The Tai Chi Opening Form is different for different styles of Tai Chi, but regardless of the style, each Opening Form shares some basic principles. Yin (emptiness) and Yang (fullness) govern the percentage of your weight that you place on each foot when performing any form. When you perform the Opening Tai Chi form, you first transfer all of your weight to one foot, usually your right. The fullness of weight on the right foot represents the Yang principle. The lack of any weight on your left foot represents the Yin principle of emptiness. The weight must be entirely on the right foot before you can step to the side with your left foot. Once you have stepped to the side, you transfer fifty percent of your weight to your left foot. Now Yin and Yang are in balance. Keeping these principles in mind not only helps you to perform the opening form correctly; it also helps you understand the principles of good balance.

From a recent article in Wall Street Journal (October 9, 2007: “Senior Play: The Graying of Sports Medicine”)

“As the body ages, muscles become slower and weaker, most significantly affecting speed, balance and the ability to recover from injuries. Researchers and doctors say to compensate for these changes, older athletes should focus more on balance and flexibility, in addition to pure strength and cardiovascular training.

“Balance…is emerging as an important element for older people, according to doctors, researchers…Older muscles are smaller and slower and respond less efficiently when we need to brace ourselves, making us more vulnerable to falls, says Marjorie Woollacott, director of the Motor Control Lab at the University of Oregon’s Department of Human Physiology in Eugene.

“Practicing tai chi, a form of martial art, helps both healthy and frail individuals improve balance, according to several studies, including a recent randomized controlled trial published in the August issue of the Journal of the American Geriatric society.”

Many of our Tai Chi students start their Tai Chi training expecting the learning curve to be similar to Step Aerobics or Line Dancing. They become frustrated and quit when they realize that after several months, they still cannot competently perform the basic Yang 10 form, much less the Yang 24, Combination 12, Chen 36 or (heaven forbid) Yang 108 which they are also exposed to.

It is my understanding that at Beijing University, a course in the Yang 10 form lasts a year.In truth, you never really learn Tai Chi. Tai Chi is not something you master; it is a journey in itself. As you move along on your journey, you get better and better at Tai Chi, but it only serves to make you realize how little you know about it. Were you to truly master Tai Chi, what would you do next? So, relax and enjoy your journey, and be happy that Tai Chi will always be with you.

The FDA may finally be catching up with what Oriental Medicine has known for thousands of years. Under research is the Chinese medicinal herb Ban Zhi Lian, also known as scullcap. Better known as a sleeping aid, it has been shown to shrink or destroy ovarian and breast tumor cells in vitro. The FDA is conducting its first clinical study of a potential cancer drug derived from a Chinese medicinal herb.

 Read Time Magazine’s full article here.

Newswise Medical News reports on a new study by The Cochrane Collaboration. The study shows that older adults who engage in walking, strength and balance training, dancing and tai chi have improved balance, which decreases their risk for falls.

After engaging in an exercise program, study participants achieved improvements in different kinds of balance measures including walking speed, standing on one leg and reaching forward without tipping over.

Read the full story here.

This 100% cotton t-shirt comes in sizes small through extra large. On the front is an image of Master So meditating and on the back the image of yin-yang and the Chinese characters for Dao, Eternity, and Qi. Below this is Master So’s web address, www.grandmasterso.net. Find it and our other items for sale in our Products area.

Remember that there is also the Tai Chi Interactive Cafepress Store. We have ordered some things here ourselves and are very pleased with the quality! Don’t hesitate to get a t-shirt, bag, or wall clock from Cafepress.com.