Learn Tai Chi Online with Jet Li's Online Academy - Lesson 2
Jet Li's Taiji Zen Online Academy teaches Tai Chi Chuan with a unique principles based approach. It is well-suited for beginners learning Tai Chi as well as more advanced students.
This video, taken from Taiji Zen's Online Academy, guides you through the key principle of 'Suspend from the Crown' or 'Xū Lǐng Dǐng Jìn'
'Xū Lǐng Dǐng Jìn'（虚领顶劲）means to maintain an upward floating intention, as if your entire body is being suspended by a string from the crown of the head. This intention should be continuously maintained in every movement.
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Transcript:
The first principle that you are going to learn in your study of your Tai Chi Chuan Essentials is called xū líng dǐng jìn, which means 'Suspending the Body from the Crown of the Head'.
This is the first step in relaxing structurally and it connects you, it connects the whole body to the heavens above and the earth below, sort of giving you a sense of being bigger than just the confines of your physical body.
The upward intention allows you to let everything else relax and let go.
Now here is how to do it. First thing is to suspend your head from the top as if you are being drawn up by a string.
So if I tie a string to the top of her head and lift if up and we get taller and taller, now that string is going to hold you up and everything else can relax below it.
The second thing you can do is elongate the back of the neck, so the back of the neck gets longer and longer. This will cause the chin to float in just a little bit, but you don't have to pull the chin in just make the back of the neck longer.
And finally, always imagine that you are floating. As if your head is a balloon filled with helium, when the balloon goes up the rest of the body can go down.
The benefits of this kind of proper alignment is that it bring your spine into neutral. Now the neutral spine is the best position for better energy circulation, and it is also the optimal position for increased mobility, flexibility and strength which are essentials in your study of Tai Chi Chuan.
Original article and pictures take s.ytimg.com site
Learn Tai Chi Online with Jet Li's Online Academy - Lesson 11
Jet Li's Taiji Zen Online Academy teaches Tai Chi Chuan with a unique principles based approach. It is well-suited for beginners learning Tai Chi as well as more advanced students.
Designed for self-practice, these guided videos provide minimalistic reminders to help you keep on track when practicing solo. Practice makes perfect!
This video covers Jǐ, or pressing energy.
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Original article and pictures take s.ytimg.com site
Learn Tai Chi Online with Jet Li's Online Academy - Lesson 1
Jet Li's Taiji Zen Online Academy teaches Tai Chi Chuan with a unique principles based approach. It is well-suited for beginners learning Tai Chi as well as more advanced students.
This video will teach you the kinetic concept of Péng as part of the Taiji Zen Online Academy curriculum. It is the first of the 8 Tai Chi Chuan kinetic concepts which together with the 5 steps make up the 13 fundamentals of Tai Chi Chuan.
Péng is an energy of continuous outward expansion. It pushes out in all directions to create a protective buffer around the core. It's often described as the fundamental energy of Tai Chi Chuan, and applies to all Tai Chi Chuan movement.
Transcript:
Imagine that you are surrounded by a bubble of energy that can literally bounce off any incoming force.
In this lesson you are going to learn about a Taiji Zen Essential known as Péng, which means Expansion. Now Péng is the first in a series of Tai Chi Chuan Essentials that you are going to be learning in each Duàn, along with a movement that is going to express that Essential.
But Péng is not so much a movement or a technique, as it is a Kinetic Concept. It is an energy that you are going to learn how to put in any movement that you want.
To help make it easier for you to learn each movement by yourself, I am going to break down each movement into three pieces.
We are going to look at the footwork first, and then in the next pass we are going to talk about the hands and the waist and the third time through I am going to talk about the energy and the feeling that you have with each movement.
LOWER BODY
Let's take a look at the footwork first. Stand with your feet together, hands relax by your sides, the knees are slightly soft, the hips are a little bit soft and your head is floating up towards the sky.
Neutral Position
Now shift all the weight over to your right foot and your left foot floats up a little bit, then steps out to the side about shoulder width. Then evenly distribute the weight over each feet.
Both hands float up into the air, about shoulder level. Then everything gets heavy, the elbows sink down, the hands sink down, the knees bend and the hips sink down as well. Palms are pressing down right about to hip height.
One: Turn and Hold the Ball
I shift my weight onto the left foot and pivot on the right heel to the right, about 90 degrees. Now my weight right here is about 90% on the left foot and only about 10% on that right heel.
Two: Hold the Ball in Empty Step
I now shift my weight onto the right foot, bringing the left foot into an empty step. So there is no weight on this left foot and it is just tapping the ground right in front of the right.
Three: Step out
From here my left foot steps out, just at an angle by the other side of that round brown circle on the front part of your mat, landing heel first. In fact, whenever you step out like this you land with your heel first, but very lightly so there is not a whole lot of weight on that front foot.
I sink down into my stance and my front toes pivot in about 30 degrees. Still about 60% of my weight is back on the right foot.
Four: Sink and Gather
My feet and my weight pretty much stay in the same place. I simply sink down into the step, just kind of get down into it here.
Five: Expand Forward
I now shift my weight into the front foot, turning my waist as I go and as I finish I sink down into the stance and my right toes pivot inwards slightly.
Back to Neutral
I shift my weight back, step by side by side and let my hands float down as my knee straighten, my spine straightens, my head flows up.
The weight shifts back over to the right foot and I step my feet together and that's the entire sequence of Péng.
UPPER BODY
This time through we are going to take a look at what the hands and arms, basically the upper body, is doing.
One: Turn and Hold the Ball
So I am rotating my body with my left leg as the axis, turning my toes out and then I am going to put my hands out into a holding the ball position.
My right hand rising up like the top of the ball, about shoulder level, my left hand coming under and cupping the bottom of the ball, hand right in front of the navel.
Two: Hold the Ball in Empty Step
Keeping my hands right where they are, I shift my weight forward and step in while my waist is turning slightly to the right.
Three: Step out
Again, the hands are staying in the same place. My left foot steps out into its position.
Four: Sink and Gather
So from this position, my hands still in the same spot I sit down into my stance, just sitting down a little bit deeper. Rotate from the waist more towards the right, letting my hands trail my body's rotation.
Original article and pictures take s.ytimg.com site
It's the first day of my new Series, "100 Days of Tai Chi." Learn the traditional Yang Family 103 movement Long Form. Every day for the next 100 days I'm posting a new lesson. Step by step you can learn this Tai Chi routine at home. In today's video, I'll teach you the first two moves: Commencement, and Ward-off left.
Want to study with me LIVE? I'm working every day in my online studio. To book a free guidance session, visit TaijiFit.net/guidance. It's never too late to make a difference (look at me - I'm 60!) Any challenge can be overcome when we face it together!
Other programs at TaijiFit Academy begin with the FREE membership at TaijiFit.net/free. See you soon!
Le tai-chi, avec plusieurs autres techniques, fait partie des Approches corps-esprit. Une fiche complète présente les principes sur lesquels se fondent ces approches, ainsi que leurs principales applications potentielles.
Réduire le risque de chute et améliorer l’équilibre des personnes âgées. Aider au contrôle de l’hypertension et réduire les risques de maladies cardiovasculaires.
Améliorer les capacités fonctionnelles des femmes ayant surmonté un cancer du sein. Améliorer le sommeil des personnes âgées. Améliorer la capacité aérobique. Promouvoir la santé mentale. Améliorer la capacité pulmonaire. Réduire certains symptômes de l’arthrite rhumatoïde. Soulager l’arthrose du genou.
Aider au contrôle de l’hypertension des personnes âgées. Réduire l’ostéoporose. Réduire les symptômes de la fibromyalgie. Contribuer à contrôler le diabète. Aider à diminuer les symptômes de la maladie de Parkinson. Aider à la prise en charge du poids des femmes obèses.
Dérivé des arts martiaux, le tai-chi est une discipline corporelle d’origine chinoise comportant un ensemble de mouvements continus et circulaires exécutés avec lenteur et précision dans un ordre préétabli. Il met aussi l’accent sur la maîtrise de la respiration. La pratique vise entre autres à améliorer la souplesse, à renforcer le système musculosquelettique et à maintenir une bonne santé physique, mentale et spirituelle. Selon ses adeptes, grâce à son côté méditatif et à l’extrême précision des gestes, le tai-chi permettrait d’apaiser le mental et d’améliorer la concentration, la vivacité d’esprit et la mémoire. Il favoriserait aussi une meilleure prise de conscience de soi et de son environnement et contribuerait à harmoniser le Qi.
Pour bien saisir ce qu’est le tai-chi, il faut savoir qu’il forme, avec le Qi Gong, l’une des 5 branches de la Médecine traditionnelle chinoise (MTC) : celle des exercices énergétiques. Les 4 autres branches sont l’acupuncture, la diététique chinoise, la pharmacopée chinoise (herbes médicinales) et le massage Tui Na. Il faut donc aborder le tai-chi dans le contexte plus large de la MTC qui est présentée dans la fiche du même nom.
Le tai-chi est aujourd’hui considéré comme une « gymnastique énergétique globale ». Notons que le Qi Gong se distingue du tai-chi par ses mouvements plus courts et isolés qui peuvent parfois être exécutés en position couchée, tandis que le tai-chi est essentiellement pratiqué en posture verticale.
Une technique de combat secrète
Au cours des siècles, la société chinoise, régulièrement menacée par des guerres frontalières et intérieures, a développé une solide tradition martiale. Le tai-chi était au départ une technique de combat transmise oralement, de maître à élève, dans le plus grand secret au sein de familles de paysans. Son origine demeure difficile à déterminer, histoire et mythe étant inextricablement liés. Toutefois, plusieurs auteurs accordent à Zhang Sanfeng, un moine chinois ayant vécu au XVIe siècle (ou peut-être au XIIe siècle), d’avoir créé les 13 postures de base du tai-chi. On dit que Sanfeng se serait inspiré d’un combat entre un oiseau et un serpent pour concevoir les enchaînements. Le serpent aurait triomphé grâce à sa lenteur, à sa souplesse et à ses mouvements arrondis qui donnèrent peu d’emprise à son adversaire.
De technique de combat à gymnastique
Au fil des années, la technique du tai-chi s’est beaucoup simplifiée et adoucie, même si certains maîtres ont continué à transmettre les notions martiales traditionnelles (par exemple, la connaissance des points vitaux mortels). En 1976, lors de la réouverture des universités en Chine, on a assisté à un changement majeur. Le tai-chi est alors devenu une discipline accessible à la masse et enseignée dans les programmes d’éducation physique universitaires. Il a perdu en grande partie sa composante énergétique (travail du Qi). Pour sa part, le Qi Gong s’est intégré aux programmes de médecine. Les 2 disciplines ont cependant conservé une visée thérapeutique. De nos jours, des millions de Chinois pratiquent quotidiennement le tai-chi, en particulier les aînés, mais plusieurs s’y adonnent pour des raisons de développement intérieur, qui vont bien au-delà de l’entraînement physique. Il a été introduit en Amérique du Nord au début des années 1970.
Ralentir avant tout
Le tai-chi ne s’apprend pas en deux temps, trois mouvements... Il nécessite persévérance, rigueur et assiduité si l’on veut bénéficier de ses effets positifs. On recommande de s’exercer de 15 à 20 minutes, 2 fois par jour. Selon Francine Tellier1, une maître de tai-chi formée en Chine, la difficulté initiale pour les débutants est d’apprendre à ralentir. En effet, c’est l’extrême lenteur d’exécution qui permet de déceler les blocages et de sentir le courant énergétique. De plus, la prise de conscience du transfert, lent et précis, du poids du corps d’une jambe à l’autre et le jeu d’alternance des bras et des jambes concrétisent parfaitement la pensée chinoise basée sur l’équilibre dynamique des forces du Yin et du Yang.
Vlady Stévanovitch2, qui a élaboré sa propre méthode, affirme que c’est en observant la position des mains que l’on peut déterminer la qualité des mouvements du pratiquant. Durant les enchaînements, ce sont les mains qui guident les déplacements et qui captent et dirigent l’énergie afin que le corps trouve son appui dans le Tan Tien, le centre de gravité situé un peu en bas du nombril. L’essence du tai-chi réside dans la recherche de l’équilibre des deux pôles de l’énergie, le Yin, issu de la terre, et le Yang, issu du ciel.
Tai Ji, Tai Chi, Taichi, Quan, Chuan?
En 1958, lors de l’instauration du pinyin (le système de transcription phonétique de la langue chinoise), c’est la graphie Tai Ji Quan qui a été adoptée. Depuis, plusieurs autres ont été approuvées, par exemple tai-chi, taï chi, taichi et tai-chi-chuan.
L’expression Tai Ji Quan se compose de 3 idéogrammes, dont les deux premiers signifient littéralement « faîte suprême » et incluent à la fois des notions d’équilibre dynamique et de but à atteindre. Le troisième caractère, Quan, signifie « poing » ou « combat à mains nues », et incorpore la dimension des arts martiaux. Les 3 caractères peuvent donc se traduire par combat suprême avec un adversaire ou avec soi-même.
Original article and pictures take www.passeportsante.net site
Lancaster School of Tai Chi Chuan Welcome to our website!
Tai Chi Chuan is an ancient Chinese discipline that strives to combine the mind and the body through martial training, meditation and exercise.
When practiced regularly, Tai Chi provides extraordinary health benefits, improves balance, flexibility and strength while calming the spirit and reducing stress.
We hold local Tai Chi classes which are suitable for all levels of physical ability and experience. Please see the instructor information page for details of which class would be most suitable for you.
Much of Tai Chi is practiced in a slow, mindful way which provides a good workout without inflicting high impact stress on the body. This makes Tai Chi accessible to everyone, including those recovering from injury or suffering from joint conditions.
As well as our regular classes and because of the great benefits of Tai Chi practice, the Lancaster School of Tai Chi Chuan can also arrange specialist sessions for any interested groups.
If you would prefer a private class on a one-to-one basis this can also be arranged.
Original article and pictures take ssl.gstatic.com site
Just 12 Weeks of Tai Chi For Better Health Tai Chi Chuan
The Importance of Exercise in Older Age
With increasing life expectancies, it is becoming more important for people to take up some form of exercise to ensure that they can remain active in their retirement.
Tai Chi Chuan is a gentle but energetic form of exercise, which not only improves physical health and fitness, as proved in this research, but has also been shown to improve mental health and well-being.
What Is Tai Chi?
Tai Chi Chuan is a “soft” style of kung-fu. Its roots are very much in martial arts and many people still train tai chi as a form of self defence. The applications of the movements are very effective in combat situations, although a good grounding in “hard” styles of kung-fu (or other styles) is really required.
Many people today learn tai chi as a form of gentle exercise. There is some debate over how effective this is and how it compares to other ways of staying fit and strong. Yang Ma Lee, the grand daughter of Yang Chen-Fu who helped to popularize the Yang system of Tai Chi (Yang Chen Fu was the grandson of Yang Lu-chan, the founder of they Yang family style), has said that without learning the martial part of tai chi you lose out on most of the health benefits.
Where to Learn Tai Chi?
Tai Chi is now very widespread and there are usually classes in most larger towns and cities. The easiest way to find a classes is to search Google Maps for “tai chi” or “tai chi classes” or “tai chi schools”.
Tai Chi and Health Research
Researchers at the National Taiwan University Hospital carried out a study on the health and fitness of elderly people who practice Tai Chi Chuan.
The study compared 20 men and women between the ages of 58 and 70 who had been practicing Tai Chi Chuan about 4 times per week for an average of 11 months.
Each session would last just under an hour on average, with a 20 minute warm-up, 24 minutes of Tai Chi Chuan practice (e.g. form) and a 10 minute cool down. The exercise intensity was 52.63% of the heart rate range. Cardiorespiratory function, strength, flexibility, and percent of body fat were evaluated before and at the end of this study.
The Tai chi practitioners were compared to a control group of 18 men and women of similar age, who did not practice Tai Chi Chuan.
The results indicate that a 12-month Tai Chi Chuan program is effective for improving health fitness of the elderly.
The male Tai chi group showed improved strength and flexibility in the chest and lower back. Also knee joint strength and flexibility improved.
The female group showed greater improvements in strength and flexibility than the males. The control group showed no change during the study.
The study proved that regular Tai Chi Chuan training improved muscular strength and flexibility in the elderly, with improvements to general physical health.
Tai Chi Cuts Arthritic Pain By Half
Tai Chi Hands - shenanagans
In a recent study researchers at Tufts University in Massachusetts found that patients that suffer from arthritis respond very well to a course in Tai Chi Chuan.
After just 12 weeks or learning and practicing Tai Chi every day, subjects experienced much less pain. In the study patients also did traditional stretching exercises, and these did not perform too well. In fact they described Tai Chi as being significantly better at pain management.
Tai Chi Chuan (or just Tai Chi) is practiced by millions of people all around the world for its health, mental benefits and its martial arts training. Tai Chi Chuan is the martial form (the original form) of Tai Chi.
The soft flowing movements (form) of Tai Chi are in fact fighting and self-defense applications that are designed to condition the body and train it to respond to an opponent, to feel an opponent’s movement and intention, to make them a better fighter.
Yang Mar Lee, granddaughter of Yang Chen Fu, one of modern Tai Chi’s founders, teaches that without the martial training, most of the health benefits of Tai Chi are lost. This always comes as a great surprise to people that have only learned the form, and never had any martial training.
Previous studies had suggested that Tai Chi could be useful in treating arthritis, but they were never conclusive. The recent research was carried out on people with arthritic knees, which is a very painful form of arthritis that affects thousands of people. It is most common in elderly people.
“Our observations emphasize a need to further evaluate the biologic mechanisms and approaches of Tai Chi to extend its benefits to a broader population.” Dr Chenchen Wang, Research Leader.
Not only did 12 weeks of Tai Chi training help people cope with pain, but they also felt less depressed and more agile than previously, and were generally happier with life in general.
“Tai Chi is Effective in Treating Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized Controlled Trial” by Chenchen Wang, MD, MSc. Christopher H. Schmid, PhD, Patricia L. Hibberd, MD, PhD, Robert Kalish, MD, Ronenn Roubenoff, MD, MHS, Ramel Rones, BS, and Timothy McAlindon, MD, MPH. Arthritis Rheum. 2009 November 15; 61(11): 1545–1553.
Yang Tai Chi Instructor, Student of Wee Kee Jin,Taiji School of Central Equilibrium;shiatsu practitioner,Breathworks mindfulness trainer,Fellow of #schsocent
Original article and pictures take abs.twimg.com site
Tingkat kekerasan Kompetisi, kontak ringan (tanpa serangan), kontak penuh (serangan, tendangan dll)
Negara asal RRC
Pencipta -
Seni pendahulu Tao Yin
Olahraga Olimpiade No
Taijiquan (Hanzi tradisional: 太極拳; bahasa Tionghoa: 太极拳; Pinyin: tàijíquán; Wade-Giles: t'ai4 chi2 ch'üan2), adalah sebuah bentuk seni beladiri dan senam kesehatan aliran halus dari negeri China. Taichi terbagi menjadi berbagai "gaya" yang pada dasarnya berasal dari satu akar dan konsep dasarnya hampir sama, namun bentuk gerakannya berbeda-beda, sehingga menambah khazanah pengetahuan para pecinta Taichi.
Adapun gaya-gaya Taichi yang terkenal adalah gaya Chen, gaya Yang, gaya Sun dan gaya Wu. Yang paling terkenal adalah gaya Yang, gaya ini telah menjadi standar pengajaran Taichi ke seluruh dunia, yaitu lewat sebuah rangkaian gerak yang disebut "Beijing 24 step" atau Senam Taichi gaya 24 langkah yang telah distandardisasi oleh pemerintah Republik Rakyat China (RRC) sebagai bentuk baku untuk mengajarkan Taichi. [1]
Sejarah
Menurut legenda Taichi diciptakan oleh Zhang Sanfeng (di Indonesia dikenal sebagai Thio Sam Hong) seorang pendeta Tao yang hidup di abad ke-12, dan dari ajaran beliau ini kemudian dikembangkan oleh Chen Wangting di abad ke-15. Dari ajaran Chen Wangting inilah lahir Taichi gaya Chen, gaya yang tertua. Gaya Chen ini kemudian dimodifikasi lagi oleh murid-murid di generasi berikutnya, sehingga lahirlah gaya Yang, didirikan oleh Yang Luchan di abad ke-16, gaya Wu oleh Wu Yuxiang di abad ke-17 dan gaya Sun oleh Sun Lutang di abad ke-19.
Senam Taichi kemudian berkembang menjadi bentuk latihan yang digemari, karena memiliki manfaat kesehatan yang baik dan, dengan latihan yang tekun dan sangat mendalam, bisa digunakan untuk pembelaan diri. Oleh karena itu, pemerintah RRC kemudian menciptakan jurus standar untuk pengajaran senam Taichi ini sebagai bagian dari olahraga Wushu , yang dikenal dengan nama 24 langkah Taiji Beijing pada tahun 1956, dan 42 langkah Taiji kompetisi pada tahun 1989. Kedua set standard ini dianggap lebih mudah untuk diajarkan dan ditampilkan daripada jurus tradisional yang lebih panjang dan sulit.
Taiji di Indonesia
Hingga kini, senam Taichi masih menjadi bagian dari pelajaran di berbagai klub wushu dan kungfu di Indonesia. Atlit Wushu Indonesia, Zaenab, berhasil memperoleh medali perunggu di nomor Taichi yang diadakan pada Asian Games 1998 di Bangkok, Thailand.
Selain dikembangkan di klub-klub Wushu, dikembangkan juga senam Taiji di klub-klub khusus Taiji yang tidak menekankan pada kompetisi Wushu, misalnya di klub PORPI (Persatuan Olahraga Pernapasan Indonesia), Klub Taichi Adipranata, dan masih banyak lagi klub-klub lainnya. Selain itu juga terdapat beberapa Master Taiji yang bersifat independen, yang tidak mendirikan perguruan khusus, tapi mengajarkan kepada beberapa murid tertentu secara personal. Beberapa diantaranya ada yang membuat ulasan di blog, seperti Master Yakso (yang juga seorang Arsitek) di http://yakzone.wordpress.com/ , yang memberikan kontribusi khusus di dunia Tai Chi, tidak saja sebagai senam, tapi sebagai bentuk aslinya, yaitu beladiri aliran lembut.
Original article and pictures take carlesjeni.blogspot.com site
Taoist TaiChi is an exercise form of t'ai chi ch'uan which is taught in more than 25 countries by the non-profit International Taoist TaiChi Society and associated national Taoist TaiChi societies. It is a modified form of Yang-style t'ai chi ch'uan developed by Taoist monk Moy Lin-shin in Toronto, Canada.
Tai Chi: Consumer Reports looks at new evidence showing that tai chi reduces the risk of falls better than other exercise for older adults.
For the elderly or those struggling with chronic health problems, Tai Chi, yoga, or walking can give them the physical benefits of exercise.
It's easy to tell people to make exercise part of their daily routine. It's not so easy to tell them what to do. Some folks like to run marathons or climb mountains.
The chi flows more harmoniously when yin and yang are balanced; this balance is brought about through special diets, herbs, exercises, breathing techniques, and bodily movements. Tai Chi, therefore, has a worldview at odds with the Christian worldview.
People practice tai chi for various health purposes, such as: For benefits from exercise: Tai chi is a low-impact form of exercise. It is a weight-bearing exercise that can have certain health benefits--for example, to the bones. To improve physical condition, muscle strength, coordination, and flexibility.
The silk reeling exercise (chan si gong) is an important training method for developing body awareness, coordination, unity in movement, strength and internal energy. It is and essential skill to develop for tai chi chuan.
Originating in ancient China, tai chi is one of the most effective exercises for health of mind and body. Although an art with great depth of knowledge and skill, it ...
Tai Chi Chuan (also written as Taijiquan) is an ancient Chinese form of exercise originally created as a fighting art. Tai Chi was accredited to a Taoist Monk named Zhang San Feng as its creator. Its origins date back over 700 years, some say even up to …
Can tai chi have health benefits for older adults or ... reviews and meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials of exercise interventions, including tai chi, ...
Jun 15, 2014 · Taiwanese scientists are making new claims for the health benefits of tai chi, ... Tai chi is the perfect antidote to a ... by some of the exercises, ...
1 What is Tai Chi? Tai Chi is a gentle form of exercise, done in slow motion. Tai Chi movements use the whole body. What are the benefits ...
Tai chi, sometimes written as t'ai chi, is a self-defense and calisthenics technique developed in China centuries ago as a maturation of several similar but separate exercises. The more formal name of this technique is tai chi chuan, which translates loosely to "supreme ultimate boxing.".
Tai chi chuan is an ancient exercise that embodies China’s most profound concepts and principles of health and movement. It offers true harmony between body and mind.
Tai Chi is a Taoist system of exercise for health, meditation, and self defense. The name "Tai Chi" is a technical term from Taoist cosmology and is often translated 'supreme ultimate.' Tai Chi refers to the state of the universe when it first came into existence and yin (receptive) and yang (active) energies had just been differentiated.
Tai chi is an ancient Chinese exercise that can help older adults improve their balance and lower their fall risk. And by reducing their risk of falls, seniors can lower their odds of suffering a debilitating fracture.
The benefits of Tai Chi for seniors are incredible. If you are looking for a low-impact, relaxing form of exercise that only requires about 20 minutes a day and rewards your efforts, Tai Chi is for you. Tai Chi is an internal Chinese martial art in the sense that it focuses on mental and spiritual aspects integrated into movement.
Relieve Pain & Improve Mobility. Get Started with Tai Cheng™ Today!
Tai Cheng workout is a sophisticated mixture of classical Tai-Chi (a.k.a., Taijiquan ...
Relieve Pain & Improve Mobility. Get Started with Tai Cheng™ Today!
Tai Cheng workout is a sophisticated mixture of classical Tai-Chi (a.k.a., Taijiquan ...
Relieve Pain & Improve Mobility. Get Started with Tai Cheng™ Today!
Tai Cheng workout is a sophisticated mixture of classical Tai-Chi (a.k.a., Taijiquan ...
Training Exercises for Tai Chi Ball The first pattern in external training exercises is known as circling. There are four different methods to complete the circle. Two are related to a vertical plane and two are related to a horizontal plane.
Examples of exercises that help with balance include: tai chi; standing on one foot; slowly walking backwards; Wii Fit has many simple balance exercises that you can do in the privacy of your home; Aerobic Exercise . Aerobic exercise, also called cardio or endurance exercise, is activity that makes your heart beat faster.
Jun 15, 2014 · Taiwanese scientists are making new claims for the health benefits of tai chi, ... Tai chi is the perfect antidote to a ... by some of the exercises, ...
Tai Chi or Tai Chi Ch'uan (Taijiquan in Pinyin) is the fist form expression of much deeper principles. When looked at as a whole art it's integrated with Traditional Chinese Medicine which has parallels to Ayurveda as well as being …
Many people practice Tai Chi Chuan today as a health exercise but it is as well a very effective internal martial art. Tai Chi Chuan, with its soft and slow movements, may be difficult to accept as a fighting system for some people, but that's what it is, that's what it has been for many generations.
As far as the pensioners were concerned, their weekly Tai Chi classes in the church hall simply helped them to relax and do some gentle exercise.
The program, based on the principles of Tai Chi, teaches eight movements modified especially for falls prevention. The program is targeted toward individuals 65 years or older who are physically mobile with impaired stability and/or mobility, or individuals 45 years or older with a condition that may impact stability and/or mobility.
T’ai Chi (properly pronounced tie-jee, but often heard as tie-chee in the West) is an ancient martial art focusing on smooth, slow movements that cultivate inward ...
Original article and pictures take www.bing.com site
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the International Taoist Tai Chi Society, the world’s largest nonprofit Tai Chi organization.
International Taoist Tai Chi Society logo
To celebrate this important anniversary, thousands of members around the world will simultaneously complete the 108 moves of the Society’s Tai Chi set on August 14 at 2 p.m. Greenwich time (10 a.m. EDT).
“This global demonstration of our arts -- all at once, yet in different cities – will symbolize how far we’ve come in realizing our mission of making the Taoist Tai Chi™ internal arts of health available around the globe and around the block,” said Dr. Karen Laughlin, president of the International Taoist Tai Chi Society.
108 Moves Become a Global Movement — His own health having benefited greatly from the practice of Taoist arts, Mr. Moy pledged to bring them to the greatest number of people. Upon arriving in Toronto, he quickly found a space and began teaching. Word of mouth spread rapidly and the early Society grew quickly. In time, its members raised enough money to purchase a building on Bathurst Street that is still a dynamic venue for the Society.
As Mr. Moy’s students learned and benefited from their practice, they themselves became instructors. When they were ready, Mr. Moy asked them to find other locations to teach their own classes on a volunteer basis. In this way, the organization has grown into a global movement. Among the current membership are 3,000 accredited instructors, who further their practice and training by regularly attending classes and workshops. There are only two levels of instruction in the entire organization, beginner and continuing—everyone is a student.
Maintaining and Recovering Health —Mr. Moy refined the instructional methods and the Tai Chi movements he had mastered from his teachers to better suit Western lifestyles and to maximize their health-promoting qualities. Today the Society continues research into the salubrious affects of the Taoist Tai Chi TM internal arts of health on the body and mind. The Society’s current medical advisor, Dr. Bruce McFarlane, contributes a regular series of articles explaining the anatomy and physiology in relation with these arts on the Society’s popular blog, http://www.thetigersmouth.org.
In addition to maintenance of general health and well-being, the Society offers a robust program of health recovery classes for people whose quality of life is seriously compromised by disease at its main campus near Orangeville, Ontario, and at other locations in its global organization. As at all the classes, the practice of the 108-move set Mr. Moy taught is a focal point of this especially gratifying work.
Moving in the Right Direction — The International Taoist Tai Chi Society reaches far beyond any individual’s physical practice. Through the spread of these arts and the community the Society engenders—at the banquets marking Chinese festivals, at the feeding the homeless days, the numerous social activities, and other events, large and small—all members help fulfill Mr. Moy’s vision and the organization’s primary aims and objectives of promoting health, helping others, and facilitating cultural exchange.
Go to http://www.taoist.org/files/pdf/40thKeydates.pdf for key dates in the Society’s development. For more information about the International Taoist Tai Chi Society, its locations, and the 40th anniversary celebrations, visit http://www.taoist.org. For specific information about the worldwide demonstration on August 14, 2010, contact 416-656-2110. And for the most current event and community information, see our blog at http://www.thetigersmouth.org.
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About the International Taoist Tai Chi Society: The world’s largest nonprofit Tai Chi organization, the Society was founded in Toronto in 1970 by the late Master Moy Lin-shin, a Taoist monk who immigrated to Canada from Hong Kong. The Society now counts more than 40,000 members in 26 countries.
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Sweetness of Truth Boar- nature-based wealth, prosperity, success, protection, The Koi or Carp Fish represents wealth and prosperity, as the actual word in ... east eastern element growth ink isolated language oriental paint May 6, 2011 These symbols can be included as a part of your clothings like t-shirts, cuff links, e.
Original article and pictures take www.google.nl site
Tai Chi Classics mention relaxing the waist and moving from the waist. The waist controls the fa jing of tai chi applications. But the Chinese tai chi concept of the waist is different than what most people commonly think! If you misinterpret the meaning of how to use "the waist" in tai chi, you will weaken your structure and energy flow. Learn how to do it correctly and you get more power and qi flow. Enjoy your online tai chi how to video!
This is a video clip of Master Chen Zhonghua demonstrating a method to keep the center from the opponent. It is filmed at the monthly Maple Ridge, B.C. Canada workshop on Jan. 16, 2010.
This posture is Tai Chi. It is the most common of all the tai chi (taiji) and qigong (chi-gung) postures, and is often used as a separate exercise to increase leg strength, concentration, deep breathing and chi (qi) flow.
The stance and directions shown here are for a posture and standing meditation known as the Zhan Zhuang or Embrace the tree posture. The advice is sound for this posture though readers should be aware that Tai Chi and Yiquan (a standing meditation internal art) work a traditional Horse Stance as well which is a wide and low position.
Turn the toes in so the outside of the feet are parallel. Original article and pictures take www.wikihow.com site
Tai Chi Chuan (Taijiquan) is an ancient Chinese "internal" or "soft" martial art often practised for its health-giving and spiritual benefits; it is non-competitive, gentle, and generally slow-paced.[1] Contrary to the Western concept of "no pain, no gain," one hour of tai chi actually burns more calories than surfing and nearly as many as downhill skiing, so it's definitely a veritable workout.[2] But that's just one of the many benefits! By increasing strength, flexibility, body awareness and mental concentration, tai chi can improve your health, too.
1 Warm up with proper breathing and centering. As with any martial art, it's not just how quickly and forcefully you can strike a board or knock a guy out. A huge part of it is having a firm grip on your mind. To clear yours, focus your chi, and tap into your potential, you'll need to start with proper breathing (which will, in turn, centre you).
Put your feet up to shoulder width apart, no further.
Place your hand on your lower abdomen, about 2 inches (5 cm) below your navel. Push in lightly.
Breathe in and out through your nose slowly (lips loosely together) from this area of your abdomen. If you can't feel this area moving, push in with your hand a bit more.
2 Concentrate on all parts of your body one at a time. Once breathing like this feels normal, start relaxing every part of your body one at a time. Start with your feet and work your way up to your scalp. Get as tiny as you'd like -- down to your fingernails even. You'll find you were holding tension without even realizing it.
If you start to sway, that's actually a good thing! It means you're relaxing and your body isn't tensed to balance. If that does happen, consider slightly readjusting your feet or moving your concentration back to your balance until you're steady again.
3 Root yourself. One of the concepts of tai chi is "rooting." It's fairly self-explanatory: imagine roots growing out from underneath your feet. You are a part of the ground, never losing balance, focus, or your centering. Your limbs sway like branches in the wind, never hesitating for fear or apprehension. You are rooted.
This does not mean you or your legs are stiff. Quite the opposite. Just imagine roots under you, a part of you, allowing you for freedom of movement because you cannot fall, you cannot fail, and you will always be a part of the natural world.
4 Think about your frame. In Tai Chi, there are a few forms your positions can take. Generally, each style favors a specific form. Here's a rundown of the basics:
Small frame style. In this style (usually Wu or Hao versions) aren't very expansive. The movements are smaller (big surprise, huh?) and there's less extension in general. The focus is on correct internal energy to form correct movements and transitions.
Large frame style. The large frame style (Chen and Yang) involves low and high stances, more dramatic postures, and swinging arms. It emphasizes correct positioning of the body and alignment to channel energy.
5 Experiment with different styles. Because all Tai Chi is good, it's more important that you do any rather than worry about which style is right for you. But once you get immersed in the world, you may want to experiment. Here's a brief rundown:[4]
The Chen style mixes up the tempo, going very slow and then being explosive. It can be difficult for beginners.
The Yang style is the most popular. It has a steady tempo and, as discussed above, uses large frame movements. It's probably what you think of when you think of tai chi.
In Wu, the movements are almost microscopic. This makes it easy to do, but difficult to master -- there's a lot of focus on powerful flows of energy and inner, pressured movements. The movements are very slow and deliberate.
The Hao style isn't very widely spread. You probably won't find a teacher that practices it.
1 Master the moves by understanding the philosophy and its makers. To understand the nature of Tai Chi Chuan (meaning "Supreme Ultimate Fist") we have to put it into context with the culture from where it has come. This means we have to look closer at the Chinese culture and, in particular, the spiritual tradition of Taoism which is where Tai Chi Chuan finds its roots and sustenance.
The art of tai chi is said to improve the flow of Chi (Qi), the traditional Chinese concept of a physically intangible energy or life force. In scientific studies, tai chi has been proven to improve a host of medical conditions including, but not limited to: muscular pain, headaches, fibromyalgia, cardiovascular problems, arthritis, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, Diabetes and ADHD. Though its low-impact workout is especially helpful to seniors, tai chi is for everyone and is deceptively simple in appearance.
The thing to keep in mind about Taoism is that it is about an attunement with nature. Not just nature outside of us, but also the nature within us. This principle is called Tzu Jan, or Ziran in pinyin, and it is the principle of being "self-so" or embodying one's "self-nature". So beyond the health benefits and stress relief, Tai Chi Chuan is also a means to tap into one's inner self.
3 Try the single whip move. We're just going to outline a few here (there are tons), but a pretty standard one that is seen in every variety is the single whip. It's where every point along your arms and upper torso is part of a whip -- they could explode with a force of energy at any moment, becoming the end of the whip. Doesn't seem so effortless now!
For this move, generally one hand stays in the "beak hand" position. You can probably guess why -- it sort of looks like a bird's beak. Your four fingers should be lightly touching your thumb and your palm should be facing downward. As for your arms, each style of Tai Chi is slightly different, but generally, they're at shoulder height and spread like loose wings.
4 Do the white crane spreads wings move. For this one, your weight should always be on one leg -- but both feet should always be on the ground. You'll be shifting back and forth as you test your balance. So to your arms should be opposite -- one should be moving fast and on different planes and the other should be slow and deliberate (but never flaccid and weak).
The name of this moves sounds docile, but it does have a fighting application. Think about it: your weight and arm position is always changing. And when you have 100% of your weight on one leg, it frees the other up to kick. There's your purpose!
5 Practice "pouring." This can even be something you do waiting in line at the self-check out. You simply stand with your feet on the floor, parallel, shoulder-width apart. Then you pour your weight onto one leg and hold; after a few breaths in and out, you begin slowly pouring your weight onto the other leg and holding. Do this for a few minutes, clearing your mind and becoming aware of your balance.[5]
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8 Go from short form to long form. For most beginners, you'll probably want to stick to the short form. That's 13-40 moves long and generally lasts about 5-20 minutes. But once you get that down, you may be craving more. That's where the long form comes in! It's 80 or more moves and can take over an hour.[7] Talk about stress relief!
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