Starfarm Tai Chi Qi Gong  Search Center :About your tai chi teacher,Laddie Sacharko.                                                                                                                                                      Founder and chief instructor Laddie Sacharko began the practice of Tai Chi in 1988 as a means to manage stress, while still serving in the military.

Because of the travel requirements imposed by this service, periods of instruction were marked by abrupt changes in teachers and styles as they were available. As a result, Laddie was exposed to the wide variety of styles and principles embodied by stylists, and soon realized that sets of movements were not as relevant to his practice as was the need to develop principled movement.

In 1989-90, Laddie attended the Tai Chi Farm’s Zhang, San-Feng Festival, hosted by Master Jou, Tsung Hwa in Warwick, New York. Subsequently, Laddie spent a week with Master Jou as his tai chi teacher at Tai Chi Farm, attempting to learn a Chen Style Tai Chi Routine…the lesson best learned from Master Jou: no one person can carry the whole story in his head; it is imperative that we players learn and share as we grow, and it is much more fun.

From 1992 to 94, Starfarm Tai Chi Qi Gong Search Center was privileged to host Michael Elliot, a student of Robert Smith, a student of Cheng, Man-Ching, and learn with Michael the 37 postures of Master Cheng.

In 1996, Laddie began to practice a single sequence, based on the 60 posture Body Mechanics (form based on Cheng’s 37, principles different) style of William C. C. Chen, incorporating several ideas from previous training, and began teaching through community recreation programs. At the request of students, classes continued, being offered at Starfarm Tai Chi &Qi Gong Search Center.

In 1999, as part of his continued search for his ideal of Tai Chi, Laddie co-sponsored a weekend intensive with tai chi teacher  Master Henry Wang, a disciple of Master Huang, Shen- Shyan, Tai Chi student of Master Cheng. This led to an exchange with Master Wang’s senior student and author of “Flowing The Tai Chi Way”,tai chi teacher  Dr. Peter Uhlman, who spent a weekend at Starfarm Tai Chi Qi Gong Search Center , reviewing Master Wang’s “Tai Chi Search Centre Way” . Laddie attended a week long intensive summer camp with Master Wang in Comox, Vancouver, B.C.

In October of that same year, Master Wang gave permission for another senior student, tai chi teacher Paul Seranko, to visit from Idaho, where he practices and teaches Tai Chi “Dancing Bear” style.  Paul spent the weekend with us at Starfarm Tai Chi  Qi Gong Search Center (and we damn near missed the plane home)

It is the seven principles of Master Wang’s Search Centre that guides Laddie’s practice today, along with an 8th, which Laddie added: Honesty (humility). It is most important that a student admit, and accept that he “doesn’t get it”. Progress is impossible without it.

Laddie continues to offer his Tai Chi through community recreation programs, senior centers, assisted living facilities, hospital wellness programs, private schools. He has lectured at the University of Connecticut, Quinnebaug Valley Community College, Woodstock Academy, and given demonstrations in a variety of venues and locations, including the Zhang San-Feng School of Tai Chi at Wudang Mountain, in China.  He is now offering a continuing education credit course for physical therapists and tai chi, accredited by the Ct Physical Therapy Assn.  See the Details at Tai Chi for Therapy.  Laddie is also working with area horse lovers, refining his Tai Chi for the Equestrian program, Check it here; Tai Chi with Six Legs