Happy 100th birthday to amazing tai chi master Maggie Newman! Maggie is one of great master Professor Cheng Man Ching’s senior students, a highly ranked Japanese kabuki master, black belt in aikido and professional dancer, not to mention a gifted teacher. I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to learn from her, even though it was only for short periods over the years when I was able to visit Manhattan. My strongest memory was when at 80 years she picked up her wooden sword and ran me all over the training hall. When I decided to “try seriously” to attack, she effortlessly cut me to ribbons.
Just a reminder that Beautifully Broken will return with a new format in June and paid subscriptions will resume.
I was filled with happiness to learn that Maggie had reached 100 and that her legacy lives on in so many of us who had the honor and privilege to study with her. I am renewing my practice now and sharing her video with students who now are seeing how to internalize the form to take ones practice into a deeper, more spiritually grounded exploration. With gratitude and love, Marvin Berman (Philadelphia class ('78-'80)