The World, From Now On — Tai Chi!
A Record of the 2021 New Academic Year Preparatory Meeting
Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, 2021 has arrived.
The year 2020, now behind us, was an extraordinarily unusual year in the history of the Chinese nation—and indeed, in the history of all humanity. The fight against the pandemic became the central theme of the year.
At the beginning of the year, as the global pandemic spread rapidly, Tai Chi practitioners in Melbourne actively took part in home-based fitness routines to combat the virus, becoming a beautiful and inspiring scene in the wave of pandemic prevention efforts.
In the face of this global “health battle,” Tai Chi—a world-renowned, perfect form of fitness—demonstrated immeasurable social and scientific value, making a significant contribution to the fight against COVID-19.
By the end of the year, with UNESCO officially listing Tai Chi as a Representative Work of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity,
the value of Tai Chi was more widely recognized by people around the world, Tai Chi culture received greater global respect, and Tai Chi entered a historic moment of peak recognition and development.
In the face of the raging global pandemic, a long-term “global health battle” officially began in 2021 —
“From now on, the world turns to Tai Chi!”
On January 23, 2021, the board members and core administrative team of the East Wu Tai Chi Alliance of Australia held their first preparatory meeting for the new academic year.
Attendees of this meeting included:
Heads and key personnel from various departments: Marketing, Media, Operations, Instruction, and Internal Affairs.
Board members of the East Wu Alliance
Principals of each branch school
Teaching assistants
This year’s in-person classes, delayed under strict health regulations, are finally set to begin in mid-February!
This was also the main topic of today’s meeting and the focus of our preparatory discussions.
In accordance with Victoria’s government requirement that indoor activities must have designated personnel managing attendance limits,
and due to the uncertainty surrounding in-person classes throughout the year,
the board members of the East Wu Tai Chi Alliance of Australia unanimously approved the detailed enrollment procedures and specific role assignments for both new and returning students in the new academic year.
It was also announced that returning and new members from 2020 will be required to pre-register to continue classes.
Due to the government’s attendance cap, students who register after the weekly limit is reached will receive a notice that their enrollment is automatically deferred to the following week and given priority.
We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and hope for everyone’s understanding and cooperation.
At the preparatory meeting, Teacher Wendy, Chair of the East Wu Tai Chi Alliance of Australia, announced that she would gradually step down from the day-to-day management of the Alliance. She expressed her reassurance and joy in seeing more capable, passionate, and talented young people stepping up to take over and lead the future development and technical training work of the Alliance.
During the meeting, Andrew, a Western student from the 7th cohort, and his Chinese wife Guo Honghong enthusiastically reported to the board the strong desire of residents in their community near Melbourne’s CBD—especially Westerners—to start Tai Chi classes. They also proactively volunteered to take on the challenging responsibilities of organizing and preparing for the classes together. Their offer was met with great respect and warm support from Teacher Wendy and all attendees.
Dr. Lin, the principal of one of East Wu’s branch schools and director of the Chinese Medicine Hall, stated:
“Combining the vast treasures of traditional Chinese medicine with the health-preserving art of Tai Chi to help Melbourne residents prevent and heal illness is a great, challenging, and honorable mission. I will fully commit myself to this cause—developing and expanding it further. In addition to the Glen Waverley location, I will open a second center in Footscray and a third health base in Mornington, dedicated to promoting Chinese medicine and Tai Chi for the benefit of local communities.”
In light of the rapid growth in East Wu’s student numbers, this preparatory meeting brought in a wave of new energy.
Pu Yujin, the on-site commander of the training base, delivered an impassioned speech that greatly inspired and encouraged all administrative members. She said:
“For this public welfare cause of East Wu Tai Chi that benefits the people, I am willing to dedicate my spare time to ‘make things happen.’ I hope to continue contributing my love and effort to support the Alliance and those in need, not just in the upcoming term, but for many terms to come.”
Her brief yet heartfelt words drew warm applause from East Wu’s senior leadership.
Even Teacher Wendy was visibly moved and comforted. She smiled and said:
“Now that we have a ‘personnel officer’ with real labor union experience, we even have ourselves a union president. From now on, I can finally relax!”
A Long-Term Battle Against the Pandemic — From Now On, the World Turns to Tai Chi!
David Chen, General Manager of Success Education Australia and Professor of Law at Monash University, passionately stated:
It will surely ignite countless other flames—illuminating and benefiting many more people overseas who are in need.”
“Now that Tai Chi has been successfully inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list, it deserves to be added as the fifth great invention of China, alongside the Four Great Inventions.
Though the fitness-focused Tai Chi promoted by the East Wu Alliance in Australia is still but a small flickering candle in the vast universe of global Tai Chi…
Let us support one another, sail forward together with unity of heart, and carefully safeguard this spark as we pass it on.