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ABOUT TAI CHI OR T'AI CHI
CH'UAN
This name means "grand ultimate fist." Tai
Chi is one of the oldest martial arts in the world. It is so old
that its origins are lost. Little is known about its early history,
though its foundation is credited to the Taoist Chang San Feng
(Chang Zhangfeng) more than eight hundred years ago. This soft
style originated in China. It consists of slow, connected movements
that are practiced to reduce tension, to slow breathing and to
clear the mind. Moving correctly and allowing the chi to circulate
freely is the goal. Students learn to yield so that the attacker
is overcome by his or her own force. Tai Chi also has weapons,
principally a double-edged straight sword. It is a method for achieving
physical fitness and serenity of mind. It is not ordinarily regarded
as a practical self-defense system, though the movements have self-defense
applications, and practitioners can achieve great power in their
techniques.
In China, it is very popular. It is practiced
by individuals and groups. Chen is the original style, which indicates
to some historians that the Chen family in the Hunan province must
have developed it. Other important schools included Yang, which
developed directly from Chen and is the most widespread; Wu and
Sun, which derived from Yang style, plus Cheng, a more philosophical
version. Fu, practiced mostly in China, is less well-known. Others
include Li, Hao and Hsu.
The
underlying theory of Tai Chi is that the mind, body and spirit
must be unified for wholeness and complete health. Opponents
can be people, but also illness of mental or physical origin.
All must be combatted. The art is practiced alone in forms, and
with partners. The forms include the famous Long Form, which
can take more than half an hour to complete, and the Short Form,
a modified version that can be performed in less than ten minutes.
The principle of yin-yang is important, and a complete understanding
of such harmony is emphasized. Its original concepts are still
intact: it teaches continuous movement, relaxation, solid stances,
a straight body and the movement of chi from inside the body
to outside. Each arm protects half the body and the hands never
reach farther forward than the toes. Tai Chi is one of the five
Chinese accomplishments thought to make a superior person, along
with painting, poetry, calligraphy and music. Breathing exercises
for health, Ji Gong are often taught with Tai Chi. (Taken from
The Martial Arts Encyclopedia by Jennifer Lawler)
ABOUT YANG STYLE TAI-CHI
Courtesy
of The Chung-Hua Institute
Tai-Chi
is one of the most popular martial arts and fitness routines
in the world today. It is sometimes referred to as Chinese shadowboxing,
or slow-motion Kung-Fu. On any given morning, you can find
groups of Tai-Chi players practicing in parks around the world,
especially in areas with a Chinese population. The slow, smooth
motions and considerable benefits of Tai-Chi practice have made
it the "newest" innovation
in health improvement and rehabilitation.
Among the many sub-styles of Tai-Chi (also spelled as T'ai Chi
Ch'uan, Taijiquan, or Taiji), the Yang style is the most widely
practiced and proliferated. However, the traditional Yang style
Tai-Chi is quickly becoming extinct as more and more generations
of new-agers propagate the legacy of a toothless tiger.
The benefits reaped through Tai-Chi training are often hard to
quantify, and sometimes the subject of debate. But there is little
argument that the Tai-Chi training routines offer students and
practitioners a form of exercise unlike any other.
Some of the many documented benefits include:
Lower stress levels
Lower blood pressure
Decreased incidence of fall-related injuries
Improved balance & posture
Increased lower body muscle tone
The mental and strategic benefits of Tai-Chi training have a great
deal to do with the Taoist philosophy from which the art was
born. The wu-wei concept of "yielding" and meeting
force with emptiness makes the psychological side of Tai-Chi
so rich and powerful.
For example, instead of reacting to a co-worker's comments with
hostility and/or anger, a well-trained Tai-Chi practitioner might
simply choose to listen to the comments and answer calmly and rationally,
instead of letting the situation escalate out of control. Many
short-tempered individuals who undertake Tai-Chi training report
that their attitudes change greatly after a few months of regular
training.
Traditional Tai-Chi, or Tai-Chi boxing, is not unlike other traditional
systems of Chinese martial art training, including stancework,
footwork, basic hand and foot techniques, breathing (Chi Kung -
Qigong), sensitivity drills, and powerful martial art application.
An instructor with a full understanding of the intent and spirit
behind Tai-Chi's true martial applications can offer his students
the fullest understanding of its numerous health benefits.
True Tai-Chi is like a well-cut diamond. No matter how many times
you look at it or examine it, it never holds the light in the same
way twice. Each facet gives you a different perspective, a new
and fresh way to enjoy the art.
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