Omaha Tai Chi Association

Bruce will be in town July 12th and will be conducting an intensive on Cheng Man-Ching’s simplified short form. Start time 1:00pm and we should finish about 3:30pm. All are welcome.

We have a busy month planned and all are welcome to participate.

Saturday, April 12th: The Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo, 3701 So. 10th St., is celebrating Earth Day and OTCA members are doing a demonstration and teaching class at the zoo from 10:00 a.m. to 12 noon. Location still to be determined by the zoo staff. Please check with Steve if you want to participate at this event so your name can be provided to the zoo for admittance.

Saturday, April 19th: The city of Omaha is celebrating Earth Day at Elmwood Park, located at 808 So. 60th St, just east of the UNO campus. The OTCA will demonstrate Tai Chi from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m.

Saturday, April 26th: To celebrate World Tai Chi and Qigong Day, the OTCA will have an intensive practice of the Yang Simplified Short form at the Papillion Recreation Center, 1100 W. Lincoln St, in Papillion NE. A film of Professor Cheng Man-Ching will be shown and step-by-step instructions from one of the Professors books on the simplified form will be used for practice.

This will be our first workshop since moving to Kansas City in September ‘07.

A 90 minute workshop on the Yang Family Simplified Tai Chi will be offered on Saturday April 5th from 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. at New Day Yoga Studio, 15238 Broadmoor St, Overland Park, KS. The cost is $15.00, payable on the day of the workshop. Reference DVDs of the form will also be available for $5.00

New Day Yoga also offers ongoing Tai Chi classes on Monday and Thursday mornings from 9 – 9:30 a.m. Classes are free if students take the yoga class immediately afterwards.

The Yang Family Simplified Tai Chi form may be practiced in about 6 minutes once it is memorized. The focus of the workshop will be primarily participatory, so students should dress comfortably in clothing they can move in.

Master Instructor Bruce Ballai, founder of the Omaha Tai Chi Association, has been practicing Tai Chi for over 26 years. His primary teacher was Jou Tsung Hwa, founder of the Tai Chi Farm in Warwick, NY. The Yang Family Simplified Tai Chi is a shorter version of Yang’s Family Tai Chi as edited by Professor Cheng Man-ch’ing, widely regarded as the last living Tai Chi Master.

Often described as “Meditation in Motion,” the movements of Tai Chi are slow, graceful, gentle and calming and can be done by virtually anyone.

The Mayo Clinic website (www.mayoclinic.com) lists the following physical and mental benefits of Tai Chi according to research:
* Reduces stress
* Increases flexibility and improves balance & coordination and reduce falls
* Improves muscle strength and definition
* Increases energy, stamina and agility
* Reduces anxiety and depression, improves sleep
* Slows bone loss in women following menopause
* Reduces high blood pressure
* Relieves chronic pain and improves everyday functioning

Gloria Houser, Dec. 2006
Long-time Omaha Tai Chi instructor Gloria Houser is doing much better and continues to recover from the heart attack and resulting fall in early May. She was released from Hillcrest Health and Rehab on Memorial day, and is now able to be at home with her cat, Ari. She told Bruce and I that she will be able to do much more after she sees her eye doctor to repair the cataract surgery that was disrupted when she fell. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers.

You may send Gloria emails at: grhouser@netzero.com.

Instructor/founder Bruce Ballai (pictured) will offer a three-hour intensive focusing on the Tai Chi Sword form on Saturday May 19th from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Papillion Recreation Center, 1100 West Lincoln St. in Papillion. The intensive is free and open to anyone.

The sword form is the shortest of the three forms and the only one to require a prop. If you do not have a wooden sword, you may also use a light wooden yardstick to practice.

 

Omaha’s Earth Day 2007 festivities in Elmwood Park on Saturday April 21st included a 30 minute demonstration by the Omaha Tai Chi Association to promote awareness of its free classes. This is the second year that the Omaha Tai Chi Association has been invited to do a live demo at Earth Day. Instructors Bruce Ballai and Steve showed onlookers the Yang Form, Chen’s Second Lu, and Tai Chi Sword Form and answered questions about classes, Tai Chi, and its many health benefits.

Cosmos Flowers,  Photo by Lynn Sanchez

The Omaha Tai Chi Association will be offering a Free Intensive including detailed instruction on Chen’s Second Lu and Push Hands on Saturday March 31st. Bruce Ballai will be leading the intensive. Students should meet at at the Papillion City Recreation Center, 1100 West Lincoln Street (formerly “Pro’s Choice” driving range.) Please note there may be extra cars in the lot that day due to a flag football game on the field.

This lovely rural countryside view was taken in China. Photo by Lynn Sanchez