Richard J. Losasso Sr., the founder of the West Warwick Tai Chi Club, began his martial arts training in 1973 in Okinawin Style Uechi Karate reaching the rank of Nidon (2nd degree black belt). In 1980 he was introduced to and started practicing the art of Tai Chi Chuan Tiger Style and gave all of his time and dedicated effort to the study of Tai Chi . In 1997 he was given permission to open a school of his own by his teacher and started teaching small groups privately at his home studio in West Warwick, R.I.
One night in 2004 while practicing, with some friends and Tai Chi associates, an article published in Tai Chi Magazine was brought to his attention. The article was about Grand Master Ip Tai Tak, 1st disciple of Great Grandmaster Yang Sau Chung of the famous Yang family in Hong Kong. He recalled his previous teacher had mentioned Grand Master Ip in the past and spoke very highly of his great knowledge and abilities, especially in push hands. The article stated that Grand Master Ip’s 2nd disciple Robert Boyd was teaching his snake style at his Burlington, Vermont School. Bob was an old friend and fellow practitioner from Richard’s Uechi Karate and Tai Chi Tiger Style days. He decided to contact Master Boyd and make arrangements to visit him and discuss the Snake Style Tai Chi of Grand Master Ip Tai Tak. After a trip to his home and spending some time with him it was clear that this was the system and type of training he was looking for to improve his Tai Chi and bring his understanding of the arts to a level of knowledge he had wished to achieve. All that was necessary was for him to “EMPTY HIS CUP” and allow the information given to mold him to this internal concept. He asked Master Boyd if he would please consider accepting him as a student, and to his delight he was. Training began immediately and continues to this day with frequent visits to the very intense, instructional classes at Master Boyd’s school in Burlington, Vermont.
After an additional 2 years the small studio began to grow and needed more space, so in 2006 The West Warwick Tai Chi Club moved to its present location in the Historic Agawam Mill. Richard is now able to offer training in the late Grandmaster Ip Snake Style system to the public, under the guidance of Master Boyd and the Bao Tak Fai Institute.
