Malibu residents learn the ancient Chinese form of martial arts, t’ai chi ch’uan.
By Melonie Magruder / Special to The Malibu Times
On a crisp weekday morning, a group of about 20 Malibu residents, mostly past retirement age, gather in a small room in the community center at Bluffs Park to practice t’ai chi ch’uan, the ancient Chinese form of martial arts known literally as “supreme ultimate fist.”
Led by Malibu local Mindy Panunzio, the students move though the different poses in a measured and graceful dance, as if the lightening speed of a Bruce Lee kung fu scene had been slowed down from 78 revolutions per minute to 33 and a third.
“T’ai chi is not like karate, a martial art form of external force,” Panunzio explained. “It is a soft, internal style. T’ai chi is a sort of moving meditation that promotes health and longevity.”
Panunzio practices commercial property and real estate law. She found t’ai chi many years ago. “I was a student at Rutgers back in the early ’70s and found my first t’ai chi master. Jou Tsung Hwa had just emigrated from Taiwan and he came to study advanced mathematics there.”
It was a dangerous time to travel out of China and Panunzio was drawn to Hwa’s determination and to the daily practice of this art, then relatively unknown in the U.S.
“He offered classes to anyone who wanted to learn, free of charge,” Panunzio said. “I found this whole mind-body thing, and Master Jou ended up curing many people of various illnesses through t’ai chi practice.”
Hwa eventually published the definitive book introducing America to the art, “The Dao of T’ai Chi Chuan.”
“I was into t’ai chi in a big way back then,” Panunzio said. “Remember that this was coming out of the turmoil of the ’60s.”
Finding a way to focus mind and body in a harmonious and peaceful balance had a strong appeal, she said.
“Of course, then I went to law school and sort of dropped regular practice for a while, but it was always a part of my life in some way.”
Panunzio has long been aware of the undeniable health benefits for practitioners of t’ai chi.
“The National Institute of Health did a study back in the early ’90s, comparing t’ai chi to other exercise programs for seniors,” she said. “They found that t’ai chi reduced the rate of falls in elderly people by 50 percent.”
A few years ago, Panunzio invited her neighbor, Lottie Cherin to practice with her in the mornings, and now Cherin is an enthusiastic proponent and one of her assistants in the t’ai chi classes held at Bluffs Park.
“One of the first things you notice after learning t’ai chi is that it stabilizes your balance in the most wonderful way,” Cherin said. “It’s like you relate to the ground differently
“T’ai chi is recommended for people with severe physical limitations, such as recovering stroke victims,” she added. “Unlike some of the more aggressive martial arts, t’ai chi works on your internal energy through all the connective tissue, ligaments and little muscles of your body.”
Cherin compared the effects of t’ai chi to the structure of a geodesic dome: “You know how they have all those different, connecting parts to make up the harmonious whole? With breathing and weight distribution, that’s what t’ai chi’s like. You pull one little part and it affects everything.”
Panunzio recently teamed up with a t’ai chi master in teaching her classes. Su Zifang was named one of China’s 100 best martial arts practitioners and coaches the Olympic team of Singapore.
“Master Su taught us a fan form of t’ai chi that will be introduced at the Olympics in Beijing,” Panunzio said. “She has received so many awards and medals in her 45 years of practice that it is a great honor to work with her.”
Zifang’s son, Yun Zhao, a business graduate of USC, practices t’ai chi as well.
“Two weeks ago at the Asian Games, her student from Singapore took third place,” he said. “China has always won all the t’ai chi events so we are very proud of her.”
Zifang will be returning to Malibu to teach more classes in the spring and Panunzio said her classes are open to anyone interested, free of charge.
“I don’t charge anything for my classes,” she said. “In honor of the memory of my first master, Jou.”
Panunzio’s t’ai chi classes will take place every Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. at the Bluffs Park Community Center, beginning Jan. 9. There is a $2 charge from the city for use of the facility.