Overview
The Art of T’ai Chi Chuan: Healing, Health, and Self-Defense
T’ai Chi Chuan, considered by the Chinese as one of the greatest treasures of their culture, is a discipline of moving meditation that unifies the mind and body, to increase personal harmony, balance, and physical ability.

T’ai Chi movement principles were refined over many centuries, by Chinese Taoist philosophers, who sought to harmonize themselves with the natural world for better living, for enlightenment, and for longevity. Through a trial and error approach, based on principles of yin/yang balance found in Taoist doctrine, they developed a method of synchronizing proper breathing, with simple sensible movements, that freed up and body’s intrinsic energies, resulting in improved vitality. They found that a relaxed mind enabled one to find greater union with their body’s inner functions and a connectedness with nature. T’ai Chi, the art and discipline of learning “proper” use of the body has many applications, but first and foremost it has been used an ideal method of both self-healing and self-defense.

T’ai Chi for Health and Healing
Ergonomics

T’ai Chi Chuan the Martial Art:
Because T’ai Chi Chuan has been developed to optimize the logical and efficient use of the human body according to its natural tendencies, it can be applied to function as a thoroughly effective form of self defense.

T’ai Chi Chuan is considered an “internal martial arts system” because it relies on the careful unification of the metabolic, respiratory, circulatory, and musculo-skeletal systems as the source of martial power. T’ai Chi principles maximize the ability to exert force, while maintaining balance, and the ability to read and respond to an adversary’s intentions..

As a martial art, T’ai Chi Chuan, is characterized by its sensing and blending with an adversary’s attacks using minimal force to imbalance and control a foe, while preserving one’s own equilibrium. As in the Japanese martial art of Aikido, an attacker’s force is used against them, controlled, and redirected.

T’ai Chi as a martial art incorporates a variety of practice methods:
1. Form Practice
2. Chi Gong
3. Push-Hands
4. Applications Practice
5. Free-Style Sparring
6. Weapons Training

 

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