Very sad to hear of the death of Erle Montaigue, tai chi teacher, author and musician.
Erle was my introduction to tai chi as a fighting art, as opposed to the gentle calisthenics I had been exposed to up to that point. I voraciously consumed the acres of free material on Erle's website, and corresponded with him about the videos I bought (and the free ones that inevitably accompanied them!). Erle was supportive, funny and generous with his knowledge and his time.
I never met Erle in person. By the time he came to live in the UK my search for pushing hands partners had led me to Andrew Harris's Nottingham Wudang TCC school and, finding such quality on my doorstep, I never looked back.
I won't forget, though, the foundation I built with the standing chi kung exercise I learned from Erle. And whilst there was plenty in Erle's teaching that didn't fit with my hard-nosed scientific outlook, his enthusiasm and down-to-earth humour was infectious.
His encouragement to me went beyond tai chi. I mentioned how I had stopped playing music, and his response sticks with me to this day: "Never leave an art behind."
My thoughts are with Erle's family and friends.
