Gnoun Gech slow but good for health
Tuesday, October 30, 2007 - by seiha
“Yi e san si ou....” is a song come from a small cassette player while a group of old people does exercise in front of the royal palace in the dawn. They move their body slowly in accordance with the song. Sometime they raise their hands to the left, and sometime to the right.
An old lady, Iem Gech who is the senior in the group, said that they are practicing Gnoun Gech tactic. “That the tactic is a slow one fit with the old people like us”, said the old lady. There are 8 parts of the tactic most of which are slow but make us feel comfortable. “Practicing this, we don’t need to exercise too much force like and other Malay Dance or other Gong Fu that hurt old people like us”, she said. Doing this everyday makes them healthy; even though they are old.
She added that they come to do the exercise there everyday at 5:30 to 6:30 AM after a group of men finishes their exercise. Now, in her group there are about 30 persons most of who are Khmer-Chinese. However, she said that all nations can come to exercise there with them. They can guide her/him. Everyone have to pay 3000 riels each month for the price of cassette player battery and the fee of Ms Iem Gech travel and bring cassette player. Some of the remains are saved for allocating the Buddha status in pagoda and for visiting their friends who are ill.
This year, Ms. Iem Gech is 63 years old but she looks like a 50 year-old person. She said that, “ I exercise here for 8 years. At first, there is no difficulty, but I am shy with other persons. Now, I am not anymore.” At that time, they were coached by Mr. Laing, Khmer-Chinese. She can instruct them only for 3 years since she have to move to new house next to Olypic Stadium. Since then, Iem Gech has become a coach for other students and she has never missed to do the exercise there at all; although, now most of them know the tactic well.
Ms. Seng Ki Ieng, coming to do exercise everyday, said that she learns Gnoun Gech because it is slow, no need to use much force, and it does not affect to her simmering ill leg. Related to the asking about her feeling after learning it, she said that, “it is similar to the ill person recovering since it makes us feel comfortable.”
Within this, Mr. Kim Nhoung, 63, said that he has been learning Gnoun Gech there for 7 years since he had a pale face owing to the heart attack. But now he is better. Carrying a handkerchief to wash his face, he added that, “ I always come to train Gnoun Gech every morning; otherwise, I don’t feel comfortable in any way.” He love Gnoun Gech more any other tactic and dance.
