Wen Hui (Wendy) arrives on Monday 1 April 2002 to spend ten days with us and will lead the 2nd “Festival of Tai Chi”. It is always a very exciting time for us all when the master arrives in town and it is also of course a great boost to our morale and for the work that we do. For those members who have not seen her before be assured that she is just great to be with, has excellent English, is a wonderful teacher and she also has two beautiful sons Peter Jan and Walter who you will just love when you see them.
Training will begin soon for those taking part in the Walled City Festival Demonstration Team. The event will take place in June and it is therefore appropriate that we get ourselves organised early. Most of the training will be about posture, movement and timing. It is critical that our Tai Chi players have their timing right as there is always a large crowd around to watch our display in the Guildhall Square. Names of those taking part will be released soon and it is hoped that all these players will attend class on a regular basis for training.
Members should be aware that parking cars in front of or adjacent to Fire Exit Doors should be avoided at all times!
Orders are now being taken for this year's T -shirt. A sample is available for viewing. The garment is worn each year by the Tai Chi demonstration team but is also available to those members who request one. As usual we will keep the cost to a minimum for our own TC players. This T -shirt is available at £6 each and only to our own registered members. This year you will notice that the design has slightly changed to make it more interesting for the wearer. See Vonnie Harvey or Charlie Morrison when placing your order.
Tai Chi Chuan, also known to western people as Tai Chi, is an exercise form in which the movements of one's head, eyes, arms, hands, body, legs, and feet are done in co- ordination with one's mind, spirit and breathing. People describe Tai Chi practice as 'flying clouds and flowing streams'. Phrases like 'exerting strength like pulling silk threads from a cocoon', 'hiding the power of a needle in cotton', and 'concentrating one's spirit inwardly while appearing peaceful outwardly' are also frequently cited. If one is just learning Tai Chi for health purposes, but not for its value as a martial art, practising some simple Tai Chi forms repeatedly will be enough for one's physical well being.
Standing still is an essential exercise for mastering the essence of calmness. Pressing down the palms helps you to sink the Chi (vital energy) into Dantian (one palm width under your navel) and builds a correct pattern of breathing. The form exercises help the co-ordination of mind, sight, and body movements. Be aware that the legs are the bases and the waist is the axis. The mind directs the sight and the hands follow the sight.
Wen Hui will present two daytime sessions of Chinese Exercise Forms and Tai Chi demonstrations for the clients of Foyle Disability Resource Centre. We are delighted to deliver these events free of charge to our friends at the centre as a way of saying thank you for the wonderful facilities that they provide for us
Members of the community are reminded that when they register for membership of the community it is incumbent upon them to always insert their membership number in the column adjacent to their name at each class. This is critically important if accurate records are to be kept. Should an emergency situation arise we are required by fire safety law to account for each person we have on the premises. Membership numbers MUST always be inserted; there can be no exceptions. Please check and memorise your personal membership number in the register provided. If this situation does not improve forthwith we will have to approach those involved. This activity is creating additional administrative work for the organisers, which in turn impacts on the other good work of the community.
It is normal practise for the community to continue Tai Chi class on as many occasions as possible. This is to facilitate members who have special needs and those who require regular exercise to maintain their health and well-being. Most people nowadays take their holidays at different times of the year. As a general rule we do not close at anyone given time. For the good of our members this is how we have always done it. We shall discuss this issue with the management of the FDR centre and we will of course inform you accordingly of the outcome.
One of our most popular members, Danny Mc Cay has recently got engaged to Geraldine Mc Garrigle. Members of the Tai Chi community are absolutely delighted at the good news and we wish them both great joy and happiness in the future. Danny over the years has been one of our consistent and loyal members, is highly respected by all and is totally committed to the development of Tai Chi in this area. A warm and caring human being in his own right we are privileged to have him as a member and friend of the community.
There are five meditative secrets for Tai Chi practice. The first secret is the tranquillity of the mind. Tranquillity is the basis for alertness and concentration. Another secret is that the body should always be relaxed and calm and this will result in apparent peacefulness and gracefulness. Other secrets include gathering the Chi to penetrate the entire body thereby unifying the strength of the body, and developing the Chi into spiritual energy.
The correct way to master the art of Tai Chi is to begin with the practice of a stationary posture and some simple repeated exercises. The whole routine of Tai Chi is usually difficult to remember and it requires years of supervised instruction to become proficient at it. Never ever allow yourself to rush to learn everything you can. Do not be too eager for quick success and instant benefits. This is very fundamental error. To learn the movements properly patience is a must. Learn each posture correctly from the instructor. Memorise, think it through and practice sincerely. Pay attention to the co-ordinated breathing and loosen your body of stiffness.
The community has decided to commission and present a special award to Wen Hui to mark the 10th anniversary of her first bringing the art of Tai Chi to the city and also to thank her for giving and sharing with us this special gift from China.
