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Tai Chi is a
meditative exercise that is characterized by
slow, lazy movement. However, don’t let that
fool you. It has excellent health
benefits, assists relaxation and is a
self-defense martial art. Tai Chi is therefore
regarded as “meditation in motion”. Tai Chi is
also known as Tai Chi Chuan, T’ai Chi, Taiji,
etc. This ancient Chinese martial art is popular
across the globe for its health benefits and
relaxing effects, and is increasingly being used
as an alternative to the other forms of martial
art.
Martial arts can
be divided into two basic categories: the hard
martial arts and the soft martial arts, also
known as internal arts. Karate and Kung Fu are
examples of hard martial arts. Ba Gua and Tai
Chi are examples of soft martial arts. The
movements in Tai Chi are slow, delicate and
flowing and emphasize on force rather than on
the brutal movements of the hard martial arts.
These flowing, soft and slow movements are
executed with precision to attain the right
effect.
Tai Chi is
popular in the West, as many people have taken
to Tai Chi for its relaxing properties and for
its health benefits. The way it is practiced in
western countries, it can be best describes as a
moving form of meditation and yoga combined; The
art is practiced in a number of forms or ‘sets’
that constitute of a sequence of movements. Many
of these movements have been derived from the
martial arts, and may from the natural world;
like the natural movements of birds and animals.
The creatures whose movements were copied were
the tiger, deer, bear, ape and birds. All the
movements are slow and graceful with a smooth
transition from one movement to the other.
It is difficult
to trace the origin of Tai Chi; therefore, one
has to rely on legend to know the actual source
of this beautiful martial arts form. Tai Chi
traces its origin to China in approximately 220
to 265 AD. Yoga was known in China as Saolin
chuan (chuan means boxing). Chang San Feng, a
Taoist monk, further developed the art of Tai
Chi in 13th Century AD. This art form
was subsequently associated to different
families in China. Each family developed its own
form of Tai Chi based on the original form and
designated them the family name.
All other forms
of Tai Chi developed from the art developed by
the Chen Chang-hsing family (1771-1853). A man
called Yang Lu Chan (1789-1872) studied Tai Chi
from the Chen family and later developed his own
style now known as the Yang style of Tai Chi,
and is today the most practiced traditional
style of the art. This style of Tai Chi again
has three forms that are followed today namely
the short form, the long form and the simplified
form.
The Chinese
characters of Tai Chi Chuan, translated into
English are “Supreme Ultimate Boxing/Force”.
This supreme ultimate is the “Tao”, the
framework within which in the field of time the
dualities (male/female, dark/light,
active/passive, forceful/yielding, etc) of Yin
and Yang are manifested. Tai Chi within itself,
in its movements, patterns of breathing and
shapes, contains all that is necessary to bring
the forces of Yin and Yang to interact and
reconcile to attain the Supreme Ultimate and
thus is given such a name. It can be said that
originally, Tai Chi Chuan, was a sophisticated
method of fighting that brought about the
interaction and reconciliation of the two
dynamic dual forces. Thus, in this art form,
speaking structurally, a practitioner tries to
neutralize the force of his opponent and then
applying a counter force. In this interaction of
give and take, the highest expression or the
“supreme ultimate” is found.
In its
developmental stage, Tai Chi was a very potent
form of martial art, and was zealously guarded
by a few families who used it for
self-defense. The techniques of breath control
and relaxation, the different and proper
postures for transmitting energy, and the
methods of single-weightedness were all created
with the singular purpose of engaging in combat
in a scientifically efficient manner. This
aspect of Tai Chi is very important and has to
understood and appreciated by every student of
Tai Chi, in order to utilize the art to the
fullest. All forms of Tai Chi emphasizes on
grasping the meaning of the movements and forms
1/3rd of the real purpose of learning
Tai Chi. Other purposes of Tai Chi are physical
well-being and spiritual, mental and emotional
well-being. ‘Push hands’ are also an important
part of modern Tai Chi. it is a two person sport
and exercise regime in which both the people are
sensitive and responsive to other person’s vital
force or ‘chi’.
The Tai Chi
philosophy, it is believed, has been taken from
the two Chinese philosophical texts, the I Ching
and the Tao Te Ching. Tao Te Ching when
translated has many meanings; one of which is
“the classic way of integrity”. I Ching is a
Chinese system of divination.
The 13 basic postures of Tai Chi, created by
Chang San Feng, are associated with the 5
elements in Chinese alchemy namely fire, water,
earth, metal and wood and with the 8 basic I
Ching trigrams. Other movements of the art form
are also related to the full 64 trigrams of I
Ching philosophy.
Both, I Ching
and Tao Te Ching, stress on “chi” that denotes a
form of energy. Literally, it means something
like “breathe”. “chi” in ancient Greek language
meant ‘spirit”. According to Chinese philosophy,
‘chi” flows through an individual’s body. Tai
Chi masters, Chinese medicine and Tai Chi
philosophy believed that when this energy is
blocked one becomes ill. Thus, Tai Chi is also
acclaimed to have health benefits as it fosters
the circulation of “chi” in a body. This “chi”
is circulated in patterns that are closely
related to the vascular and nervous system.
Thus, Tai Chi is also closely connected to
acupuncture and other arts of oriental healing.
Tai Chi also has
meditative benefits. It is said to help a person
understand himself/herself thus enabling the
person to deal more effectively with others. For
this a person needs to self control. This can be
attained by the two notions of the Chinese
philosophies Tao Te Ching and I Ching. These two
notions are Yin and Yang. These two opposite
principles merge into one another to create a
balance of the outer world and inner self. This
in turn brings about a person’s spiritual and
physical well-being. Precise execution of Tai
Chi exercises fosters a tranquil and calm mind.
This provides a person with a practical avenue
to learn balance, rhythm of movement, alignment,
genesis of movement from various body parts,
fine-scale motor control, and more. Practicing
Tai Chi thus also helps its practitioner in some
measure to stand, walk, run, move, etc in a
better way. It also helps to correct poor
posture, movement or alignment patterns, etc
which might contribute to injury or tension.
In modern
society, we can apply the benefits of Tai Chi in
our daily life. In fact, Tai Chi is already very
popular in western countries as a hobby sport.
This hobby promotes the spiritual, mental,
emotional and physical well being of a person
and also provides inner calm and tranquility.
Tai Chi can be used to fight stress, fatigue,
overwork and the lack of understanding of
oneself and ones body. Tai Chi, if practiced
perfectly, increases one’s longevity and gives
you a tool for self-defense should the need ever
arise. It also helps in the proper circulation
of “chi” in the body keeping you healthy and
free from diseases. Practicing Tai Chi daily
helps in attaining mental clarity and develops a
healthy body. With so many advantages, Tai Chi
has become quite popular among the European and
western countries. You too can practice Tai Chi
as a hobby and later practice till you attain
perfection to achieve all-round well being.
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