JOetaiji

Starting out in London

I grew up in inner city London and began martial art training in 1975 at the age of 14 at a local Judo club. Then in 1977 at the age of 16 i joined the Shaolin Kung Fu Association run by chief instructor Joe Holmes. I spent the next 10 years training under Joe Holmes in Kung Fu and Full contact Karate as it was known then. It was a fantastic apprenticeship!

On reflection it was the often quoted training of “Mind and Body" that had drawn me to the martial arts in the first place. Unusually for a teenager, I had experimented with meditation and now this interest resurfaced pulling at me more strongly. Zen in the Art of Archery by Eugene Herrigel caught my attention as well as books on Sport Psychology and the like. I experimented for myself but it was clear I needed guidance.

My Kung Fu teacher was an honest man and when I asked he said he knew little of these things so could not help. For that and the wonderful generosity in the things he taught so well I am forever grateful - It was time to move on, but we are still in touch.

I joined a Jujitsu school for a few years run by Prof. Dick Morris. The dojo etiquette was harsh, like stepping back 200 years into feudal Japan. The training did include some meditation and I continued for a few years before moving to the north of England.

Finding Taiji

in the early 90’s I began Taiji with Dan Russell in Carlisle who, with his eclectic, empowering mix of training methods, lead us to Patrick Kelly. And so began the long and fascinating journey in Master Huang Sheng Shyan's Taiji.

Patrick Kelly is a greatly respected world-wide guide in Master Huang's teachings, and was the only westerner to be admitted to Master Huang’s inner school.
Patrick has systematized Mst Huang's teachings and now with many years of dedicated personal practice the teaching evolves as he continues to offer direct guidance to a network of instructors throughout Europe and the rest of the world. He has written several books - Highly recommended.

Relax, Deep Mind.
Spiritual Reality (of Life).
Infinite Dao.

[available through me at the school or on line at www.patrickkellytaiji.com]


It goes without saying – I am deeply indebted to my teachers and the traditions of their own teachers, for their openness of teaching and kindness.
Whether being there as a mirror to my inadequacies or just ‘being’ - deep and still so that I may benefit from their inexorable commitment to their individual paths - these extraordinary human beings continue to help shape the person I am.

These Days....

Joe Harte teaches Taiji classes in the Northeast of England with seminars in the Northeast, Blyth, Darlington, London, Hamburg, and elsewhere. He is a long time student of Patrick Kelly, regular attendee of the International seminars, and spent 2 months training with Patrick in Shanghai in 2018.