Who would imagine Tom as a black belt?
Tom writes: I am posting this in April 2008, but the test was actually July 29, 2007. In 1996 I came back from about a year and half of volunteer work in Latin America thinking that I might want to return for even longer. One challenge that I saw facing me was how to get adequate exercise. I had hurt my knees in high school and couldn't jog, bicycling required a place where it was safe enough to ride (not always available), and swimming required access to a pool (not something to count on). My brother had had taken a course in tai chi in college and spoken highly of it, and the idea had stuck with me. I looked around for a school and ended up at the US Wushu Academy. A decade later, I still find that there is always something new to learn. Bare hands form, Yang style tai chi Earning a black belt is kind of like earning a college degree. It means that you have mastered the basics, at least to a relatively high level. However, in no way does it imply that you a...