Ottawa Chen Style Tai Chi Association

What Ottawa Chen Style Tai Chi Association does

The Ottawa Chen Style Tai Chi Association (OCSTCA / 渥太华陈式太极学会) is a Canadian non-profit organization founded on December 18, 2022 in Ottawa, Ontario, that teaches Chen-style Tai Chi to members of the general public and the Chinese-Canadian diaspora. Its core instructional content comprises Chen-style small frame 64-form, Chen-style small frame second routine, Chen-style Hunyuan 24-form, and Sun-style Baguazhang, delivered across elementary, intermediate, and advanced (5+ years) levels. Classes are organized around the Chen Xin lineage methodology codified by Master Shi Lei, including the Three Priorities training principles (Internal before External, Lower body before Upper body, Rear before Front), the silk-reeling exercises, and the distinctive perineum arc technique (Waist/Back Flowing Arc).

Instruction is delivered in two formats: in-person classes held every Sunday morning 7:30-9:00 AM at Bayshore Shopping Mall lobby (winter/inclement weather) and Hog's Back Park (outdoor, seasonal June-September), plus online classes every Thursday evening 7:30-8:30 PM via Google Meet with bilingual Mandarin/English instruction since March 2025. The teaching faculty is led by Honorary President Master Wang Guirong (Level 6 Chinese Wushu, 40 years of practice), supported by Ji Baoshun (advisor), Liang Guorong, Zhao Chunsheng (11th-generation Chen-style inheritor, visiting), and Li Jizong (English instruction and current president as of February 2026). Recurring workshops with visiting masters, yoga workshops, and public performances at KCSSC Chinese New Year gala, Chinatown Night Market, Stittsville Multicultural Festival, and Kanata Father's Day support community visibility.

The association's revenue is generated almost entirely through recurring annual membership dues: $20 per person for basic membership, with discounted rates of $10 per person per year for additional family members and enrolled school students. Online classes are provided complimentary to current members. Secondary revenue comes from one-time merchandise sales of branded T-shirts ($10 for the first shirt per member, $15 for additional shirts), and minor unit-priced event fees such as the $25 Spring Festival lunch. Distribution is direct via email ([email protected]) and in-person sign-up with e-transfer or cash payment. The organization is governed by an elected volunteer board, currently led by President Li Jizong, Secretary Zhichun Hua, and Treasurer Tammy following the February 2026 transition. Corporate sponsorships (Caps Parts, Sunnyview) and individual sponsorships (Wang Guirong, Li Jizong) are listed but not financially material based on available disclosure.

Name

Ottawa Chen Style Tai Chi Association

Legal name

渥太华陈式太极学会 (Ottawa Chen Style Tai Chi Association)

Website

https://ottawachentaichi.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Ottawa Chen Style Tai Chi Association is a Canadian non-profit founded in 2022 that teaches Chen-style small frame Tai Chi to Ottawa-area residents and the Chinese-Canadian diaspora through weekly Sunday in-person classes, Thursday online sessions, and community performances, funded by modest annual membership dues.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Martial Arts Instruction

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHSADADAA

Traditional Martial Arts Schools (Karate, Taekwondo, Kung Fu, etc.)

Home & Personal Services/Fitness, Wellness & Personal Training/Martial Arts & Self-Defense Training

Keywords

• Chen-style Tai Chi
• Martial arts instruction
• Traditional Chinese exercise
• Wellness classes
• Community Tai Chi

Headquarters

HQ city

Ottawa

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Annual Membership Fees: Annual membership fees constitute the primary revenue stream. Basic membership is $20/person/year, with discounted rates for family members ($10/person/year) and students ($10/person/year). Members receive access to both in-person and online classes, and the online course is complimentary for current members.
2. Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded T-shirts bearing the association's logo and Tai Chi motifs. First T-shirt is $10 per member; additional shirts are $15 each.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Ottawa Chen Style Tai Chi Association teaches Chen-style Tai Chi to community members in Ottawa, Canada through in-person and online (Google Meet) group classes at elementary and intermediate levels. Instruction is delivered in both Chinese and English by certified instructors, supported by an annual membership model and supplemented by association-branded merchandise.

Product overview

Ottawa Chen Style Tai Chi Association offers traditional Chinese martial arts instruction centered on Chen-style Tai Chi. The core offerings include Chen-style Small Frame 64-forms, Chen-style Small Frame Second Routine, Chen-style Hunyuan 24-forms, and Sun-style Baguazhang. Classes are delivered through dual formats: in-person sessions (Sundays 7:30-9:00 AM at parks or Bayshore Mall) and online classes via Google Meet (Thursdays 7:30-8:30 PM). Instruction is available at elementary and intermediate levels, with English/Chinese bilingual support. The association also provides educational content including master teacher articles and video demonstrations. Membership-based program with annual fees of $20 for basic membership.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Annual Membership Annual membership that grants individuals, families, and students access to OCSTCA's Chen-style Tai Chi community classes and activities; priced at CAD $20 per individual per year and CAD $10 per family member or student per year.
• In-Person Chen-Style Tai Chi Classes Free in-person Chen-style Tai Chi classes held at community venues in Ottawa, delivered at elementary and intermediate levels by certified instructors in Chinese and English.
• Online Chen-Style Tai Chi Classes (Google Meet) Free live online Chen-style Tai Chi classes delivered via Google Meet, allowing remote participation from anywhere, taught at elementary and intermediate levels in Chinese and English.
• OCSTCA-Branded Merchandise (T-Shirts)

Quantifiable outcome

• Chen-style Tai Chi practice has been clinically shown to improve knee joint function and delay joint degeneration in middle-aged and older practitioners, as documented in Zhao Chunsheng's article on knee protection and rehabilitation.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Caps Parts (Corporate Sponsor)minorOthersCorporate sponsor listed on the association's Sponsors page (ottawachentaichi.ca/sponsors). The nature of the sponsorship arrangement is not detailed on the website.
• Sunnyview (Corporate Sponsor)minorOthersCorporate sponsor listed on the association's Sponsors page. Has a Facebook page at facebook.com/ottawasunnyview. The nature and scope of the sponsorship arrangement is not detailed.
• Guirong Wang (Individual Sponsor)minorOthersIndividual sponsor listed on the association's Sponsors page. Guirong Wang is also the association's honorary president and lead instructor (王桂荣老师, Level 6 Chinese martial arts, 40 years of practice, multiple competition championships).
• Jizong Li (Individual Sponsor)minorOthersIndividual sponsor listed on the association's Sponsors page. Jizong Li (李继棕) also serves as current association president (as of February 2026, elected at the third annual meeting) and was previously secretary of the founding board.
• OTCA (Ottawa Tai Chi Association)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOTCA co-organized a joint potluck party with OCSTCA at Hog's Back Park on September 2, 2023, with 30+ members and friends attending from both associations. The two Ottawa-based Tai Chi organizations cooperate on community events while maintaining separate identities and programs.
• NCAC (Nepean Centre for Adult Learning)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerNCAC, located at 35 Stafford Road, Bells Corners, provides venue space for OCSTCA's annual meetings, board meetings, and community workshops (e.g., yoga workshop). The partnership enables the association to hold indoor events beyond its regular class venues.
• KCSSC (Kanata Chinese Canadian Cultural Association)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerOCSTCA members performed at the KCSSC 2024 Chinese New Year (Dragon Year) celebration gala. The association has participated in KCSSC events multiple times, providing Tai Chi demonstrations to the broader Chinese-Canadian community.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Yang Tai Chi Academy: A North American Tai Chi school focused on a specific Tai Chi lineage (Yang-style). Competes for the same community-of-practice audience that OCSTCA serves, but with a different stylistic specialization — a useful adjacent comparison point for lineage-driven positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Dr. Paul Lam's Tai Chi for Health Institute: Established global Tai Chi instruction organization offering online courses, certified instructor training, and a large content library across multiple Tai Chi styles. It is a broader incumbent that competes for the same wellness-seeking and senior practitioner audience with much greater scale and online reach.
• Tai Chi Foundation: Long-established Tai Chi organization promoting traditional practice, teacher certification, and community classes. Targets a similar health-and-mindfulness audience and represents a broader, more institutionalized alternative to OCSTCA's niche community model.
• Wushu Canada: National governing body for Chinese martial arts including Tai Chi in Canada. Operates broadly across many Chinese martial arts styles and disciplines, providing an umbrella competitor and standards-setter in the same overall activity space as OCSTCA.
• American Tai Chi & Qigong Association: US-based national association promoting Tai Chi and Qigong practice, instructor certification, and community programming. Operates in the same overall wellness-Tai Chi category with a much broader geographic footprint and formalized instructor pipeline.

Direct peers

• Canadian Chen-style Tai Chi Association: Founded in 2017 by Master Zhao Chunsheng, who is also a visiting master and instructor affiliated with OCSTCA. Teaches the same Chen-style lineage across Canada, making it a national-level direct peer in the same martial arts niche.
• Ottawa Tai Chi Association (OTCA): Another Ottawa-based Tai Chi organization that co-hosted a joint potluck with OCSTCA in September 2023. Operates in the same city, similar activity, and is explicitly named as a cooperating community partner — making it the closest direct peer.

Others

• World Tai Chi & Qigong Day: Global annual event and awareness organization that promotes Tai Chi and Qigong worldwide. Not a direct competitor, but an ecosystem participant that drives top-of-funnel awareness for community-based Tai Chi organizations including OCSTCA.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCSTCA

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Ottawa Chen Style Tai Chi Association