一位德國朋友的來信

前陣子去參加慕尼黑日本文化節的活動時意外認識了一對老夫妻。兩個人大約都快 70 歲了。不過身體看起來還算硬朗。

由於我的德文還不夠好，只能用英文跟他們聊天，聊著聊著就聊到太極拳上去了。老先生聽了後很有興趣，問我那裏有老師在教太極拳。這問題誠如歐師所言，到國外每三個中國人就有兩個中國人說自己會太極拳，而他到國外從沒看過有一個人真的會太極拳。所以我只能跟他說，我或許可以教他一點基本功。

花了大概一個多月就把基本功給教完了。沒想到上星期他很開心的跟我說，他發現他身體有改善。注意力無法集中的毛病改善了。睡眠時間比他老婆少了(之前都是老婆叫他起床，現在竟然是他起床還看到老婆在睡覺)。70 歲的老人家讓他下去練基本功竟然能有這様的改善實屬不易。也希望他能持續下去。

以下是他寫給我的 email，他本身是瑞典人，娶的是德國老婆婆。所以英文的功力沒那麼好，但我想也足以表達出練了基本功後身體的進步了。

Hello Chi Ming ,

You asked me to write you and your Friends in Taiwan my impressions from my Tai Chi & Exercises

You have taught me weekly since mid July and I exercise every 2 days for totala 3/4 of an hour.

I am in 2011 , 70 years feel often too tired, and have worked in several German Companies as a Manager to help foreign Companies -with start up in Germany( Automotive,Banking, Environment)

TAi Chi - this is my experince - in one month

- There are often good and less good days concerning my body and soul
but generally in this short time... I feel already better in these aeras:

- in the medium time run I am less tired than before- this is partly still my main problem but now I have good Hope

- my muscles and the bone joints get step by step stronger, my weight is down a little, and I have slowly-also a better physical &
psychological endurance also is my mentality now more relaxed an positive than before Tai Chi

- the fact that I with Diciplin regularly -in the same time -and in slow motion can get better in Tai Chi
& can exercise my body + relax and train my - mental powers - is very fine and important to me

-the daily fight for a clear healthy good goal is important, especially when peope like me - are in a higher age level

All - Thanks to you Chi Ming - we all world wide must succeed better in finding - good Balance -

best regards also to your wife and daughter from Michael.