Robert started training with his Instructor July 2000 in traditional Shaolin Gung Fu.  As the 'internal' syllabus was selected,  the major form studied was Chen Tai Chi as well as Qi Gong, Chin Na, Daoist Yoga, Weapons amongst other martial disciplines.

Training was tough and traditional, with the standard of ten years to reach Black Sash (a 24hr Black Sash fInal fitness exam) followed by a further 2 years learning how to teach.  In 25 years of The Shaolin Society, only 8 people made it through to Black Sash.

Having secretly been added to a list of suppliers to Care Homes by his instructor, while working the corporate job, Robert started to get calls to teach seated Tai Chi.  This culminated in quitting as Head of Projects in an IT company, giving up the salary to explore Tai Chi further and teach full time and Elemental Tai Chi was born in 2012.

Since then Robert has run trials with the NHS, been the Tai Chi intructor for the local councils Adult Skills and Learning as well as delivering lectures at hospitals on how Tai Chi can improve balance and prevent falls.  

Robert's experience in the business world and no nonsense approach has led to running resilience workshops for many organisations such as Shell Oil and Coca Cola.

In 2016, Robert and his instructor worked for 3.5 years developing the Elemental Tai Chi syllabus it is today, a prescribed process has been developed to start externally and work inwards changing the body, the sinews and the fascia while learning Qi Gong and the Tai Chi form.  

The foundation syllabus is 4 levels of learning and starts at Water Level: (Developing the Framework)

Susequent levels are 

Water & Earth Level (examining Bouyancy, Fluidity & Rooting)

Earth Level (intermediate)

Earth & Wind Level.

The success of this syllabus has been fantastic and is helping students get fitter, calmer and more connected into their bodies.