IIMA-Tai Chi Chuan

TAI CHI CHUAN

Tai chi chuan, "supreme ultimate fist", is a Chinese martial art often practiced for health reasons. often referred to simply as "tai chi", it is a northern style of Chinese kung-fu, it cultivates chi as the power and force behind the techniques it employs. Tai chi is characterized by a series of long flowing movements and forms performed in an almost slow yet methodical manner.

Tai chi chuan is generally classified as a form of traditional Chinese martial arts of the Neijia (soft or internal) branch. It is considered a soft style martial art — an art applied with internal power — to distinguish its theory and application from that of the hard martial art styles.

Since the first widespread promotion of tai chi's health benefits in the early 20th century, it has developed a worldwide following among people with little or no interest in martial training for its benefit to health. Most westerners who practice tai chi have considered its martial aspects as minor in comparison with its beneficial effects on health and spirit.

However, tai chi possesses a large array of strikes, pushes, blocks, kicks, evasive techniques and circular throws, locks, and twists. When applied as such, it proves to be a powerful form of self-defense.

Tai chi training first and foremost involves learning solo routines, known as forms. While the image of tai chi chuan in popular culture is typified by exceedingly slow movement, many tai chi styles (including the three most popular, Yang, Wu and Chen) have secondary forms of a faster pace. Some traditional schools of tai chi teach partner exercises known as pushing hands, and martial applications of the postures of the form.

Today, tai chi has spread worldwide. Most modern styles of tai chi trace their development to at least one of the five traditional schools: Chen, Yang, Wu/Hao, Wu and Sun, each named after the Chinese family from which it originated.

Tai chi classes have become popular everywhere as a low stress training, especially for seniors. As a result of this popularity, there has been some divergence between those who say they practice tai chi primarily for self-defense, those who practice it for its aesthetic appeal, and those who are more interested in its benefits to physical and mental health.