|
DR. JAMES Y. (JAY) DUNBAR
Dr. Jay Dunbar, (Ph.D., Education) is the founder and director of the
Magic Tortoise Taijiquan School (www.magictortoise.com), based in Chapel
Hill NC.
He began Yi Jing, taijiquan, and qigong
study in 1975, and in 1978 became a disciple of Master Jou, Tsung
Hwa, who would be his primary teacher for the next 20 years. He assisted
Master Jou in writing the Dao Series of books, several articles, and edited
the Tai Chi Farm "Almanac" for several years. In honor of his
teacher, he created the 100-Day Program in 1999 to help participants make
personal progress through applying Taiji principles in daily life; and
in 2001 he established the Jou, Tsung Hwa Memorial Dantian Challenge
and designed and produced the bronze medallions which are awarded free
to those who meet the challenge criteria.
His doctorate is from UNC-Chapel Hill,
where his dissertation, Let A Hundred Flowers Bloom! A Profile of Taijiquan
Instruction in America, interpreted data collected by survey from
over 200 Taijiquan teachers. A summary of his research was published in
QI: The Journal of Traditional Eastern Health and Fitness in 1995 (vol. 5, no.
2).
Dr. Jay served as technical editor
of Tai Chi for Dummies (Hungry Minds, 2001) and contributed the foreword
to Exploring Tai Chi, by John Loupos (YMAA, 2003). He authored a landmark
article Research Shows Need for Knee Safety in T'AI CHI magazine (August
1992), and a follow-up article, The Four Treasures: an Exercise for Knee
Safety and Ease of Movement in Taijiquan, soon to appear in the same magazine.
In 1981, he founded the T'ai Chi Exchange,
one of the first attempts to promote sharing among players from all schools
and styles, and served as editor of it's newsletter, Changes, for six
years. Dr. Jay has taught seminars in many U.S locations as well as in
the U.K. and France, including the New York Open Center, the Kripalu Center
for Yoga and Health, and as a faculty member of the American Dance Festival.
In North Carolina he is a practicing Qigong Therapist, and maintains a
full-time schedule of classes and seminars in Wu/Hao and Chen styles of
Taijiquan and various forms of qigong at the Duke Center for Integrative
Medicine, the UNC Wellness Center, the integrative medicine program at
the UNC Medical School, the Integrative Health Center of Chapel Hill,
the Rice Diet Program, the Duke Diet and Fitness Center, Triangle Yoga,
three local retirement communities, a dance studio, and in employee wellness
programs. With his wife, Kathleen Cusick, he has team-taught over fifty
traditional two-person set (san shou) intensives.
He is a lifetime member of the U.S.
Kuo Shu Federation, serves on their Board of Advisors and Hall of Fame
Committee, and as Director of Taijiquan and judging certification instructor
at the annual U.S.K.S.F. Championships in Hunt Valley, MD. Since
1989 he has served as judge, chief judge, and push-hands referee for several
tournaments including the Taiji Legacy, U.S.A.W.K.F., A.T.O.C., and the
U.S. National Martial Arts Competition in Orlando. Most recently, Dr.
Jay was selected as a guest presenter on knee safety at the 2009 International
Taijiquan Symposium in Nashville, TN.
He is a long-time supporter and friend
of the Peaceful Wolf School, bringing numerous programs to us in Connecticut
over the past decade ranging from san shou (with Kathleen Cusick), the
five animals and shiba luohan qigong to sword, taiji ball, push-hands
and the teachings of Master Jou.
|
