Harvey H. Klee, an attorney now retired living in Llano County, was officially certified as a Taijiquan Instructor recently by the International Taijiquan and Qigong Society, headquartered in Beijing, China. Taijiquan is an internal Chinese martial art but has been found to have considerable health benefits for people of all ages. It is practiced extensively not only in China but throughout the world as a means to achieve and maintain good health.

After completing an extensive application process, Dr. Klee, who holds a doctorate in jurisprudence, took his proficiency examinations last year while in New York City through special arrangement with the ITQS. This was followed by his submitting several written essays on the history and philosophy of Taijiquan for evaluation of his knowledge of both Taijiquan and Qigong.

Although there are many different Taijiquan styles, the most popular are Chen, Yang, Wu, Wu Hao and Sun. Dr. Klee’s certification encompasses several of these styles and includes Chinese weaponry such as the Dao (broadsword), Jian (straight sword) and Chinese fighting fan. He believes a practitioner should be familiar with all of the major Taijiquan styles even though one may have a preference for a particular style over another. They are all based on the same fundamental principles of Taijiquan.

Dr. Klee is continuing his study of Chinese exotic weapons such as the Wind and Fire Rings, Dear Horn Knives and the application of Taiji principles to the Cane.

Pursuing an Instructor certification was an adjunct to his years of interest in the martial arts, starting with Aikido and Chin Na while living in Los Angeles. His interest extended to Chinese internal martial arts once he moved here 14 years ago and found there was no Aikido dojo in the area in which to work out. Most of the forms practiced in Taijiquan are single-player forms and don’t require a partner, with the exception of Tui Shou (pushing hands), which prompted his study of Taijiquan. The two martial arts are similar in movement and philosophy.

"I pursued Taijiquan/Qigong Instructor certification not so much to teach these subjects but to have my own proficiency and knowledge of the subject evaluated by those more qualified than I. One needs to be willing to invest the time, effort and energy necessary to learn the art in order to reap its benefits. For me, it’s a life-time practice – and a lot of fun!"

Dr. Klee’s interest in Taijiquan and Qigong lies primarily in their health and spiritual benefits. For martial arts defense purposes he prefers a 9 mm pistol!