and
controlled movement improves balance and coordination. Weight shifting and single-leg
standing help reduce falls. Gentle loading strengthens muscles and joints. Relaxed
breathing lowers stress. Mindful movement sharpens attention and body awareness.
Mindful movement sharpens attention and body awareness. Regular practice helps
sleep, mobility, stamina, posture, and confidence.
We respect both sides of Tai Chi. We teach the traditional art – its forms, principles,
breathing, posture, flow, relaxation, stress reduction, and disciplined practice. But we
also combine it with modern, science-based understanding of healthy aging and
functional movement.
We train people not only to perform movements, but to live better through movement.
The old art and the modern science fit together naturally.
At first the movements felt strange again. The legs shook in simple stances. The hips
were stiff. The shoulders carried too much tension. Breathing was shallow. The
mindset wandered. But Tai Chi does not ask for speed. It only asks that you return
tomorrow. So I did.
I practiced standing. I practiced shifting weight. Without leaning. I practiced breathing
without force. I learned again how to relax without collapsing and how to move without
hurry.
The old forms taught patience. The functional training taught usefulness. My stress
and anxiety dropped. Slowly the body answered back. Balanced returned first. I could
turn without fear of falling. I could stand steadily while dressing. Walking became
smoother and more certain. Then strength came. Not the strength of youth, but a
quieter strength. The legs held me better. The hips loosened. The spine stood taller. I
tired less during the day. Sleep came deeper at night. The joints still spoke now and
then, but less loudly. Breathing improved. Flexibility improved. Confidence improved.
Life grew larger again. I walked more. Moved more. Worked more. The body no
longer felt life a burden to carry from room to room.
Then something unexpected happened. Health improved enough that I began studying
another martial art. Not to fight age, but to meet it well. The body that once feared
losing balance was now learning and performing kicks, strikes, drills, and disciplined
movement again.
There is something about training. A person may grow old. Muscles may weaken,
Joints may stiffen. But when they train with purpose, something inside them wakes
again.
Tai Chi did not make me young. It gave me back movement. Confidence. Rest.
Discipline. Calmness. And perhaps most important of all, it gave me a reason to keep
learning.
Classes are taught by Sifu Art Arciaga, founder of Silver Warriors, LLC, a black belt
martial artist, with decades of experience, and is certified as a Tai Chi instructor,
Functional Aging Specialist, Senior Fitness Specialist, and Group Fitness Instructor. He
is a former professor of Clinical Anesthesiology and has 50 years of clinical experience
as an anesthesia provider. He is also an Attorney at Law.
Classes are held Tuesdays, 12:30 to 1:30, for beginners, starting July 7, 2026, and
Thursdays, 12:30 to 1:30, starting June 4, 2026, for intermediate students with 20 or
more weeks of previous Tai Chi experience. For more information, please call or text
216-280-0134, or email at [email protected].
IT’S NEVER TOO LATE TO FEEL GREAT!
remained steady on their feet, calm in mind, flexible in body, and strong into old age.
The art that once trained warriors also helped ordinary people live better and age better.
Today science has begun to explain what the old practitioners already knew. Slow and
controlled movement improves balance and coordination. Weight shifting and single-leg
standing help reduce falls. Gentle loading strengthens muscles and joints. Relaxed
breathing lowers stress. Mindful movement sharpens attention and body awareness.
Mindful movement sharpens attention and body awareness. Regular practice helps
sleep, mobility, stamina, posture, and confidence.
We respect both sides of Tai Chi. We teach the traditional art – its forms, principles,
breathing, posture, flow, relaxation, stress reduction, and disciplined practice. But we
also combine it with modern, science-based understanding of healthy aging and
functional movement.
We train people not only to perform movements, but to live better through movement.
The old art and the modern science fit together naturally.
At first the movements felt strange again. The legs shook in simple stances. The hips
were stiff. The shoulders carried too much tension. Breathing was shallow. The
mindset wandered. But Tai Chi does not ask for speed. It only asks that you return
tomorrow. So I did.
I practiced standing. I practiced shifting weight. Without leaning. I practiced breathing
without force. I learned again how to relax without collapsing and how to move without
hurry.
The old forms taught patience. The functional training taught usefulness. My stress
and anxiety dropped. Slowly the body answered back. Balanced returned first. I could
turn without fear of falling. I could stand steadily while dressing. Walking became
smoother and more certain. Then strength came. Not the strength of youth, but a
quieter strength. The legs held me better. The hips loosened. The spine stood taller. I
tired less during the day. Sleep came deeper at night. The joints still spoke now and
then, but less loudly. Breathing improved. Flexibility improved. Confidence improved.
Life grew larger again. I walked more. Moved more. Worked more. The body no
longer felt life a burden to carry from room to room.
Then something unexpected happened. Health improved enough that I began studying
another martial art. Not to fight age, but to meet it well. The body that once feared
losing balance was now learning and performing kicks, strikes, drills, and disciplined
movement again.
There is something about training. A person may grow old. Muscles may weaken,
Joints may stiffen. But when they train with purpose, something inside them wakes
again.
Tai Chi did not make me young. It gave me back movement. Confidence. Rest.
Discipline. Calmness. And perhaps most important of all, it gave me a reason to keep
learning.
Classes are taught by Sifu Art Arciaga, founder of Silver Warriors, LLC, a black belt
martial artist, with decades of experience, and is certified as a Tai Chi instructor,
Functional Aging Specialist, Senior Fitness Specialist, and Group Fitness Instructor. He
is a former professor of Clinical Anesthesiology and has 50 years of clinical experience
as an anesthesia provider. He is also an Attorney at Law.
Classes are held Tuesdays, 12:30 to 1:30, for beginners, starting July 7, 2026, and
Thursdays, 12:30 to 1:30, starting June 4, 2026, for intermediate students with 20 or
more weeks of previous Tai Chi experience. For more information, please call or text
216-280-0134, or email at [email protected].
IT’S NEVER TOO LATE TO FEEL GREAT!