Militaryניר מלחי

Nir Malhi

Nir Malhi is an Israeli martial arts teacher who founded the Israeli Tai Chi Center, Cheng Ming Israel.

born 1955Founding the Israeli Tai Chi CenterTeaching martial artsThe documentary As a Great River Flows

Occupation: martial artist

Nir Malhi was born in 1955 in Hatzerim

Nir Malhi was born in 1955 on kibbutz Hatzerim. He started studying karate at an early age.

He served as a fighter in Shayetet 13, the naval commando unit. After his release he went abroad to train in karate, kendo and tai chi. He spent about 9 years outside Israel, about 6 of them in Japan, and studied with Wang Fulai, a student of Wang Shujin.

In the 1980s he returned to Israel and founded the Israeli Tai Chi Center, which has branches across the country. He also worked in real estate in Israel and Eastern Europe. He became religious and Haredi and took back his parents' original family name, Salzman.

In 2002 he was diagnosed with cancer, possibly linked to diving in the Kishon River during his service. He was treated in Israel, the United States and Germany, and added the name Yechiel on the advice of rabbis. In 2019 he cut his ties with the center.

Nir Malhi's life in 6 milestones

1955
Born on kibbutz Hatzerim.
1980
Became a student of Wang Fulai.
2002
Was diagnosed with cancer.
2005
The documentary As a Great River Flows, about him, won a prize at the Haifa International Film Festival.
2016
A book of conversations with him by Omer Berkman was published.
2019
Cut his ties with the Israeli Tai Chi Center.