Happy new year all!  Let’s make it the best and healthiest ever.  Bring a friend, share the fun . . . try something new?

Our friends at Delta College have extended an invitation for those interested to join the students in celebrating the Chinese New Year (Year of the Horse) on January 30.

For those interested, our own Jully Kang will present a special class on Yuanji Dancing between now and January 30 so that Mall Walkers can demonstrate this unique Chinese form at the celebration.  Yuanji dancing combines elements of Qigong and Tai Chi into flowing combination dances choreographed to Chinese music.

There are many Yanji dances.  Norman led a Yanji class at the Mall for many years.  Kristen leads some of the basic dances, when folks show up, near Dillards at 9 am on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Jully Kang will lead that 9 am class for the month of January, teaching us Dance #5.  A couple of versions are included on the following video.  Take a look, and come by to give it a try.  These beautiful moves will help you build strength and balance.  More important, they are easy to learn and fun to do.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nalS4sx9fxg&w=420&h=315]

And here we are — nearly 16 years now and still going strong:

Let’s see some more pictures!

LIKE Weberstown Walkers on Facebook.  You can post images there.

If you don’t have Facebook, but have pictures to share, leave a comment with your e-mail.  I will not post your e-mail address.  I’ll e-mail you so you can send your pictures directly to me, and I’ll post them.

Thank you to all mall walkers and exercise groups for joining our holiday gathering before Thanksgiving.

Only we got too busy doing the chicken dance to take pictures  :-(.

So, let’s do it Friday.  Wear your Mall Walk T-shirt (white, black, grey — whatever color you’ve got).  And bring your camera!

We’ll take pictures right at 8:30, then go ahead with aerobics.

Don’t miss it.  And like Weberstown Walkers on FaceBook!

Thank you — kristen

It’s that time of year again — the holidays.  They’re challenging and exhausting.  We eat and, all together now, we exercise!

But first we eat :-).

Monday, November 25, we’ll have buffet tables set out in front of Dillards when the mall opens at 7:30 am.  Everyone – dancers, tai chi, walkers, aerobics — everyone is invited.  Please join us.

Please bring something to share.  Finger foods, not too messy.

This is time to relax, get to know each other a little better, find out what others are doing in the far reaches of the mall.  This is time for the chicken dance, and you wouldn’t want to miss that.

Low key, and lots of fun.  Hope to see you all there.

Both of our advanced Tai Chi groups, let by Masters Tam and Kang, learn and practice sword forms.  Everyone is invited to join in, but don’t expect to master this art without lots and lots of serious practice, and a grounding in Tai Chi is not going to hurt.

Starting this week Tai Chi Circle, Jully Kang’s group, will be learning a new form, so for those interested, this is a reasonable time to get involved.

The lessons will start with a review of the 18 Forms Sword.  Here are a couple of videos that show the basics of that form:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvfcZ-y6d5Q?rel=0]
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49zU0uo8yUE?rel=0]

Take a look, then come on out and give it a try.

This fun, annual event is celebrated world wide.  This year one of our mall groups went up to Sacramento to join with others from San Jose, San Francisco and Sacramento to demonstrate, practice . . . and have a picnic.  You can find many pictures of the event here:  Sacramento Tai Chi Day.

If you haven’t tried Tai Chi or QiGong yet . . . what’s the holdup?  Do yourself a favor and join one of the many groups practicing these healthy exercises at the mall.  All groups are open, and free.  Plan to follow along with many mistakes as you learn.  As your balance, strength and flexibility increase, you’ll be glad you made the effort.

Some of our mall Tai Chi folks attended the World Tai Chi Day celebration in Sacramento along with others from Sacramento, San Francisco, Davis and San Jose. The event was hosted by our friends, Sifu Jenny’s group, who arranged for space near the Zoo at William Land Park, and also provided a wonderful meal.

Here’s a video of a combined performance of the 42 forms:

Watch for folks you know.  And forgive our missteps, this is not a form we practice very often :-).  Just goes to show that you can have fun, even without being an expert.

I urge all mall walkers to give Qi Gong and Tai Chi a try.  It’s so good for body, mind & spirit, plus it will open up a whole new world of friends and possibilities for enjoying life more.

Here it is, the final video of Mall Walk performances at the Year of the Snake festival on March 3. Again mislabeled, this is not Tai Chi Institute but Master Tam:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hlT5A04QIg?rel=0&w=560&h=315]

For anyone who missed the wonderful Year of the Snake celebration at the Civic Auditorium, we were lucky to have a great videographer in the audience, so I can share these performances with you:

A Chen Style QiKong form (label not correct – will likely be adjusted soon),
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kF21YDYBqk?rel=0&w=560&h=315]
And a push-hands form with fans.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSDEFmMoCQs?rel=0&w=560&h=315]

Everyone is welcome to join and practice with all Mall Walk groups, even the more challenging ones. Do remember that it takes time and practice to keep up with, much less master, these forms. Be persistent and you will be amazed at what you can accomplish.

Watch for video of Master Tam’s group as well. Will share here as soon as it’s uploaded.

More Tai Chi opportunities.

George’s group will now have more space at the Penney’s area M-W-F from 9:00-10:00. This is an excellent place to practice, practice, practice.

At the same time Master Tam will move to Dillard’s M-W-F from 9:00-10:00. Master Tam is now teaching the Sun Style 73 forms (see link to video, bottom right). This is an advanced group, and moves quickly, however tai chi players of every level are welcome. Join in – challenge yourself.

Anyone interested in continuing with Yuanji dancing, please stop by and let Kristen know. We’ll find a time & space to put that back on the schedule if there’s a group wanting to learn.

What’s important is to keep moving, so find a group with music and a pace you enjoy and go for it.