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COMMUNITY
TAICHI TEACHING
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Malisa
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INTRODUCTION:
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.
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Small
ACC Class Outing - Chinese Dinner
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FREE
CLASSES FOR SENIORS (thanks to ACC NZ):
This is the free 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
Thinksafe TaiChi Programme for Fall Prevention
- And here for other
ACC Taichi classes in your area.
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Typical
Taichi Class
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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. 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.
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).
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50
Students go out for Lunch
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RETIREMENT
VILLAGERS:
The Club regularly receives requests for talks and demonstrations
which we are always happy to provide (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
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Doing
the TaiChi Warm-up Exercises
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SRI
LANKAN SENIOR CITIZENS:
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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