by Brian Corless 

The aim of this article is to let the Australian Tai Chi community know about the need for more people in Australia to become more physically active and to ask for your help with ideas and suggestions about getting more people involved in Tai Chi.

In 2018 the United Nations World Health Organisation (WHO) released its Global Action Plan for Physical Activity (2018-2030) with the slogan “Let’s Be Active: Everyone, Everywhere, Everyday”. Australia is one of 168 countries that signed up for the Global Action Plan and agreed to develop ways to promote more physical activity with the message of “More Active People for a Healthier World”. Tai Chi and Yoga are both specifically named in the WHO Global Action Plan Report as activities worth promoting to get more people more active worldwide.

According to the Australian Heart Foundation, the WHO Global Action Plan has a goal of “a 15% reduction in the global prevalence of physical inactivity in adults and adolescents by 2030”. It also said that in 2019 “more than half of Australian adults are not meeting WHO activity guidelines” (i.e. not exercising enough for health benefits), and that Australia is in the bottom half of all countries (we are ranked 97 out of 168) in terms of levels of physical activity (including Tai Chi). Countries that fared better on the ranking than Australia included Uganda, China, Canada, Mexico and our neighbours Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.

The Heart Foundation reported that “52% of Australian adults and 80% of Australian children and young people (aged 5 to 17) are not active enough for health benefits”. They estimate that the cost of being inactive in Australia is $805 million each year, with a large part of those costs relating to healthcare funding ($640 million). The estimated cost of physical inactivity to Australian households is $124 million each year because of chronic lifestyle diseases, such as heart disease, stroke and diabetes related to lack of exercise which also shortens the lifespan of those Australians. These figures are damning and present a major challenge for Australian governments who say that they are committed to coming up with a National Action Plan on Physical Activity as part of the WHO Global Action Plan.

In its 2019 Blueprint for an Active Australia, the Heart Foundation identifies Tai Chi, among other activities such as aerobics and yoga, as improving and maintaining “…physical and cognitive function, social connectedness, preventing falls and maintaining our ability to independently cope with activities…” as we age. It recommends providing more community-based programs for seniors including Tai Chi and Qigong. Also, several recent health research studies support Tai Chi’s practice across the lifespan from children and adolescents through to adults and seniors.

In June, 2019 the Australian Department of Health published tips for increasing Physical Activity and reducing Sedentary Behaviour for Australians and identified Tai Chi as suitable for improving “flexibility in over 65’s”. We know, and the research evidence confirms, that Tai Chi has many more health benefits to offer younger and older Australians than our Health Department realises. How do we get that message across?

Despite the Heart Foundation’s damning figures for physical inactivity, the publishing of the Global Action Plan and Blueprint for an Active Australia presents an opportunity for the Australian Tai Chi community to get the message out to the public and to Governments that Tai Chi should be an integral part of the Australian National Action Plan for Physical Activity. The good news for Tai Chi is that medical research worldwide supports the role of Tai Chi for a healthier society. Volunteer organisations such as TCAA, Wushu Council Australia, WTQA, Chin Woo and others are doing a great job with limited resources promoting annual activities such as World Tai Chi and Qigong day, the Annual Moon Festival, annual competitions around the country, Lunar New Year festivals, training workshops, an academic Wushu conference and other activities. These organisations are volunteer-based and their hard-working committees deserve a round of applause from the rest of the Tai Chi community.

Despite this great work by these volunteer organisations, participation rates in Tai Chi in Australia remained at the same level over the past 10 to 15 years, with no significant increase in the number of people taking part. This has also been the story for participation rates in Tai Chi in the United States, despite an explosion of medical research articles worldwide demonstrating the health benefits of regular Tai Chi practice.

On the other hand, Yoga doubled its participation numbers in the USA between 2002 and 2012 and the difference was coordinated marketing campaigns by the American Yoga organisations. Similarly, physical fitness (aerobic and gym) activities in Australia increased in numbers participating between 2001 and 2010 because of a coordinated and strong public health message via the Fitness Industry and governments in the media. In 2019, Fitness Australia, the peak national body for the Fitness Industry, was invited to attend the 2^nd WHO dialogue in Switzerland on implementing the Global Action Plan. What is this telling the Australian Tai Chi community? Do we stay the same or can we get better at promoting Tai Chi for a healthier Australia?

My question then to the Australian Tai Chi community is: How do you think we can best promote Tai Chi to the Australian public?

To answer this question, we need your help and opinions. If you have some experience in advertising and/or promotions or applying for funding please consider helping us by letting me know so that we can coordinate the talents of the Australian Tai Chi community. Alternatively, if you have any suggestions or ideas about promoting Tai Chi in Australia please email me at bcorless@shoalhaven.net.au and I’ll put your ideas together and forward them to the Tai Chi committees and let you know the results.

If you don’t have any suggestions or ideas, maybe you can email me with your Tai Chi story. We want to hear your story, for example, why did you start practising Tai Chi and what does Tai Chi mean to you?

With your ideas and stories, together let’s get this Tai Chi ball rolling for a healthier Australia.

 

*With thanks to Cyril Loa, TCAA for his comments.

About the author:

Brian Corless is a Clinical Psychologist on the NSW south coast and practises Tai Yi Tai Chi Chuan under
the tutelage of Sifu Wang Yun Kuo, Kungfu Republic Academy, Sydney.

Celebrity Studies

Stevey Richards

11 April 2019

Abstract

Mainland China’s rejection of various traditional institutions and the Maoist political doctrine in the period following Chairman Mao’s death in 1976 resulted in ideological disorientation. To address this, the Chinese government has begun to promote traditional martial arts as a practice and as a cultural object to foster a renewed sense of national identity. However, this process of ideological fortification is complicated by Chinese martial arts’ connection to the country’s imperial system, which collapsed in the face of colonial aggression at the end of the 19^th century. This article will explore how Chinese film star Donnie Yen negotiates traditional Chinese martial arts’ problematic ideological position via the Ip Man film series (2008–2015). It draws on Ellis Cashmore’s notion of celebrity narrative and Richard Dyer’s concept of star image to examine how these films have rendered Yen as a patriot and allow him to reconcile ideological contradictions within Chinese martial arts’ status. Finally, it establishes that this operation is reinforced through Yen and the Ip Man franchise’s relationship with the deceased star Bruce Lee, and concludes that martial arts film stars’ images may effect ideological reconciliations between contemporary and traditional Chinese culture.

About the Author

Stevey Richards is currently studying for his PhD in film studies at the University of Winchester, where he also frequently teaches Film Studies. His thesis deals with the semiotic analysis of Kung Fu in mainland Chinese and Hong Kong cinema. He has been studying Chinese martial arts, including Wing Chun, for over fifteen years.

 

 

Sport in Society

Yang Zhang, Jessica W. Chin, Shirley H.M. Reekie

22 December 2018

Abstract

Within the Chinese national sport system, the government provides resources and funding to train athletes from a young age to become high-performance competitors. Though athletes are well supported to excel in their sport, during their years of intense physical training, athletes generally receive little to no formal education to prepare them for life outside of sport. The sacrifice of forgoing formal education to compete in elite level sport is not uncommon for athletes within centralized sporting systems and has been widely documented; however, there is little research that focuses on the impact of the team’s educational systems from the perspective of the athletes. To add to the growing body of research in this area, the authors utilized in-depth interviews to examine professional wushu athletes’ education experiences whilst training on their team. Thematic analysis of the findings revealed that athletes who committed themselves to sport training in the Chinese national system had to negotiate a number of factors related to time, motivation, social influences, and resources when it came to education and academia. Findings highlight the ways in which these athletes experience and come to terms with limited academic opportunities, preparation and support from their team and the training environment.

About the Authors

Yang Zhang – Department of Kinesiology, University of Maryland

Jessica W. Chin, PhD – Associate Professor, Department of Kinesiology, San Jose State University, College of Health and Human Sciences.

Dr. Jessica Chin serves as the research and core specialist for SJSU’s Department of Kinesiology and is engaged in both the undergraduate and graduate programs. Dr. Chin is an active member of the Western Society for the Physical Education of College Women (WSPECW), the International Sociology of Sport Association (ISSA), and the North American Society for the Sociology of Sport (NASSS), regularly presenting her research at their annual conferences. She is the Chair of the NASSS Elections Committee and has also served on the NASSS Diversity and Conference Climate Committee (DCCC) and the Environmental Impact Committee. Dr. Chin was elected as Chair of the Committee to Enhance Equity and Diversity (CEED) in the College of Applied Sciences and Arts (CASA) from 2010-2014 and was also an academic consultant to the Bay Area Physical Education-Health Program (Bay PE-HP).

With a strong desire to include students in work that promotes diversity and social justice, Dr. Chin has mentored and advised students in various capacities. As an example, she leads and advises RePlay, a nonprofit, student-based group that seeks to benefit and initiate positive change in local communities and educational institutions. Following the core principles of promoting social justice and a green lifestyle, RePlay collects used sporting goods and equipment, which they refurbish and distribute at events specially organized for underserved community groups. RePlay has organized events and made significant donations to foster children, homeless shelters, underfunded physical education programs, and summer camps. Dr. Chin is passionate about physical activity and remains an advocate for underserved and underrepresented populations through her teaching, research, and community service.

Shirley H.M. Reekie, PhD – Professor, Department of Kinesiology, San Jose State University, College of Health and Human Sciences.

Shirley Reekie received an undergraduate degree from I.M. Marsh College of Physical Education, Liverpool, and the University of Liverpool, UK and a master’s degree from the University of Leeds. Following three years teaching physical education, English and geography at Keswick School, Shirley earned a Ph.D. from The Ohio State University with a dissertation entitled “A History of Sport and Recreation for Women in Great Britain 1700-1850.” Shirley came to San Jose State University in 1982 and had one book “Sailing Made Simple,” published in 1986, and another “Bean Bags to Bod Pods” that chronicles the Kinesiology Department’s 150 years, published in 2012.  She has recently been commissioned to write a history of Trearddur Bay Sailing Club, founded in 1919.

 

 

International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction

Aouaidjia Kamel, Bowen Liu, Ping Li & Bin Sheng

13 November 2018

Abstract

In this article, we propose a Tai Chi training system based on pose estimation using Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) called iTai-Chi. Our system aims to overcome the disadvantages of insufficient accurate feedback in traditional teaching methods such as one-to-many tutorial and video watching. With the specially trained neural network, our iTai-Chi system can estimate learners’ poses more accurately compared to Kinect V2. In our system, user’s motion is evaluated through comparison with the template motion. The evaluated results are presented to the user to locate the error in their motions and help their correction. To verify the effectiveness of our system, we carried out a series of user studies. Results reflect that the iTai-Chi system successfully improve users’ performance in movement accuracy. Also, our system assists elder Tai Chi practitioners and students without prior knowledge to overcome learning obstacles and improve their skills. The users agreed that our system is interesting and supportive for their Tai Chi learning.

About the Authors

Aouaidjia Kamel is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China. He obtained his M.Eng. degree in computer science from the Abbes Laghrour University of Khenchela, Algeria. His research interests focus on human–machine interaction, human pose estimation, and machine learning.

Bowen Liu is currently a Ph.D. candidate at The Education University of Hong Kong. He obtained his bachelor’s degree from Jinan University, China, and had an experience as an exchange student at Aalborg University, Denmark. His interests include image processing, autonomous vehicle, and smart transportation systems.

Ping Li is currently an assistant professor at Macau University of Science and Technology, who obtained his Ph.D. degree from The Chinese University of Hong Kong. His research interests include creative media, virtual reality, and computer graphics. He has excellent research project reported worldwide by ACM TechNews.

Bin Sheng is currently an associate professor in Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, who received his Ph.D. degree from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He serves as an Associate Editor of IET Image Processing. His research interests include computer graphics and machine learning.

 

The International Journal of the History of Sport

Ling-Mei Ko, Meng-Chi Ting & Ping-Chao Lee

1 October 2018

Abstract

In Taiwan, the historical development of traditional Chinese martial arts, or kuoshu and wushu as they are called today, has been quite diverse. This paper examines the development of Chinese martial arts from 1949 to 2017 in the context of Taiwan based on available historical evidence and in-depth interviews. The results show that there were three major historical periods in the development of Chinese martial arts. The foundation period was inaugurated when Chinese martial artists fled to Taiwan with the Nationalists. During this period, martial arts studios spread throughout the country and people began learning the traditional Chinese martial arts skills together with the national physical education curriculum incorporated martial arts in schools. Chinese martial arts in Taiwan then entered the competitive sports period when the Chinese government to promote competitive martial arts internationally and to standardize the practice and grading system required for competitions. During this period, standardized rules for nationwide competition were established, and sports instructors and athletes were trained to participate in international wushu competitions. Currently, the Chinese martial arts have been modernized and being practised to build confidence, mental discipline, and physical strength as well as for self-defence, recreational pursuits, and competition.

About the Authors

Ling-Mei Ko – Associate Professor & Director Department of Leisure, Recreation and Tourism Management, Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Tainan City, Taiwan

 

 

 

Meng-Chi Ting – Department of Leisure, Recreation and Tourism Management, Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Tainan City, Taiwan

Ping-Chao Lee – Department of Physical Education, National Taichung University of Education, Taichung City, Taiwan