Ryan Black

Ryan Black has always had a deep passion for martial arts and their relationship to contemplative practice. As a young man in his twenties, he was stationed in Japan where he served as a Deep-Sea Salvage and Recue Diver in the U.S. Navy for many years. While there he immersed himself in Kendo (Traditional Japanese sword fencing) and Zen practice.  Before moving back to the United States, he was the first foreigner in Southern Japan to reach Master-level in Kendo.

In his desire to advance on his contemplative/martial arts path, Ryan spent over a decade training in the original martial art of Tai Chi (t’ai chi ch’üan) under Grandmaster Yang, Jwing-Ming of YMAA in Boston. Ryan also received his formal training in mindfulness facilitation through Vanderbilt’s Osher Center for Integrative Medicine where he has served as a teacher for Osher’s Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction program.

 Founder and Master Instructor of Nashville Tai Chi and Wellness, Ryan has been teaching both group and private lessons in Tai Chi, Qigong, and Meditation in the Nashville area since 2017. He regularly does Tai Chi demonstrations and workshops for the Chinese Arts Alliance of Nashville (CAAN).