Special Fight The Good Fight
Tai Chi 101: All About This Meditative Martial Art
Slide Nr 1If it seems like you’re seeing Tai Chi mentioned more and more frequently, you’re not mistaken. Health organisations the world over – from the American Parkinson’s Association to global Arthritis Associations and health insurance firms – have all realised the benefits of Tai Chi, and are spreading the word. In Manchester, UK, the city government has offered free Tai Chi lessons to improve citizens’ health, while in Brisbane, Australia, the municipal government has provided free courses for heart attack survivors. The benefits are clear, but what is Tai Chi? Expert Violet Li gives us the rundown.
0/17
Special Fight The Good Fight
Tai Chi 101: All About This Meditative Martial Art.
Slide Nr 2An internal Chinese martial art, Tai Chi (or Taiji) means “the supreme ultimate state of the universe” and is influenced by the two extreme elements of the powerful Yang and the gentle Yin. The idea was inspired by the confluence of the muddy Yellow River and the clear Luo River in China’s Middle Kingdom: the whirlpools formed by the convergence resemble the black and white Tai Chi symbol. The exercise based on the Tai Chi principle is termed Tai Chi Chuan (“fist”), or Tai Chi for short.
1/17
Special Fight The Good Fight
Tai Chi 101: All About This Meditative Martial Art.
Slide Nr 4China has a long history filled with wars and brutality from warlords and outlaws. To protect one’s honour, family, village or dynasty, martial art skills were developed and various schools of practice emerged. 400 years ago, when Ming Dynasty General Chen Wangting retired to his hometown of Chen Village in today’s Henan Province, he adopted the best martial techniques, refined them and infused them with Chinese medicine theory, thus creating Tai Chi.
3/17
Special Fight The Good Fight
Tai Chi 101: All About This Meditative Martial Art.
Slide Nr 5For 200 years, Tai Chi was only taught to men in the Chen family, but word of the secret practice eventually spread. In the 18th century, an enthusiast travelled hundreds of miles to seek out the art and was eventually granted the privilege of learning. Gradually, non-family members and women were also accepted. [Grandmaster Chen Zhenglei, Photo by Zhao Yan]
4/17
Special Fight The Good Fight
Tai Chi 101: All About This Meditative Martial Art.
Slide Nr 7Tai Chi has two sides: healing power and martial art prowess. These dual aspects are tightly coupled. Most Tai Chi manoeuvres are designed for self-defence by softening or redirecting the enemy’s assault or controlling an attacker by his joints. They also promote balance, good posture, mental quietness and the integration of body and mind.
6/17
Special Fight The Good Fight
Tai Chi 101: All About This Meditative Martial Art.
Slide Nr 8Each Tai Chi style has several forms, some are barehanded while others feature weapons like a straight sword. Hundreds of forms exist, but have no fear: according to The Harvard Medical School Guide to Tai Chi, you only need to practice 5 movements consistently to realise health benefits. You can also study multiple forms to explore its abundance and enjoy the fun of the art. [Grandmaster Chen Zhenglei, Photo by Zhao Yan]
7/17
Special Fight The Good Fight
Tai Chi 101: All About This Meditative Martial Art.
Slide Nr 10No equipment is needed. You can wear Lululemon-style athletic clothes to practice Tai Chi, but you don’t have to. You can practice Tai Chi in most casual clothing and wear any sensible shoes. You can practice it in a gym, out in the park, on a mountaintop, by the ocean, in a hotel room – even on an airplane or in a chair. Tai Chi is totally portable.
9/17
Special Fight The Good Fight
Tai Chi 101: All About This Meditative Martial Art.
Slide Nr 11After a long session of aerobic exercise, some people experience a “runner’s high”. With Tai Chi practice, some feel euphoria. This effect was explained by Dr. Herbert Benson in his 1975 book The Relaxation Response: during Tai Chi practice with continuous Yin and Yang movement transitioning, the brain can easily slip into theta waves or a meditative state. Scientists have long recognised Tai Chi as “meditation in motion”. [Master Juan Chen, Photo by Zhao Yan]
10/17
Special Fight The Good Fight
Tai Chi 101: All About This Meditative Martial Art.
Slide Nr 13Seemingly extremely easy, Tai Chi can be challenging to learn correctly; mimicking the movements without the comprehension of Tai Chi fundamentals can be futile. A knowledgeable instructor not only teaches you how to move the arms and legs properly, but also guides you in the essential rules. Getting feedback from an instructor is crucial to ensuring that you’re doing it right. If teaching resources are not available in your area, a remote lesson with an experienced instructor via Skype is an option. [International Tai Chi Symposium. Photo by Violet Li]
12/17
Special Fight The Good Fight
Tai Chi 101: All About This Meditative Martial Art.
Slide Nr 14There is no standard instructor certification outside of China, but you can ask the instructor about his/her lineage, experience and possibly a reference. Keep in mind that, just as an individual with a PhD degree does not necessarily make a good professor, a Tai Chi champion may not know how to teach. Your best option is to audit a class or two before signing up. [Sifu Ren-Gang Wang. Photo by Andrew Menan]
13/17
Special Fight The Good Fight
Tai Chi 101: All About This Meditative Martial Art.
Slide Nr 16Tai Chi is accessible to people of all ages and physical conditions. My youngest student is 7 and the oldest is 105. In Croatia, the National Paraplegics and Tetraplegics Association has hosted successful Tai Chi programmes for its members. Additionally, some Alzheimer’s patients have exhibited a great ability to follow the complicated movements. [Photo: Cora Luecke]
15/17
Special Fight The Good Fight
Tai Chi 101: All About This Meditative Martial Art.
Slide Nr 17I’m often asked, “How frequently should one practice Tai Chi for it be effective?” Scientific studies suggest exercising Tai Chi 3 or 4 times a week with either 40- or 60-minute sessions. However, you can practice Tai Chi daily without worrying about muscle fatigue, and put your mind and body in a peaceful and blissful state.
16/17
Special Fight The Good Fight
Tai Chi 101: All About This Meditative Martial Art.
Slide Nr 18Violet Li is a 12th-generation Chen Inheritor and a disciple of Grandmaster Chen Zhenglei. Not just an expert practitioner, Violet is a strong voice in the Tai Chi community as a regular columnist for prominent Chinese Martial Arts magazine Chinese Wushu, a contributor to Kung Fu Tai Chi Magazine, the largest English-language magazine in the field, as well as publisher of popular Tai Chi website VioletLiTaiChi.com. She has been named “Best Reporter” by the “World Congress of Tai Chi, Qigong & TCM” and “Tai Chi Gala”. #staysafe #stayathome #selfisolation
17/17
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.