Tai Chi
Author: Richard Weil, MEd, CDE
Medical Editor: William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR
Introduction to tai chi
When I think "martial arts," I think kicking, punching, fighting, and body
contact. Not slow, rhythmic, and meditative body movements designed to enhance
relaxation, inner calm, and peace. But that's what the martial art tai chi is
all about—slow, rhythmic, meditative movements designed to help you find peace
and calm. In this article, I'll cover the history, philosophy, and benefits of
tai chi, as well as how and where to get started, and more.
What is tai chi, and where does it come from?
Tai chi history
Tai chi is a centuries-old Chinese martial art that descends
from qigong, an ancient Chinese discipline that has its roots in traditional
Chinese medicine. (The people that you see moving gracefully in parks in China
are practicing tai chi.) According to some records, tai chi dates back as far as
2,500 years! It involves a series of slow, meditative body movements that were
originally designed for self-defense and to promote inner peace and calm.
According to the tai chi historian Marvin Smalheiser, some tai chi masters are
famous for being able to throw an attacker to the floor with the attacker and
spectators unable to clearly see how it was done. Their movements use internal
energy and movements too subtle for most people to observe, reflected in the
notion that "four ounces can deflect a thousand pounds." At this high level of
skill, a defender can use a small amount of energy to neutralize the far greater
external force of an attacker.
Qi
In traditional Chinese medicine, human beings are considered miniature
versions of the universe, and like the universe, they are thought to be made up of the
constant interaction of five elements (metal, water, fire, wood, and earth). It
is believed that these five elements flow in an interrelated manner throughout
all the organs of the body as the five phases of universal qi (pronounced "chee"),
with qi defined as the life force—the intrinsic energy in the body that
travels along pathways in the body called meridians. Health is achieved when the
interactions between these elements cause the flow of your qi to occur in a
smooth and balanced manner. You could say that one reason you study tai chi is to
help your qi flow smoothly.
Qigong
Qigong, from which tai chi (qi) originates, is a discipline that
involves the mind, breath, and movement to create a calm, natural balance of
energy that can be used in work, recreation or self-defense. Like yoga, where
many varieties have evolved, there are more than 3,000 varieties of qigong and
five major traditions: Taoist, Buddhist, Confucian, martial arts, and medical,
and two major types: "soft" and "hard." Soft qigong is called inner
qigong, of
which tai chi is an example.
Types of tai chi
Yang, wu, and tai chi chih are three of the most popular
styles of tai chi. The yang style, which includes 24 movements in its simple
form (108 movements in the traditional form), is demanding because you must keep
your stance wide and your knees bent most of the time; the wu style, which
includes 24 to 36 movements in its shorter form (100 movements in the
traditional), is gentler because it uses a narrow, higher stance where the knees
are not bent as much as the yang style; and the tai chi chih style, which has 20
movements, also uses a higher stance, but with much less transfer of weight from
one leg to the other than the other two. Because the wu style uses a high,
narrow stance, it may be easier to do and ideal for improving balance. No matter
which style you practice, they all are conducted slowly, deliberately, and
gracefully, with each movement flowing seamlessly into the next without
hesitation.
Next: What are the benefits of tai chi? »
Tai Chi: Related Topics
Last Editorial Review: 7/20/2007
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