More About Garrett Chinn

Enjoy reading more about Garrett Chinn’s extensive and fascinating background and range of experience.

The instructions provided in Garrett Chinn’s SebTaiChi classes are based on his 33 years of instruction as given to thousands of older adults through the Older Adults Department at City College of San Francisco.

1973 – 1981
Garrett’s Tai Chi training began in San Francisco Chinatown at the Jing Wu Institute in 1973. In 1977, he had the good fortune of meeting Master Benjamin Peng-jeng Lo, the first student/disciple of Grandmaster Cheng Man-ching, the pioneer Tai Chi Master who was largely responsible for popularizing Tai Chi in the West. Garrett was still receiving encouragement and lessons from Master Lo until his passing in 2018.

With Master Lo’s scholarly teachings by emphasizing the Tai Chi Classics, and his traditional demands of the student to excel, Garrett was able to have successes by competing in Tai Chi tournaments on 3 continents. He found more satisfaction sharing his passion of the art of Tai Chi by deciding to spread the health benefits of Tai Chi to older adults by starting classes in 1981, in San Francisco.

To the present…
In addition to his traditional Tai Chi training, Garrett incorporates past experiences working in the areas of

  • physical therapy
  • emergency medicine (EMT)
  • mental health 
  • community activism (SF Chinatown)
  • various meditation practices

These experiences helped him to create classes he could adapt to the variety of individuals in the groups of older adult students one would expect in such a diverse city as San Francisco. Resolving the dozens of common ailments and life situations common to older adults were successfully reported by students, especially regarding improving the everpresent issue of balance to prevent falls.

Garrett’s ability to ‘go with the flow’ has allowed him to adjust to the many different facilities locations that were assigned to him by City College.

Some examples of his assignments include

  • senior centers
  • community centers
  • medical centers
  • adult day healthcare centers  (ADHC)
  • PACE centers (national)   (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly.  Program replicated in over 30 states.) 
  • YMCA’s
  • assisted living facilities
  • continuing care retirement communities (CCRC)
  • He has also conducted Tai Chi workshops at the behest of Master Lo in Arizona, Utah, Missouri & Nevada.

Specific examples of his past work include

  • Medical Centers
    • UCSF – kidney transplant unit
    • UCSF – psoriasis day care clinic
    • St.Mary’s Medical Center
    • St.Francis Medical Center
    • Laguna Honda Hospital
  • On Lok centers//PACE (national)
    • Institute on Aging
    • Powell, Montgomery, Bush, 30th st., Mission centers
    • Self-Help for the Elderly – Jackie Chan Center (ADHC)
  • YMCAs
    • Stonestown, Richmond District, Mission locations
  • Senior Centers
    • San Francisco Senior Center – Aquatic Park
    • Castro Senior Center
    • Golden Gate Park Senior Center