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Roger Skiles

During the late eighties, I was fortunate to start my first year's of taiji study with Roger Baril, Bing Lee and Jane Golden. Both, Jane and Bing had studied with Master Tung Kai Ying, Alex's uncle. It was at Jane's tenth annual training camp in Occidental, California that I first met Alex. She had invited him as a special guest after having met him in Hawaii. That was 1997 and shortly afterwards that I made a lifetime commitment to the study of Taiji with Alex.

From then to the present, I have traveled extensively with Alex. Not only has my taiji prospered but have had the privilege to meet many fellow students, see many sights, eat many good meals, become a better teacher and watch Alex work his "magic" as he develops a great family of worldwide students. A dream come true, it's been a wonderful and healthy experience.

I teach Alex's Legacy style of taiji in Grand Junction, Colorado and host an annual eight day training camp for Alex and his students at Westwater, Utah. This unique camp, located in an unpopulated area of the famed Colorado River Canyon Country, has excellent energy for training and has become a favorite to many. Eight years ago, Alex and his father taught the first camp there, amongst makeshift structures. Through the years improvements have been made, and today we have a permanent practice space (Legacy Hall), showers and a dining hall. Camping is still the venue and students from around the world relish making their private camps, the training, food and comradery. My goal is to improve this high desert camp as funds become available and see that it remains training ground for generations of "Legacy Taiji" students.