Tai chi harnesses body's energy flow for health, healing

SANDPOINT — It was the explosion that brought Mark Duffner to an ancient Chinese martial art.

The explosion was in his back, the result of two ballooned discs.

After cortisone injections and the required rest, Duffner went looking for a solution that did not include surgery.

He considered exercise routines and meditative techniques until he struck on a Chinese art the name of which translates into extreme ultimate fighting.

“Tai chi was more where my mental state was,” Duffner said.

Instead of the fighting art, though, he sought out the lighter side of the instruction.

Duffner took tai chi lessons at a local fitness center for a couple years before realizing its benefits. Then he went looking for more.

Duffner, a certified instructor, teaches tai chi at the Black Bear Tang Soo Do Karate Studio at 114 South Boyer Ave.

The tai chi he teaches is an internal art, he says, rather than an external art. Internal martial arts focus on the body’s energy flow and inner connectedness instead of power and speed.

It stimulates the body to release stress, improves flexibility and coordination, stimulates healing and helps manage pain, he said.

For a 49-year-old whose past sporting endeavors left him with a broken collar bone and two replaced knees, Duffner said tai chi fits the bill.

That is why he continued studying and learning. He is enrolled in a school in Spokane where he attends twice per week.

“I started to geek out about it,” he said. “I’m like a born-again tai chi guy.”

Tai chi has helped him manage pain and maintain flexibility, he said.

“I can still do stuff without wrecking myself,” he said. “To me that is a great benefit.”

Duffner’s classes start today, July 1, from 5:15 to 6:15 p.m.

Tuesday classes are from noon to 1 p.m. and Thursday evening classes are from 5:15 p.m. to 6:15 p.m.

He plans a public demonstration and a free class, Saturday, at the center from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Duffner, who lives in Careywood with his wife, Jeanne, uses tai chi to supplement other sports like telemark skiing and biking.

“It’s great for athletes,” he said. “They can achieve better physical efficiency, basically.”