- April 28, 2024
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"Tai chi family" is the first lesson you’ll learn when you go to a Reuben Fernandez tai chi class.
“Everybody is there to support one another,” said Fernandez. “It's a big message in our philosophy that everybody should be there to help everybody else to improve in tai chi. Check your ego at the door. You don't come in here thinking you're going to be better than anybody. You just come in here to do your training and to help others to get better.”
For three years, Fernandez has hosted tai chi classes at the Paradise Center but has taught for six years overall. He has practiced for more than 20 years under Master Yan Gao Fei and implements the teacher's lessons of community and family into his own classes.
Before Fernandez came to tai chi, though, he practiced a number of other martial arts throughout his life.
“When I was a teenager in Brooklyn, a couple of my friends got jumped and they got beat up pretty bad,” said Fernandez. “So they said, ‘We're going to start taking judo lessons. You should join us.’ Three months later, I was the only one who was still going. I stuck with it for years, and ended up becoming one of the youngest high-ranked judo players in the whole city.”
Shortly before he was to earn his black belt, Fernandez’s family moved to Staten Island his senior year of high school. That ended up being too far of a commute to continue his training. He then explored other types of martial arts in high school, including different styles of karate and aikido.
After living in Miami for 30 years, Fernandez moved to Hollywood, Florida, to be closer to his parents. Taking an interest in martial arts again, he started practicing tai chi under Master Yan in Hollywood. Originally from China, Master Yan taught in New Hampshire and Hollywood for many years.
Four years ago, Fernandez moved to Sarasota and started teaching Tai Chi at Elite Health Medical Center where he taught for one year. At the time, he was friends with Town Commissioner BJ Bishop, and she told him he was a perfect fit for the Paradise Center. He said that it was fate for him to end up at the Paradise Center and he is eagerly awaiting for all the snowbirds to come back to have a full class again.
Fernandez’s students are dedicated to his classes and most are regulars. He said that he loves the variety of people in the class because he gets to learn from them as much as they do from him. The regulars exemplified the art of tai chi family with how well they knew each other and by their comfort in the class.
John Sackler has been attending Fernandez’s classes for four years. He said that what makes him different from other teachers is how personal Fernandez is with each student.
"You can't hide anything from him," said Sackler. "As soon you get to class, he will go up to you and try to help you with whatever he can."
Fernandez teaches a beginner’s class on Wednesdays and then the intermediate class on Fridays. Both are at 10 a.m. at the Paradise Center. He said tai chi is the perfect balance between physical, mental and spiritual health. It helps with reducing pain, increasing range of motion and promoting relaxation through deep breathing.
Fernandez said that once the season starts he plans to do a class with Master Yan to bring the tai chi family together once again. He explained that he really values the effort Master Yan puts into uniting everyone over a love for tai chi.
“The biggest thing is that people support each other emotionally, psychologically, and physically,” said Fernandez. “Everybody's concerned about everybody else and so everybody wants to help out.”
