English

'Give yourself a chance for a new experience'

Personally, I would not use the term "racket" for it, because it has a function of catching, and therefore a "Catcher" would be more appropriate. The name I gave to it is a " Roliball Catcher".

In the time of developing the game, Bai Rong saw that the movements were similar to these that he learned by Tai Chi Quan - the moves were unending, in spiral and round forms, in the same way as the human body or the micro and the macro cosmos are made out of spirals.  During the meetings I had with Prof. Bai Rong in China and also in Europe, I was privileged to see the way in which he works. It is not just the ball and the racket, it is somewhat more than that. Everyone can move.  The important thing is why you move. To see a Dao person doing his movements or to watch moves on the television in the West is different. In the West, many focus on the outside. In the East, one looks more to the inside of things. Chinese people are known because of acupuncture. The yellow emperor had many doctors, who could stay with him as long they self not got ill. As long as they stayed healthy, they were trustworthy in his eyes. In the past, in China, the study of nature was essentially important. You can learn from nature the way to go on in your life.  Once, a man said that nature does not lie, but a man can lie, which made me realise that a Westerner looks different at things than someone who comes out of the East. Why did it start it in China and not in Europe?

Roliball developed and resulted in an official sport in China in 1994.
Prof. Bai Rong was looking for a way to have Roliball further developed in Europe, eventually finding, in 2004, contact with Chinese people in Germany who wanted to help him to pass his ideas on. At this point, the name Taiji Bailong Ball  came into existence. The professor did not want to use his own name and it was agreed together with Prof. Bai Rong to call Taiji Bailong Ball , which contains just a part of his name. The translation of Taiji Bailong Ball in English is Taiji White Dragon. The white colour in China is the Colour of the West. The Dragon represents the Chinese Nation.  What the East misses - lives in the West, and what the West misses - lives in the East. It is a way of working together that comes from balance and is granted by nature. For me it had a strange feeling. I was one of the few that came from outside China in 2012 in Jinzhong. I felt that the name Roliball fitted and have been a supporter to change the name in Europe.


Now in 2016 more people start to use the name Roliball which contains the essence of the play. Ro being soft. Li being strength. In a soft, relaxed but stretched way to pass on the strength of the ball by rotating the body strength. It feels a better way for me to use a racket and ball more in a natural way.

Next to it, the first group European people went to China in 2005 to become the first certificated Trainers in Europe. All of them were taught by Prof. Bai Rong. Since then, people from different countries have been visiting China and the parks, were next to Tai Chi Chuan, Qi Gong and other sports, people were also playing Taiji Rouli qui. Nowerdays Roliball is growing in many countries around the world.

Jonn van Schoot 2004 Weilburg, Germany.

I met Prof. Bai Rong for the first time during a Health Congress, in the end 2004, in Weilburg, Germany. He gave me the first lessons and afterwards, I have been trying to practice on my own. In 2005, I went for the first time in my life to China, where I met various people, among them people who were doing Dao movements and I was amazed. Even on my flight there, on the airplane, I saw people who took good care of their body and did health movements to be fit during the long flight. In China, I saw people in the parks, not lying down, but doing movements to prevent themselves from becoming ill.
The theory that Prof. Bai Rong has with this new way of moving is moving in a natural way.    

Prof. Bai Rong (on the left) and Jonn van Schoot (on the right). Guangzhou 2007, China.

I have been to Guangzhou, in December 2007. It was during the Roliball tournament were I witnessed and played during this games. There were different kinds of nicely dressed people with tai chi rackets playing in synchronic play.

Jonn van Schoot and his Ukraine partner in Guangzhou, China, December 2007, Synchronic play.

and on a Chinese way. I've played both solo and in a demonstration play where Prof. Bai Rong and I played together with two different Chinese men.

 
Prof.Bai Rong (on the left) with partner and Jonn van Schoot on the left with partner, Guangzhou, China 2007. 

Many different colours of costumes from different parts of the country of China were present - from Beijing, Hong Kong and many more. Japan was also present. I spoke approximately to five hundred people and also thanked Prof. Bai Rong for his invitation of the Europeans to participate in this Chinese Championships. All countries had a sign with the country's name on it. Two delegates from two European countries - the Netherlands and Ukraine represented the West in the East.

Irina, Ukraine (left) and Jonn van Schoot, Netherlands (on the right) Guangzhou, China 2007.

I hope that in the future more countries can participate in such an event. I feel that the way of moving of Roliball is a call from the future to make you ready for what is yet to come. It is more than just getting healthy.

Prof. Bai Rong dreams that one day Roliball will become an Olympic sport.

Please don’t copy this. These are the words that I choose. If you only copy from others, then your life is wasted. Life is short in your equipment, use it well and don’t try to be another, be yourself.