Delbert Lee Piper, Sr.

As a teacher, Delbert Lee Piper draws on a lifetime of experience. From the age of five, he’s done the “chop-wood-carry-water” philosophy as a way of life. However, it was more carry water at first. Chopping wood came a little later.

Del grew up on a working farm with a tough, no-nonsense, hard-working farmer/logger for a father, whose philosophy was “quitcha bitchin” and just get the job done!

He balanced out this early external education by searching and finding how to tap into and come from inner wisdom. He started this by discovering transcendental meditation while living in a place it didn’t exist. This search for inner wisdom exposed a passion for Native American philosophy and teachings, which led to becoming a sweat lodge leader and pipe carrier.

Later, Del participated in several Monroe Institute programs to understand more of the internal workings of life and how to apply it to daily living.

Del has been teaching Chinese and Wushu Martial Arts since 1996 and has taught across the country from southern California to Connecticut to Northern Idaho. Click here to find where he is currently teaching Taiji.

Oh his website, ActiveAwarenessArts.com, there are numerous free how-to videos, plus access to DVD’s that Del has produced showing some of the forms that he teaches.

Delbert began martial arts/movement training in 1976 with Shotokan Karate. In the mid 1980’s he started studying Goshen Jujitsu & Aiki Jujitsu, and in 1987 was introduced to Chi Gong & Tai Chi by Ken Cohen.

In 1993 he started studying under Wushu Master Li Ma Keh and studied under him until 2013. From 2013 to the present he is a student of Master Jack Walp of Liberty, Ohio. Master Walp is a proficient master of Taiji, Xing Yi, and Bagua.

He has attended many workshops and seminars by various masters including Master Nick Gracenin, Madame Wong Jurong, Master Cai Hong Xiang, Ted Knecht and many others.

The study of Wushu embodies all Chinese Martial Arts including; Ba Gua, Xing Yi, Long Fist, Staff, Broad Sword, Straight Sword, Fan and many, many others.

The Chinese internal martial arts, for Del, have solidified how to begin all movement, mental or physical, from a solid and still inner place.

Since 1981, Del has owned and operated Environmental Woodland Management, a company devoted to care-taking forests, improving timber stands, wildlife habitat and education for forest owners.

Del has had extensive teachings from Native American elders, including Grandmother Twylah Nitsch and her “Cycles of Truth” of the Seneca Wolf Clan Teaching Lodge, Rolling Thunder and Wallace Black Elk. He has completed numbers programs with The Tracker; Tom Brown, along with many other seminars and trainings too numerous to mention.

Del perfected many of his listening and teachings principles while homeschooling his five children.

Since 1999 Del has been co-owner and operator of The Shift Center, with his wife, Beca Lewis. It is a company devoted to spiritual development, spiritual perception, and awareness. Together they have taught and continue to lead classes throughout the country and online. Find more about their classes here.