Earlier this month I was invited to give an introductory overview presentation and a demonstration of Taijiquan at a high school in central NJ to help celebrate the Chinese New Year. Below is a slightly modified version of that presentation. Although much of the material in this article is already contained in earlier articles published in this website, I thought that it is still useful to include this article in the website, because the different aspects of Taijiquan are now described in this single article. If the reader is interested to read more details about any of these aspects, he/she can find more details about the different aspects in the appropriate article on the “Taiji” page.
Executive Order 11246: Implications for Asian Americans
February 2008
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What is Executive Order 11246? Executive Order (EO) 11246 (see, e.g., http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Executive_Order_11246) was signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson on 9/24/65 that required Equal Employment Opportunity. The Order states that “It is the policy of the Government of the United States to provide equal opportunity in Federal employment for all qualified persons, to prohibit discrimination in employment because of race, creed, color, or national origin, and to promote the full realization of equal employment opportunity through a positive, continuing program in each executive department and agency. The policy of equal opportunity applies to every aspect of Federal employment policy and practice.” The Order requires similar equal employment opportunity with respect to federal contractors and subcontractors, as well as any federally assisted construction contractors and subcontractors, who do over $10,000 in Government business in one year. All such contractors and subcontractors are forbidden to discriminate in employment decisions on the basis of race, creed, color, or national origin.
The Essence of Taijiquan Part 2: Perspective from Taiji Qigong
December 2007
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In the August 2007 release of this website, I wrote the first part of a two-part series on “The Essence of Taijiquan.” That Part 1 article described the “Perspective from Taiji Push Hands.” Part 2 in this release describes the “Perspective from Taiji Qigong.” This article will briefly address the following three questions:
- What is Qi and what is Qigong?
- How is Qigong related to Taiji?
- What are some general principles and steps in Taiji Qigong exercises?
This discussion is based on material from several books:
- The Essence of Taiji Qigong: The Internal Foundation of Taijiquan, by Dr. Jwing-Ming Yang, 1997
- The Healing Promise of Qi: Creating Extraordianary Wellness Through Qigong and Tai Chi, by Roger Jahnke, O.M.D., 2002
- Qigong Empowerment: A Guide to Medical, Taoist, Buddhist, Wushu Energy Cultivation, by Shou-Yu Liang and Wen-Ching Wu, 1997
- The Roots of Chinese Qigong: Secrets for Health, Longevity, & Enlightenment, by Dr. Jwing-Ming Yang, 1997
Watershed Event in Teaching WWII Asian History in NJ Schools
The NJ Commission on Holocaust Education has just published “A Curriculum Guide for Secondary Teachers” on “The Nanking Massacre and Other Japanese Atrocities Committed during the Asia-Pacific War: 1931-1945,” and is distributing copies of this Curriculum Guide to all high schools in NJ. During the 14 years of WWII in Asia, over 25 million Chinese, and many more millions in other Asian countries, were killed. One particular atrocity that stood out was the Nanking Massacre that started on December 13, 1937. During a six-week period in just the city of Nanking, the then capital of China, about 300,000 Chinese, mostly civilians (including numerous women and children), were slaughtered by the Japanese military, over 20,000 Chinese females (including many young girls and grandmothers, or even great grandmothers) were raped, and one-third of the city was burned to the ground.
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