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COMMUNITY
TAICHI TEACHING
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INTRODUCTION:
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Malisa
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Welcome to the Community
Groups section of our Website. I really enjoy giving
these classes that a wide variety of organisations have
asked us to host. These have proved very popular and
everybody has a really great time. It is also a good
opportunity for our senior students to learn how to
teach because the people are so patient and helpful.
I myself
learn so much from the older folk as well. They help in
so many ways - like showing me how to explain things in
good Kiwi English or providing feedback on how to adapt
TaiChi to their various health conditions. They enjoy themselves
immensely because we have lots of jokes and gossip. We are
still serious with the Taichi - sometimes it is so enjoyable
nobody really wants to stop. They also love our social outings
and yearly Club events as well.
Our adapted
TaiChi is really good for the older people whether it be
managing arthritic pain, feeling more vital, strengthening
legs/improving balance (reducing falls and bone breakages)
or, on doctor's advice, for low impact strengthening exercises
after surgery. I have many testimonies from the senior citizens
about how they no longer rely on their walking stick, suffer
considerably less arthritic pain or can now put their socks
on very easily by themselves. Have a look at the "Testimony"
link above.
ACC
SPONSORED CLASSES:
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Small
ACC Class Outing - Chinese Dinner
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This is the subsidised
programme we run under ACC's Thinksafe (Fall Prevention)
initiative. It is a nationwide strategy aimed at those
more than 65 years young. Its goal is to reduce the
large number of very preventable fractures and injuries
(from falls) suffered by many of our senior citizens.
Overseas
studies, and data collected in New Zealand to date, show
that TaiChi classes are very effective for increasing fitness
& flexibility, improving balance and coordination, and
increasing leg muscle strength in older folk - quite apart
from numerous other health benefits.
Malisa
has daytime, subsidised ACC classes in Howick, Papakura
and Papatoetoe areas. New starters are welcome to join at
any time - just come along and introduce yourself.
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Click here for Timetable.
- Click here for a 1996
research article on how Tai Chi can prevent falls.
- Click here for other Health
benefits of doing TaiChi
- Here for ACCs
fall prevention Tips
- Here for ACCs
Thinksafe TaiChi Programme for Fall Prevention.
- And here for other
ACC Taichi classes in your area.
There
are now five main "flavours" of TaiChi in use
today. Our Fall Prevention classes make use of the parent
TaiChi tradition known as "Chen Style." This style
contains a simplified Four Step Routine and the exotic "Silk
Reeling" art form.
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Typical
Taichi Class
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These
routines are ideal for senior citizens.
In addition to the above benefits these exercises...
- are easy to remember;
- provide a quick sense of accomplishment;
- the stances are wide and stable;
- "growing pains" (knees) that beginners sometimes
encounter with the more complex routines are avoided.
The wonderfully
flowing "Silk Reeling" exercises (click
here to download & unzip a free video) are an additional
attraction which encourage enthusiastic and regular class
attendance and ongoing practice at home.
As well
as the "outer" exercises Malisa also teaches some
of the ancient, "internal skills" of traditional
Chen style which provide additional health benefits. Malisa
learnt her internal skills from her Master, world-leading
Chen stylist, Zhu Tian Cai. He is a senior teacher at Chen
Village China - the birthplace of TaiChi. (Click here
and here
to learn more about him).
RETIREMENT
VILLAGERS:
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50
Students go out for Lunch
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The Club regularly receives requests for talks and demonstrations
from many different organisations and Malisa is always happy
to oblige see Community Talks/Demos on menu above)
. This group of Retirement Villagers was so taken with their
talk and demo that they decided to start up a group in their
Village right away.
Being
older does not mean being home-bound as Malisa discovered
when she suggested a lunchtime excursion.
In conjunction
with members from the above groups a strong turnout of
around 50 enthusiastic attendees swooped down on a very
nice local restaurant. Everybody had a great time not
only because of the discounted prices and great food but
also because of the opportunity to meet new friends. Quite
a few had never been to a proper Chinese Restaurant before
and had a wonderful time.
HOWICK
SENIOR CITIZENS:
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Doing
the Chen TaiChi "Four Step"
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Because of high demand
from the senior citizens (also from those not eligible
for ACC classes) we started these subsidised classes for
any older adults who want to come along for serious TaiChi
and lots of fun.
The
classes are well attended and students keenly share in
the various spontaneous Club social activities available.
Because participants tend to be a little more sprightly
than ACC students Malisa takes the class more deeply into
traditional TaiChi instruction and the Internal Skills
for greater health benefits.
- Click
here for Timetable.
- Click here for Health
benefits
SRI
LANKAN SENIOR CITIZENS:
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Doing
the TaiChi Warm-up Exercises
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When
the NZ Tamil Senior Citizens Association invited Malisa
to give a demo and talk they weren't sure if TaiChi was
right for them. However it turned out they were very happy
with the talks and demos given by three of our ACC participants
as well as Bill (Otahuhu Club), Leighton (younger Grey Lynn
Club member) and Malisa.
So now
they have a popular weekly class and already (3 months as
at time of writing) they are seeing positive results.We
are told this is the first time a Sri Lankan group in NZ
has taken up TaiChi for health and they are pleased with
the results.
TONGAN
ELDERLY CLASS (Riverside Community Centre, Mt Wellington):
The Tongan Community
was one of the first organisations who requested us to help
them improve the health of their more frail elders. With
the assistance of Otahuhu College we were able to provide
a short, weekly TaiChi class for these deserving folk. Even
those who are unable to stand for very long are able to
join in from a sitting position with arm and torso exercises.
We have
good fun singing together because some of the TaiChi movements
(especially the arm ones) remind them of their cultural
dances. When the classes first started some of the group
would start saying "malo, malo" after about 15
minutes. I think this means "thankyou" so they
were politely telling me they had had enough and time to
go now! But nowadays I don't get the "malo" until
the class is finished. And even though there is not a lot
of English spoken we do get on very well with body language
and lots of laughing.
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| Teacher: |
Malisa
Ng |
| Phone:
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(09)
266 7473 (leave a message) |
| Email: |
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