Q: Matt, have you ever practiced tai chi drunk?

A: I sure haven’t. But I was first introduced to the style outside a teahouse one night in China… by a drunk. The fellow who showed it to me was so wasted he had no idea that he was teaching me secret knowledge. I filmed him as he staggered all over the sidewalk and later on I practiced in private. Some time later I learned the Thai-Indonesian versions of drunken monkey and crane. Incredibly hypnotic, deceptive and effective. Nevertheless, it is best to begin with the sober methods first because it takes far more skill to do the drunken version.

Matt Furey