CNN Health Article -  Tai Chi can help Fibromyalgia.

Fibromyalgia? Try Tai Chi

“Doctors often recommend exercise for patients with fibromyalgia, but the chronic pain and fatigue associated with the condition can make activities like running and swimming difficult.

Tai chi — a slow, meditative martial art — may be an effective alternative, a new study suggests.

Fibromyalgia patients who took tai chi classes twice a week for three months experienced less pain, stiffness, and fatigue than a control group that attended lifestyle education and stretching sessions, according to the study, which was published in the New England Journal of Medicine.”

Read the full article.

Excellent article!

Time	July 23 at 5:30pm – July 24 at 5:30pm
Location	Fargo, North Dakota
Created By	Winnipeg Plum Blossom Martial Arts Academy
More Info	There will be a friendship Meeting and Training between the Winnipeg and Minneapolis Plum Blossom schools in Fargo, North Dakota. This event will promote sharing and learning between the several groups. Students and instructors will have an opportunity to socialize and train with …fellow Plum Blossom members. The format will be set as a CAMPING/TENTING event. However if you wish to book a local motel, there are a variety to choose from in a very close vicinity. More details will be posted soon. Contact this group for more information.

End of Year BBQ for Students & Friends

Date:	Thursday, June 24, 2010
Time:	6:00pm – 9:00pm
Location:	St.Vital Park – Summer Shelter Area next to the Soccer field

This is it! It is our final event of the year. We are holding our 10th annual Year End Club BBQ. Everyone is invited and we encourage you to bring your family and friends. It will be an event not to be missed!There will be great food, with fun games and prizes.

This year’s BBQ will not be the usual potluck format. Instead this year’s BBQ will serve as a fundraiser for a student who is currently in the hospital and in need of our support.

As a school we truly believe in the traditional philosophy of “Wu-De” – helping each other like a family when there is a need. We will accept any reasonable cash donations, for a choice of Hot Dogs or Hamburgers, chips, canned drink. If anyone is willing to donate a side dish or desert, that we could offer, we would be more than happy to accept any contributions.

Please join us for an early evening of fun, games and food in support of one of our “family”. RSVP as soon as possible! Absolute deadline is June 15th to allow us to plan for food amounts.

Also, Check out our FACEBOOK page for more details.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/group.php?gid=2347558037

Plum Blossom Tournament Results form them Winnipeg MOD Open Tournament

Plum Blossom students attended the annual MOD tournament and took the gold in many categories. Congrats to the students than trained hard, and prepared well for the event.

Here are the results:

Jared T.   1st Forms

Misha V.  3rd Forms

Steven B.   1st Forms

Chase S.  3rd Weapons

Taylor C.  3rd Continuous Sparring

Jesse P.  1st Black Belt Forms,  3rd Black Belt Weapons

Nelson Y.  1st Advanced Forms,  1st Advanced Weapons

Great Job everybody!  Train hard and we will be back next year.

REMINDER – NO CLASSES SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2010 – Long Weekend Protocol

Happy Chinese New Year Everyone! Stay tuned for pictures of our celebration coming real soon!

TAI CHI RANK TESTING – JANAURY 14, 2010

Congratulations to  Loree and her son Bruce Conan on advancing to Beginner Level 1 – White Fringe  in the Tai Chi program.  Keep up the great work!

St. James Continuing Ed. Evening Tai Chi Classes to start January,2010

The 8 week Beginner/ Introduction to Tai Chi classes will start it’s second sessionon January 11, 2010.  Classes will  be held Monday and Wednesday evening,  5:00 to 6:00 pm at Strathmillan Elementary School. Interested participants must register thru the St. James- Assiniboia Continuing Education Office:                                                                In person: 470 Hamilton Avenue  or Phone (204) 832-9637

Our 2009 Christmas Pot Luck

We wish everyone a loving and peaceful Holiday Season and all the best for a safe and happy  New Year !

It has been another fantastic year at the Winnipeg Plum Blossom Kwoon.  Rest up, eat lots of Choy Li “Fat” and we will see you all in 2010!   Classes will resume the week of January 4th.

DECEMBER  TAI CHI RANKING

Congratulations to all the Tai Chi students that challenged themselves and moved forward in the Tai Chi cirriculum.

Jack “Frank” M.  Yellow Fringe             Brenda A.  – Yellow Fringe           Jo-Anne W. – White Fringe

Gillian G. – White Fringe                           Merle F. -   White Fringe

DECEMBER  5TH KUNG FU BELT RANKING RESULTS

Congratulations to the following students on a job well done in their ranking advancements!

ADULT  KUNG FU

Dai Sihing Jesse Price – Brown

Sihing Nelson Yung-Red

Sihing Gordon Yung  – Red

Dai Sijay Mira Salter – Purple

Sihing  Donovan Salter -Purple

Zac Uminski – Yellow

Tristan Sampson – Yellow

Murphy Monzcka   – Yellow

KIDS  KUNG FU

Austin DuCroix – Blue

Breanna Hofley – Orange

Jared Tu- Yellow

Riel Lewer – Yellow

Taryn Sampson – White

Misha Vasilchenko – White

BUSHIDO KAI – FOR WOMEN ONLY TOURNAMENT – NOV 28/2009

The Women’s  team, coached by Simo Peggy and Sifu Les attended the inaugural WOMEN’s ONLY tournament today,

sponsored by the Bushido Kai Dojo.   The team – Senior ranking student, Mira Salter, Intermediate ranking students Effie Monson and Tammy Bridgelall, and first time competitors Vicki Enns, Sarah Inglis, Breanna Hofley and Carly Frazer trained  hard these past 6 weeks and this really paid off.

The team did extremely well, winning awards in most divisions entered.  Congratulations to Tammy Bridgelall who placed 1st in the Intermediate Division and to Effie Monson who placed 3rd.  Breanna Hofley took 1st place in the 10 -11 yr. Beginner division with Carly Frazer placing 3rd.   After being away from the competitor end of these tournaments for some time, it was great to see Tai Simo Peggy training hard alongside the team,competing in the Instructor Black Belt Division…..AND WIN  1st !!!!!! Congrats Simo Peggy, and your team.

These past 6 weeks of intense preparation for this tournament provided a excellent moral and team building spirit! A

NEXT  RANK TESTING – SATURDAY, MARCH 27, 2010

Testing Time: 10:00 am   SHARP!

Testing will be for ALL Ranks in Tai Chi, and Kung Fu.

Students   MUST have  received a testing invitation to do so.  If you have not  received your invitation  by 2 weeks prior to testing, contact Tai Simo Peggy ASAP.

NOTICE OF CANCELED CLASSES FOR 2010

Please note these canceled classes:

Long Weekend Cancellation Saturday, February 13, 2010

Dakota Spring Registration Week
March 2, 4  & 6, 2010

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Tuesday,March 30, 2010

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Annual Christmas Wind-Up and Pot Luck Party

Tuesday,December 15, 2009 6:00 pm.   The party usually finishes when the either food runs out or the Karaoke singers get tired.

This year will have some kung fu surprises and many of our favorite dishes, like SiHing Nelson’s FAMOUS boneless stuffed chicken legs, Tai Sifu’s Chili Surprise, Anessa’s Spring Rolls, SiHing Murray’s Pistachio Cake and a wide assortment of many other cultural surprises.

UPCOMING TOURNAMENT DATES for 2009-2010

November 28,2010

Bushido Kai Women’s Only Tournament

February 20,2010

TK Taekwondo Tournament – Selkirk, Manitoba

March 6, 2010

Sikaran Championships

March 27, 2010

Kenora Can Te Open Tournament -  Kenora, ON

April 24, 2010

Bae’s Open Martial Arts Tournament- St. John’s High  School, (Church Street  &  Salter Ave.)

June 5, 2010

Plum Blossom For Kids Only Annual Tournament

Great Grandmaster Wong Gong Seminar – San Diego – 2009

Our members attended the annual seminar series, hosted by the Plum Blossom Headquarters school in California. This year’s annual seminar series was very special, as it was taught by OUR VERY OWN Great Grandmaster Wong Gong.

This year the seminar topics were:

Wind and Fire Wheels Of Choy Li Fut (an extremely rare twin weapon set, rarely ever taught)

The Sabre and Bamboo Shield set from Choy Li Fut

Whip Chain and Saber set (another unusual twin weapon set requiring tremendous dexterity)

We have already planned for next year’s activities. Luck willing, Great Grandmaster has said he will return next year also, to impart more knowledge to the lucky students.

See ya there next year!!!