Sunday, October 7, 2012

the passing of Bataan Faigao

I just learned of the death of Bataan Faigao, with whom I was somewhat acquainted. Bataan was born in The Philippines, into a Chinese family, immigrating to the U.S. as a young man. He and his wife, Jane, were both tai chi chuan teachers, until Jane's death in 2001. Bataan was among the founders of Naropa Institute (now Naropa University) and a long-time faculty member.

There's more I could say, but those who have been posting on his Facebook page new him better than I, so I'll defer to them.

I will say this much, Bataan understood “aging gracefully through gentle martial practice” deeply and thoroughly, and kept at it until the end. In this he provided as shinning an example as any of us can hope to.