Hal Mosher has been practicing Tai Chi, Ba Gua and Hsing-i for over 26 years. He started his study in 1982 with his teacher Robert Smith. Mr. Smith taught him the basics of the Tai Chi form. He then moved to San Francisco in 1985 to study with Ben Lo. Mr. Lo taught him the more difficult art of two- man practice in Tai Chi (tui shou) and the standing practice done to change the body and refine the postures. Mr. Lo and Mr. Smith then sent him to Taiwan to study with his third teacher Liu Hsi Heng . Mr. Liu was given Cheng man Ching’s school in 1976 but he refused to accept it and decided to teach small groups of students that had letters of reference. Living in Taiwan Hal studied with many great teachers and many trips there from 1989 to the present. Mr Liu really caught his attention because of his extraordinary push hands abilities. Mr Liu refined Tai Chi into its most basic elements that have become the core of Hals teaching. Mr Liu’s methods are not taught very much in the United States in their entirety, but Hal teach his complete method to his students.

Hal has also been practicing Bagua and Hsing-I for over 26 years. He started his studies with Robert Smith in Bethesda, Maryland for three years. He then studied with Allen Pittman in Atlanta, Georgia to refine aspects of the functions in Bagua and Hsing-i. In 1989 he lived in Taiwan studying Bagua under Mr. Huang. Mr. Huang taught me various forms– from Hsing-I and Bagua to Northern Shaolin boxing. At the same He studied White Crane under a teacher named Mr. Jou on a rooftop in Taiwan.

Mr. Smith always encouraged his students to have a go at teaching and Hal have taught these three arts with the idea of making them very accessible to the western way of thinking. Hal been teaching for ten years and found ways to break down the forms and their functions in ways that make sense to people with a wide range of abilities and aptitudes. His intention is for his students to develop body awareness and through that mindfulness, develop a deep sense of the nature of their minds. Hal teaches the forms traditionally without any omissions, and have a full curriculum of study that should take about two years from beginning to end.

In addition to martial arts training Hal has also been studying Buddhism under several teachers including His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Buddhist Studies have added a whole wealth of knowledge to his teaching methods in the martial arts. He has tried to incorporate the ideas of mindfulness and meditation through movement as a way to pacify the ego and gain happiness. Since these three martial arts are Taoist in nature Hal also incorporates the union of heaven, earth and man, as well as shamanistic transmutation of the spirit.

Healing is a very important aspect of the martial arts as well and Hal has undertaken the study of various methods of massage such as Swedish, Thai, and Tui Na. I have studied energy healing as well, Reiki, healing touch and energy bone manipulation. Hal is a thai massage practitioner and has regular clients. He also teaches Thai massage workshops in the bay area.  Hal teaches the martial arts as a tool for self healing of the body and the mind.