Marion area residents and guests will be participating in World Tai Chi Day at Busby Park in downtown Marion on Saturday April 25th at 10:00 am. Anyone who is interested in Tai Chi, to watch or to participate, is welcome to attend. Approximately 15 participants from the Water Song TaiJi group and individuals from Columbus and Mt. Gilead will be participating. Both the open hand and sword forms will be demonstrated.
Tai Chi is an ancient Chinese martial art that helps develop strength, flexibility, and balance. There has been research to suggest that it can also improve respiratory function, burn calories, dramatically improve balance, provide cardiovascular benefit, provide powerful stress management tools, and slow aspects of the aging process. Anyone can enjoy and gain benefit from Tai Chi, regardless of physical condition or age. Most young people focus on the martial arts aspect of Tai Chi, while older people focus on the health benefits
According to local a Tai Chi instructor, Carol Nelson, the World Tai Chi & Qigong Day begins at 10 am with groups in New Zealand, and then quietly spreads time zone by time zone across the globe, to finish with the final events in Hawaii. This is the ninth annual World Tai Chi Day, which started in 1998 on the front lawn of The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, Missouri. “It’s very fitting that the birth place of a world event celebrating and educating people about Tai Chi & Qigong (Chi Kung), would also be the home of one of the Western world’s finest collections of Asian art,” notes Ms. Nelson. More than 200 people participated the first year and has now spread to more than 60 countries involving millions of people. “Here in Ohio there will be events occurring in more than 50 locations and Marion will be one of them,” says Nelson.
Carol Nelson has practiced Tai Chi for more than 10 years and has worked in three variations of the Yang style, including work with William C. C. Chen. In 2001 and 2002 she earned both gold and silver medals in solo form at the Arnold Schwarzenegger Battle of Columbus event. The Yang style taught in this class was developed by Lee Siu Pak. Carol Nelson teaches through the Marion Recreation Center. Class schedule is available by calling the Recreation Center. Classes are also available at Wolf Pak Martial Arts in Mt. Gilead.
