Author: Slanted Flying

Tai Chi Chuan was displayed in the Civic Plaza in front of the San Francisco City Hall in California, United States. Hundreds of practitioners took part in Tai Chi demonstrations as part of the 10th Annual Hill Physicians Asian Heritage Street Celebration which took place Saturday, May 17th.

Various styles of Tai Chi Chuan and Qigong were showcased at the event. Dr. Effie Chow of East West Academy of Healing Arts/World Congress on Qigong-TaiChi-TCM was the mastermind and coordinator of the festival’s large Tai Chi demonstration. Some of the demonstrations included the folowing:

– Master Jin Cai Dai and the San Francisco Jin Cai Tai Chi Team: 40 step Yang style tai chi Quan
– Master Xiao Dong He and the San Francisco Fintness-taichi: Sun style tai chi Quan
– Master Xiaohong Wu: Yang style Tai chi Quan
– Master Xizhao Zhen: Chen style 2nd routine Pao chui
– Master Wayne Peng and USA Tai Chi Culture Association: Zhao Bao Tai chi Quan
– Master Chuntong Wu and the Tongle Tai Chi Team: Wu style tai chi Quan

This amazing 88-year-old Tai Chi instructor is still teaching! Norman Skanchy does not let his age slow him down when it comes to teaching Tai Chi. Skanchy, who was very active as a past National Racquetball Champion, started learning Tai Chi with his wife while they were in China during the 1990’s.

Norman Skanchy first saw people practicing Tai Chi Chuan when he was in Beijing, China with the United States Marine Corps during 1945. He has worked as an art professor at Ogden City Schools and the Weber State University, and is still an active artist and sculptor. Skanchy teaches Tai Chi at the Eccles Community Art Center in Ogden, Utah.

On May 7th, 2016 Norman turned 90-years-old, and is still teaching at the Eccles Community Art Center!

The Tai Chi Gala will take place from May 30th to June 1st in Albany, New York, United States. It is a continuation of the event that Jou Tsung Hwa had originally started, which he called the “Zhang San Feng Festival”, named in honor of the legendary (and some say mythical) founder of Tai Chi Chuan. The original event was held on the Tai Chi Farm in Warwick, New York, which was founded by Jou Tsung Hwa.

The Tai Chi Gala, as did the Zhang San Feng Festival, attracts Internal Martial Arts enthusiasts from all over the North America and the world. It is a time to learn, teach, and share their love of the arts, and show their respect for Jou Tsung Hwa, Zhang San Feng, and the history of the Internal Arts.

Please enjoy the video below which features slides highlighting last years Tai Chi Gala.

The Gala will hold workshops throughout the event, and feature instructors from the Internal Martial Arts such as Loretta Wollering, Jianye Jiang, Ren-Gang Wang, Donald Wong, Dr. John Painter, Gene Ching, and others. Over the years since the original festival began, the event has seen notable instructors of the Internal Arts such as Dr. Yang Jwing Ming, William. C.C. Chen, Henry Look, Ren Guangyi, B.P. Chan, T. K. Shih, Fong Ha, and Tchoung Ta Tchen.

For more information on the 2014 Tai Chi Gala, you can visit their official website at TaiChiGala.com or visit them on Facebook at Facebook.com/TaiChiGala.

In the City of  Eagle Rock, California, there is a beautifully painted mural in a neighborhood public space. It depicts Tai Chi practitioners practicing their art peacefully on the lawn.

The artist of the Tai Chi Mural is Roger Dolin, and it was a public mural project which was produced in coordination with the city of Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council.

The mural was originally painted in 2004, but was restored in 2012 when it was defaced. A special anti-graffiti coating now covers the mural, and the city of Eagle Rock watches over it.  It is also registered with the Department of Cultural Affairs, and is part of their art collection.

Roger Dolin has been painting murals for over 30 years. When he did the Tai Chi mural in 2004, it was his first public mural for the city of Eagle Rock, CA. Before that, Roger worked mainly in the healthcare industry painting murals in hospital treatment and waiting rooms. After Roger Dolin painted the Tai Chi mural, he has become an advocate for outdoor public art, and is now the director of Pubic Arts for the Museum of the San Fernando Valley.

The work on the Tai Chi mural could not have been accomplished without the help of volunteers.

[quote]”I had been studying Tai Chi with former students of Marshall Ho. Does that name sound familiar? The woman in front is Doria Cook Nelson, The woman behind her is Jeannie Shannon. They were both my teachers for the few years that I studied. I loved the forms and thought they made great figures for a mural and since Eagle Rock was a huge Chinese community back in the 20’s I just assumed that there must have been some Tai Chi going on.”

Roger Dolin[/quote]

The work of Roger Dolin can be seen on the website http://www.muralenvironments.com/

If you want to contact Roger Dolin, you can reach him at his Email.

Chen style Taijiquan master Chen Bing, nephew of Chen Xiaowang, will be coming to Dallas the week of June 16, 2014 and will be hosting a series of workshops in conjunction with Simply Aware on the 20th, 21st, and 22nd. Topics include Qigong, Chan Si Gong, Chen Bing’s short form, and a Push Hands and Martial Applications workshop.

Below is a video featuring Chen Bing.

A bio about Chen Bing Laoshi is listed on the website here:
http://www.simplyaware.com/about-us/tai-chi-qigong-family/master-chen-bing-3.html

The page to sign up for the workshops, with more details including pricing information, is here:
http://www.simplyaware.com/events/2014-workshop-opportunities/chen-bing-2014-dallas-workshops.html

More general information about the organization Simply Aware, including instructor biographies, can be found at simplyaware.com

On the 26th of April, 2014, Tai Chi practitioners all across the world gathered at 10:00am local time to celebrate the benefits of Tai Chi and Qigong for the World Tai Chi and Qigong Day. There are many places in the world where Tai Chi is now becoming more popular. In Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, a group of enthusiasts gathered to celebrate the event in their city. Students of the Master Kam Fung Tai Chi Chuan School gave a wonderful demonstration of Tai Chi and Qigong.

Please enjoy the video that was filmed for the day’s event.

The World Tai Chi and Qigong Day is a wonderful event that brings awareness of the benefits of Tai Chi and Qigong to the public. Each year the event grows as new groups all over the world gather to celebrate this day.

The 2nd Annual Barcelona Tai Chi Meeting will be held over the weekend of May 2nd, 3rd, and 4th, 2014. Practitioners from all across Europe travel to Barcelona, Spain to practice and learn Tai Chi and Push Hands with each other.

Please enjoy the video below of the 2013 Tai Chi Meeting in Barcelona.

You can find out more information at here at the website of the Barcelona Tai Chi Meeting

As Tai Chi is becoming more popular with many people all over the world practicing the art in some manner, so too are the number of meetups of practitioners. Whether it is a local gathering once a month or larger meetings such as the Tai Chi Caledonia, World Tai Chi and Qigong Day, and others… it is great to see this sharing of a common interest amongst many strangers who will become friends!