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2003 World Tai Chi Day organizers Mike David,
Cis Hager and Anna Lum
Saint Louis Leads the Way for World T'ai Ji Day
By Anna Lum
On April 12th, 2003 at 10 am, beginning in the Earth's earliest time zone, a
peaceful soothing event unfolded, and changed the world forever, as it
bloomed around the Earth throughout the entire day-time zone by time zone.
Gently and effortlessly the world breathed together in a T'ai Ji & QiGong
relay of calm. We have all experienced the soothing calm of witnessing others
playing T'ai Ji or QiGong and on World T'ai Ji Day the entire planet had that
opportunity.
Saint Louis could not wait for April 12th. Saturday, April 5, 2003 dawned
overcast with a nip in the air, but weather did not deter hundreds of
dedicated T'ai Ji players and curious spectators who gathered at Cohen
Amphitheater at Missouri Botanical Garden at 10 am. for the third
consecutive year. Twelve schools from greater St. Louis participated as the organizers
and demonstrators. Instead of the schools separately staking out a spot on
the spring green lawn of Cohen Amphitheater as they have done in the past,
everyone this year gathered together facing the stage. Seven teachers took
turns leading the entire group through simple T'ai Ji and QiGong warm ups.
300 people moving slowly and simultaneously generated Qi enough to part the
clouds as the sun peeked through.
In the second half of the program each school demonstrated their forms on
stage, surrounded by a dozen 5' x 10' colorful dancing banners. It became
apparent in watching the different schools, Yang style, Chen style, Wu
style, moving quickly, moving slowly, individually, with a partner, with a
sword, with a fan, in a straight line, in a circle, that all these T'ai Ji
players were enjoying the energy and calmness of free flowing Qi. It became
immensely apparent that if there is one way to play T'ai Ji, there are ten
thousand ways.
The program culminated with Mr. Sahn Ich Che, an 86 year old T'ai Ji player
from Los Angeles who demonstrated Wu style T'ai Ji, both with and without a
sword. He moved with such agility and grace, he became a super salesman for
T'ai Ji. The fact that he only started playing T'ai Ji 20 years ago gave
the audience great hope for its own future.
Bill Douglas of Kansas City, Missouri founded this event 5 years ago with
these goals in mind:
1. To educate the world to the profound implications T'ai Ji & QiGong can
offer our personal, social and world health.
2. To thank Chinese culture for providing this powerful health science to
the world.
3. To improve world relations by joining T'ai Ji & QiGong players around the
world on this World T'ai Ji Day, to promote and celebrate a healthier world.
4. To provide a mighty example of how the emerging power of the Internet can
be used to promote world cooperation and health, since most of the organizing
of this event is done via the Internet through his web page
www.taichismart.com. T'ai Ji & QiGong is about personal empowerment and the
internet is a powerful enabler.
Thousands of people all over the world make World T'ai Ji Day a truly global
event.
In Saint Louis, T'ai Ji teachers take turns to form a committee of three to
organize the event. This year the committee is Cis Hager, Mike David and Anna
Lum. Next year the committee is Leroy Alsup, Tim Bruewer and Sam Shuhan Lin. Jim
Kalkbrenner, Events Manager at Missouri Botanical Garden, is always
extremely supportive, and deserves all the praise and thanks he gets. Both
Governor Bob Holden and Mayor Francis Slay issued proclamations for World
T'ai Ji Day.
For more information about T'ai Ji or QiGong, call any of the participating
schools: Chinese Internal Arts - Justin Meehan, 314 772-9494, Columbia Tai Chi
Chuan - Kenny Greene, 573 875 6673, Feng Zhiqiang Association U. City - Herb
Parran, 314 663 5130, Internal Connections - Cis Hager, 314 991 1588, Learn a
Little T'ai Ji - Anna Lum, 314 567 5384, Oriental TaiJi School and Qi Gong
Association - Sam Shuhan Lin, 314 567 6443, Saint Louis T'ai Chi Chuan
Association - Bill Zupan, 314 961 1355 and Mike David - 314 351 0797, School of
Tai Chi Chih - Kathy Vieth Albers, 314 727 1983, School of the Hidden
Dragons - Richard Von Friedrich, 314 646 0198, Shanghai School of Chinese
Culture - Zhu Ming Hui, 314 351 5458, WuHsing Chuan 5-Animal Academy - Larry
Adams, 314 503 6128 and Tim Bruewer. 314 721 6003, Yang Style Tai Chi of
O'Fallon, Illinois - Leroy Alsup, 314 512 3916.
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