World Tai Chi & Qigong Day News

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News for people changing their lives and their world with Tai Chi and Qigong

WorldTaiChiDay.org News . . .

A Premiere Global Ezine Tai Chi & Qigong Magazine,
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By working together, as a global Tai Chi and Qigong family, we have reached 13 million people with info about the benefits of Tai Chi!

Author and Tai Chi enthusaist, Vaugh Ripley, will tell 13 million readers of
Men's Health Magazine about Tai Chi, in the November, 2014
issue, thanks to all of you who took part in our Tai Chi info campaign.

Dear World Tai Chi & Qigong Day Supporters,

World Tai Chi & Qigong Day's 16 years of work has been to empower all Tai Chi and Qigong enthusiasts, by fostering our connection as a global Tai Chi and Qigong family who can change the world ... when working together.

Because we can do such amazing things ... when we work together as a Tai Chi and Qigong family ... we wanted to also touch on the problem of in-fighting in the Tai Chi and Qigong community, because all the energy we spend tearing each other apart, is energy lost to the work of expanding Tai Chi and Qigong's benefits to the world.

A CASE IN POINT: Lately we've become aware of how Tai Chi discussion groups on the internet often flame into viscious arguments over whether Tai Chi is a "fighting art" or a "healing art." WE DO NOT HAVE TO FIGHT OVER THIS. See the below article, "Is Tai Chi a Fighting Art? This Does Not Have to Result in a Fight?"

NOW BACK TO OUR MUTUAL SUCCESS AS A GLOBAL TAI CHI AND QIGONG FAMILY: As mentioned above, by working together, we have educated millions about the benefits of Tai Chi and Qigong and catapulted these mind-body health arts to the fore of global awareness: health care, senior care, corporate wellness, etc. ... AND SOON, BY WORKING TOGETHER 13 MILLION MORE PEOPLE IN THE WORLD WILL LEARN OF TAI CHI'S PROFOUND HEALTH BENEFITS.

A HUGE VICTORY TO REPORT! We just got this note from Vaughn Ripley. Vaughn is an author whose book on his journey through hemophelia, HIV and hepititus C speaks of how Tai Chi was part of his amazing sojourn in life, and part of what has enabled him to not just survive, but THRIVE.

Over the last months we have encouraged all of you to vote for Vaughn for the Cover of Men's Health Magazine, and thousands of you responded and voted for fellow Tai Chi practitioners, Vaughn Ripley.

While we didn't make the cover of men's health Vaughn's story WILL BE COVERED by the November, 2014 issue of Men's Health Magazine with over 13 MILLION READERS!

Thank you all for being part of this important effort.

We just got this exciting note from Vaughn.

Hey Bill... I wanted to let you know that I did my
Men's Health interview and they sent me a preview
of the brief profile. It's only a single paragraph, but
I still consider it a huge win, since they have
13,000,000 monthly readers. The great news is that
they included my shoutout to T'ai Chi. It's all very
exciting to me! Look for it in the November issue!
Thanks for all of your support, help, and friendship!!!

Vaughn, author of "Survivor: One Man's Battle with HIV, Hemophelia, and Hepatitis C"

Click above book cover to learn more about Vaughn's inspirting book.

Yours in Qi,

Bill Douglas & Angela Wong Douglas, Founders of World Tai Chi & Qigong Day

MORE NEWS!

Yang Style Grandmaster an Example to World

Tai Chi journalist, Violet Li, once again offers a profound insight to Tai Chi and Qigong players worldwide in her article on Yang Style Grandmaster Yang Jun. See article below.

Yang Jun has provided an example to the world by uniting the Grand Masters of the major Chinese Tai Chi styles.

Grand Masters

Grandmasters of major Tai Chi families of China with
World Tai Chi & Qigong Day founders at Int'l Tai Chi Symposium

Now, can we do the same with the global Tai Chi and Qigong family? Stopping Tai Chi Destoryers.

If you visit any Internet Tai Chi discussion group at LinkedIn, etc., you often discover one or two Tai Chi bullies whose main mission is to pronounce everyone else's Tai Chi to be crap, and theirs and only their Tai Chi to be the authentic Tai Chi.

They bandy about the N-word "new agey" or other derogatory labels to dismiss the work of other Tai Chi teachers. This makes the Internet virtually useless as an educational tool for Tai Chi and Qigong teachers.

Most Tai Chi and Qigong teachers are men and women of humility, gentleness of spirit, and true hearts. But it only takes a couple of sharp tongued Internet troll Tai Chi bullies to degrade any discussion into the sewer.

HOW CAN WE AS A TAI CHI COMMUNITY STOP THIS, and re-take the Internet as a place where we can communicate with one another to advance all our understanding of Tai Chi (and Qigong) -- and share innovative teaching insights, etc.?

Its simple. When we are on the Internet, if we adopt a policy of NEVER diminishing the Tai Chi, or teaching, of another teacher. This problem will end. Also, if we see a teacher diminishing another teacher, we should insist they explain what is good about their practice or teaching without tearing down others.

We can extoll Tai Chi and Qigong, and the benefits of our practice and teaching, without stepping on the faces of other teachers. This only tears Tai Chi and Qigong apart, there is nothing to gain from criticising other teachers.

I and many others have all but given up on Internet discussion groups, because of these trolls who insult everyone, proclaiming ONLY their Tai Chi is the real thing.

This is silly. All Tai Chi is real Tai Chi. There are many levels, and we all have much to learn. The learning never stops. Every student and teacher is in a state of evolution. Tai Chi's benefits to health, mental clarity, emotional and mental health, to dexterity and sports performance, etc. etc. are so wide and varied that as teachers we can come from many different angles.

The great masters know that anyone who proclaims to know all there is about Tai Chi ... has learned nothing from Tai Chi.

Let's all adopt humility in our online discussions and be open to all the many different approaches to Tai Chi, and resist the outdated tendency to tear down other styles and teachers.

"Together we can do so much ... alone, so little."
-- Helen Keller

Bill Douglas, World Tai Chi & Qigong Day

---------------------------------------------

LISTEN TO INTERVIEW W/ WTCQD FOUNDER on His Coming NEW BOOK!

Interview w/ WTCQD Founder: Bill Douglas, on the At Peace With Diane Gold Show. See below weblink.

DID YOU REALIZE THAT THE PLANET EARTH IS LESS VIOLENT THAN EVER ... AND MEDITATIVE ARTS ARE CONTRIBUTING TO THIS?

Earth is Less Violent Than Ever in History -- Gospel of Science Interview

Hear this and other archived programs from the At Peace with Diane Gold Radio program: http://theworldsstage.net/archives-at-peace-with-diane-gold

World Tai Chi and Qigong Day, Maine USA 2014

Is Tai Chi a Fighting Art?

This question does not have to end in a fight.

In the Guang Ping Yang Style we do a movement called "Brush Knee Twist Step." You brush your arms and hands from a 45 degree angle to the center, as you roll back onto the back foot. When students first learn it, it is all mental, trying to hold the form and push their arms across, their torso is tight.

But I have them let go of thinking about their arms and hands, and rather feel their body let go and sink into the back leg, noticing how their upper body turns (along with their arms and hands) effortlessly as they sink back. This profoundly simplifies the movement, because by letting their torso relax and sink back, the arms and hands do what they do without even thinking. It feels right, and it feels effortless.

I remind students that the first stage is mental, but then the next stage is feeling, and ultimately over the years you realize that when doing the movements correctly, they will feel effortless.

This is where Sitting Qigong becomes so valuable. The Nei Gong energy meditations, sinking within, is where the mind freefalls into the inner world. This enables Tai Chi to move from an external art to an internal art. This is where it becomes a model for life, rather than just an exercise to learn.

Tai Chi's ultimate value is to learn how to move effortlessly, and surprisingly effortless motion is the most powerful. My Tai Chi & Qigong book opens with the "Unbendable Arm" technique, where students are taught to bend one anothers arms at the elbow. First they resist the bend with physical force, tight muscles, an act of will. Their partner can bend their arm if of equal or more strength.

Then we practice the Nei Gong sense of flowing energy pouring through our relaxed shoulder and arm, and then when their partner tries to bend their arm it does not bend at all. This blows their minds because they are not trying, but yet are powerful in not bending.

When I demonstrate it before the class does it, I always pick the largest person in the room to bend my arm. Of course he/she can bend it when I use mental muscle resistence. But then I breathe, I let go, and allow the energy to flow through me and down my arm and out my fingers. Then he grunts and struggles, but cannot bend my arm.

I explain, "THIS is the essence of Tai Chi" and by practicing this as we move through our Tai Chi forms we learn how to move through life with less strain and more power.

So, yes, that would help someone fight if fighting is their goal, but it will also help people land a new job in a relaxed loose flowing and fun job interview, or help them shovel snow with less effort and soreness, etc. etc.

Therefore, to address the question of is Tai Chi, Tai Chi Chuan, without fighting? The answer is no, because Tai Chi Chuan is a fighting method. But is Tai Chi, Tai Chi, without fighting, the answer is yes.

Tai Chi is the "supreme ultimate" the supreme ultimate training for life. So there is room in this world for those teaching it as a fighting art, and for those, like myself, who teach it as a life improvement art.

What we should avoid is making every difference a fight. Life does not have to be a fight, and Tai Chi does not have to be a fight. There is room in the Tai Chi family for many approaches to the Supreme Ultimate.

Do I tell my students I teach Tai Chi Chuan. No, I do not. I tell them I teach Tai Chi, because that is what I teach.

Let's let go of every nuance between us being a struggle and fight. Let's breathe and loosen and open our arms and Qi to the Tai Chi and Qigong family.

A personal story. Another local teacher focuses on combat techniques in Tai Chi. In my early years as a teacher, when I would get young students contacting me in search of learning Tai Chi combat techniques, I would explain that my focus was meditation and health ... and then I would recommend they contact this other teacher.

So, the combat oriented teacher was benefiting from my yellow pages ad, my public outreach, my website, etc. etc. He was a compatriot of mine, even though he did not know it.

Then, over time, I began to hear new students of mine, who had attended this other teacher's class before, telling me that he spent time in his classes attacking my approach to Tai Chi, and diminishing my value as a teacher.

As you can imagine, I stopped referring students to him. He cut off his nose to spite his face. He had a good thing going, free advertising, but thought he had to tear me, a fellow teacher, down in order to lift himself up. The opposite happened. Today, my classes are very popular, and in fact I'm in a position with more opportunities than I can handle. If this teacher had seen me as a partner and comrade, he would no doubt be benefiting from his good will.

This can be a model for the Tai Chi world. We can be one another's supporters and allies, and expand interest in these arts in all the many ways people can benefits from them.

Or we can squabble and waste energy tearing one another down.

I think if we go negative it poisons our future. When we teach out of love and for public benefit, it feeds the flow of Qi and life energy through everything we do.

"One World ... One Breath"

Grandmaster Yang Jun on the Tai Chi transformation

by Violet Li, Tai Chi Examiner

Five years ago at the first International Tai Chi (Taiji) Symposium, Grandmaster Yang Jun demonstrated his leadership by uniting all five major Tai Chi families together. At the time he was still under the tutelage of his grandfather Grandmaster Yang Zhenduo. Now at age 46, he is one of the youngest grandmasters in the world of Tai Chi chuan.

Read entire article ...

Contact:

World Tai Chi & Qigong Day

10100 Roe Avenue

Overland Park, KS 66207

913-648-2256

billdouglas@worldtaichiday.org.

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In This Issue

Is Tai Chi a Fighting Art? ...

Grandmaster Yang Jun on the Tai Chi transformation ... by Violet Li, Tai Chi Examiner ...

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