Tai Chi has had a remarkable impact on my life since I discovered it in 1996 and I want to pass along some of the incredible benefits it can provide for others as well.
The philosophy of Tai Chi is said to have started from the philosophical and religious traditions of Taoism and Confucianism. Incorporating these schools of thought, Tai Chi was created and eventually became the mind-body, martial practice that it is today. If you look up the definition of Tai Chi you will generally get the same basic description of the art and its history.
This basic description is more or less as follows: “Tai Chi is an ancient Chinese martial art initially developed for combat that has developed into a low impact exercise for health in which practitioners practice deliberate, slow sequence of movements, coordinated with the breath that are excellent for balance, posture, relaxation, blood pressure, stress relief, pain relief, sleep and has the potential for many more health and wellness benefits”. This has become a generic description but only tells part of the story.
As a practitioner of nearly 30 years, I would like to share with you in more detail some other of my learnings and understanding of the art from the standpoint of philosophy, technique and important guidelines. Taiji in philosophy means the “Grand Ultimate” TaijiQuan means “Grand Ultimate or Fist of the Mind”. Therefore the mind leads the Chi into action and is further connected and guided with the breath. So, first and foremost, Tai Chi is a full mind-body experience that includes a series of movements/postures interconnected that become one continuous movement at the speed of nature with no beginning and no end (If the form appears to stop or pause then it is being done incorrectly).
All movement should be generated starting with the ground, up through the legs and into the waist. No movement anywhere in the form should be independent of the waist or without complete connection to the body. It includes soft, circular movements designed to move the Qi throughout the body and one of the goals is to find the thousands of movements within the larger movements.
The practitioner is continually shifting from Yin to Yang energy (most basic description of this would be from hard to soft and from pushing to yielding, from inhaling to exhaling), allowing the practitioner to experience, play and guide these sensations/energies throughout the form. A great way to work with opposing forces or energies, transitioning back and forth, easily and effortlessly using the breath as a guide.
The weight distribution in Tai Chi is deceptive and can change from 80% of the weight on the back foot to equally centered, to balancing on one foot and all balance possibilities in between, however never too far forward, too far back, side to side or leaning (these are Yang style guidelines) and always 100% rooted and relaxed and full in any movement or transition between movements.
In Tai Chi we focus on completely relaxing while maintaining the structure and the fullness of the body. With long- time practitioners the form may look strong and tense to the outside observer, but if you were to feel their bodies, they would be relaxed, supple, loose with no tension at all, only structure supporting the body, no tension in the muscles and no force applied through stiffness or muscle contraction. Tai Chi, on the contrary, uses the force and the stiffness of an opponent against them as it is soft and yielding, redirecting, soft and hard like water at the same time depending on the intent. While the movements of the form can be practiced solely for mental and physical health benefits, additionally, each movement in the form is also a martial application, practiced in a very slow and controlled fashion. When seeking out a teacher I would recommend you choose someone who also knows and incorporates the martial applications of each of the movements into their instruction, as without knowledge of the application of each movement, you will be limited in your depth of learning and the form will more often than not be empty and without structure.
8 Principles of Tai Chi:
- Ward off
- Roll back
- Press
- Push
- Pluck
- Split
- Elbow strike
- Shoulder strike
While I teach in the Yang family tradition, there are also other Tai Chi families that vary in style, movement, weighting, speed and appearance.
5 Tai Chi families
Yang — Founded by Yang Lu chan. Yang style is characterized by slow, big and exaggerated, smooth and graceful movements practiced at an equal tempo throughout the form. It is a very popular form practiced throughout the world.
Chen — The oldest and original form of Tai Chi. A martial form that incorporates a variety of tempos and is characterized by the explosive release of power or “Fa Jin”.
Sun — Sun style is a mixture of various disciplines including Baguazhang, Xingyiquan and Wu style characterized by light steps and continuous circular movements in a medium to high stance.
Wu — Characterized by the extension of the body leaning forward and back rather than remaining centered like other Tai Chi styles. Wu style uses a medium stance and its movements are smaller.
Wu/Hao — The least popular of the 5 styles puts a strong emphasis on internal Qi where practitioners learn to focus internally to trigger movements externally. Hao is a more advanced style of Tai Chi.
Who can learn Tai Chi?
Anyone and all ages can learn Tai Chi with a little dedication and practice. For those with physical limitations, modifications can be made. Tai Chi is not a competition. It is a personal journey, and while the movements and sequence of the form is non-negotiable, the form will look different for each individual, since the mind of each person works and learns in different ways from the next. The souls of each individual are different as well, and this I see as expressed through movement. This is a beautiful thing!
The best advice I can give and the way I teach is to start slow with quality (this is not a movie) movements. Fast, empty movements are not Tai Chi, for that matter slow, empty movements are not correct Tai Chi either as there is no mind/whole body, breath connection. Tai Chi to most with today’s shrinking, collective attention span, will appear slow and boring.
Ultimately Tai Chi is not for the observer even though it can be beautiful and relaxing to watch. It is an intense, immersive experience in being present requiring the utmost concentration. If one loses concentration and the present moment, they will lose their balance. This fact alone makes the art challenging and incredibly rewarding at the same time. Tai Chi requires concentration, memorization, many repetitions and daily ritual practice for true progress. If a student can commit to these essentials, the rewards will be numerous and Tai Chi may just develop into a lifelong practice!
For me, as a teacher it is fascinating to watch, witness and finally teach each individual in the way that best works for each student, not only for learning purposes but to ensure that each student also remains true to their own, innate nature.
If this article sparks some interest in you and your desire to learn Tai Chi and the internal arts, please contact me through the website or directly at internalartscds@gmail.com and we can arrange a discussion or a free private lesson