Tai Chi Chuan
What is Tai Chi
Chuan?
Tai Chi Chuan is a Chinese martial art form of exercise with its roots developed from Taoism, one of China's oldest belief systems. The practise of Tai Chi Chuan is very beneficial for health and it is also a subtle, sophisticated and scientific method of self defence. The martial art has evolved over the years into an effective means of alleviating stress and anxiety and it has been considered to be a form of 'meditation in motion' which promotes serenity and inner peace.
The term Tai Chi refers to the ancient Taoist philosophy, of the interplay between the two forces of yin and yang or stillness and movement, night and day, light and dark, hot and cold etc and is depicted in the ancient (tai chi) or yin yang symbol. The term "tai chi chuan" translates to "supreme ultimate fist" or "boundless fist". Tai Chi is safe for people of all ages as it does not put too much stress on the muscles and joints. In addition to being safe,
Tai Chi is also inexpensive as it does not require any
specific equipment. It can be practiced either in a group or
alone.
The
philosophical concept of Tai Chi goes back to the beginning of
written Chinese history from Taoism and Confucianism. The founder
of Tai Chi Chuan however is believed to be a Taoist priest called
Zhang Sanfeng, who was claimed to be a well accomplished martial
artist in the harder Shaolin styles and also an acupuncturist and
well practised in Traditional Chinese Medicine and the art of Dim
Mak or the 'pressing of points' so its no surprise then that the
martial art of Tai Chi Chuan has within its repetoire vital point
striking, punches, kicks, throws, sweeps, slaps, finger jabs, and
much much more!
Tai Chi, as it is mainly practiced in the west today, can perhaps best be thought of as a moving form of meditation. There are a number of forms or patterns which consist of a sequence of movements. these movements are originally derived from the martial arts (and perhaps even more ancestrally than that, from the natural movements of animals. They are performed in Tai Chi slowly, softly and gracefully with smooth and even transitions between them.
For many practitioners the focus in doing them is not, first and foremost martial, but as a meditative exercise for relaxing the body. For others the combat aspects of Tai Chi are of considerable interest. In Chinese philosophy and medicine there exists the concept of 'chi', the vital force that animates and nourishes the body. One of the aims of Tai Chi is to promote the circulation of chi within the body, the belief being that by doing so the health and vitality of the person are enhanced. Chi circulates in meridians that are closely related to the nervous system and are closely connected with that of the practice of acupuncture and other oriental healing arts.
Another aim of Tai Chi is to calm the mind, Learning to do the movements correctly provides a practical avenue for learning about balance, body alignment, fine-scale motor control, rhythm of movement, the genesis of movement from the body's vital centre, and so on. Thus the practice of Tai Chi can contribute to being able to better stand, walk, move, run, to carry out everyday activities. Many practitioners notice benefits in terms of correcting poor posture, alignment or movement patterns which can contribute to tension or injury. Furthermore the meditative nature of the exercises is calming and relaxing in itself.
Tai Chi is a martial art of
the mind -body and spirit and practicing the forms which have
limitless martial applications/self defence techniques and
practising the two-person exercise called 'push-hands' or 'sensing
hands' Tai Chi can be developed to a state where you are sensitive
to and responsive of another person's 'chi' or vital energy and
intention. Long-time practitioners of Tai Chi can become very adept
at self defence. The emphasis in Tai Chi is on being able to
channel potentially destructive energy (in the form of a kick,
punch, or grab or even just ill intent etc) away from yourself in a
manner that will dissipate the energy or send it in a direction
where it is no longer a danger.
Tai Chi's training methods
predominately focus on soft, relaxed and flowing movements, which
paradoxically improve speed and strength in their martial
techniques, contrary to the common belief that it has no martial
prowess because it is too slow! It is only trained slow to perfect
technique, and relax the muscles and iron out any unnecessary
tension so that the body can flow very quickly from one technique
to another unimpeded and transfer more energy over a shorter
distance. Therefore it can compliment and supplement existing
training and give a new perspective for practitioners from other
Martial systems especially 'hard' styles like Karate and mma etc
which focus primarily on the use of muscular force. Practising Tai
Chi can also be of benefit for anyone involved in almost any
sporting or recreational activity to help minimise gross muscle
tension and to use the body as an integrated whole. Many
professional sports people from rugby players to professional
footballers and golfers have all used Tai Chi to incorporate its
techniques to help them maximise their potential in their own
sports and also to speed up and aid in recovery and rehabilitation
of sporting injuries.
What are the Health Benefits of Practising Tai Chi?
Among the
numerous health benefits that pracising Tai Chi regularily can
provide are:
Loosens and Relaxes the Muscles - Strengthen Organs and Nerves
- Increase Bone Density - Prevents Joint Injury - Increases Injury
Recovery - Decreases Stress -
Balances Emotions - Relaxes Respiration - Dramatically Increases Core Strength -
Improves Flexibility of Mind and Body - Decreases Risk of
Falling in Old Age - Promotes Mind and Body Relaxation - Prevents
Insomnia and Enhances Sleep -
Improves Circulation - Reduces Pain and Inflammation -
Improvimg conditions such as Osteoarthritis - Osteoporosis and
Rheumatoid Arthritis - Strengthens Tendons and Ligaments -
Balances the Heart Rate - Balances Blood Pressure - Relives Asthma
and Bronchitis - Strengthens the Immune System - Aids in
rehabilitaion of modern day stress related illnesses like IBS and
M.E and Mental Health Disorders.
Gives you a better Awareness of Self - Promotes a calm tranquil state of mind and a heightened state of overall Well being - Relieves Migraines and Headaches - Decreases Risk of Strokes - Heart Attacks and Disease - Improves Digestion - Improves Kidney Function - Improves: Posture - Memory - Focus - Intention and Concentration.