About us
Rick Zanotti
Founder, President
Martial Arts Experience
With over 60 years of dedicated practice, Rick Zanotti is a seasoned practitioner and instructor specializing in internal and external martial arts systems. His background spans extensive training in Yang-style and Guangping Yang-style Tai Chi Chuan, Xing Yi, and Northern Shaolin, focusing on internal mechanics, body alignment, and practical application.
Philosophy & Movement
Zanotti approaches martial arts as a dynamic synthesis of physical mechanics, neurobiology, and fluid perception. Rejecting rigid dogmatism in favor of practical efficacy, his philosophy centers on:
Fluid Adaptability Prioritizing effortless, adaptive movement over rigid, pre-patterned responses.
Perceptual Timing Cultivating heightened awareness to anticipate and seamlessly react to energy and motion.
Mind-Body Integration Blending martial movement with concepts of consciousness and decision-making under dynamic conditions.
Media & Instructional Design
Leveraging decades of experience in learning technology and video production, Zanotti translates complex martial concepts into structured instructional material, focusing on making fluid movement principles accessible, actionable, and clear.
Leslie Zanotti
Vice President
With 30 plus years of experience in systems programming and eLearning development, Leslie is responsible for Quality Control and also manages eLearning development projects. Leslie is a real proponent of mobile learning and has developed Apple iPhone, iPad, and Android apps. She has worked with many Learning Management Systems including Plateau, Outstart, Learn.com, Litmos, GeoLearning, and others.
Previously, she worked as a systems programmer and trainer at Teradata/NCR, Candle Corporation, Western Airlines and Cadam, Inc. Applications included Airline Reservation systems, CAD/CAM database management, Tape management, and deployments.
Leslie has a degree in Music with a specialty in voice. She's been married to Rick as
long as he's been to her, has the same daughter and dogs and is an avid fan of
Asian epic dramas.