About Stuart Alve Olson

Stuart began studying Asian culture and language in the late 1960s, but started no formal training until 1979 when he went to Gold Mountain Monastery in San Francisco. A few months later he moved to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas in Talmage, CA, where he studied Buddhist philosophy and meditation, as well as Taoism, the I-Ching, and Chinese language. On Christmas Day, 1979, he formally took Triple Refuge with Ch’an Master Hsuan Hua, receiving his disciple name Upasaka Kuo Ao.

In 1981, Stuart began participating in the meditation sessions and sutra lectures given by Dainin Katagiri Roshi at the Minnesota Center for Zen Meditation.

In late 1981, he began studying and living with the famous Taoist and T'ai Chi teacher, Master T.T. Liang, studying T'ai Chi, Praying Mantis Ch’uan, and Chinese language under his tutelage.

In the spring of 1982 thru 1984, Stuart undertook a two-year Buddhist bowing pilgrimage, "Nine Steps, One Bow." Traveling along State and County roads during the spring, summer, and autumn months, he started from the Minnesota Zen Meditation Center in Minneapolis and ended in Nebraska. During the winter months he stayed at Liang's home and bowed in his garage.

After Stuart’s pilgrimage he returned to Liang’s place to continue his studies with him, and it was during this time he was able to learn from Jonathan Russell (Liang’s senior student) when he came to visit. Master Liang and Stuart also started traveling throughout the US teaching T’ai Chi to numerous groups, and continued to do for the next 10 years.

Master Liang and Stuart
after a photo session for an
Inside Kung Fu Magazine article.

In 1986, Stuart published four books on T'ai Chi— Wind Sweeps Away the Plum Blossoms, Cultivating the Ch’i, T’ai Chi Sword, Saber, and Staff, and Imagination Becomes Reality. The book Imagination Becomes Reality was an international success, becoming very popular even throughout Asia.

In 1987 Stuart made his first of several trips to China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. On subsequent trips he studied massage in Taipei and taught T'ai Chi in Taiwan and Hong Kong.

In 1989, he and Master Liang moved to Los Angeles, CA, where Stuart studied Chinese language and continued his T'ai Chi and Praying Mantis Ch’uan studies with Liang.

In early 1992, Stuart traveled to Indonesia, where he was able to study massage and Plum Blossom Praying Mantis Kung Fu with the healing and kung-fu master, Kung Wei. He also taught T'ai Chi there to many large groups.

In 1993 he organized the Institute of Internal Arts in St. Paul, MN, and brought Master Liang back from California to teach there. In September of 1993 Stuart’s son, Lee Jin, was born.

1993, Master Liang and Stuart
in Portland, OR.
Photo by Richard Peterson

During this time Stuart taught T’ai Chi and Qigong to the staff at the Columbia Medical Center in The Dalles, Oregon—at the request of CEO Marc Scott who appeared in Bill Moyer’s “Healing Mind.”

In 1997, he began collaborating with Patrick Gross in order to compile the many materials he had worked on over the previous 20 years. Since then he finished his formulation of I Tai Chi, and has written several other books, 11 titles in all, many of which now appear in several foreign-language editions as well.

In late 1997 thru early 1998, he and Patrick traveled to Indonesia to teach T'ai Chi.

Stuart presently lives in Phoenix, AZ, and is running the Phoenix Taoist Center. He is also working with the British Taoist Association to help form the American Taoist Association.

Stuart continues to travel extensively, teaching T’ai Chi and Taoist related practices. In 2005 he traveled to Britain to appear in the T’ai Chi documentary Embracing the Tiger.

Stuart has performed numerous book signings, appeared on many TV and radio talk shows throughout the United States, written several articles for martial art and Taoist magazines, and has taught Taoism and T’ai Chi in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Canada, and Italy. His works on T’ai Chi and Taoism have become standards within both communities.

Contact him at phoenixtaoistcenter@cox.net

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Instructor Patrick Gross

Patrick began learning T’ai Chi, meditation, qigong, Buddhism, Taoism, and Chin Su Gung massage from Stuart Alve Olson in 1993, and has been working and teaching with him as his protégé ever since.

In 1997, he took refuge in Buddhism with the Venerable Khippapanno in Minnesota, and in 2005 attended the Kuan Yin and Chan Meditation retreats at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas.

In the fall of 2006, he co-founded the Phoenix Taoist Center with Stuart Alve Olson.

Patrick has been an editor and book designer for 17 years, and is currently the designer for several publishers of martial-arts-related books and magazines. He is the webmaster for phoenixtaoistcenter.com and has worked on all of Stuart’s published books over the past 14 years. Patrick has appeared in the photos for several of Stuart’s works and continues to help him with all his current projects, including producing DVDs, assisting him in his workshops, and teaching at the Phoenix Taoist Center.

info@phoenixtaoistcenter.com