Tai Chi Embodies Its Own Philosophy: Providing a Glimpse of the World in Every Breath
-Celebrating the International Tai Chi Day in the Confucius Institute at Portland State University

On April 28th, a day which marked the International Tai Chi Day in 2018, Mirabella Tai Chi Center in Portland, Oregon was crowded with more than 300 Tai Chi enthusiasts, the youngest of whom was merely at the age of 4 or 5 and the eldest over 80.

The 24-form Tai Chi squad staffed by 36 members from the American Martial Arts Center

Starting around 10 a.m., the annual International Tai Chi Day commenced with the opening remarks by Wang Jian, Foreign Director of the Confucius Institute at Portland State University.

John McKinney, an experienced Tai Chi master teaching American style Tai Chi for more than 30 years, performed with his students first. He was adept in the Yin-Yang and Five Element Theories and the Taoist Breathing Techniques. Under his guidance, the 15-member squad showed mild, smooth and elegant Tai Chi postures, with every motion raising Tai Chi to perfection.

Zuo Bulei performing with his Yang family-style Tai Chi squad

The Yang family-style Tai Chi squad led by Zuo Bulei, a teacher of the Confucius Institute at Portland State University, integrated their understandings of Tai Chi into postures combining motion and stillness, as well as hardness and softness. Their performance reflected the core values of gaining body fitness and longer longevity through moderate training in Tai Chi.

The 84-form Wu family-style performed by Lin Weiming caught attention of the audiences with tremendous power and energy emerging from soft gestures and motions, demonstrating yin and yang characteristics.

Master Gao Jiamin performing with her Sun family-style Tai Chi squad

The performance of Master Gao Jiamin matched her reputation as the “Queen of Tai Chi” or the “Goddess of Tai Chi”. She impressed the audience with her quiet, modest, passionate, smart, humorous and graceful image. The American Martial Arts Center established by Gao Jiamin and her husband Yu Shaowen has been promoting Traditional Chinese Martial Arts for 27 years, and the pupils have won international awards for many times including World Cup Tai Chi Chuan Championship, World Traditional Wushu Championships, the Pan-American Wushu Championships, and Golden State International Wushu Championship.

The Sun family-style Tai Chi squad led by Gao Jiamin performed in a confident, calm and smooth manner. The performance, integrating consciousness, inner energy and postures, reflected the beauty of overcoming hardness by softness and the stretching body in balanced and elegant movement.

Chinese Zodiac Inspired Tai Chi

The Chinese Zodiac-Inspired Tai Chi performed by the 20-children squad led by Wu Xiaolong, a teacher of the Confucius Institute at Portland State University and also a world-class Wushu champion and by Xie Xiaoxin, a coach of the American Martial Arts Center, shouted resonant slogans. The floor vibrated to the beat of their performance with the thunder-like momentum.

Alexander Yu leading the squad performing Tai Chi Fan

The finale of the ceremony was the Tai Chi Fan performed by Alexander Yu, a 17-year-old who won the World Cup Tai Chi Chuan Championship when he was 15 years old. Members of the squad were agile and vigorous, the youngest of whom was just 9 years old. The audience could experience the heroic postures of the main performer and the vibrancy of Tai Chi fan.

More than 100 performers and audiences presenting 8-form Tai Chi

The Confucius Institute at Portland State University established the long-term Tai Chi courses which have exerted positive influence on local people’s lives. Tai Chi, integrating body-fitness and mind-training as well as sport and culture, has become a favorite of people in Portland.