April 30 marked World Tai Chi Day. It was a day when practitioners from across the globe invited the public to experience this ancient martial art. Over the weekend, the Chinese Wu Shu Research Institute in Chinatown and the Wah Lum Kung Fu and Tai Chi Academy in Malden both gave performances of Tai Chi in the community parks.
Led by Grandmaster Bow Sim Mark, a world-renowned expert in Tai Chi, dozens of veteran instructors and students from The Chinese Wu Shu Research Institute demonstrated various forms of Tai Chi. The program featured Simplified, Combined, Chen style, and Master Mark’s own short form: Taste of Tai Chi, Tai Chi sword (jian) and broadsword (dao), basic broadsword and long-handled broadsword (kwan dao).
Across town in Malden, another group of Tai Chi performers, headed by Sifu (Master) Mai Du, held a demonstration at Coytemore Lea Park.
Tai Chi originated in China as a martial art and a “soft” form of internally-based self-defense. Over the years, however, Tai Chi is more known as an exercise regimen.
Master Mark wants to promote Tai Chi as a means to “be healthy.” She has certainly done a great job attracting faithful followers. Some of her students have been practicing alongside her for more than three decades.
“The six characteristics of Tai Chi are that the movement is circular, relaxed, calm, continuous, and done with intent and energy,” said Sifu Jean Lukitsh of the Chinese Wu Shu Research Institute. Sifu Lukitsh has been a student of Grandmaster Bow Sim Mark since the 1970’s.
Beginners start by focusing on making the movement circular and relaxed. Then they advance to the calm and continuous part of the motion. “Feeling the intent and energy is considered the highest expression of the art,” Sifu Lukitsh said.
Tai Chi offers a wealth of health benefits. “[Tai Chi] definitely helps relax the body and mind. It’s known as ‘meditation in motion’ to many people,” Sifu Mai Du said. Tai Chi relieves stress. Even first timers will immediately feel more relaxed after practice.
This martial art also promotes flexibility, balance and stability.
“They will feel more relaxed, more alert and have more energy. They feel like they are in re-connection to their body. By practicing Tai Chi all the time, you definitely gain flexibility and stability. [You’ll feel] a great sense of being more in tune with your breaths, and your “qi” (“chi” or energy) flow in your body,” Sifu Du said.
According to a research study released in April, people with chronic heart failure may be able to boost their quality of life by doing Tai Chi. Two group sessions of one hour each per week were enough to show significant improvements in mood and confidence, said the Boston-based study in the Archives of Internal Medicine, a journal of the American Medical Association.
“Tai Chi appears to be a safe alternative to low-to-moderate intensity conventional exercise training,” said Gloria Yeh of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, lead author of the study.
“Tai Chi is safe and has a good rate of adherence and may provide value in improving daily exercise, quality of life, self-efficacy and mood in frail, deconditioned patients with systolic heart failure,” Yeh said.
To learn about Tai Chi, please visit the Chinese Wu Shu Research Institute at http://www.taichi-arts.com/ and the Wah Lum Kung Fu & Tai Chi Academy at http://www.wahlumacademy.com/.
Sifu Bow Sim Mark (center) of the Chinese Wu Shu Research Institute performing Grasp the Bird’s Tail (push) with her students.
Students from the Wah Lum Kung Fu and Tai Chi Academy in Malden performing the ‘Snake Creeps Under Leg’ technique going into ‘Crane Standing on One Leg.’
May 11, 2012
