Now Enrolling · Summer Cohort
Best Tai Chi Group Classes in Chicago.
Learn faster, stay longer.
Group classes are how most people build a Tai Chi practice that lasts. The shared rhythm, the steady cohort, the slow arc of learning together — these are the conditions that turn one class into a lifelong habit.
The Foundation
Beginner Classes
How almost every long-term student starts. Build the foundations with movements and poses. The same small group together from the very first posture.
By the end of these classes, you'll have the first complete section of the Chen-style short form, a reliable breath practice, and the framework to keep practicing on your own — or to step into ongoing group practice with confidence.
Standing posture (站桩), weight shifts, and breath work that everything else is built on.
The first eight movements of the Chen-style form, learned slowly and in detail.
A 10-minute daily routine you can do anywhere, plus a short take-home reference.
The same six to ten people, class after class. The community is part of the practice.
After the Series
Ongoing Group Practice
Once you've completed the Beginner Classes the door stays open — weekly sessions with a mix of returning students, some six months in, some six years.
Where the practice deepens
The work goes deeper. The full short form. Push-hands for those who want it. Refinement, application, and the slow building of a practice that becomes part of your week the way Sundays are.
A steady Tuesday-and-Friday rhythm you can build the rest of your week around.
Go past the opening section into the complete form, with optional partner work at your level.
Pay by the class, or save with a 10-class pack. No contract — pause anytime life gets busy and pick up where you left off.
What an Hour Looks Like
Inside a Class
Every class follows the same calm shape — the one Yaakov learned in China, refined over a decade of teaching here.
Arrival and Settling
Quiet standing, breath, and a gentle warm-up that lets the body arrive before the work begins. No rushing, no small talk you don't want.
Foundations
The standing posture (站桩), weight shifts, and the movements of the form — the basic mechanics everything is built on. New students learn here; returning students refine here.
Partnerwork or Application
For students who want it — light push-hands, sensitivity drills, and the martial intention inside the slow form. Always optional, always at your level.
Homework
A short routine to take with you — ten minutes you can do anywhere, so the practice keeps going between classes.
Closing
Standing, breath, and a moment to notice what shifted. Then back into the day.
Classes meet weekly in Skokie and Rogers Park. Address shared on enrollment.
Common Questions
Things People Ask First
Before You Join
Do I need any experience?
No. The Beginner Classes are built for complete first-timers. If you can stand and breathe, you can start.
What should I wear?
Comfortable clothing you can move freely in — workout clothes, loose pants, a t-shirt. Flat shoes or socks. Nothing special. Avoid jeans and stiff footwear.
Can I try a class before committing?
Yes. Classes are designed exactly for this. Drop in once for $30 to feel out the room and the teaching style.
I'm older / I have an injury. Can I still join?
Almost certainly yes — Tai Chi adapts to a wide range of bodies. Mention what's going on when you reach out and Yaakov will discuss with you.
Logistics
What if I miss a class?
Students can catch up in subsequent classes. The classes are designed to build modularly, so each part is repeated many times over a few-month period. Yaakov is always open for questions and individual guidance during class.
Where are classes held?
Yaakov has two spaces currently — in Skokie and Rogers Park. The exact address is shared at enrollment.
When does the next cohort start?
Enrollment is on a rolling basis. You can start anytime!
Begin Together
The next cohort
has your spot.
Class size is small by design. Reserve early — most cohorts fill two weeks before they start.