Eric Ziegler, senior Tai Chi instructor in the Grenoble area (38)
A certified senior tai chi instructor by the Dong Yin Jie Tai Chi Legacy School (2016), I have been practicing tai chi for 40 years. Trained by renowned masters, I now teach the Dong family’s Yang style, enriching my practice with yoga, Vipassana and Sheng Zhen meditations, and mindfulness practice. Passionate about sharing, I organize weekly classes in the Grenoble area (Isère, department 38).
My journey
I am originally from Franche-Comté (Territoire de Belfort), a magnificent region annexed to France over three centuries ago by the Sun King.
My encounter with tai chi chuan dates back to 1985, during my first job in a laboratory at the University of Chicago. In search of activities to balance my work as a physics researcher, I attended various courses offered by the Dance Center of Columbia College, including a tai chi chuan class. This was my first experience with the Yang style of Cheng Man-Ching, taught by Hau Kum Kneipp. I attended her classes regularly for two years, either indoors or in parks, depending on the season.
In 1987, a ten-week solo trip to southern China enabled me to deepen my understanding of Chinese culture. Back in France, I looked for a club where I could continue practicing tai chi chuan. In 1988, I took classes in Lyon with Jean-Claude Sapin, a French philosopher who had studied and lived in Taiwan. Then, for ten years, I took a weekly class and monthly workshops in the Yang form of the Tung family with Daniel Carriau, a long-time student of master Tung Kai Ying. I also had the opportunity of taking Tung Kai Ying’s workshops when he taught in France.
In 1990, I invited Hau Kum Kneipp to teach the Shaolin fan form in my village in the Chartreuse mountains. The participants came from the many parts of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.
In 1997, during a sabbatical year in Berkeley, California, I studied the Tung family sword form with Marybeth Rice, a former student of Wu Tai-Yeh.
In 2000, I met Alex Da De Dong, son of Dong Zengchen, for the first time in Athens. I was immediately attracted by Alex’s personality and teaching style. Since then, I have followed his teaching in workshops organized in Greece, the UK, Italy, the USA and France.
In 2008, Alex Dong encouraged me to start teaching. I started with an introductory class in my village, then other places in and around Grenoble. I taught 2 weekly classes for 10 years at the scientific lab where I worked. I also taught a class for 3rd and 4th age people, between the ages of 67 and 94. The ninety-year old practitioners are examples for us all.
In 2016, I received the title of Senior Instructor of Dong Ying Jie Taiji Legacy School from Alex Dong.
In 2017, I organized a 4-day international workshop in Ardèche (France) led by Alex Dong with participants from Canada, Spain, the USA, France, the UK, Greece and Italy.
In 2021, the end of my professional activity gave me the opportunity to redirect my interests. As I am reducing long-distance travelling in the context of climate change, I am happy to study with Alex when he comes to Europe. Teaching is an exciting experience and a real opportunity to improve one’s own practice. It is particularly rewarding when students share their experience and the effect of tai chi chuan on their daily lives.
Some related practices that have helped me progress: hatha yoga (trained by Lav Sharma, Tapovan Center, Paris and Normandy), Vipassana meditation, mindfulness practice (developed by Thich Nhat Hanh, Plum Village), Sheng Zhen meditation (founded by Li Junfeng).