Summary
A documentary-style episode from The Kitchen Sisters exploring Lou Reed's deep, transformative relationship with tai chi. The episode draws from interviews with nearly 100 people including Lou's wife Laurie Anderson, his tai chi teacher Master Ren Guang Yi, and friends like Iggy Pop, Julian Schnabel, and the late Hal Wilner. It accompanies the book "The Art of the Straight Line: My Tai Chi" by Lou Reed. Lou practiced tai chi daily for over a decade, training 2 hours a day, 7 days a week under Master Ren, a world champion in tai chi push hands from the Chen Village birthplace of tai chi. Friends and collaborators describe how tai chi fundamentally changed Lou's life, with producer Hal Wilner stating that tai chi "kept Lou alive" and that he would have died much earlier without it. The practice realigned his organs and gave him an inner peace that complemented his outward musical expression. Lou became an evangelist for tai chi, urging everyone around him to practice, and even incorporated it into his live performances.
Key Points
- Lou Reed practiced tai chi 2 hours a day, 7 days a week under Master Ren Guang Yi for over a decade
- Master Ren was a world champion in tai chi push hands from Chen Village, the birthplace of tai chi
- Friends credited tai chi with keeping Lou alive longer, stating it realigned his organs
- Lou found that tai chi provided inner peace that complemented his music and artistic expression
- The practice taught Lou to slow down and pay attention to protective movements for knees, back, and ankles
- Lou evangelized tai chi to everyone around him and incorporated it into live performances
- When Lou was seriously ill, he used silk reeling (a backwards walking tai chi move) and the physical improvement was visible
- The book "The Art of the Straight Line" compiles Lou's own words on tai chi with interviews from nearly 100 people
Key Moments
Lou Reed's daily 2-hour tai chi practice with Master Ren
Master Ren Guang Yi, a world champion in tai chi push hands from Chen Village, trained Lou Reed for over a decade. Lou practiced 2 hours a day, 7 days a week, demonstrating the dedication that transformed his health and artistry.
"Master Ren, when did he start studying with you Tai Chi? I see, I think 2002. How many hours a day? Two hours. Seven days a week? Seven days, sometime in the year."
Tai chi kept Lou Reed alive according to close friends
Producer Hal Wilner, one of Lou's closest friends, states definitively that tai chi extended Lou Reed's life and visibly realigned his organs. Lou incorporated tai chi into his live performances, opening the second act with it.
"I mean, come on, Tai Chi kept Lou alive. He would have left us much earlier if it wasn't for that. I mean, you can tell it realigned his organs."
Silk reeling tai chi move visibly restored Lou's physical capacity when ill
When Lou was seriously ill, Master Ren told him to forget everything else and just do tai chi. After performing silk reeling (a backwards walking tai chi move), the change in Lou's physical capacity was visible to everyone around him. Friends observed that tai chi changed his life in profound and positive ways.
"Master Ren said, forget all that stuff. Just do Tai Chi."
