Tai Chi Youth Online School Roadmap
Tai Chi Youth is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit school founded in 1996 for troubled youth.
Founder Richard Del Connor launched his youth programs in a maximum security prison in 1992. The results were measurable and more successful than any other prison program at improving student school grades, improving character and social testing scores, and reducing the recidivism rate (those who return to prison) from 80% to 20% over the next eight years.
The Utah Governor put Richard Del Connor on his own payroll account and heralded the SHAOLIN CHI MANTIS school program as phenomenal. Richard began teaching Shaolin Kung Fu and Yang Tai Chi Chuan in 1984 after graduating the Tai Mantis Federation as a "Shifu" or "Sifu" (Chinese Kung Fu master). The success of the Shaolin Chi Mantis "Youth Programs" were sought by several other youth prisons and drug rehabilitation centers with similar success. As a Mr. Mom with preschool daughter, Richard taught in up to seven institutions, recreation centers, YWCA, public after-school programs, continuing education, three churches and private lessons until he founded the nonprofit charity Tai Chi Youth in 1996.
In 1994 Richard Del Connor was also famous among the Chinese associations in Salt Lake City, Utah where he performed traditional Chinese Kung Fu at annual events and played Chinese pipa (4-string lute) and Chinese folk songs on flute. Always welcomed and announced as an "Honorary Chinese Citizen" he was given the Chinese name "Zhen Shen-Lang" by the Chen family who had immigrated from the Chen Village in China. Knowing that the Yang family style of Tai Chi Chuan he taught was derived from the Chen family style Tai Chi, Richard was reluctant to be adopted by the Chen family with their name so he was given the name "Zhen" for "Truth" because the Chen Patriarch said that, "Since you teach Buddhism, and we call Buddhism "The Truth" in China, this is a good name for you." Richard was also a monthly participant in the Salt Lake City "Pow Wows" of the Utah native Americans with his daughter. They referred to him as, "Coyote," which was actually bestowed on him by Michael J. Fox in 1984 when his rock opera "COYOTE IN A GRAVEYARD" was a favorite of his. So Richard Del Connor became "Zhen Shen-Lang" which translates into English as "Spirit Wolf of Truth."
Richard Del Connor "Zhen Shen-Lang" became known as "Buddha Zhen Shen-Lang" and now is referred to as, "Buddha Zhen," by all his Tai Chi and Kung Fu students.
With the success of his youth programs Buddha Zhen was hired to create several programs for the Salt Lake Continuing Education Program. The Shaolin Chi Mantis Demo Team performed in annual Government events, Utah State Fairs, and was hired to teach demonstrations in many Salt Lake City public schools of elementary, middle and high school grades. Buddha Zhen also created programs for Easter week school breaks, summer vacation and a "Tai Chi Lunchbreak" for people to have a brief Qigong (Chi Kung) breathing and stretching workout without sweating so they could return to work within their hour lunch break.
The Utah Arts Council offered Richard Del Connor grants to attend Utah State University nonprofit classes and launch the TAI CHI YOUTH charity in 1996. This Tai Chi Youth curriculum is a 4-year curriculum without swords or spears based on the 2-year Beginner Program of Shaolin Chi Mantis. Since 1996, hundreds of students have praised the program for better health, peace of mind, suicide prevention, improved scholastic grades and improved family relationships.
This Tai Chi Youth curriculum of 1996 has been tested, proven and now needs to be transformed into an online school with 400 videos to teach the 400 classes required to be a Tai Chi Youth instructor so this program can continue into the future or be used by astronauts or civilians settling on other planets in the future to develop and maintain their physical and mental health. Richard Del Connor "Buddha Zhen Shen-Lang" is 68 years old in 2022 as we launch the TAI CHI YOUTH DAO to manage and maintain the TAI CHI YOUTH ONLINE SCHOOL. Richard survived chemotherapy and cobalt radiation treatment for cancer in 2021 so he now is highly motivated to pass on this curriculum to the future while he still can.
Got 8 minutes? I made this video to give an overall view of the Tai Chi Youth Online School program and me, Buddha Zhen:
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