Falling Leaves: Part One

Dedicated to my teacher. The late Grandmaster, DR John Kells. 1940 to 2017

It has been 9 years since Grandmaster John passed away. Still to this day, there is never a sunrise or sunset that passes by without me sharing a thought of him. He was without a doubt the most influential human being I have ever met and taught me so many various aspects of life and not forgetting Tai Chi.

John was my one and only Tai Chi teacher. I started my Tai Chi journey in my early twenties and now am a seventy year old man, still teaching Tai Chi and yes, I have a picture of John on my desk, which allows me to remember what a challenging and amazing journey I have been on and shared with him along with other students.

When he demonstrated Tai Chi to us, he would simply silence the entire room. His movements always expressed grace, yet they also omitted power and strength that would make you instantly yield. Similar to other students, we kind of grew up together at the school. I was always there as much as I could be, which was several nights a week.

One notable aspect of my time is the way relationships changed within the school. We moved from class to class, developing our skills and understanding of Tai Chi. Grandmaster John was always willing to share his knowledge of Tai Chi and wisdom.

It is the connection we have with others that matters the most. We must also not forget how our personal lives change. Some of us travel, marry, or move away from Tai Chi to find another path to walk on. Maybe we just move apart, so the student - teacher relationship no longer lives within us. So many factors come into play to fully master any art; it is a path that runs smooth and can push and pull us at the same time.

I really enjoyed my time with Grandmaster John. However, the last few years of our relationship, everything in my life was changing so fast. He was obviously going through his own challenges, which I feel altered the dynamics for everyone. Out of respect, I do not want to discuss openly what he went through in his later years, for that remains with his family. What I know is that Grandmaster John moved to the west of England and I moved east to Cyprus, we were now living far apart. I would speak to him most months, and he was so interested in my school and the students. It was amazing how he would remember my students’ names and ask how they were developing. I sought his advice and blessings on everything I was doing at my school; he became well known to all of my students. I will always miss him, as do my students. He was a unique human being, whom you either loved or not. There will never be another like Grandmaster John. May he now be walking the heavens in peace and filled with love.

Copyright ©️ GMVasilios 2026

Some say that when a human leaves the earth, they will journey to visit their loved ones one for a final time before they return to the source. I know this to be true.