Ray Gates is a physical therapist by profession, and has been involved in various martial arts styles for over 35 years, and exclusively with Tai Chi for over 20 years.
In 2001 Ray became a student of Master Dennis Watts, an internationally recognized, certified, and accredited Master of Tai Chi based in Queensland, Australia. Over the years Ray has trained and become proficient in a number of Tai Chi and Qigong forms. In 2003 he entered his first competition and has since competed at both State and National levels in Australia. He is a multiple gold medal winner and in 2012 won Grand Champion at The Tai Chi Association of Australia’s national championships in Sydney, Australia.
In 2005 Ray was officially appointed as a class assistant for Gold Coast Tai Chi Academy. Over the years he became more involved with instructing classes. In 2013 he became an Assistant Instructor, and in 2014 was certified by Master Dennis Watts as an Instructor. Ray has previously been accredited as a Level 1 Tai Chi instructor by Kung Fu Wushu Australia, and is currently accreditated as an Associate Instructor by the American Tai Chi and Qigong Association. Ray is also a current member of the USA Kungfu Wushu Federation.
Ray moved to Wisconsin in 2015, and established the Wisconsin Tai Chi Academy modeled from Master Dennis Watts’ classes in Australia. He continues his own journey as a student of Tai Chi through practicing what he has learned from Master Dennis Watts as well as taking opportunities to learn from other Masters of Tai Chi and Qigong.
Ray is also an advocate for the promotion and teaching of traditional Tai Chi, and contributes a number of articles related to Tai Chi and Qigong. He will be presenting at the 2023 Science of Tai Chi and Qigong as Whole-Person Health Conference.