About Julian Reeve

Tai Chi & Qigong instructor

20+ years practising the Chinese internal arts · Yang and Chen Tai Chi, Qigong and Xingyi · teaching and writing across Europe

I'm Julian Reeve, the practitioner behind Taiji-Europa. I've spent more than two decades learning, teaching and quietly arguing about the Chinese internal arts — and this site is where I try to explain them clearly, without mystique.

How I came to the internal arts

Like many people, I came to Tai Chi sideways. I started for the health benefits, stayed for the depth, and slowly realised that the slow form I'd dismissed as gentle exercise was in fact a complete martial and meditative system. Over the years I studied the Yang and Chen styles of Tai Chi, took up Qigong as a daily practice, and spent several seasons on the harder, straighter lines of Xingyiquan.

What I do here

Taiji-Europa is an independent resource, not a school selling a method. My aim with every page is the one thing I wish I'd had as a beginner: a plain, honest explanation of what these arts are, what they can do for you, and how to start without wasting years on confusion. Where it helps, I include films from teachers and gatherings across Europe.

What I believe about practice

• Principles before shapes. The classics matter more than any particular form.
• A little, often. Ten honest minutes a day beats a heroic weekly session.
• Good company. Solo form only takes you so far; partner work teaches the rest.

If you're just starting out, my beginner's guide is the best place to begin. If you have a correction or a question, I'm always glad to hear from fellow practitioners — the conversation is half the point.