Tai Chi what form of exercise is it?

Question

What is Tai Chi and what is involved

Answer 1

taijiquan is one of the oldest martial arts in existance.
in the west it is mainly taught as a moving meditation and relaxation technique.

although, it does have great health benefits, it is also a brutal martial art.

as a martial art it takes years to master but weeks to reap the health benefits of practicing t'ai chi chuan.

there are multiple styles of taiji and many variations among the styles. the most popular and most widely practiced is yang style tai chi, and in the style there are hundreds of variations.

visit my sifu's website for more information on the benefits of taijiquan and various instructors in the western united states: http://www.lotusdragon.com/

if you have anymore detailed questions on this subject please feel free to contact me!

~*good luck*~

Answer 2

i agree with above, execpt that the 'push hands' training is essential in real tai chi for fighting ability. "Pushing hands is therefore important for training the sudden releases of power in attack and defense that the more martially oriented styles focus on, the most famous example being fa jin". Tai Chi fighters are also famous for their sword fighting skills.

it is sad to see this exeptional martial art watered down to be a yoga-like exercise for geriatrics. famous old time tai chi fighters were undefeated in many fights.

Answer 3

Tai Chi is a Martial Arts discipline that can work well for toning and building up muscular strength, and it is also a self defense discipline.

it can also be a fairly areobic workout, that's why you see mostly elderly people that have been taking it. but people under the age of 60 can also use it both as self defense and as exercise.

mostly what is involved is breathing and often choreographed movements for defending yourself once you learn the techniques.