What makes Tai Chi a recognized fitness program?

Question

It seems so smooth and undemanding; no muscle flexing, no pounding of heart. Perhaps it will not make you breathe hard. So what exactly do you get out of Tai Chi? Is it more of meditation? With some weeks of Tai Chi, will an unfit person become 'fit'? What should I expect, what should I not? And how come it is considered a martial art?

Answer 1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%27ai_chi

It's about posture and form and the transition from one form to another, the transfer of weight, etc. And it is about breathing. There is quite a bit of muscular flexing going on but as it is only useful muscles, it will not make you look like a bodybuilder. It will however increase your strength and endurance. It will improve your posture, making your body both more efficient and more comfortable to live in. It will take more than a few weeks, and it is not a magic bullet cure for a lack of fitness. If you want to strengthen your cardiovascular system, then go get your heart rate up. If you need to build a certain area of your body, use weights. It is considered an 'internal martial art' and is not generally considered an optimal means of hand to hand self-defense.

Yoga and T'ai Chi are in some senses diagnostic tools, and sometimes are the best means to remedy the imbalances they diagnose.

Answer 2

You're looking at the idea of exercise in a Western mindset. Tai Chi will tone the muscles gently, therefore with no strain or injury to the body. It will teach you about balance, and harmony. Whilst the motions in Tai Chi are gentle and flowing, it's considered a martial art as the same principals and movements can be used with force in a sparring situation. Meditation and concentration of the mind as well as the body are intrinsic parts of Tai Chi, and being in the right mindset is absolutely essential.

Answer 3

Tai Chi Chuan is a martial art. It translates to grand ultimate fist. There are different types of martial arts, soft like tai chi and ikido, and hard like karate and tae kwon do. Hard forms are about outter strength, Soft forms are about inner strength. They are both about the mind\body connection. If you can train the mind to control the body, you can do anything. Tai Chi is a moving meditation, similar to yoga. Most of the postures and stances you encounter in Tai Chi are in the hard forms, just done at a slower, more gentle pace. Its rooted in the yin and yang of circular movements. It trains your Chi, or Ki, which is your spirit, your inner power. I would recommend that you find a compentent teacher of Tai Chi and see for yourself what it can do for you mentally and physically.