Tai Chi chuan
Tui Shou and Meditation
T'ai chi ch'uan or taijiquan (often shortened to t'ai chi, taiji or Tai Chi) is a type of internal Chinese martial art, practiced for both its defense training and its health benefits. It is also typically practiced for a variety of other personal reasons: its hard and soft martial art technique, demonstration competitions, and longevity. As a consequence, a multitude of training forms exist, both traditional and modern, which correspond to those aims. Some of Tai Chi's training forms are especially known for being practiced at what most people consider as 'slow movement'.
The study of Tai Chi primarily involves 3 aspects:
▪ Health. An unhealthy or otherwise uncomfortable person may find it difficult to meditate to a state of calmness or to use Tai Chi as a martial art. Tai Chi's health training, therefore, concentrates on relieving the physical effects of stress on the body and mind. For those focused on tai chi's martial application, good physical fitness is an important step towards effective self-defense.
▪ Martial art / Tui Shou / pushing hands / sensing hands. The ability to use Tai Chi as a form of self-defense in combat, called Tui Shou (or 'pushing hands, or sensing hands'), is the test of a student's understanding of the art. Tai Chi Chuan is the study of appropriate change in response to outside forces; the study of yielding and 'sticking' to an incoming attack, rather than attempting to meet it with opposing force. The use of Tai Chi Chuan as a martial art is quite challenging and requires a great deal of training.
▪ Meditation. The focus and calmness cultivated by the meditative aspect of Tai Chi is seen as necessary in maintaining optimum health (in the sense of relieving stress and maintaining homeostasis) and in application of the form as a soft style martial art.
Master Michael Chen said: "After yang (active training), comes ying (meditation), for balance."
Researchers have found that intensive Tai Chi practice shows some favourable effects on the promotion of balance control, flexibility, and cardiovascular fitness.
Tai Chi Chuan is Chi Kung, but Chi Kung is not Tai Chi Chuan.
(source: a.o. Wikipedia, edited)
The study of Tai Chi primarily involves 3 aspects:
▪ Health. An unhealthy or otherwise uncomfortable person may find it difficult to meditate to a state of calmness or to use Tai Chi as a martial art. Tai Chi's health training, therefore, concentrates on relieving the physical effects of stress on the body and mind. For those focused on tai chi's martial application, good physical fitness is an important step towards effective self-defense.
▪ Martial art / Tui Shou / pushing hands / sensing hands. The ability to use Tai Chi as a form of self-defense in combat, called Tui Shou (or 'pushing hands, or sensing hands'), is the test of a student's understanding of the art. Tai Chi Chuan is the study of appropriate change in response to outside forces; the study of yielding and 'sticking' to an incoming attack, rather than attempting to meet it with opposing force. The use of Tai Chi Chuan as a martial art is quite challenging and requires a great deal of training.
▪ Meditation. The focus and calmness cultivated by the meditative aspect of Tai Chi is seen as necessary in maintaining optimum health (in the sense of relieving stress and maintaining homeostasis) and in application of the form as a soft style martial art.
Master Michael Chen said: "After yang (active training), comes ying (meditation), for balance."
Researchers have found that intensive Tai Chi practice shows some favourable effects on the promotion of balance control, flexibility, and cardiovascular fitness.
Tai Chi Chuan is Chi Kung, but Chi Kung is not Tai Chi Chuan.
(source: a.o. Wikipedia, edited)
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