Where striking training rewards speed, Tai Chi rewards control — slow, deliberate movement that trains the same balance and coordination systems your Kajukenbo footwork depends on.
Tai Chi at Kajukenbo NYC is taught as a long-term investment in movement quality, in the heart of Midtown Manhattan, steps from Grand Central Terminal and Bryant Park. Slow, structured forms train balance, weight transfer, and joint health in a way that complements — rather than competes with — the intensity of striking and grappling training.
The pace is the point. Moving slowly removes the option of using speed or power to cover up bad structure, which is exactly why it's such an effective diagnostic and corrective tool for anyone training self-defense.
Deliberate forms that expose and correct structural habits speed usually hides.
Weight-shifting sequences that stimulate the same balance systems used in footwork and takedown defense.
Coordinating breath with movement — a foundation for staying calm under pressure elsewhere on the mat.
Low-impact training built for decades of practice, not just this season.
Julie is a licensed massage therapist and Tai Chi instructor based in New York City, working in the heart of Midtown Manhattan.
She studied massage therapy at Pacific College of Health Sciences, and has gained experience working at Joffrey Ballet School and Press Modern Massage.
Her approach is intuitive and grounding — she specializes in deep tissue and sports massage, supporting clients managing chronic pain, postural strain from desk jobs, and active lifestyles that demand ongoing recovery, while also weaving in Swedish, Shiatsu, Table Thai, and Tui Na techniques, shaped around each client's unique needs.