Liu Huibin, a 45-year-old Chinese American, has practiced Ba
Duan Jin, or Eight Steps of Brocade, a Chinese classic exercise
sets, to ease up after long hours of working at a local
restaurant.
When Liu, who learned routines of the exercise set only through
books and DVDs, read that a team of health qigong masters
from China would have a performance in New York, he jumped on the
opportunity.
Liu was one of about 100 people from the greater New York area
who were lucky enough to get a chance to meet a delegation from the
Chinese Health Qigong Association Saturday. More than 200 had
signed up for the event at the Asian Cultural Center in
Manhattan.
After a brief introduction of the delegates and a short
videotape about the development of health qigong in China
and around the world, the masters went directly to the act.
As the performance proceeded, many in the audience started
following the movements of the masters, including Professor Hu
Xiaofei, who tutors graduate students at Beijing Sports University
majoring in sports health preservation, and Yang Yubing, who has a
doctorate in traditional ethnic sports.
As time went by, almost all the audience joined the action, with
chairs folded up and moved to the side.
Spiros Mantzakos, who runs a foods company in Astoria, New York,
found the delegation's demonstration somewhat different from what
was taught at the Wu Tang Chinese Martial Arts Center in Flushing,
New York.
Mantzakos goes to Wu Tang twice a week to learn Kung Fu
and Tai Chi to keep fit. In the 21st century, health is ever
more important.
"It's your temple," Mantzakos said.
The pursuit for fitness, both physical and mental, had much
resonance in the room, where one could spot many couples and a
child who came with her grandparents.
David A. Blau, at 53 but looks much younger, knows very well the
benefits of exercising the Chinese way.
Blau, who leads a company in Paramus, New Jersey, which provides
supply chain services, used to live in Beijing and practice Tai
Chi in the morning at community parks together with local
senior citizens.
He still practices the routines whenever possible, Blau
said.
After a demonstration of Yi Jin Jing, or Channel-Changing
Scripture, Wu Qin Xi, or Frolics of Five Animals that feature
routines mimicking tigers, deer, bears, monkeys and birds, and Liu
Zi Jue, a six-part exercise set that combines breathing control and
body movements, the masters started to show Eight Steps of Brocade,
Liu's favorite part.
Liu, a native of China's Shandong Province who came to the
United States nine years ago, said he will continue exercise in
between his long working hours at the restaurant, hoping he will
have more chances to learn from the professionals.
And that is exactly what the delegation, and the Chinese Health
Qigong Association, have been and will keep doing – to help more
people around the world understand and learn the Chinese cultural
gem.
After New York, the delegation will visit Boston, Baltimore, and
Washington D.C.
Since 2006, the association has held three rounds of overseas
promotion tours, reaching more than 50,000 people in nearly 30
countries, and over 10,000 have begun to practice health
qigong. It has also deployed trainers in 29 countries.
A total of 36 promotion events are planned for 2008.
(Xinhua News Agency February 4, 2008)
