People often ask "how or why I got into Tai Chi "- 17 years ago, it was "why would a fit and relatively healthy 23 year old want to do Tai Chi ?"

Well, I was fit and doing heaps of high impact sports, but I needed something to centre myself. Added to that, all those high impact sports were giving me quite a few injuries and even then I was starting to get arthritis.  But my woes didn’t stop there, I was unemployed and stressed to the limits, my concentration span was possibly 5 minutes and my balance was atrocious due to all of the sporting injuries...

I had always wanted to do a martial art, so when the flyer came in the mail offering to solve my stress, balance, concentration and muscle tone problems and kick-start me into a martial art. Wow, I wasn’t going to say no.

17 years later - and I am still doing Tai Chi and often tell people that it is my passion. In jest, I do say "why would I want to move on to Karate and have to use my hands when I can just whip out my sword, fan, flute, carling stick or long pole."

In all seriousness - Yes, I have completed and remembered a number of weapon routines but it is the continual challenge of learning, remembering and then gaining competence in the various and vastly different weapons that has kept me interested and sane (another story) throughout the years.

The wonder of learning a new rhythm and flow that is different for each individual weapon; the challenge of learning how to move so that the weapon is a graceful extension of your body to create something beautiful to watch and participate in.

Tai Chi has over the years been many things, originally it was to relieve the stress, and then later on it was to keep the stress at bay, sometimes more successfully than others. Combining my Tai Ch with cycling has kept me fit as well as improving my concentration and balance. And the arthritis is being staved off for the moment (most of the time anyway).

I fully believe that you get out of it what you need, when you need it. At times it might be the stress relief, others the balance and fitness, and then there are times when you just need to find that calm centre and get away from it all. My suggestion to you, whether you are just starting or been doing it for a while now, is to enjoy the journey that you will take yourself on if you allow yourself the luxury. There is no need to rush into learning everything at once, you will only miss out on the finer points on the way.

So I will see you around and keep enjoying the rhythm of life

Dianne Cummings
(Assistant Instructor at Ashburton, Box Hill and Hawthorn)