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In 1980 Cathi Knauf graduated
from Northern Michigan University with a Bachelors of Science in Nursing.
After practicing as an RN for several years, she and her family began their
trek throughout the Midwest because of her husband's employment with
IBM.. Always interested in sports and exercise, she
participated in different exercise programs from jogging to the "No Pain No
Gain" aerobics of the time to Jazzercise to a sports physiotherapist run aerobics program
(which was by far the best of all the programs up until that point).
Nothing really fit nor did she ever feel "rested or energized" after
exercising.
Along the way she noticed that
fatigue and pain were increasing and in 2000 she was diagnosed with
osteoarthritis of the neck and went for physical therapy. The exercises were
not relieving the generalized pain and finally in 2002 she was diagnosed
with Fibromyalgia by
a rheumatologist .
Her doctor recommended
swimming, and her massage therapist and a DO who did spinal
manipulations suggested alternative exercise such as Tai Chi. While classes
were unavailable she found a few articles in magazines and on the Internet
and began simple breathing exercises and Qigong movements.
A couple years
later she enrolled in her first Tai
Chi class in Escanaba Michigan. Within three weeks of daily Tai Chi practice her massage
therapist was amazed at how fast her muscles were releasing the tension
during therapy.
That summer she was able to take a class in Yang 37 Tai Chi in Central Park
NYC, and found out there was much more to learn.
She quickly
picked up on Tai Chi through other teachers including classes in New York
and Tucson AZ (Jeff Zauder, senior student WM C C Chen) and began to
instruct her Tai Chi group on the Yang 108 Long Form. In 2006 she seized the
opportunity to attend training classes with Tai Chi for Health
Institute Dr. Paul Lam of Sydney, Australia.
She was nominated
as a Senior trainer in 2011 and completed the Master Trainer requirements in
January 2015 studying in Sydney Australia with Dr, Lam and his MT
colleagues.
Cathi continues
her studies in TCA, seated TCA, TCA for Fall Prevention, TC for Rehab,
TC Energy, TCDiabetes, TC Beginners, Sun 73, 42 Combined, Yang 24, Yang 37,
Yang 40, Yang 32 and 42 Sword Form, a variety of qigong including Chinese Soaring Crane Qigong,
acupressure , and Tai Chi Fundamentals .
She is also
certified in basic first aid and CPR. Cathi is a member Tai Chi for Health
Community and past-partner with the
Exercise Alliance of Michigan Arthritis Foundation since 2006-2012. She was
involved in Scouting for over 10 years as a
Scout leader, Boy/Cub Scout Leader Trainer, Council Trainer and Board
Member, and as a
Cub Scout Camp Director.
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