Club News
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After moving to Cape Cod it doesn’t take long for the year-round residents and all their relatives and friends to figure out that many of the summer vacationers stop coming to the Cape after Labor Day. This results in an abundance of opportunities for enjoying; less crowded beaches, swimming, fishing, shopping, sailing, golfing, clamming, antiquing, photography, sunsets and a variety of wonderful restaurants all at slightly reduced prices. There are always many great things to do in the month of September on the Cape.
This year the Cape Cod Guang Ping Tai Ji Quan Club decided to add to the hustle and bustle by having some training in September.
Our first training in September was a Level II - Teaching Tips Workshop from 9:00 Am to 3:00 PM on Saturday, 9/14/19 at the Gus Canty Recreation Center in Falmouth, MA. Jen Kano taught 11 finishers the second level of our three-part series.
This level consists of a review of the subjects covered in Level I and extensive instructions in teaching movements, identifying strengths and weak points as well as giving effective feedback. Each student had opportunities to give and receive instructions, evaluations and feedback as well as receiving critiques of their teaching techniques from Jen and the other students.
By the end of the day, everyone was exhausted but happy with the teaching skills they had learned as well as insights into ways to improve their own performance of the set.
These workshops are a component of our club recognition system and as each level is reached the club member receives acknowledgment of his or her achievement at a club meeting.
For our second September training, it was our privilege to welcome Sifu Dug Corpolongo.
on September 21, 2019, to the Cape Conservatory in Falmouth, MA to present Chi a Pragmatic Understanding and Application.
The workshop covered some of the many misconceptions about what Chi is and how it works. As well as exploring our chi, how to cultivate it and use it in our practice. We gain a practical understanding of chi that without crossing over into the magical thinking sometimes found in martial arts.
As Doug introduced us to various concepts of Original Chi and Gathering Chi, the interaction between the two and the effects on our bodies his relaxed, straightforward style made it easy to understand. The interaction of the Micro-Cosmic Orbit and the flow of chi through the body seemed much more understandable when the explanation was punctuated by his intermittent “bad jokesâ€.
His explanations and demonstrations of the real techniques and uses of Chi as contrasted to the exaggerated stunts made the concept very valuable to all of us. If I may paraphrase Doug, ‘if any person has developed to the level that they have the ability to do the truly amazing things we have heard about they would have reached such a high level of practice or awakening and be so far developed that it would not occur to them to perform the action as a parlor trick. It would be used only in truly important circumstances.’
The time seemed to fly by as Dug explanation the concepts of Natural and True Chi to Peng, Ji, Liu and An (4 of the 8 basic techniques) to demonstrations of the power of intention, visualization and Chi as well as numerous others. Before we realized it the workshop was coming to an end. We all felt that we had received a tremendous amount of valuable information and we could have spent many more hours listening to Dug and participating in the exercises that he teaches for learning the various techniques.
Some of the thoughts they shared were:
We are truly grateful to Sifu Corpolongo for taking the time to present workshops on Cape Cod. For many of us, the visits to our club from the Masters are the only contact we have with teachers who have his depth of knowledge and experience as well as the ability to explain the complicated concepts in a manner that we can understand and assimilate.
We should share our visits with even more of the local taiji groups. They should be invited to join us whenever we have any Master come to the Cape.
We think that is a great idea and the Club makes information about any workshops we are holding available on our website and extends an invitation to all who would like to attend.
And as always, should you find yourself visiting Cape Cod we hope you will be able to join us as we practice and enjoy Tai Chi together.
Everyone is always welcome and we will keep the light on for ya!
By Clif Genge
Another successful presentation by the CCGPTJQ Club along with Drs. Mark and Roberta Walcutt, Deborah Salazar and David Chosid.
The banquet at Dynasty Buffet in Falmouth was attended by 38 members and their spouses. Recognition was given to white pin recipients Olivann Hobbie and Evelyn Land for learning the entire 64 move set. And Dianne Marshall, the green pin as she applies the 19 Principles to her TaiJi practice.
The National Association is our sister organization. Their annual membership is due now, so if you were a member last year, then it is time to renew. Their goal is to promote, perpetuate, develop interest in, and preserve the quality of Guang Ping Yang style T'ai Chi Chuan through-out the world, and to provide support for research and education in Guang Ping Yang T'ai Chi.
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