KEN PEARSALL
Chief Instructor Newcastle & Central Coast

    I wrote to Master Khor in 1979 asking if he would teach Tai Chi in Newcastle. Master Khor said that he had an Instructor named Rod Ferguson who would come to Newcastle (by train) on Saturday morning to teach Tai Chi. I advertised in newspapers, hired a hall (late 1979 early 1980’s), collected Rod at the railway station and proceeded to the hall for our first class. Rod taught the people Tai Chi whilst I collected the monies and signed them in. I joined in at the back of the class and so commenced my Tai Chi instruction. After two or three terms Rod ceased to come and I started teaching Tai Chi. I drove to Sydney each week and was taught by Masters Gary Khor and Enshor Khor, after which I drove home and taught my students the movements.

    I attended training classes at Paddington in Sydney each month, even though the venue has changed a few times, my training has still continued there with Master Khor. One of the students from my first class with Rod became an Instructor and from then on I trained more Instructors and was able to open a number of new classes.

    The first Instructors Training Course was held at Levett’s Bay via Church Point. The weekender belonged to one of the Sydney Instructors. Those attending had to travel by ferry to Levett’s Bay from Pittwater and were required to sleep on the floor in sleeping bags.

    The Academy held a Seminar at Newcastle in the early 1980’s with 40 instructors from as far south as Wollongong and north to the Hunter Valley. It was a great success. Channel 3 Television Station reported and videoed portion of the Seminar and interviewed Master Gary Khor.

    In 1985 I was asked to teach Tai Chi on the P & O ship “Oriana“. This was an eight week cruise through southeast Asia requiring me to teach Tai Chi for one hour per day.

    In 1988 I was asked by Master Gary Khor if I would like a Franchise consisting of Newcastle/Central Coast and Hunter Valley areas. Once this was established expansion took place. In 2009 there are now 50 Instructors with approximately 500 students in Academy Classes and Private Classes.

    In 1996 at Sydney training we had a cultural exchange with a group of Tai Chi students and instructors from Japan and practised Tai Chi together. We proceeded to perform the Lion Dance with myself in the Head of the Lion costume and another instructor as the rear of the lion. This cultural exchange was an incredible experience for all who participated.

    Over the years there have been interviews on Channel 3 Television in which I was asked to explain and demonstrate Tai Chi. There have been many newspaper articles and photographs in local and Hunter Valley papers. I have been asked to be guest speaker at Probus Clubs, Lion’s Club, R.S.L. Clubs, Rotary Clubs, View Clubs, Hunter Valley Health Services, Mental Health, Cancer Foundation, Royal Newcastle Hospital Therapists dealing with people who have chronic back pain, John Hunter Hospital for Stress Day, National Safety Council of Australia for Health and Safety, National Heart Foundation, Mattara Spring Festival, Royal Newcastle Hospital Staff Health Expo, NSW Police Legacy Child Safety Campaign, etc.

    A Professor at the Newcastle University contacted me about speaking and teaching Tai Chi at the Professors and Medical Staff Conference Course.

    I work with the Department of Sport and Recreation teaching Tai Chi with mentally impaired people and I am Registered with that them as an Accredited Chief Instructor.

    I teach Tai Chi at many business conferences held at Rafferty’s Resort, Hunter Resort, Hunter Valley Gardens, Peppers, Cypress Lakes Resort plus many more.

    There have been many trips to China and on my second one I stayed overnight at the Shoalin Temple and visited the Chen Village where Tai Chi originated and worked with the Masters. Since then I have had the opportunity to go back to China three more tours with with Master Khor at the helm. This in itself is a huge learning curve and the knowledge I gained with the experience of practising our Tai Chi in such a country was very memorable.

    Grand Master Khor has had many Chinese Masters visiting our training sessions, when we were at Wahroonga, and I was fortunate enough to train with those Masters.

    I have been extremely fortunate in attending almost every Seminar and Training Course that the Academy has had in its 33 Year history.