TAI CHI CHUAN

 

The term "Tai Chi Ch'uan" translates as "supreme ultimate fist", is an internal Chinese martial art practised for both its defense training and its health benefits.Tai Chi Chuan training involves five elements, taolu (solo hand and weapons routines/forms), neigong & qigong (breathing, movement and awareness exercises and meditation), tuishou (response drills) and sanshou (self defence techniques). While Tai Chi Chuan is typified by some for its slow movements, many Tai Chi styles (including the three most popular – Yang, Wu, and Chen) – have secondary forms with faster pace. Some traditional schools of Tai Chi teach partner exercises known as tuishou ("pushing hands"), and martial applications of the taolu's (forms') postures. It is purported that focusing the mind solely on the movements of the form helps to bring about a state of mental calm and clarity. Besides general health benefits and stress management.

 

 

The study of Tai Chi Chuan primarily involves three aspects:

 

 

Health: An unhealthy or otherwise uncomfortable person may find it difficult to meditate to a state of calmness or to use t'ai chi ch'uan as a martial art. Tai chi chuan's health training, therefore, concentrates on relieving the physical effects of stress on the body and mind. For those focused on Tai chi chuan's martial application, good physical fitness is an important step towards effective self-defense.

 

​Meditation: The focus and calmness cultivated by the meditative aspect of Tai Chi Chuan is seen as necessary in maintaining optimum health (in the sense of relieving stress and maintaining homeostasis) and in application of the form as a soft style martial art.

 

Martial art (Self defense): The ability to use Tai Chi Chuan as a form of self-defense in combat is the test of a student's understanding of the art. Tai Chi Chuan is the study of appropriate change in response to outside forces, the study of yielding and "sticking" to an incoming attack rather than attempting to meet it with opposing force.The use of Tai Chi Chuan as a martial art is quite challenging and requires a great deal of.

 

The core training involves two primary features: the first being taolu (solo "forms"), a slow sequence of movements which emphasize a straight spine, abdominal breathing and a natural range of motion; the second being different styles of tuishou ("pushing hands") for training movement principles of the form with a partner and in a more practical manner.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The taolu (solo "forms") should take the students through a complete, natural range of motion over their centre of gravity. Accurate, repeated practice of the solo routine is said to retrain posture, encourage circulation throughout the students' bodies, maintain flexibility through their joints, and further familiarize students with the martial application sequences implied by the various forms. The solo forms – empty-hand and weapon – are catalogues of movements that are practised individually in pushing hands and martial application scenarios to prepare students for self-defence training. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                   For those who think Tai Chi Chuan is just a dance or meditation for the old, here is some samples of how eficient it really is.

 

 

"Man at his birth is tender and weak; at his death he is rigid and strong. Plants and trees when they come forth are tender and crisp; when dead, they are dry and tough. Thus rigidity and

strength are the concomitants of death; softness and weakness are the concomitants of life." Lao Tzu

 

“Water is fluid, soft, and yielding. But water will wear away rock, which is rigid and cannot yield. As a rule, whatever is fluid, soft, and yielding will overcome whatever is rigid and hard. This is another paradox: what is soft is strong.” Lao Tzu

 

 

The principles of Tai Chi.

 

1. Be Soft, (relax) because softness serves five purposes: muscle flexibility, minimum effort maximum result, improve the circulatory system, softness combat anxiety, it is hard to be anxious when relaxed, also helps to clear the mind.

2. Be Slow, speed comes from slowness, if you are slow you will be very fast when needed. Fast actions, fast think for solutions.

3. Be Non Aggressive. Aggression comes when the self is empty and lonely. 

4. Be Natural (spontaneous). More natural we become more we will enjoy simple things in life. Happiness comes from simplicity.

5. Be Sensitive. Not sentimentalist, be sensitive is to see everything instantly and objectively.

6. Be Moderate, avoiding extremes. People tend to go too far desiring all or nothing. Eating too much or too little, abusing alcohol, walking on the edge. The middle path is the safest place to be.

7. Be always in Motion, flowing like the wind. Everything is always changing, transforming, what is static is dead.

8. Maintain Continuity, it maintain us alive. The end of one thing is the beginning of another. We must continue learning and experiencing life.

9. Be Timeless. It is very important to have full concentration in what we are doing. Let the past and future, keep your mind here and now.

10. Be Aware, like an animal at the forest always attentive, alert and aware of all kinds of dangers.

11. Be Harmonious. We should always create harmony and peace. Where there is quarrels we bring union, where there are sadness we bring joy.

 

We have a very eficient method to learn Tai Chi Chuan quickly and correct, through Taigong system.