Autobiography: David Hackett

 

David Hackett: ITQF Secretary.

David started Taiji in April 2000. After being involved in a nasty road accident by pure chance David came across Michael Davies who was then teaching Tai Chi near where he lived. David did some research on Tai Chi and thought this might help with his health problems as he was still suffering the after effects from the horrendous accident.

To cut a long story short, David was immediately taken by Tai Chi and was impressed in Michael’s teaching methods. Even the first lesson helped David immensely not only physically but mentally as well.

It was obvious that destiny played a part in David finding Michael. He is the ultimate Tai Chi teacher. Michael has no ego, he does not belittle, envy, or criticise. These are rare qualities in this present world, even in the Taiji and Qigong community.

To this day David has not looked back and has made Taiji and Qigong his life. Like Michael he loves teaching and helping students and is not adverse to providing free sessions or classes at low cost to make sure that as many students as possible are able to learn this art.

David’s past Martial Arts background involved Shotokan Karate.

David comes from an engineering and management background in his younger days, plus having spent time in the Paras. As he got older David started his own business in IT and Accounts followed eventually by teaching Tai Chi.

David has trained with many Masters from different styles having studied mainly Cheng Man-ch’ing, but also Yang style, Sun style and touched on Chen style. He has trained in various weapons and enjoys the martial side of Taiji. David also attended some of Gary Wragg’s judging seminars, which were extremely useful in seeing what judges are looking for and how they mark each individual on their various aspects of Tai Chi.

David was enticed on to the TCUGB Executive Committee by Ronnie Robinson. He considered Ronnie an excellent ambassador for the Tai Chi Union not only in the UK but also abroad. Having served on the TCUGB Executive Committee and then the Board of Directors for many years, David decided it was time to part ways and move on to ventures new.

He felt strongly that a new way forward was needed where an organisation would not only meet the needs of all its members, but that the Executive Committee would not run the organisation for its own personal gains.    

As far as David is concerned there is no looking back only forward, and this will be achieved by the setting up of our new organisation which he is heavily involved in as the Secretary of the ‘International Taiji and Qigong Federation’ (ITQF).

Already there are some fantastic people who have come on board, and are passionately involved in helping getting this new venture up and running. We want this new organisation to be non political, completely unbias, and set up to benefit all the members who come and join.