Tai Chi protects us against dementia

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Tai Chi protects us against dementia

We all have those forgetful moments, but what is of more concern as we age, is the deterioration of our memory and cognitive functions, as is seen in cases of dementia.

Exercise is important for our vitality and longevity, and it is being found that the type of exercise doesn’t have to be intense – like a gym session, bicycle race or 10km run – for us to gain the benefits. And this is especially so for the cognitive effects of exercise.

A slow form of movement like tai chi has many benefits, and there is research (explained on npr here) showing that it “can help slow cognitive decline and protect against dementia.”

Based on this research “if you’re able to keep doing [tai chi] two or three days a week on a routine basis, you’re going to get extra years before you hit that decline into dementia”.

You can listen about this in this podcast below, or read the article by clicking here.

To find out more about our tai chi classes, contact your Sifu Leo today.

We all have those forgetful moments, but what is of more concern as we age, is the deterioration of our memory and cognitive functions, as is seen in cases of dementia. Exercise is important for our vitality and longevity, and it is being found that the type of exercise doesn’t have to be intense – …

Online Chi Gong Course

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Online Chi Gong Course

Easily learn the Ba Duan Jin, or otherwise known as “The 8 Treasures”. Simple, uncomplicated Chi Gong to improve your health and concentration, and to lower your blood pressure and remove stresses of the day. Do it with full consciousness!

Buy this course now

PLEASE NOTE: We use PayPal to process payment for this online course. You do not need to have a PayPal account, you just use it to process your credit card details.

Easily learn the Ba Duan Jin, or otherwise known as “The 8 Treasures”. Simple, uncomplicated Chi Gong to improve your health and concentration, and to lower your blood pressure and remove stresses of the day. Do it with full consciousness! PLEASE NOTE: We use PayPal to process payment for this online course. You do not …

Tai Chi Book Review

Posted by On Filed under Tai chi, Testimonials
Tai Chi Book Review

We received a book review of Sifu Leo’s book: “Yang Short Form. A beginners guide to Taiji Chaun” from the award winning blog known as “Bloke on the Path. A journey in T’ai Chi, Energy and Life.”

Christian, the author of the blog, has been a fellow student of Tai Chi since 1981, and he posts regulary about Tai Chi.

He had this to say about Sifu’s book:

The book is a nice quality large hardback and is clearly a labour of love, covering the Ch’eng Man Ch’ing short form…

… All in all this is a lovely book, well thought out and clearly presented and would be a useful aid to someone studying this form.

To read the full review, please visit his blog here.

To purchase your copy of this book, please visit this page here.

We received a book review of Sifu Leo’s book: “Yang Short Form. A beginners guide to Taiji Chaun” from the award winning blog known as “Bloke on the Path. A journey in T’ai Chi, Energy and Life.” Christian, the author of the blog, has been a fellow student of Tai Chi since 1981, and he posts …

Doctors and Tai Chi

Posted by On Filed under Corporate, Tai chi
Doctors and Tai Chi

It was both an honour and a pleasure to be able to spend time with the surgeons of Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital over the last 4 weeks.

Even though the doctors are very pressed for time and experience an extremely stressful environment, they turned up for their sessions with me.  Showing up cannot be overlooked. It is an important part of learning to be present in one’s body. It is the first step to immersion and learning. I thank them for allowing me to share my journey.

Mindfulness was on of the key items on the agenda. It plays a crucial role in all that we do daily.

So what is mindfulness?

“It is a state of being” , “It is a Mental state achieved by awareness in the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting ones feelings, thoughts and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique.”

The qualities are: intention, attention and attitude.

What do we want to achieve?

Emotional regulation; introspection; sense of self; inner & outer awareness; and pain tolerance, being in the moment.

Stress causes us to detach from ourselves, and we often find ourselves either being distant, or snapping out at others.

One of the most useful ways to deal with these negative qualities is by doing taiji; chi gong in conjunction with guided deep breathing.

Well done to all the Doctors who took part, and a special thanks to Professor Martin Smith, academic head of surgery at Bara.

Written by Sifu Leo Ming, August 2022

If you would like Sifu to run some sessions with your team, please contact us.

It was both an honour and a pleasure to be able to spend time with the surgeons of Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital over the last 4 weeks. Even though the doctors are very pressed for time and experience an extremely stressful environment, they turned up for their sessions with me.  Showing up cannot be overlooked. It …

Artistic Swimmers, Olympics and Tai Chi

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Artistic Swimmers, Olympics and Tai Chi

Clarissa Johnston and Laura Strugnell represented South Africa the 2021 Olympics and were the first duet artistic swimmers to do so in almost 3 decades.

Laura and Clarissa also achieved a score of 7.2 which is the highest South Africa has achieved internationally in 15 years.

Vicky Drinkwater is their coach, and also a tai chi student of Sifu Leo Ming.

Leo speaks to Vicky, Laura and Clarissa about the sport of artistic swimming, their training and their experience at the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.

You can find out more here on their Instagram account: @artswimduet_rsa and follow @teamxphoenixx, which is “the team inspiring South African artistic swimmers to rise to the next level”.

Below are some clips from Clarissa, Laura and Vicky’s Instagram account showing their training in action, and some of their routine underwater.

Clarissa Johnston and Laura Strugnell represented South Africa the 2021 Olympics and were the first duet artistic swimmers to do so in almost 3 decades. Laura and Clarissa also achieved a score of 7.2 which is the highest South Africa has achieved internationally in 15 years. Vicky Drinkwater is their coach, and also a tai …

Sifu Leo’s Book Launch

Posted by On Filed under Events, Tai chi
Sifu Leo’s Book Launch

Four years ago, in a private tai chi lesson, Caroline Addenbrooke wrote down some notes, as she had been doing for a while, and Sifu Leo Ming said: “You could eventually write a whole book just on this one form!” They were practicing the Yang Short form, and this then sparked something in their minds.

Taiji and the martial arts have been Sifu Leo’s love, so he was excited to make use of a different form of media to express his passion for taiji.  Together with Caroline and her lengthy notes, and with a wonderful team of experts, they created this beautiful book “Yang Short Form. A beginners guide to Taiji Chuan.”

It’s a beginner’s guide, because we are all beginners at different levels, and insight comes in many different stages.  This book is aimed at any level, as insight is in the eye of the beholder.

On Saturday 14th November 2020, the book was launched and a celebration was held in Johannesburg, at the Service Station Café.  We were delighted to have over 50 guests at the launch, mostly Sifu Leo’s dedicated students, with over 20 online in the zoom broadcast, from all over the world.

Caroline joined from her new home in Ireland, and we even had a special guest from New York, Ellen Cheng, the daughter of Prof. Cheng Man Ching, who started the Yang Short form.

“Thank you for your support! I had a superb book launch and it meant a lot to me to have so many special friends, students and mentors join me.” shares Sifu Leo.

“In less than 24 hours we sold out of our first run of my book. We’re organising a second run for those still wanting a copy, (so please contact me if you want to get on the waiting list).  The feedback has been so touching and wonderful about the book, so thank you for your support.”

Some of the feedback has been:

The book is great. Thanks for producing it. It really is a wonderful achievement and you can be very proud of it. Congrats again to all who made it happen!

👏👏👏 Regards Barbara

Dear Leo, I just want to say how much I like your book. I am in awe of the work that you and your team must have put in to create such a beautiful publication. It speaks to the reader on so many levels – technical and historical tai-chi info, your personal insights and your story, context, different levels of application. I can go on and on. I love the photos showing the form and especially the clever colour bar indicating the breathing. All the pictures are really beautiful and the descriptions are so detailed! You have really contributed something unique and bravely personal to the tai-chi world. I can just imagine how proud your daughter must be of you as well! Please let me know when the next batch is available, I would like to buy a few more for my two brothers. Very best wishes to you and Natalie, Zanta.💜💜

Thank you for the invite to the launch. I really enjoyed it. The book is fantastic and very well structured.😊👍🏻
– Ralph

It’s a beautiful book and well done all of you for pulling it together. No mean feat!
– Andrew Joseph

Wonderful !  It is really a Superb book – presentation and contents are outstanding. Especially love the breathing !!  👍😁  Congratulations to everyone involved 👏👏👏 🙌
– Anonymous

Leo, I see I have set myself a phenomenally difficult task. Your book is so exquisite, on all planes, the only way to properly review it would be a haiku. I don’t know whether I’ll even be able muster words, let alone a haiku. But I’m in the habit of gritting through and doing what I say I’ll do. It’ll take time. Thank you for this book. For one thing, with written words, at last I can properly “hear” what I’ve missed in classes. For another, there’s the Tau. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Master. With gratitude. Pam.

Hi Leo, I will be spending most of January and possibly February travelling…. i will take your book with me, it is astounding piece of work, wonderful and I will try to work from it while I am not in classes.
– Heather

Thank you Leo, the book arrived safely this morning. It is everything I had hoped and imagined. Looking at the images, our sessions have come to life again, but I will have to correct a number of the movements within my present form. Val de Vie is an amazing place and practising Tai Chi form here is fantastic. The silence and peace in the morning and at night is extraordinary. Thank for our time together and for the way in which you opened our minds to Tai Chi and the ancient Chinese culture. Good luck for the future,
Kind regard Lance and Pauline

Sifu Leo hopes that “just as a simple thing sparked Caroline to start a journey of a ‘thousand words’, so I hope this book will spark someone who has no clue what taiji is about or how taiji can help transform one’s life, start their journey. As the saying goes, the journey of a thousand miles begins with your first step. We don’t know what lies ahead, but if we don’t make the steps on the path we will only be living in our imagination and not get first hand experience.”

For more info about the book, go here.

To purchase the book, go here.

Four years ago, in a private tai chi lesson, Caroline Addenbrooke wrote down some notes, as she had been doing for a while, and Sifu Leo Ming said: “You could eventually write a whole book just on this one form!” They were practicing the Yang Short form, and this then sparked something in their minds. …

Giveaway

Posted by On Filed under Tai chi

Sifu Leo is launching his book on 14th November, and is offering this Giveaway:

Sifu Leo’s Giveaway:

Enter to win Four private taiji lessons with Sifu Leo in person or via an online platform (like zoom, cisco, or skype) , valued at R1800, when you purchase two copies of his new book “Yang Short Form. A beginners guide to Taiji Chaun” at the special price of R650 each.  Both purchases must be made between the dates of 26th October 2020 and 21st November 2020.

If you buy 2 books in person at the book launch on 14th November 2020 – you get 5% off your January month of taiji classes, as well as being entered into the draw.

Send your entry to leo@mingsmartialarts.co.za with proof of payment and contact details.

Terms & Conditions:

  1. For every 2 books purchased before the closing date, 21st November 2020, you get one entry into the draw.
  2. To enter, send your proof of payment for both books, with your contact details to leo@mingsmartialarts.co.za
  3. The prize is four x 45 minute private taiji lessons with Sifu Leo, to be held online using Cisco Webex, at times convenient for both student and Sifu Leo. The lessons must be used within 6 months of winning.
  4. Entries close at midday Saturday 21st November 2020.
  5. The draw will take place by end of business, Monday 23rd November 2020 and the winner will be contacted.
  6. The judges decision is final. There will be an independent auditor present at the draw.
  7. The prize can be transferred to someone else with permission from Sifu Leo.

Sifu Leo is launching his book on 14th November, and is offering this Giveaway: Sifu Leo’s Giveaway: Enter to win Four private taiji lessons with Sifu Leo in person or via an online platform (like zoom, cisco, or skype) , valued at R1800, when you purchase two copies of his new book “Yang Short Form. …