Tai Chi Chuan (or Taijiquan)
What is Tai Chi?
Tai Chi Chuan, also known as Taijiquan, is an internal Chinese martial art. The name is often translated as “supreme ultimate fist”. There are several different styles of Tai Chi, which are each named after the Chinese family that created or developed them. Most schools can trace their development to the system taught by the Chen family in 17th-century China.
Each family style has a series of forms, or sequences of connected movements, as well as different training methods. These may include open-hand forms, weapon forms, two-person exercises and breath work.
Although Tai Chi was originally developed as a martial art, today it is widely practised for its benefits to health, balance, relaxation and longevity. It is often described as a 'soft' or 'internal' martial art, as it emphasises deep relaxation or 'softness', awareness and connected movement, rather than force or muscular tension.
The study of Tai Chi brings together three closely-connected areas:
• Health
• Meditation
• Martial art
What happens in a typical class?
Classes begin with a warm-up to open and loosen the joints, stretch the muscles and improve flexibility, and relax the body, as well as settle the mind into the body.
Depending on the class, we may practise foundation exercises, such as silk-reeling, or work on stepping practice. The core training involves learning a solo form – a continuous sequence that links together a series of movements and postures.
As everyone learns in their own way, I demonstrate the movements, explain the principles behind them and, where appropriate, offer hands-on corrections to help students develop their understanding and alignment.
The five main principles that are initially emphasised in training are:
1. Song - looseness and relaxation;
2. Peng - maintaining structure through supportive loose strength;
3. Ding - lifting upwards, aligned (upright);
4. Chen - rooted (sunk);
5. Chan Si - reeling silk/whole body connectedness
As you become more familiar with the external movements and coordination, you can explore the more internal aspects. As my own teacher says, 'At the beginning, the external leads the internal. Then the internal can take over and direct the external.' By training the 'Yi' (mind or intention), in addition to the physical body, we can learn to feel and then over time direct our 'Qi' (internal energy) both within our own body and in relation to others. Through regular practice, the mind, breath and body become increasingly coordinated, sensitivity and controlled.
This shift to a more internal focus may include more emphasis on both 'Jin' (power, or internal force) and the movement of Qi throughout the form, opening and closing of the body and joints, and movement of the dantian.
What to expect in your first class
It is important to be comfortable and relaxed when practising Tai Chi, so in terms of clothing, there is no uniform you need, but loose comfortable clothing is recommended, with thin soled shoes. Some people prefer to practise in bare feet, which is fine as well.
If you have any injuries or concerns, most exercises can be adapted, so tell me and I can keep an eye on you and suggest alternative ways of doing a movement if necessary. While the goal is to be relaxed and learn to move in a natural and comfortable manner, it does take a while to learn how to do this - in fact, the learning process is neverending - so don't be concerned if at first you struggle to grasp the movements. It is important to remember that the more you practise, the better your progress will be, and the more relaxed you are, the easier it will be.
Additonal training
Two-person work, or pushing hands, is trained for 'stickiness' and to learn sensitivity, along with leverage, timing, coordination and positioning when interacting with another. It also tends to emphasise general mistakes as these show up quite obviously through weaknesses when interacting with another person. The applications implied in the movements may be practised to help students gain a clearer understanding of the intention required and the dynamics of a movement. However, many classes taught primarily for health reasons will not include much, if any, two-person work.
Other training exercises include:
Weapons training: including the jian (straight sword), dao (sabre - also called a broadsword), double sabre, gun (wooden staff), qiang (spear) and guan dao (a broadsword blade mounted atop a 6 ft pole with a pointed metal counter weight).
Breathing exercises: nei kung or, more commonly, chi kung (qìgong) to develop Qi (Chi or 'breath energy') in coordination with physical movement and standing, or combinations of the two.
There are five major styles of Tai Chi, each named after the Chinese family from whom they originated:
Chen style
Yang style
Wu or Wu/Hao style of Wu Yu-hsiang (Wu Yuxiang)
Wu style of Wu Ch'uan-yü (Wu Quanyuo) and Wu Chien-ch'uan (Wu Jianquan)
Sun style
These five major family styles share much underlying theory, but differ in their approaches to training. In addition, today there are now dozens of new styles, hybrid styles and offshoots of the main styles.
What are the benefits?
Accurate, repeated practice helps you develop:
improved balance and proprioception (knowing where your body is in space)
whole-body coordination
more comfortable posture and movement
improved circulation, mobility and flexibility through the joints
relaxation without losing structure and stability
a deeper understanding of the martial applications implied within the movements.
greater mental clarity and focus
The physical training of Tai Chi develops whole-body coordination in relaxation through relaxed, flowing movement. The slow, repetitive practice, combined with deep breathing, can gently increase and open the internal circulation (breath, body heat, blood, lymph, peristalsis, etc.). Over time, this can help to reverse the damaging effects of stress on the human body. It is widely recommended to help with balance and for falls prevention, and is considered a gentle exercise that anyone at any age can engage with, that also offers the benefit of training mental focus and memory.
Tai Chi training develops awareness of your own balance, posture and movement, along with an awareness of the same in others, at both mental and physical levels, and how this applies in a self-defense situation. As such, it can also be trained as a way to defend ourself, that emphasises how to use another person's force against them, rather than requiring brute force and strength. As an added bonus, it is also fun and it can be a great way to meet other like-minded people.
Ready to get started?
If you'd like to join a class, take a look at the Class Schedule, and get in touch to register your interest.
MAIN CLINIC ADDRESS
52 Isledon Rd,
London N7 7LD