Membership renewal forms will be issued to all Tai Chi players during the month of August for the year 2001-2002. It is therefore important that current members return their completed forms as soon as possible. Previous experience has taught us that at this time each year we receive a tremendous influx of new people wishing to take up membership of the community. It is always our practise to look after our regular members first. A speedy response and return of forms will help make the allocation of numbers more efficient. The fees for membership of the Tai Chi community has not changed: £5 Employed & £3 Unemployed It is also important to realise that a person cannot attend classes, unless they are a fully paid up member of the community. Those who have registered will be issued with a personal membership number, which must be entered into the attendance book at each class. This is compulsory for control, and for health and safety reasons.
Our own Tai Chi Master, Wen Hui, is eagerly awaiting the birth of her second child in Leuven, Belgium. She is doing well and in good spirits, and promised to let us know when the baby arrives. We wish her well.
Our Chinese friend master Zhu Chang Hai got married to Miss Jane Burke at Carrickfergus Castle on Thursday 5th July 2001. Charlie attended the wedding ceremony and banquet afterwards, which was conducted in a warm and friendly atmosphere of great cultural exchange. The whole day was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone present. Many of the Chinese Community from Belfast and Derry were in attendance. It was great to see so many old friends, especially miss Jing Yi Gao, who is known to many people in our community. Also Mr William Wu, the Chinese community Welfare Officer for the city and his wife. Many well known Tai Chi players were there including Peter Gilligan of Belfast whom we have known for many years (since he first worked with us during Wen Hui’s first visit to the city way back in 1992. Many wedding guests were well aware of our Tai Chi activities, and that we have had the most vibrant and sustainable Tai Chi Community on this island. They also marvel at our success and wish us well for the future.
Chi Kung combines the energy of Oriental medicine with Taoist meditation and physical movement. It can be used to: Increase personal health and vitality Prevent illness and degenerative disease Slow the ageing process Relieve stress levels Heal others Advance mental clarity and intellectual power Build internal power and emotional maturity Evolve spiritually It will teach you to feel and work with the chi in your aura and acupuncture meridian lines and absorb and project Chi from your hands. It quickly gives you a recognisable feeling of energy in your body and releases stress and pain.
The Tai Chi Community demonstration team have been asked to participate in this years Gasyard Feile, on Saturday 4th August. We have been informed that Zhu Chang Hai will be travelling from his home in Belfast for demonstrations in the Wushu Arts.
Have patience. It usually takes years just to learn the Tai chi movements and principles correctly. Start with the physical movements, learn the basic rules and apply them to all the movements. Give special attention to correct body usage. The body has to be first opened, loosened relaxed and integrated before energy is concentrated, generated and focused. Meditation and Chi Kung (Qigong) are practises of the mental stage. When the mind has control of the energy and the body is open and relaxed, the spiritual aspects are emphasised. If your body and mind are not ready nothing will happen. Relaxation is the key to successful Tai Chi practise.
Members are reminded that when leaving the room after each class that they should take their litter, cans and bottles with them, or dispose of them in the bins provided. We expect the room to be clean and tidy when we arrive, therefore we should always leave it in a tidy condition for other users.
We have been informed that our Tai Chi display at the festival was shown on T na G ( an Irish television station) on Saturday 9th July at 22:00 (10 pm), and was repeated on the same channel on Sunday 11th July. The station also covered the event last year with great success.
Respect for self Respect for others Responsibility for all your actions
Don’t be fooled by the fact that Qigong seems like nothing much. The vigilant applications of these Chinese practises have demonstrated, over thousands of years of careful refinement, the ability to mobilise the naturally occurring healing forces within you. An ancient Chinese proverb says, “That which appears great on the outside is weak on the inside. That which appears to be inconsequential on the outside is great and powerful on the inside.” Qigong is not a complex type of Chinese exercise form, a chain of details and innovations. Rather it is a simplifying and deepening practise that is refined toward perfection. Concentrate, practise often and sincerely, and the benefits of this magnificent exercise form will present itself in time.
