Tai Chi by touch
China Daily
4th September 2013
Tai Chi by touch
Lack of sight didn't stop two tai chi enthusiasts from learning their art - or sharing it with others, Zhang Yue reports.
There are two things that Li Langshu and Zheng Yuankang most-often crave: brightness and a compliment.
Zheng, born in 1992, lost his eyesight at the age of 13, and Li, born in 1991, became blind at 12. Now, as they work as tai chi teachers in Beijing, compliments have become more and more common for them.
"My job and life today gave me confidence that I haven't had since I lost my eyesight 10 years ago," Li says.
Li and Zheng now teach at the China Swordmen's Society in Beijing, a civil tai chi organization set up by Wan Zhouying, a tai chi master as well as Li and Zheng's teacher. The group not only gives free lessons to people who are interested in learning tai chi over weekends, it also holds training sessions for teachers in schools for the blind.
It took Li and Zheng two years to learn tai chi. Instead of following the teacher's usual instructions, Li and Zheng have to touch their teacher's body to feel each movement.
(China Daily USA 09/04/2013 page10)
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