Dear "Chi Enthusiast" -
It was a cold night in January, 1997.
I was standing in front of twelve expectant faces, all looking at me for some guidance and direction.
But I had no clue what I was going to do.
At that time, I had been practicing Tai Chi and Qigong since 1984, and teaching it since about 1994.
I wasn't a recognized master then. I wasn't in the U.S. Martial Arts Hall of Fame either. I hadn't published any of my books or articles. And I hadn't taught thousands of students online yet.
All of that came much later.
So on that cold night in January, I was just a regular old Tai Chi teacher - but I was a teacher with a problem.
Two months prior, I had quit my job teaching Tai Chi to five classes, with over 100 students, for a local hospital system and at several other locations. For the hospital, I had been teaching the standard Tai Chi fare - choreographed sets of movements that I now call "monkey-see, monkey-do" Tai Chi.
I couldn't change the program there. It wasn't my program. I had to teach it the way they wanted it.
But I got tired of seeing my students struggle to learn dance steps, when what they really needed was chi to get their health back in shape.
I knew something had to be done. I had to find something that worked better.
So on a cold January night, in a rented room, I gathered just twelve of my best students.
I told them, "We're going to start over. And I really mean WE - because I'm starting over as well ...
"We're going to learn this together. And you are going to be active participants. You're going to tell me what works and what doesn't, what you understand and what you don't. Question me on everything."
So instead of just teaching the same old Tai Chi I knew the same old way I learned it, we began to experiment. I listened to my students. Not just what they said they liked, but also on the results they reported.
We made sure every movement and every technique produced the results they wanted. If it didn't, we dropped it and replaced it with something else.
There was a lot of stumbling around the first few years. We would try a practice or a form for a few weeks, sometimes a few months, and realize it wasn't working.
We tried and discarded many different practices.
The program we ended up with was not like anything we started out with on that cold January night.
It took us SEVEN YEARS of trial-and-error to develop.
But IT WORKS!
Over time, we saw all kinds of nearly miraculous changes.
One woman, who could barely move when she joined us, started to gain back the flexibility she thought she had lost for good.
One guy, who after five years of regular old Tai Chi with another teacher, said he didn't believe in chi. He came up to me at the end of his fifth class or so, all smiles. "I can't believe it - I can feel it! It's real!" he said.
Another guy, who had severe back pain, told me - "I can't believe it. I've tried yoga and stretching and physical therapy. But here, I'm barely moving in your class, and the pain goes away, at least for a few hours. I am so grateful."
Best part?
No fluff or mystical nonsense.
No more dance steps.
No more wasted time.
Just solid chi development.
My name is Al Simon. I'm a Tai Chi and Qigong Master, recognized by the Headfounders Grandmasters Council and the International Martial Arts Council of America. I've also been inducted into the United States Martial Arts Hall of Fame three times, including as a Master and as a Founder, for my innovations to Tai Chi and Qigong.
I'm also the author of two best-selling books: 50 True Chi Stories and To Float Like Clouds, To Flow Like Water: Tai Chi as a Zen Path to Mindfulness.
I've also published articles for such prestigious magazines as Qi Journal and The Empty Vessel. And I'm also a member of Mensa, the high IQ society.
But most importantly for today's discussion, I've been teaching Tai Chi and Qigong online since 2003. I was the first Tai Chi master to teach courses online.
As a matter of fact, I was teaching people Chi Development online before sites like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, iTunes, and even Gmail existed. My private training course, called ChiFusion Tai Chi and Qigong, was online before any of those websites even existed.
As of today, I have over 4,500 Tai Chi, Qigong, and Chi Development students and instructors spread throughout the world taking my private online training courses.
If you do the math on this, that means, on average, MORE THAN ONE PERSON has joined my private online course EVERY DAY, DAY IN and DAY OUT, since we opened the doors in 2003 !
And I'm going to show you the exact system that all of these people are using to improve their health, relieve stress, and develop chi in as little as 10 minutes a day.
Have you ever been to a Tai Chi class, or watched a Tai Chi video? If so, you know that many classes and videos teach Tai Chi as if it were "dance choreography."
The instructor leads you through the movements with instructions such as "put this hand here, this foot there, and move this way." You watch the instructor and copy her or his movements, just as you would in a ballet class or a dance class.
Of course, that's all well and good for dancing, but it's certainly not a very satisfying way of learning Tai Chi and Qigong. If you want to improve your health, relieve stress, and develop chi, that's the HARD WAY to go about it.
I usually call that "monkey-see, monkey-do" Tai Chi and Qigong. And guess what? Learning that way makes you the monkey!
So one of the most important "secrets" that makes our approach different from all of the run-of-the-mill approaches to Chi development is this: Regular" teachers focus on teaching you "Tai Chi" or "Qigong". But we focus instead on "skills" that bring results.
What do I mean by this? Well, most Tai Chi teachers focus on teaching you those "dance sets" of Tai Chi or Qigong movements.
With their approach, you are required to learn and memorize LOTS of movements in a precise order before you ever see any real benefits from your practice.
The biggest complaint that many people have with traditional Tai Chi is that they have TROUBLE REMEMBERING ALL THE MOVEMENTS in order. You have to memorize all of these dance movements in order, and you may have to practice them for weeks, months, even years, before you can see any benefits.
And the idea is that, if you learn enough of these dance steps, and practice them for long enough, your health improvements and stress relief and Chi Development will come somehow "automatically", just from practicing the movements. You just have to take it on faith it will happen, and keep practicing until it does.
And while that works for some students, I can tell you that that does NOT work for a majority of students. That's why most Tai Chi programs have a 40% to 80% drop out rate.
But amazing things happens when you stop being a monkey, and start learning to use chi.
After seven years of experimenting with our in-person students, and now over a decade of teaching this online, we found that we should NOT focus teaching you Tai Chi movements as the end goal.
Instead, we focus on teaching you SKILLS that bring results. For us, we are trying to teach you how to improve your health, how to relieve stress, and how to develop Chi.
Of course, we use Tai Chi and Qigong movements to help with that, but the goal isn't to learn movements. The goal is to learn skills that you can apply to any health problem you encounter, to any stressful situation, or to help you actual feel and use Chi for your health and happiness.
Focusing on "skills" rather than just piling on movements is quite simply is why our program has been so successful. It's why over 4,500 students and instructors have joined us for training.
It's why we've been able to work with people with all kinds health problems, including spinal problems, back problems, mobility problems, stroke paralysis, hernia, joint problems, arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic fatigue syndrome, Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis, high blood pressure, cardiac problems, compromised immune system, toxic chemical exposure, HIV, HSV, cancer recovery, tinnitus, gastro-intestinal problems, irritable bowel, depression, anxiety, stress, inability to focus, phobias, excessive fear, OCD, anxious hair pulling, ADD, and many others.
And this is only a partial list. We have many different people with physical and emotional challenges in our course. Most of them come to us because of these challenges, either on their own or recommended by their doctor.
But even people who are healthy come to us for training. We've had martial artists at all levels, physical trainers, athletes including ironnman tri-atheletes, sports instructors, body builders, members of the military, and fitness instructors join us for this unique training.
Plus we've also had healers, medical doctors, nurses, acupuncturists, Chinese medical practitioners, chiropractors, and naturopathic doctors join us for training.
Many of these people were complete newbie beginners, but we've also had masters and teachers with over 30 years of Tai Chi and Qigong practice join us to get this special training.
All of these people have found the health, stress relief, and Chi Development benefits they needed, no matter what their level of experience or level of health.
These Chi skills are the true "secrets" of Tai Chi and Qigong. When you strip away all of the "dance steps" and choreography and other nonsense, these skills are what are UNDERNEATH, and they are exactly what brings you health, healing, relaxation, peace, and happiness.
Of course, there are quite a few skills. So to help you learn these Chi skills in the easiest, most efficient way possible, we've organzed them into a four level program.
Each of these levels has a primary theme - such as "Opening Body and Mind" or "Rooting and Energetics" - but includes the most important skills we've found to help you improve your health, relieve stress, and develop Chi.
ChiFusion Level #1:
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ChiFusion Level #2:
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ChiFusion Level #3:
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ChiFusion Level #4:
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Click Here to Start Your Free Trial Access
The ChiFusion™ Tai Chi and Qigong program we developed for our in-person students is now available in an online self-study program.
The Complete Course is available in a state-of-the-art presentation that makes learning easy! Our Complete Course is delivered to you as an ONLINE WEB COURSE accessible right from your web browser!
This online course combines text, still images, audio, and video - all into one seamless format.
Our ChiFusion™ Online course is loaded with information, exercises, photos, and video to have you quickly, safely, and effectively on your way to health, stress relief, and Chi Development.
With your Online Course, you'll get ...
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All four levels of the Complete ChiFusion course - that's 31 lessons with over 620+ pages (when printed) of online instruction with details about Tai Chi, Qigong, and Chi Development you won't find anywhere else! |
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660 full-color "high resolution" instructional photos to help you learn all of the "chi development details" easily and quickly. |
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65 separate high-quality video files with close-ups and mirror angles so you can see how the movements "flow". In addition, the videos include near-CD quality audio with my extensive commentary on the important points in each movement. |
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Easy access - There is no software to install or download, and no complicated passwords or registration process. If you can use a web browser, you can get to this course! |
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FREE PERMANENT ACCESS - No Membership Fees! - You can take your time and study each lesson at your leisure, because you'll have unlimited access to the online course for as long as you need. There are no monthly membership fees or other hidden costs! Go back and take a "refresher" once every six months - you'll have permanent ACCESS to the course materials and bonuses. This is important should your computer crash - you'll NEVER "lose" your course! You'll always be able to get back into the training area and get what you paid for. |
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FREE UPDATES! - Since 2001, we've upgraded our courses several times a year with the latest information and improvements in ChiFusion Tai Chi and Qigong. You will automatically get the latest versions, updates, and more - whenever you log in! Unlike books, DVDs, or eBooks, your courses will never be out-of-date. You'll always have access to the latest version. |
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.... all available immediately over the web, right from your web browser!
Click Here to Start Your Free Trial Access
As if all the information in our course wasn't enough, I'm also throwing in seven bonus that usually come with the course.
If these seven bonus gifts were sold separately, they'd go for over $169.00 ...but when you sign up today, you can have them free!
You'll get instant access to...
In addition to the above seven bonuses, you’ll also get access to my private support forum.
This private forum is the place where you can ask questions, get advice, and share training tips and experiences with other ChiFusion students and teachers around the world.
It's also the best way to get direct feedback from me about your practice.
This forum is private, only for members of our program. Having direct access to me, my instructors, and other students for as long as you own the course ... well, it's hard to put a value on that. It really is priceless.
Click Here to Start Your Free Trial Access
Right now, I would like to invite YOU to join with us so that you too get all the great health, stress relief, and chi development benefits that all of these people have gotten.
To show you how serious I am about having you join us, I've come up with a way for you to get started for FREE with our Complete Course of Tai Chi and Qigong.
I'm going to give you 30-Days free access to my ChiFusion Complete Chi Development course. You're going to get use my entire system FREE for a full, 30 days.
Now, this is NOT some limited use trial version, or just part of the course, or just some samples.
This is the FULL COURSE - all 31 lessons - with all the practices and details that are part of the most effective program of Tai Chi and Qigong that we’ve ever developed.
This is exact same full course that over 4,500 people have already signed up for.
And you won't be getting just a little bit at a time, or a lesson every week. You are going to get access to the FULL COURSE right from the start.
You'll get all four levels of the course, all 31 lessons with all the practices and details that are part of the most effective program of Tai Chi and Qigong that we’ve ever developed.
This is the complete online course with over 620 pages of instruction with details about Tai Chi, Qigong, and Chi Development you won't find anywhere else. There are 660 full-color instructional photos to help you learn all of the "chi development details" easily and quickly.
Plus you’ll get access to 65 separate video files with close-ups and mirror angles so you can see how the movements "flow". In addition, the videos include my extensive commentary on the important points in each movement.
Here's how this is going to work.
You’re getting access to my entire acclaimed Chi Development Training System starting today for free. You have 30 full days to use the course, try out the practices and exercises, and see instant results from using this system.
Now if you decided to keep the system past the 30 day free trial, I’ll bill your credit card for the cost of the course in monthly installments until it is paid off. But I won’t do that until you have had the course for 30 days.
So if you decide it isn’t for you, JUST EMAIL ME within the first 30 days, and you’ll never be charged a single dime. And it's no questions asked. I won’t ask you to jump through any hoops, or answer any questions, or do anything. Your word is gold with me.
The bottom line is, if you start to use this course, and it doesn’t immediately transform your Chi development during the first 30 days, you pay nothing.
There isn't any fine print here.
Since you are getting to try it out ahead of time, there isn’t any fine print here about return policies or guarantees.
You’ll have the full 30 days to try it out. So if you decide it isn’t for you, JUST EMAIL ME within the first 30 days and you’ll never be charged a single dime.
But I will go ahead and do this for you. Let’s say you go past the 30 day trial, but at some point you decide the course isn’t for you. Just email me and I’ll cancel all the future billings so you won’t owe anything else. And once again, it will be no questions asked, just email me and tell me, so I can take care of it for you.
Most courses like this charge a monthly fee or yearly fee. And you have to keep paying month after month, year after year to keep your course access open.
But we're not like that around here.
Yes, you'll have to make monthly payments to pay for the course, but once you paid for the course, it is yours to access forever - without any additional charges.
We have had people who joined us right from the beginning in 2003. And they are STILL using the course today! They paid for the course, and they have unlimited access for as long as they are around. There are no monthly fees, no hidden costs. Once you've paid for the course, it's yours forever.
Click Here to Start Your Free Trial Access
In addition to your 30-day free pass to the Complete ChiFusion Tai Chi and Qigong Course, the seven bonuses that come with the course, and the private forum access …
… I have another special gift for you, one that I know you are going to want.
And that is, should you decide to keep the course past your 30-day free trial ...
... you’ll also get a 30% DISCOUNT off of the cost of the course!
Normally, your ChiFusion Course, after the 30 day trial, would be twelve monthly payments of $99. That's already a fantastic bargain, but I'm going to make it even better! So after your free 30 day trial, you can keep your online Complete Chi Development training for a 30% DISCOUNT of just twelve monthly payments of $69.
Many people currently in the course paid up to $1200 for the course, but at $69 a month, you are getting the course at an absolute bargain.
And remember, you don't have to pay forever. Once you've made all twelve payments the course is yours.
So with the 30-Day Free Pass, plus the 30% Discount, this really becomes a no-brainer.
So now really is the time to start improving your health, relieving stress, and developing chi with the most effective program of Tai Chi and Qigong we've ever developed.
So let's get started ...
This will be your best investment in your "Tai Chi health" this year!
Wishing you the best in Tai Chi, Qigong, and Chi Development,

Al Simon,
Certified Tai Chi and Qigong Master,
Three-time Inductee into the U.S. Martial Arts Hall of Fame
I came across this course, and like most people I was skeptical. Because I am already a teacher, I wondered what it was that this course could offer to help me improve my skills. Once I received my Level 1 material, I was bowled over by the amount of information.
From my experience as a teacher - and having the benefit of being taught by many prestigious
teachers and having trained in China - I have no hesitation in saying that ChiFusion™ Tai Chi and Qigong
is a very well researched and presented program. Anyone interested in either using it for themselves or
to teach would have great difficulty in finding anything better."
-- Karen Green, Nottinghamshire, England
Being an Engineer by degree, I have always been a very skeptical person and started the program with some hesitation, but needed to try something to reduce the stiffness of my 64-year old body and I felt like a 64!
I am retired now and had time on my hands so try this course and now that I have finished it, all I can say is that I may look 64 but feel like when I was in my 30's!! I feel great and I will recommend this course to all my friends.
Thank you both for relieving my stress. I can really feel the energy ––– great experience. You have made a believer out me, no longer skeptical!"
-- Gil Lopez, Professional Inspector
I can personally stand by the quality of this program. I was also very skeptical, but I could see that these guys knew their stuff. Not only that, but they were also pointing out mistakes that I was making in my Tai Chi practice that I can now definitively say was holding back my progress. Their information on protecting the knees alone is priceless.
As I progress through the course, I am happier and happier with my decision. At this price, this equates to roughly 10-15 group Tai Chi classes, where you would not learn some of the stuff offered here except in some rare cases.
Finally, one thing worth adding. I practiced for a while with a guy who was trained in Tai Chi but had a primary focus in white crane kung fu. The first time I felt "chi" between the palms of my hands, I relayed the experience to him and he concurred that he had the same sensations. He did not, however, "know what to do with it". This course shows you what to do with it quite effectively, and you know what, whatever "chi" REALLY is...it feels great.
Rest assured that I am not affiliated with Al, just a satisfied customer. "
--Ken, writing on our ChiFusion Support Forum
When I discovered the ChiFusion™ Program and began a regular practice, the aches and pains started to disappear. In addition, if some new pain or injury appeared, I was able to gently work it through. I became the expert on my own body.
Even though I had practiced [another style of] Tai Chi from the early '80s into the '90s, as I got older, my body's needs and responses had changed, my needs were different. Al Simon's ChiFusion™ Program addressed those different needs. The ChiFusion™ Program is not specifically for older people, it is simply that because of the way it is structured, it always accommodates specific needs. It is not a 'one size fits all' approach.
I was so impressed that I could heal and keep my own body well with such a simply learned skills I wanted to share this ancient Chinese knowledge with others who are going through the same process. And so I started Al's instructor training program.
--Jackie Davies, writing on her "Learning About Chi" blog, Port Burwell, Ontario, Canada
I have been doing Qigong [from another teacher] each morning for the last two years, but until I completed Level 1 did not realize that I had been performing some of the movements incorrectly! I was causing myself injury due to the incorrect placement of my knees. Just learning the correct way to practice and knee placement in Level 1 alone was more than worth the "price of admission" I paid for the whole course!
In over 40 years as a consumer I have never written a letter about a product or service - good or bad - and I have already written two about the ChiFusion™ Program. It's just that it has proven so far to be such an invaluable program; I hope other students of Tai Chi that haven't yet discovered this amazing program will be encouraged to give it a go."
-- Heather Brock, B.A., M.Ed., Professor and Counsellor
I am feeling chi, it is absolutely amazing - and pleasurable. What is more amazing to me is that I have 15 years of martial arts experience and I've never achieved anything like the results your course is generating in only a few short weeks of practice. Thank you.
I've done various types of Tai Chi and Chi Kung (Qigong) and have studied with many well known and high level internal martial artists. But I was unable to replicate their results using their methods and was too honest to pretend otherwise. The really nice thing about your course is the speed with which the results come and the gentle way in which they are brought about.
-- Charles, in an email sent Saturday 3:58 PM
Thank you for your Complete Course. Such valuable information and it is so easy to understand. I have been practicing, researching, studying Tai Chi and Qigong for 5 years. I was attracted to your program because of all the information and details you give.Thank you for all the research you have done.
I am so glad I finally bought the course. Being able to access it on the Internet is so easy. I was thrilled to get your program and experience the kinesthetic details and see the anatomy and the video and all the explaining on how to do this correctly. I have tried many programs and classes. I have read many books and practiced from video's from some of our best peers. Your ChiFusion Courses are unbeatable and very reasonable in price."
-- Deborah Moen, Tai Chi Qigong Instructor, Certified Relaxation Therapist, Reiki Master/Teacher, Whittier, CA
I am a practitioner of Chinese Medicine, including all associated disciplines, such as Acupuncture, Tuina, and Chinese herbal medicine. Qigong is infact a cornerstone of this system also. Your system is a no nonsense approach in that it limits the damage to the joints (esp. Knees, Hips, Ankles) - from which 'classical' styles have a history of, due to incorrect approaches by certain practitioners."
-- Anthony Monteith, B.Sc.(Hons), Lic. Acu, Dip.AT. AOM., Dublin
My study from the first lesson to now has been a wonderful journey of discovery. I have truly enjoyed and been fascinated by the internal energy of Tai Chi and Qigong.
I think your program is unique and well worth the investment."
-- Jeffry Larson, Fort Bragg, North Carolina
I enrolled in the ChiFusion™ program after reading your email for several months. I welcomed another perspective on teaching students the internal essence beyond the physical forms.
I have gained new insight and deepened my understanding of the benefits of Tai Chi from the lessons in ChiFusion™ Levels 1 and 2. More importantly in a class of beginners that I am teaching now, the students are progressing much better and realizing the benefits of Tai Chi much sooner."
-- Gerry Wiley, a Taoist Tai Chi instructor for the last 20 years
Copyright © Al J. Simon 1997-2013. P.O. Box 130 - Hillsboro, OR 97123-0130 - Email: info@cloudwater.com