Luke Shepherd (1961–) principal instructor & founder of Open Palm Tai Chi.
A Life Shaped by Tai Chi – From Student to Teacher to Artist
I started Tai Chi training in 1981, the year of Prince Charles and Lady Di’s wedding, MTV’s launch with “Video Killed the Radio Star,” and Ronald Reagan becoming the 40th President. I was searching for something meaningful, though I hadn’t even heard of Tai Chi when someone gifted me classes. I was immediately captivated.
My first teacher for a year was Jay Jones, whose centered calmness inspired me. Through Tai Chi, I learned that being myself was the path to finding the qualities I sought.
After moving to London, I studied with Adrian Murray, whose enthusiasm taught me precision in movement. Returning to Cardiff, I trained with Jay’s teacher, Richard Farmer of Rising Dragon Tai Chi, for 13 years. Rising Dragon emphasized meditation and applying Tai Chi principles to daily life. Richard, a maverick with strong Buddhist practices, focused on the spiritual essence of letting go while staying centered.
I began teaching in New Zealand in 1991 and studied with HWL Poonja in India over 7 years, including 2 years living there.
Between 1995-1999, I ran Rising Dragon’s Cardiff Branch as a senior teacher with 12 weekly classes and over 150 students. During this time, I also studied Qigong and BuQi with Dr. Shen Hong Xun for 4 years.
In 1997, I met Week Kee Jin and Patrick Kelly, which changed everything. Within 20 minutes of meeting Patrick, he answered five questions that had troubled me for years. I had been ready to travel the world to find a teacher who understood Tai Chi as a spiritual martial art combining wisdom with functionality—and he had come to the UK! I abandoned my previous training to start fresh, reexamining all principles and movements. Patrick transformed my understanding from two-dimensional to three-dimensional and beyond.
I left Rising Dragon and established Open Palm Tai Chi in Devon in 1999. Since then, I’ve trained internal aspects of body and mind under Patrick’s guidance and later with Wee Kee Jin. I created Open Palm Tai Chi to continue my development and share my passion with dedicated students.
Today, I divide my time between teaching Tai Chi, personal training, and working as a sculptor and bronze caster. My i-Chi project offers authentic online Tai Chi training. I teach classes in Ashburton, run workshops throughout the year, and host online classes via Zoom.