World Cup Tournament Report 2025

 

                                     World Cup Tournament Report 2025

 

We are very grateful that our school Tai Chi and Qi Gong with Fang Association was selected as a Federation branch designated as Tai Chi Federation USA Massachusetts. Our master, Fang Chih Lee, has been operating her school since 2001. Her home base is in Plymouth, Massachusetts with other classes in town and other locations.

Our World Cup participation began in 2014 and has continued through 2025. This year we competed in two forms: Yi-Jian Chuan and Designated Routine Push Hands. Our registered competitors were awarded six international gold medals. We are very grateful for the judges’ professionalism and the Tournament’s smooth organization of events. Two members were also awarded gold medals for their ages, 80 and 86, for a total of eight.  Altogether our team included ten members.

Of course, our team’s success stands as a prime memory, but the flow of events over the Tournaments’ two days revealed excellent organization showing precise  preparation and execution. Adding to this smoothness was the atmosphere in which participating competitors and teams showed their “tai chi hearts” to each other. This comradery was clearly evident during the opening ceremony with 460 joining in a performance of the Yi-Jian form and the gathering for the post Tournament dinner.

We had three team members attending the three-day judges’ seminar. In the past such participants received certificates for their attendance. This year they received nothing, though they praised the speakers and the overall program. There was confusion about the certificates among people who had no intention of becoming judges but expected to learn new rules and know as much information as we can and get some documentation certifying their attendance. During this seminar judges need five degrees. We agree.

We recommend:

(1) the seminar makes clear the mission statemen and avoids confusion

(2) that participants receive written documentation of their full attendance which they will understand is not certification of judgeship.

(3) the degree tests maintain consistent standards and procedures for advancement from one level to the next.

 In conclusion, we thank the World Cup Federation for creating this excellent global event.