YuanPu Zheng is a student of Oriental Healing Tai Chi Chuan.  He competed at a national and international competition in the summer of 2001.  He won two bronze medals, including third place Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan (Advance Division - International).  Below is an article he wrote about this competition.

My First Medals

My name is YuanPu Zheng. I am now fifteen years old. I have been practicing Tai Chi Quan with my mother, Caiping Lin, for seven years now. As some might already know, Tai Chi is a very powerful martial art, as well as a healthy routine. It was only within the last couple of years that I started taking it seriously. That devotion finally paid off. In July, 2001, I competed at A Taste of China, a national event devoted to internal martial arts. I placed fourth in Chen Style Tai Chi Quan. Later, in August, I entered the International Wushu Federation Championships. It was the first time I had competed with so many people. It was also the first time I was very proud of myself. In Yang Style Tai Chi, men’s 45 and under advanced division, I came in third place. That is like going to the Olympics Finals.

My mother was taught Tai Chi by a very high level teacher. Despite the fact she was a very good teacher, I didn’t learn what I should have because my intention was elsewhere. When I was very young, I had little idea of how valuable this art was. Because of this ignorance, I put off seriously practicing Tai Chi for some years. It was not until I went to China and met my mother’s teacher that I understood the unlimited potential of this art form. Every morning I woke up around 5:30. The practice would go on for about 2 hours. The temperature usually felt like 100 degrees because it was very humid. That went on for about 2 months. Of course, you would not have to go through this kind of training to get the other benefits of Tai Chi.

Tai Chi is very useful in combat, but that it is beneficial in many other ways. Because Tai Chi focuses on internal energy, it helps to cleanse the body of malignant properties. This energy help to calm the mind and relax the body. It can alleviate disease and allergy. Tai Chi can relieve arthritis and muscle tension as well. I teach senior citizens at a retirement home as a volunteer. I believe Tai Chi can greatly help them. I am still young and I do not have these problems. The health benefit I get from this is simplify feeling much better throughout the day than I would had I not practiced in the morning. In school, I can focus on the tasks at hand. At home I can finished the work from school.

Tai Chi has become increasingly popular in the United States. I have already mentioned a few of the reasons why. If I have interested you about Tai Chi, I encourage you to try it for yourself and see how it may benefit you and your life.