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As a Chinese PD, I'd like to share with you my thought on Tai-chi
and Qui-Kong (sp ?)
As mentioned in this group before, Tai-chi is a slow moving Kung-
Fu. I learned some of it when I was in college, the basic is that you
control your breath with the movement.
The reason that it helps to prevent the fall is it teaches you to
control your center of gravity. For instance, when you move
forward, you don't move your whole center of gravity all at once.
 Actually, the leg moves forward does not bear any your body
 weight to start with. Only after the foot has come to a desired
position that you start to shift your C of G slowly forward.
In Kung-fu fighting, the best position is to have 30% of your weight
on the front leg and 70% on the back with separation of one to one-
half shoulder length.
This is called "3-7 step" and provide with most stability.
So if you don't have any access to Tai-chi class or book, always
think of your center of gravity when moving or walking.
 Don't rush your body into the direction of moving, rather hold the
center back and gradually shift it forward until you reach another
stable state.
The breath help you concentrate. I heard there are problems with
knees for PD suffers. I believe the reason is the same.
Since most PD starting from one side, we tend to lean too much on
the other side in the beginning. When we get up from a chair we
need to shift body forward.
Normally, two knees share the burden but when one side is weak,
we tend to put too much weight on the other.
The solution again is to move the center of gravity slowly until both
knees share about same amount of weight before exerting the
motion of getting up.
Qui-kong is a form of mediation but again concentrate on
abdominal breath.
But I found it is getting more difficult to control my diaphragm
because of PD but mediation do help relieve the stress and
frustration.
Sorry for talking so long.
Liangshiu Lee