Suaimhní Tai Chi
Kilbehenny · Co. Limerick

Peace and harmony
in motion.

Suaimhní Tai Chi is a not-for-profit club run by volunteers. We come together to practise Tai Chi, learn steadily and share the enjoyment of movement.

Explore our classesDiscover Tai Chi
Volunteer-runNot for profitLearning together in Kilbehenny
Body · Mind · Community

The benefits of Tai Chi

A gentle, absorbing practice that brings movement, attention and connection into everyday life.

01 / BALANCE

Greater steadiness

Controlled steps and gradual shifts of weight develop balance and coordination. Regular Tai Chi can improve stability and help reduce falls in older adults.

02 / FLEXIBILITY

Freedom to move

Gentle turns and stretches encourage comfortable movement through the hips, spine and shoulders. Work within your own range as your movement becomes more familiar.

03 / STRENGTH

Strength with control

Slow, supported movement asks the legs and body to work steadily. Practice can help maintain muscle strength and posture without the impact of jumping or running.

04 / CALM

Space to settle

Paying attention to a movement gives the mind something simple to return to. Tai Chi can support relaxation and may help ease stress and anxiety.

05 / ATTENTION

Focus in the present

Learning a sequence involves concentration, memory and awareness of your body. Each practice is an opportunity to notice how you move, rather than hurry through an exercise.

06 / CONNECTION

Practise with others

Shared practice creates time for company, encouragement and learning together. Everyone can progress at their own pace in a friendly, non-competitive club.

Practise with us

Classes in Kilbehenny

Our club is led by volunteers, with learning and shared practice at its heart. You do not need to arrive knowing a sequence: Tai Chi is learned through repetition, one movement at a time.

Preparing for a class

  • Wear comfortable clothing that lets you move freely.
  • Choose flat, supportive footwear and bring some water.
  • Work within a comfortable range and let the instructor know if you need to adapt a movement.
Our tradition

From martial roots
to mindful movement.

Tai Chi, also called taijiquan, developed in China as a martial art. Today it is practised around the world for movement, health and personal cultivation. Its early history includes both documented traditions and legends.

CHINA / EARLY ROOTS

A living tradition

Early documented history connects Tai Chi with the Chen family in Chenjiagou, Henan. Stories of the Daoist figure Zhang Sanfeng belong to its traditional legends rather than established historical fact.

19TH CENTURY / YANG STYLE

The Yang family

Yang style takes its name from Yang Luchan (1799–1872), who learned within the Chen tradition. Later generations developed and spread the style, known today for its flowing, expansive movements.

1931–1998 / MASTER MOY

Moy Lin-shin

Master Moy studied Tai Chi and other internal arts before teaching in Canada. He adapted a Yang-style 108-movement set with an emphasis on turning, stretching, rising and lowering, placing health at the centre of his teaching.

His approach continues through former students and groups that share his practice.

Read Master Moy’s history
The teacher behind our tradition

Master Moy Lin-shin
1931–1998

Master Moy’s teaching brought a health-focused approach to Tai Chi to an international community. His legacy includes a commitment to patient learning, volunteer teaching and sharing practice with others.

BACKGROUND

Learning the internal arts

Born in China in 1931, Moy Lin-shin became a Taoist monk. He studied Tai Chi, Qigong and related internal arts in Hong Kong, including Lok Hup Ba Fa (Liuhebafa), Hsing-I (Xingyi) and Bagua. These disciplines helped shape his later approach to movement and teaching.

TEACHING IN CANADA

A focus on health

After moving to Canada, he began teaching martial arts. Seeing his students’ needs, he increasingly emphasised health and wellbeing. He adapted the Yang-style 108-movement set, developing its turning, stretching, rising and lowering movements and drawing on principles from other internal arts.

AN ENDURING LEGACY

Sharing the practice

Master Moy adapted his teaching to individual students and encouraged volunteers to pass on what they learned. He taught internationally, with students such as Boon Loh describing years of workshops and personal instruction. He died in Canada on 6 June 1998. Former students continue to teach and develop the practice through independent groups around the world.

Watch Master Moy demonstrating the Tai Chi set

Our volunteer instructors

Experience shared.
Learning continued.

Our instructors have over 20 years’ experience practising in this tradition of Tai Chi.

Teaching and continuing to learn

Classes at Suaimhní Tai Chi are led by our volunteer instructors. They continue to develop their own practice under Philippe Gagnon, deepening their understanding and bringing that learning into the club.

Philippe studied with Master Moy Lin-shin and his advanced students for 23 years. Through Taichi nüances, he supports ongoing learning in Tai Chi and the internal arts.

Learn about Philippe Gagnon’s teaching

From Ballindangan to Kilbehenny

Our classes previously ran in Ballindangan, Co. Cork. After a short break due to COVID, classes returned to Kilbehenny in 2025.

Movement & practice

The Tai Chi set

A set is a sequence of connected movements. In Master Moy’s tradition, the 108 movements are learned gradually, then practised together as a flowing whole.

The 108 movement names

Use this list to revisit the names and order of movements covered in class.

Movements 1–17
  1. Opening of Tai Chi
  2. Left Grasp Bird’s Tail
  3. Grasp Bird’s Tail
  4. Single Whip
  5. Step Up and Raise Hands
  6. White Stork Spreads Wings
  7. Brush Knee (left)
  8. Strum the Pei Pa
  9. Brush Knee and Twist Step (left)
  10. Brush Knee and Twist Step (right)
  11. Brush Knee (left)
  12. Strum the Pei Pa
  13. Brush Knee and Twist Step (left)
  14. Chop with Fist
  15. Step Up, Deflect, Parry, Punch
  16. Appear to Close Entrance
  17. Cross Hands
Movements 18–55
  1. Carry Tiger to Mountain
  2. Whip Out Diagonally
  3. Fist Under Elbow
  4. Go Back to Ward Off Monkey (right)
  5. Go Back to Ward Off Monkey (left)
  6. Go Back to Ward Off Monkey (right)
  7. Flying at a Slant
  8. Step Up and Raise Hands
  9. White Stork Spreads Wings
  10. Brush Knee (left)
  11. Push Needle to Sea Bottom
  12. Fan Penetrates through the Back
  13. Turn and Chop with Fist
  14. Step Up, Deflect, Parry, Punch
  15. Step Up to Grasp Bird’s Tail
  16. Single Whip
  17. Move Hands Like Clouds (five times)
  18. Single Whip
  19. Reach Up to Pat Horse
  20. Separate Foot to Right
  21. Separate Foot to Left
  22. Turn and Kick
  23. Brush Knee and Twist Step (left)
  24. Brush Knee and Twist Step (right)
  25. Step Up and Punch
  26. Turn and Chop with Fist
  27. Step Up, Deflect, Parry, Punch
  28. Right Foot Kick
  29. Hit Tiger at Left
  30. Hit Tiger at Right
  31. Right Foot Kick
  32. Strike Ears with Fists
  33. Left Foot Kick
  34. Turn and Kick
  35. Chop with Fist
  36. Step Up, Deflect, Parry, Punch
  37. Appear to Close Entrance
  38. Cross Hands
Movements 56–108
  1. Carry Tiger to Mountain
  2. Whip Out Horizontally
  3. Parting Wild Horse’s Mane (right)
  4. Parting Wild Horse’s Mane (left)
  5. Parting Wild Horse’s Mane (right)
  6. Parting Wild Horse’s Mane (left)
  7. Parting Wild Horse’s Mane (right)
  8. Left Grasp Bird’s Tail
  9. Step Up to Grasp Bird’s Tail
  10. Single Whip
  11. Fair Lady Works Shuttles (left)
  12. Fair Lady Works Shuttles (right)
  13. Fair Lady Works Shuttles (left)
  14. Fair Lady Works Shuttles (right)
  15. Left Grasp Bird’s Tail
  16. Step Up to Grasp Bird’s Tail
  17. Single Whip
  18. Move Hands Like Clouds (seven times)
  19. Single Whip
  20. Creeping Low Like a Snake
  21. Golden Cock Stands on One Leg (left)
  22. Golden Cock Stands on One Leg (right)
  23. Go Back to Ward Off Monkey (right)
  24. Go Back to Ward Off Monkey (left)
  25. Flying at a Slant
  26. Step Up and Raise Hands
  27. White Stork Spreads Wings
  28. Brush Knee (left)
  29. Push Needle to Sea Bottom
  30. Fan Penetrates through the Back
  31. White Snake Turns and Puts Out Tongue
  32. Step Up, Deflect, Parry, Punch
  33. Step Up to Grasp Bird’s Tail
  34. Single Whip
  35. Move Hands Like Clouds (three times)
  36. Single Whip
  37. Reach Up to Pat Horse
  38. Cross Hands to Penetrate
  39. Turn and Kick
  40. Chop with Fist
  41. Brush Knee and Punch
  42. Step Up to Grasp Bird’s Tail
  43. Single Whip
  44. Creeping Low Like a Snake
  45. Step Up to Seven Stars
  46. Retreat to Ride Tiger
  47. Turn Around to Sweep Lotus
  48. Draw Bow to Shoot Tiger
  49. Chop with Fist
  50. Step Up, Deflect, Parry, Punch
  51. Appear to Close Entrance
  52. Cross Hands
  53. Closing of Tai Chi
Further exploration

Teaching & tradition

Two useful places to explore practice and teaching, followed by a history resource for those who want to read more deeply.

Tai Chi Evolutions

Explore a health-focused approach to Tai Chi, including physical wellbeing, mental calm and the value of practising as a community.

Visit Tai Chi Evolutions

Philippe Gagnon · Taichi nüances

Philippe’s website brings together his teaching, workshops and reference material on Tai Chi and the internal arts passed on by Master Moy.

Visit Taichi nüances

Tai Chi and Yang-style history

The International Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan Association offers an introduction to Tai Chi’s origins and the development of Yang style. It distinguishes traditional origin stories from documented history and describes the main styles.

Read Tai Chi history and culture
Recommended reading

Books to deepen
your understanding.

Start with general wellbeing or explore the traditional Yang teachings. The Yang-style books describe forms and martial applications that may differ from the set practised in our club; use them as background alongside your classes.

GENERAL / ACCESSIBLE

The Harvard Medical School Guide to Tai Chi

Peter M. Wayne, with Mark L. Fuerst
Shambhala · 2013

A readable introduction combining research on Tai Chi with a practical programme. A useful starting point for understanding its health and wellbeing aspects.

Publisher’s book details
YANG STYLE / DETAILED

Mastering Yang Style Taijiquan

Fu Zhongwen · Translated by Louis Swaim
North Atlantic Books · 2006 edition

A detailed illustrated reference to traditional Yang practice, with instructions on the form, push hands and commentary on its cultural and philosophical background.

Publisher’s book details
YANG STYLE / CLASSIC TEXT

The Essence and Applications of Taijiquan

Yang Chengfu · Translated by Louis Swaim
North Atlantic Books · 2005

An English translation of Yang Chengfu’s 1934 work. Best suited to readers interested in traditional postures, martial applications and the historical foundations of Yang-style Tai Chi.

Publisher’s book details

A few practical questions

Do I need to memorise everything at once?

No. A sequence is built gradually through repeated practice. Focus on the movement you are learning now rather than trying to remember a whole set immediately.

Is Tai Chi competitive?

Our club’s focus is learning and shared practice. There is no need to compare the depth of your stance or your progress with someone else’s.

Can books help me learn?

Books can enrich your understanding of the principles and history. Learn the movements with an instructor, and use reading to support what you practise in class.

Where can I find class times?

Beginners meet on Thursdays, 6.30–7.30 pm, with new 12-class courses starting each September and in late January (€75). Continuing classes start at 7.30 pm on Thursdays throughout the year. Both meet at Kilbehenny Community Centre. For more information, email suaimhnitaichi@gmail.com.

Get in touch

Contact

For more information, email suaimhnitaichi@gmail.com.