As part of my Tai Chi Teacher training, I had to research something about Tai Chi. I chose Tai Chi for Kids.

1. Tai Chi for Kids
David Lipschitz
9th July 2015
Research
Schools
Special "rooms"
Actually part of a class
room for example
Although teachers cannot control what
happens outside a classroom, teachers
can teach kids techniques to reduce and
manage their stress
For relaxation
Tai Chi before or
during a class
Stress
Children can
experience a lot of
stress
Repetition
8 times
Relaxation
exercises are
essential
Enhance
Health
Imagination
Children love the idea of playing with
or pretending to be animals
Children love to show other
children how to perform
specific movements
Play
Kids laugh all the
time while learning
Discipline
Especially when parents are
involved with their children
Tai Chi leads to
Happiness
[Liking who you are
and what you do]
Health
Books
"Tai Chi for kids" by Olson
"The Power of
Relaxation" by
Thomas
"Using Tai Chi and visualization to
Reduce Chidren's Stress"
Causes of stress and
tension in kids
The usual suspects
Long hours in
school or child care
Moving
Divorce
Bullying
Abuse and neglect
Illness
Plus
Sedentary lifestyles
"Junk food" diets
Video and computer
games for "relaxation"
Mind numbing
Refugees
Ideas
It must be fun
The Fun
language of Tai
Chi
Snake slithers down
Grasp sparrow's tail
Big bird spreads wingsWhite crane
spreads wings
Some of our usual phrases might
need to be changed to accommodate
the younger audience
Part wild horse's mane
Wave hands in clouds
Golden rooster
stands on one leg
Open the window,
gazing at the moon
Three rings
around the moon
Holding up the sky
Exercise
Even though we aren't moving fast or pushing weights,
we exercise every part of our body and we take it
through its entire range of motion
Co-ordinated
movements (if you
want)
Stretching
There must be
some "action"
But kids must understand that Tai Chi is
about defense, not attack, although we do
learn attack techniques
Like water
Strong yet gentle
Flows around anything that
gets in its way, never fights
with anything
Yet, carves out rivers and canyons
Kids must learn that there is
strength in having strength
but not using it
Kids must be
taught self-defense
Of the body
Of the mind
Of a strong mind
Low ward off
High ward off
Play the guitar
The kids must want to do it and must
want to come back for more
Part of the curriculum?
But mustn't feel "forced"
Expectations
This is a sport (or an activity) where the only benchmark you have is
against yourself. It allows you to progress at your own
pace. You can always see what others can do, but there are
no marks and no grades and no competition. This is very
different to almost everything else we do in life, and it
opens our minds
A whole of life
experience
We can do Tai
Chi Our whole lives
Keeping the body and mind
active one's entire life
Stretching Balance
We might do things in
a different order
Questions
Can we modify some of the techniques for
younger people and then teach them proper
(adult) techniques later
Implements
At what age should kids start
using swords, staffs, fans
Will they hurt each other or will they be responsible?
Perhaps this
responsibility can be
taught?
Energy
Can we explain the parts of the
body that are healed with the
exercises we do?
My learning
Calm my very active mind
for 3/4 hour per day
A moving meditation
Integrating left brain
and right brain
Like meditation