Tai Chi classes at Wissahickon Valley Library becoming popular

BLUE BELL – When Kurt Findeisen was doing his residency in Philadelphia, he found himself focusing all of his attention on his patients and all of his attention was going outside of himself. It was the late 1970s and the height of America’s counter culture.

Findeisen was looking for something that would bring balance and equilibrium back to his life, and a friend recommended Tai Chi, a form of martial arts that belongs to the internal school of strength building and focuses on building core strength.

Maggie Newman, Tai Chi teacher was teaching in Manhattan but teaching one day in Philadelphia. Newman learned from Professor Cheng Man Ching. Findeisen began teaching in 1988, originally at Temple University Center City and then at Mt. Airy Learning Center, where he has been teaching ever since.

When the wanted to expand their offerings to include Tai Chi, they approached Findeisen, and the response has been very good.

The classes are eight-week sessions, and students can commit to all eight weeks for $20 or try out a class for $5 per class. Classes are held Mondays from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Blue Bell branch of the Wissahickon Valley Public Library. Classes take a break over the summer and begin again the Monday after Labor Day. To join a class, Findeisen said bring shoes with flat soles, such as athletic shoes, and comfortable, loose fitting clothing.

Findeisen said there is diverse age group in the classes; both young people in the 20s, 30s and 40s as well as seniors attend classes on a weekly basis. “There is a significant number of younger people in the class,” he said.

Tai Chi is a martial art, however Findeisen said he does not teach it as such. He added that he does teach the principles of Tai Chi and the poses, so if someone wanted to develop into the martial form they could.

He described the principles as the study of mind and body, the practice of reconnecting the mind and body; developing body awareness; and keeping the body upright so there is a firm base on earth and your head as close to heaven as it can be.

Findeisen added that you don’t learn Tai Chi by thinking about it, but by doing it – learning the forms is learning “a set of choreographed movements each having a martial art application that forms a logical circle energetic movement,” said Findeisen.

There are still six classes left before the summer break. Classes are held in the community room at the Blue Bell branch of the Wissahickon Valley Public Library from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.