TCHC_NZ_-_logo_jpegThe Tai Chi for Health Community New Zealand Incorporated

TCHC NZ Inc was founded in 2010 by a group of like-minded individuals, with Dr Paul Lam graciously consenting to act as an advisor.   Our purpose is to ensure the sustainability of the Tai Chi for Health (TCH) programmes and to provide support for providers and instructors.  Membership is open to all New Zealand TCH instructors and students.  For more details contact the Secretary: secretary@taichiforhealthcommunity.org.nz

Committee Members

(Detailed committee biographies below the photo gallery)

Chris Hattle

Chris Hattle

Chair

Master Trainer TCHI and Physiotherapist (Palmerston North)

Helga Meyer

Helga Meyer

Committee Member

Senior Trainer TCHI and Waiheke Island Tai Chi

Margaret Dando QSM

Margaret Dando QSM

Vice-Chair

TCHI Instructor and Falls Prevention Coordinator Age Concern Otago

Janett Levien

Janett Levien

Committee Member

TCHI Instructor ~ Hawke’s Bay

To be Appointed ...

To be Appointed ...

Secretary

Profile Text …

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Jacky Whitfield

Jacky Whitfield

Committee Member

TCHI Instructor – Dunedin

Ferne McKenzie

Ferne McKenzie

Treasurer

TCHI Instructor Wellington, Fierce Tiger Tai Chi Chuan School

Dr Paul Lam

Dr Paul Lam

Advisor

Creator of the Tai Chi for Health programmes, Director of Tai Chi for Health Institute and owner Managing Director of Tai Chi Productions.

Chair ~ Chris Hattle

Chris Hattle – Chair TCHC NZ

I am a registered physiotherapist with a passion for the wellness  and health benefits which tai chi brings to the people around me.   As a physiotherapist, knowledge of tai chi forms and principles has become an invaluable part of therapies I offer.

My physiotherapy practice is in areas of “care of older adults” and their care staff, arthritis and related conditions, multiple sclerosis, parkinsonism, falls prevention, hydrotherapy and additional interests in diabetes, osteoporosis, hyperventilation, pain management and stress management.  Back care is a vital aspect of my physiotherapy work for people with many varied work postures and tasks.  I am currently in the process of extending my work to younger age groups and am planning bringing tai chi into schools and pre-schools.  I plan to include in this field my love of movement and form in illustrative art.

I was introduced to teaching Tai Chi for Arthritis at a small 2001 workshop led by Dr Paul Lam in Lower Hutt, NZ.  Since that time I have attended several New Zealand Dr Lam workshops.  In January 2009 I was privileged to attend the one week workshop in Sydney as a tuition-scholarship recipient, to study “Sun style 73 forms”.  In 2010 I was again invited to Sydney to train with an international selection of candidates training as Master Trainers.  The established Master Trainers who were putting us through our paces, immersed us in motivation, inspiration and knowledge.  As well as studying the skills for becoming Master Trainers we also studied “Sun style 73 forms in depth”, and discussions were opened to us on the processing of the TCHI Falls Prevention module.

I am an Authorised Master Trainer for Tai Chi for Arthritis, Seated Tai Chi for Arthritis, Tai Chi for Arthritis for Falls Prevention and Tai Chi for Osteoporosis. Soon after qualifying as a  Master Trainer, I completed studies to become qualified to re-certify tai chi instructors in their Tai Chi for Diabetes Instructor  training.  I hold instructor certificates in Tai Chi for Arthritis, Tai Chi for Diabetes, Tai Chi for Energy and Tai Chi for Kidz.  I assisted Dr Lam at his Auckland 2010  double workshop which comprised the Depth of Tai Chi for Arthritis and Tai Chi for Kidz workshop and hosted and assisted Dr Lam in Palmerston North for a double workshop in 2012.

Teaching tai chi and public speaking seem to go hand in hand as interest in tai chi grows consistently throughout the communities in which I live and work.  I have also been a speaker at several conferences.

I watch as researchers make their choices regarding which aspects of tai chi they can research, so the people of the world, who wonder at wellness from tai chi, can have access to information on established benefits.  As such tai chi is growing in practice and growing in the world of research.  Tai chi is an exciting field to be working in.  It has become an integral part of my life.

 

 
Vice Chair ~ Margaret Dando QSM

 

Margaret Dando – Vice Chair TCHC NZ

 

I am the Falls Prevention Coordinator for Age Concern Otago and the family of Tai Chi for Health programmes is one of the three falls prevention programmes we offer for our older adult participants.  Myself and each volunteer, peer class instructor is qualified in the group of Tai Chi for Arthritis programmes.  We are proud to offer approximately 24 Tai Chi for Health classes in suburban Dunedin and rural Otago, and appreciate the evaluation of Tai Chi for Arthritis and its efficacy to prevent falls. 

I have been practicing and instructing Tai Chi in various forms since about 1987 and it has been a vital influence for me personally and professionally.  I have had the pleasure of training at two of Paul Lam’s workshops in New Zealand and many workshops with his Master Trainers and Senior Trainers.  I love working with my Age Concern Otago Tai Chi classes and their peer instructors and never tire of the depth and discovery that tai chi offers practitioners.  My tai chi background and practice greatly assisted me in developing Age Concern Otago’s signature falls prevention programme, ‘Steady As You Go’. 

 

Secretary ~ To be appointed ...

 

 
 
Treasurer ~ Ferne McKenzie

 

Ferne McKenzie – Treasurer TCHC NZ

I have been doing Tai chi since 1999 when I first learned the 24 hand forms at the Wellington High School. My husband David started a few months later and we have both been on a journey which has led to the opening of our school (Fierce Tiger Tai Chi Chuan) in 2010 and a trip to China.

I first did Tai chi for Arthritis course with Dr Lam in 2003 and my first Tai Chi for Diabetes course was in 2008. David and I have also been to the Sydney workshops a couple of times and would recommend the addictive experience to everyone. As well as doing some Dr Lam’s forms, I also do various hand forms including Sun style and forms using swords, fans and walking sticks.

I am active with NZKWF and NZNTCCA and have participated in festivals and I have also organised festivals, workshops and fundraisers. This, year, I organised the World Tai Chi Qi Gong day in Wellington and some of you may see me at festivals in Auckland and Christchurch.  I also organise an end of year group class for TCA instructors and students in Wellington.

Despite my experience and skill which covers tai chi for fun, for health and as a national judge at tournaments, I always try to promote TCA and other Dr Lam’s forms, as being equal to the more established forms of tai chi and of the benefits they bring to everyone. The forms are short, easy to remember and you can do them in a small space.  I have been associated with the Wellington group of “independent” (those who do not have a contract with ACC) TCA instructors for many years and with our students, we do demonstrations at festivals & tournaments to promote TCA in the community.

In 2010-2011, David and I went on a martial arts trip to China with Chin Woo, visiting various Wushu schools, including one belonging to Danny Lee – the 4th descendent of Sun style and Sun Liu Tang.  We also visited places like the Shaolin Temple and the Bruce Lee Memorial Museum. The photograph is of me receiving a flag from the Heung Kong Martial Arts Association.

TCHC NZ Inc. Treasurer, elected 2011

NZNTCCA, Wellington Committee, 2010 onwards

NZKWF, Individual member and National Taolu (tai chi) judge (2006 onwards)

Chin Woo, member

ferne.david@xtra.co.nz

Committee Member - Helga Meyer

 

Helga Meyer – Committee Member

I have been practicing tai chi for 30 years, first Yang Style and for the last 9 years also the Tai Chi for Health programmes. I have been fortunate to learn from amazing teachers all around the world, which includes attending many workshops with Dr Paul Lam in New Zealand and Australia.

In 1993 I started teaching casually, and I am teaching several tai chi groups formally on Waiheke Island continuously since early 2007, when I was contracted to be part of a large New Zealand wide study on falls prevention. We also have several builders and tradesmen in our classes who find tai chi great for strengthening their backs!

I am excited about being a Senior Trainer and able to offer Skill Building Workshops for instructors and students.

The Waiheke Island health professionals and community have really embraced tai chi and I am frequently called upon to give talks or demonstrations and introductory classes at various events.

The great thing about tai chi is that there is always more to learn and to deepen one’s understanding, and I am looking forward to many more years on this journey.

I have definitely found my home in the Tai Chi for Health Community!

I have just started to teach Sun 73, and am qualified to teach Tai Chi for Arthritis, Seated Tai Chi for Arthritis, Energy, Osteoporosis, Diabetes, and Kidz.

Committee Member - Janett Levien

 

Janett Levien – Committee Member

I began my tai chi journey by accident about 30 years ago. Living in Auckland at the time, I happened to go past the New Lynn   Community Centre on a Sunday and noticed lots of activity. Being a nosy sort of person, I walked in to see what was going on and   discovered the West Auckland Chinese Education Society doing all things Chinese. Tai chi, table tennis, dancing, medicine and so   on. They quickly made me welcome and urged me to join in the tai chi. And so for nearly 10 years I practiced tai chi with an   amazing Chinese Master who could speak no English (and I could speak little Chinese I might add!) When I moved to Napier,   Hawkes Bay, I continued my practice but could not find a group to join until, on a visit to Auckland I attended a class at the   Retirement Village where my friend was living and the instructor suggested I contact Sport Hawkes Bay. I am so glad I did because   within a year I was attending my first workshop in tai chi for health and soon had my first teaching certificate. I currently have 9    certificates – working my way to the full suite – and teach 6 classes a week. Three classes are on behalf of Sport Hawkes Bay and three are private classes. I have found so many benefits in tai chi and credit my regular practice with keeping me mentally and physically fit. At nearly 76 I am still working part time, maintaining my own home and garden and despite rather badly worn knees and some degeneration in my back can keep up with friends and family twenty years younger. The community of people and the support within the community are amazing and so good for my wellbeing. I cannot see myself quitting tai chi EVER!

Committee Member - Jacky Whitfield

Jacky Whitfield – Committee MemberJacky Whitfield

I live in Dunedin and I am a retired early childhood teacher. I officially retired three years ago in 2019 but in reality stopped working
in 2002 after developing ME/CFS from a bad bout of influenza. Over the following years I managed to add a couple more
chronic conditions but in 2014 felt the need to get off the couch and be more active/social.

Mountaineering had been my passion, including two trips to the Himalayas, but that was now out of the question. A couple of
years earlier I had attended a talk by Margaret Dando about the benefits of tai chi so decided to join one of her classes. Deer
in the headlights is no exaggeration of how I felt after the first few classes but it wasn’t long before I was totally hooked and
beginning to feel the benefits of this powerful but gentle exercise .

After two years I was certified to teach Tai Chi for Arthritis and since 2016 have been co-leading a class for Age Concern. Over this time I have also gained certification in Falls Prevention, Seated Tai Chi and Tai Chi for Diabetes. In addition I have learnt Sun 73, Tai Chi for Osteoporosis, 24 forms, Tai Chi for Energy and 13 postures to varying degrees of competency.

At the beginning of 2021 I began teaching a class for the Leukaemia and Blood Cancer New Zealand group in Dunedin. Starting a new class from scratch has been very exciting. Like the Age Concern class it has developed a good social cohesion with strong bonds of caring and friendship. It is gratifying and humbling to work with people coming through some of the most difficult periods in their life and to be told you are improving their journey. It’s not me – it’s just tai chi.

 

Advisor ~ Dr Paul Lam

 Dr Paul Lam – Advisor and Life Member TCHC NZ

Dr Paul Lam, a family physician in Sydney and a tai chi teacher since 1976, is a world leader in the field of Tai Chi for health improvement.  Dr Lam is dedicated to promoting Tai Chi for health and wellness.  He has participated and published in peer-reviewed journals research projects relating to Tai Chi for health improvement. Dr Lam has composed several Tai Chi for Health programs that are supported by Foundations around the world including those of Arthritis Foundations of Australia, America and UK.  By 2010 over two million people around the world have learned and benefited from one of his programs.  Dr Lam has written four books: Overcoming Arthritis, Tai Chi for Beginners and the 24 Forms, Tai Chi for Diabetes and Teaching Tai Chi Effectively.

Dr Lam has just published his Memoir, Born Strong, which is available through service@tchi.org or Amazon.com