WHAT IS TAI CHI

People who have seen Tai Chi practised in a park or on television recognise it as a slow, ‘dancelike’ form of movements with similarities to martial arts.

Tai Chi is in fact a martial art that originated in China over one thousand years ago and was originally used for self-defence. (Many people, upon seeing the relaxed, smooth and flowing movements of Tai Chi for the first time cannot believe that they have anything to do with a martial art.)

However, today this art form is typically practiced for a variety of reasons like its soft martial techniques, health benefits and longevity.

Taijiquan is the officially accepted spelling by the International Wushu Federation. It is known as and sometimes spelled Tai Chi or Tai Chi Chuan in the West. Taijiquan means supreme ultimate fist. Tai means Supreme, Ji (Chi) means Ultimate, and Quan (Chuan) means Fist. (Tai Chi is also the name of the Yin Yang symbol.)

The main aim of the Yin Yang theory is to attain a dynamic balance in all things at all levels. Tai Chi therefore balances your energy, which connects with both the mind and the body, harmonizing them both.

READ MORE

The History of Tai Chi

The History of the Wu's Tai Chi Chuan