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Tai Chi Chuan
FAQ
What is Tai Chi Chuan ?
Tai Chi Chuan (or T'ai Chi
Ch'uan, Taijiquan) is a
slow-motion, moving, meditative
exercise for relaxation, health
and self-defense. Originally from
China, Tai Chi has gained enormous
popularity here and throughout the
rest of the world for its health
benefits .
How do I learn Tai Chi?
Tai Chi is learned by doing and
plenty of practice. It takes about
three to four months to learn the
basic form, and the beginner class format
is quite simple. The group leader
will demonstrate a move several
times, then perform it with the
class, and watch the
students as they repeat doing it.
Practice makes perfect
is the go.
You do not have to be in great
physical shape to start learning -
people of all ages and conditions
can do Tai Chi.
The moves can be performed in
any comfortable clothing. It is
recommended that you wear shoes
that offer good support and
balance, like comfortable walking
shoes or sneakers, but there are
no special uniforms. Different
group may have a wide variety of
T-shirts and sweatshirts available
that have been designed by
different locations.
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Can video and
books help my Tai Chi development
at home ?
The use of VCD or DVD
at home would definitely help you
or other people to master the
forms quickly . For people who can
not attend the free classes
could benefit greatly by using the
video at home at you own pace.
Is it
correct to practice the art fast
or to practice it slow?
Answer: The earth rotates at a
constant and specific rate.
Similarly, Tai Chi should not be
practiced too slow or too fast but
should be practiced comfortably.
The human body must be moved
naturally otherwise there would be
weakness. If the practice is too
fast, breathing is affected
resulting in uneven respiration,
breathlessness and the heart
pulsating too fast. If the
practice is too slow, the limbs
and the joints become stiff. Chi
is blocked and is locally
stagnant: intent or consciousness
is employed but the Chi is not
flowing. Internal force and chi
must be synchronized. Internally,
there is the harmony of the
libido, energy, chi, and spirit
while externally, the mind,
consciousness (or intent) and body
are also harmonized and in turn
both the internal and external
harmonies are synchronized.At this
stage, one gets the feelings that
the upper portion of the body is
like the drifting of clouds and
the lower portion is like the
flowing of water. Consciousness is
continuous and is harmonized with
movement. All parts of the body
are natural and are unified. There
is then no question of being fast
or slow.
What is the Tai Chi Symbol
represent ?
The Chinese believe that the
universe is entirely made of two
forms of energy Yin and Yang. with
every part of it being related to
and dependented on every other
part . In order for all things to
progress harmoniously . the forces
of Yin and Yang meet constantly
interact with each other while
doing so each must become over a
period of time , into opposite ,
just as day and night , positive
and negative, bright and darkness.
For this reason everything that
seems to be Yin contain some Yang
and all that is Yang also contains
some Yin in a state of equilibrium
.
How is Yin And Yang got to do
with Tai Chi ?
Each movement or Tai Chi posture
carries defensive or offensive
applications. To understand these
applications it is important to
have an awareness of the concept
of Yin and Yang, which is at the
root of the system of Tai Chi
Chuan. Yin is considered to be the
soft, feminine principle and Yang
the hard masculine principle. In
terms of applications a blow or
strike would be considered to be
Yang force. When the force is
coming towards you, you greet it
with Yin or softness thereby
neutralising your opponent's
strike. The postures in the Tai
Chi Hand Form are constantly
changing from the Yin to Yang
aspect. By training slowly, the
body becomes familiar with this
constantly changing energy.
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What are the health benefits of Tai Chi?
Regular exercise with Tai
Chi can bring a wide range of
health benefits to the muscular,
skeletal and circulatory systems.
The flowing movements of
Tai Chi serve as a moving
meditation that reduces stress and
provides a way to improve the body
and mind. For more information,
see the
Your Health
page.
What about health problems or
handicaps and learning Tai
Chi?
Most people can do the Tai Chi
form in spite of handicap or
ailment, although the way the form
is practiced may have to be
adapted to suit their specific
needs. Many illnesses have been
shown to improve with the regular
practice of Tai Chi. Pregnant
women, or those with an acute
health problem should check both
with the group leader and their
personal GP before beginning any
exercise program.
Tai Chi is a gentle form of
exercise that can be performed and
benefit even those with advanced
chronic conditions or suffer
serious or long term illness
regain health in conjunction with
other therapies.
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How long does it take to learn
the form?
It takes about three to four
months to learn the basic
movements, and be able to do them
with a group. Then you can
practice in a continuing class
which lets you learn to practice
on your own, and extends your
understanding of the moves and
adds additional exercises to aid
in developing the health benefits.
Who is the instructor and what
are the costs?
Your instructor is a member of
the Group who has volunteered to
teach classes . No instructor
is paid for teaching .Some Classes
are offered a fee-for-service
for using the hall or
pay-by-the-class basis.
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Is there more after the
beginning class?
Learning Tai Chi is a
developmental process. The better
your Tai Chi, the more you
benefit. The basic beginner class
is just the beginning.
While some people only take the
initial class out of curiosity,
many people can practice and attend
more advanced classes for the rest of their
lives.
Some group offer continuing
classes with instructors who have
been trained to teach advanced
skills. Here you get a chance to
practice the set, get corrections
on your form, and improve your
understanding of the set, in order
to experience greater benefits for
health and well-being.
Most people also practice the
set outside of class. Master Chen
noted that fifteen minutes of
Tai Chi once a day is better than
two hours once a week.
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What is the true spirit
of Tai Chi?
Answer: Good and famous masters
of T'ai Chi teach the same stuff
but students will learn
differently. This is because
students differ in their natural
endowment and physical make-up.
The real acquisition of the art is
not in just mastering the external
forms but also in mastering the
principles and philosophy. The
learner must also be a man (or
woman) of reason having learnt,
practised and understood the art
successfully, he (or she) applies
those principles and philosophy to
daily life. He (or she) is
wholeheartedly devoted to T'ai
Chi. He (or she) shares the
founders spirit of striving for
humankind to me physically and
mentally healthy. This would be
the true T'ai Chi spirit.
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