What is Tai Chi Chuan?

You may have seen groups of people performing slow, fluid, almost dance like movements in parks or open spaces. If you have ever wondered what they were doing, it may surprise you to learn that they were practising the ancient art of Tai Chi Chuan, otherwise known simply as Tai Chi. Tai Chi Chuan is a traditional Chinese martial art that combines amazing health benefits with learning self-defence.

Although there are several different styles of Tai Chi Chuan, they all agree on a few key training concepts. Therefore in a Tai Chi class you can expect to learn the following:

• Breathing exercises. Called Chi Kung in Chinese, breathing synchronised with slow repetitive movements have formed the basis for internal martial arts power and health maintenance for over a millennium in China.
• Tai Chi Forms. Essentially this is Tai Chi external appearance. Individual movements, called postures are linked together into a continuous, dance-like sequence called a form. They are performed solo except for specific training forms. The exact number of postures (which include strikes, blocks and dodges) varies between styles and level of graduation. What they all have in common is that they are designed to promote well-being and teach self-defence as a unified whole.
• Pushing Hands. A non-impact, close quarters sparring technique that looks deceptively simple but takes years to master. Designed to teach a student the subtle principles of Tai Chi combat in practice.
• Tai Chi Weapon Forms. Not included in all Tai Chi styles, de-emphasised in many and usually only taught to high-level students if at all. Weapon forms strengthen and condition the body while teaching a student the finer points of chi energy projection.
• Philosophy. Like many Chinese martial arts, Tai Chi is steeped in humanitarian principles that stretch back to before the birth of Christ. To understand the nature of Tai Chi is to observe the interaction of all elements in the universe. Tai Chi masters throughout history have been scholars of renown, paradoxically promoting peace and harmony via the mastery of a deadly martial art.