News!
From time to time we are asked questions about how things are done at Chinatown Tai Chi Center. So, for the next few weeks, we will be including some of these questions (and the answers) here.
Is tai chi practiced barefoot like karate? No. We wear shoes. We recommend you wear shoes with good support that fit snuggly so that your foot doesn't slide around inside your shoes. But don't wear shoes that are so tight you get blisters or jam your toes. Sandals and other open shoes or shoes with little or no support are not recommended. A solid sole that comes to the edge of your foot so you don't roll to one side or the other helps with balance and protects your ankles. To match your uniform, black shoes are preferred.
Grandmaster Wong will be here September 14, 15, and 16. The seminars he will teach are not to be missed. If you want to test, let Sifu know so she can make sure you are ready. Currently, no exhibition is planned for this year. Grandmaster, however, will demonstrate some tai chi for students between seminars.
Keep an eye on the Members' page for more information.
What a wonderful picnic we had Saturday! The weather was perfect. Lots of people brought way too much wonderful food. If any of you want to have your recipe put into our soon-to-be-published recipe page, please send it via this web page. Thanks everybody!
From time to time we are asked questions about how things are done at Chinatown Tai Chi Center. So, for the next few weeks, we will be including some of these questions (and the answers) here.
Do I have to wear a uniform? In the summer, when it gets hot in the gymnasium, we relax our uniform rules. Shorts are OK and your sash is optional. When the days start to cool off, or in late August, whichever comes first, uniforms will again be required. We'll have to get used to wearing our uniforms then because they will be mandatory while Grandmaster Wong is here. That means the white jacket with black long pants and your sash. When he is not here, the red school shirt with black pants is also acceptable as a uniform. (Mirriam Webster's definition of uniform: Presenting an unvaried appearance of surface, pattern, or color.)
Grandmaster Wong will be here September 14, 15, and 16. The seminars he will teach are not to be missed. If you want to test, let Sifu know so she can make sure you are ready. Currently, no exhibition is planned for this year. Grandmaster, however, will demonstrate some tai chi for students between seminars.
Keep an eye on the Members' page for more information.
From time to time we are asked questions about how things are done at Chinatown Tai Chi Center. So, for the next few weeks, we will be including some of these questions (and the answers) here.
How do I address Mrs. Calph?
Phyllis Calph is the head instructor of our school. All students should address her as "Sifu." In September, when Doc-Fai Wong, Sifu Calph's teacher, comes to visit, he should be addressed as "Grandmaster" or "Grandmaster Wong."
We had a very successful Introduction to Tai Chi class. The people who attended learned Wave Hands Like Clouds and two of the Eight Brocades. And they looked like they were having fun.
Now that it is summer, it's time to plan a tai chi picnic. A few years ago we had a picnic at Como park that was almost rained out. Fortunately, there were some nice folks in the pavilion who let us use a corner to keep our brats and potato salad and other goodies dry. Then there was the picnic in the grassy median of Summit Avenue next to the school where Nikki and Chuck brought some wedding cake to share.
There is a sign-up sheet at the school to vote for which day of the week you'd most prefer to have a picnic. If you have any ideas for places, note that as well.
Join us Saturday, June 2, 2007, at 11 a.m., for an Introduction to Tai Chi. Tai chi is a powerful health art. It lubricates and stretches the joints, strengthens the body, increases the circulation of blood and internal energy, and is good for overall physical and mental health and balance.
If you would like to attend, click the "send us mail" link below or call Sifu Calph at 651-699-2863 with questions. A nominal fee of $5 will be charged for the hour and can be used against your first month's tuition.
Because of this special event, class times will change Saturday, 06/02/07.
The Intermediate class will meet at 9 a.m. and the 24-Form and Basics classes will begin at 10 a.m.
NOTICE TO CURRENT STUDENTS: Enjoy your Memorial Day weekend. There will be no classes Saturday, May 26, 2007, or Monday, May 28, 2007. Classes resume normal scheduling Wednesday, May 30, 2007.
Join us Saturday, June 2, 2007, at 11 a.m., for an Introduction to Tai Chi. Tai chi is a powerful health art. It lubricates and stretches the joints, strengthens the body, increases the circulation of blood and internal energy, and is good for overall physical and mental health and balance.
If you would like to attend, click the "send us mail" link below or call Sifu Calph at 651-699-2863 with questions. A nominal fee of $5 will be charged for the hour and can be used against your first month's tuition.
Because of this special event, class times will change Saturday, 06/02/07.
The Intermediate class will meet at 9 a.m. and the 24-Form and Basics classes will begin at 10 a.m.
NOTICE TO CURRENT STUDENTS: Enjoy your Memorial Day weekend. There will be no classes Saturday, May 26, 2007, or Monday, May 28, 2007. Classes resume normal scheduling Wednesday, May 30, 2007.
You don't have to go to China to learn authentic tai chi chuan...
- Tai chi restores youth to your body
- Practicing tai chi can add years to your life
Monday, March 12, 2007, we're back at IHM and following our normal schedule. If you forgot about our location change and went to IHM by mistake, we apologize for the confusion.
We are also resuming our alternating fan form and push hands classes. This week, March 14, will be the Plum Blossom Fan Form class from 6 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. Come prepared to have a good time and learn something new.
For the following dates, we will be meeting at
Unity Church-Unitarian
732 Holly Avenue
St. Paul
| Mon. 2/26 | Wed. 2/28 No Class | Sat. 3/3 |
| Mon. 3/5 | Wed. 3/7 No Class | Sat. 3/10 |
Click here for a map that shows where to park.
Monday, March 12, we are back to our regular schedule.
NUKED SPONGE SETS OFF FIRE ALARM FIRE DEPARTMENT TRAVELS 2 BLOCKS IN 10 MINUTES Fifteen minutes into the second hour of classes at Chinatown Tai Chi Center, Monday, February 19, 2007, the new fire alarm system went off. Lights flashed and twirled and sirens screamed. Instructors and students quickly gathered their coats and left the building. Ten minutes after the alarm began, the fire department finally arrived on the scene. Just as they were entering IHM, a woman came running up the sidewalk waving a nice clean sponge yelling that it was all her fault. It seems she read in the newspaper that she could sterilize a sponge by putting it into a microwave. Unfortunately, the article did not say that the sponge should be wet when nuked. She had managed to put the small fire out and told the firemen and everyone else standing around that she was sorry. At the direction of a tai chi instructor, the firemen and a security guard from Macalister College went upstairs, through the gymnasium to the west, and down the stairs in search of the off switch. They apparently found it, because 20 minutes later, two tai chi instructors returned to secure the building and the alarm was silent. All's well that ends well. |
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