About the Author

Rick Barrett is a senior tai chi student of Grandmaster William C. C. Chen. He also studied Chen style tai chi and Xingyiquan with Master Yang Fukui. As a push-hands competitor, Rick dominated his weight division for several years, and he was middleweight national champion in 1996, 1997, and 1998. Since retiring from tournament competition, Barrett has been active as a forms judge and push-hands referee. He also teaches workshops around the country and has written a number of articles on tai chi, push hands, and tournaments for "Inside Kung Fu" and "Tai Chi Magazine."