David Calebretta begins his t’ai chi classes by passing out handfuls of dark chocolate chips. There’s no official connection between the Chinese martial art and chocolate, but Calebretta likes breaking the ice with his students in a tasty way.

Practicing t’ai chi and teaching it means having fun along the way. Calebretta often lets out a hearty laugh or two while directing his students during class at the Whitefish Community Center.

He moves through the slow movements and asking his students to perform actions like shooting an imaginary bow and arrow. He demonstrates the movements and repeats the instructions slowly.

“We’ll do this 1,000 times and then you’ll have it,” he says with a laugh.

Then more seriously, he adds “Everybody starts the same way. Nobody knows what they are doing.”

Calebretta began teaching t’ai chi at the community center last month. He started with a Monday session, but has now added a second session on Fridays. Classes start at 12:30 p.m. and last about an hour.

Calebretta teaches t’ai chi all over the Flathead Valley, including at The Wave and to seniors at residential care homes.

T’ai chi is an ancient exercise focused on natural and gentle flowing movements for health and fitness. Students must focus on breathing and technique.

For the 63-year-old, the martial art came along at a time in his life he had a back injury. He didn’t want to take pain pills so he began practicing t’ai chi three times per day and began to feel better.

Now, he shares his experience with others. He has observed his own students, who are often in the over-50 crowd, have improvements in balance, movement and hand-eye coordination.

“I teach it to Alzheimer’s patients and they follow along wonderfully,” he said. “Some sit in chairs and do it. People can do it without hurting themselves and it’s therapeutic.”

T’ai chi, Calebretta says, can also be a great way to de-stress. The marital art is often practiced on the beach or near water — the slow flowing movements often mimic the flow of water.

While directing his students through t’ai chi movements, Calebretta often offers suggestions for those that might not be as agile or flexible. If lifting their arms above the head isn’t an option, he directs his students to lift them as high as possible. Or when Calebretta makes a movement that requires a kick, he suggests his students simply lift their foot off the ground or even just raising up their heel while keeping their toes touching the ground.

“Whether you do it right or wrong following the instructor, as long as you are standing and breathing you’re doing it right,” he tells his students.

For more information on the t’ai chi class, call the community center at 862-4923.