Anyone know where i could download or get free either a video or instruction of how to learn tai chi fan form?

I'm a kind of fitness buff and i like the look of the tai chi fan form exercise and its applications for defensive maneuvers. so could you help me? do you know a site where i can find a kind of instruction manual on how to perform tai chi fan form? or even a tutorial video of some kind.... or you can also send me any of those...|||http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoAa-xc6W鈥?/a>|||sure, go here and search for tai chi http://isohunt.com/

How was tai chi introduced in the Philippines?

please give any other info as well regarding tai chi in the Philippines if you know any|||You may inquire from the following:





TaiChiME4Health


Organization Affiliations: www.taichiforarthritis.com www.taichiproductions.com www.taichiweek.org www.taichime.org


Email: TaiChiME_Philippines@yahoo.com


Website: http://www.TaiChiME.net





Cainta, Rizal Tai Chi Group


Email: taichi44ph@yahoo.com


Telephone: (0632)655-5556





Still Mountain Tai Chi Kung Institute


Organization Affiliations: Wushu Federation of the Philippines


Email: ed.stillmountain@gmail.com


Telephone: 9328230750 or 93 927 7931589





Blue Dragon Society International


Organization Affiliations: Tai Chi Productions


Email: blue-dragon8@lycos.com


Telephone: 632 427 7419





(FLOW) Flight of the Warrior


Organization Affiliations: Dao-Yin Yang Sheng Gong, Mei-El Gong, Cenrto Maginhawa TCM clinic, Austria natural medicine clinic


Email: saar.herman@gmail.com


Telephone: 63-928-4079830 / 02-7243242/ 02-9217649|||I want to help, but I don't know....haha





But I can lead you to people who know! =)





Here:


http://www.taichinetwork.org/sitemap.htm鈥?/a>





On that site, look for "Asia Philippines..."


It features Tai Chi classes, schools, teachers, etc.





I'm sure, they know it ;)

What is your personal benefits for Tai chi chuan?

I want to know how it feels to do it.|||I feel great! I am more productive, have huge energy reserves, tremendous vitality(sex drive), fantastic balance, I have not been sick in 8 years! No Colds, No Flu, nothing. As soon as I feel something coming on, I do a specific set and it vanishes!





I began doing a specific set of qigong exercises first and later added a 5 form tai chi. Yes, only 5 forms. Original tai chi had fewer forms and the rest came later.





I tried dozens of methods before finding a guy in on the other side of the country who had the goods. I felt energy (chi) my first day! I have studied with him since. My personal experience is that the specific qigong forms I do build energy fast, and the tai chi I do Helps to circulate it better.





Better Health was always my goal. I achieved it!





I hope this helps steer you to the benefits of the eastern healing arts.


-Lee|||Tai Chi helps me find an inner peace whenever im stressed or angry, you also have many self-discoveries. You literally learn more about yourself.





You should try it, it has plenty of benefits.





Best of luck my friend.|||Less sleep, more energy, reduced stress. I feel calm but energized with a feeling of warmth. It is a nice feeling. Sometimes my muscles feel sore for a short time.|||my butt looks nicer

Is there a real benefit to our hands when we do exercise with the Tai Chi balls?

I had a light stroke 6 years ago so I keep exercising. TaiChi balls are part of my fingers and my wrist.|||Supposedly when done properly they help maintain flexibility and dexterity|||let insurance company pay your medical/health bills


http://insurance13.cn


http://insurance13.cn


http://insurance13.cn

What form of Tai Chi is this called?

It's more like when you're doing tai chi, instead of having a gentle flow to it, you're still doing the same exercise except trying to keep your arms from moving how they are supposed to move. Like you have to hold yourself back, but you're still doing it. What is this called?|||If you are describing what I think you are describing, you have witnessed traditional martial arts or qigong exercises which use isotonic tension.





"Isotonic tension" is a term used to describe physical movements which are performed against the resistance of antagonistic muscles. For instance, if you bring your hands to your shoulders and then push the hands forward through space, you will be using your triceps (the large muscles at the back of the arm). This is isotonic movement. If you tense the muscles on the other side of the arm (your biceps) at the same time, the biceps will resist the natural contraction of the triceps, requiring them to work harder to accomplish their task.


If the tension between the two sets of muscles were equal, then there would be not movement at all. This would be called isometric tension.





What you saw was probably not tai chi exactly.


Tai Chi routines are meant to be practised in a very relaxed manner. The idea is to cultivate an ability to move quickly, effortlessly, and powerfully without losing awareness of the opponent's intent.


However, there are several exercises which use isotonic tension. They may look a lot like tai chi, and many are even closely related to the art.





Shaolin kungfu, Omei kungfu, Wudang kungfu, some styles of white crane kungfu, and many styles of karate, have exercise routines which use isotonic tension. In Karate and White Crane Kungfu, it is called Sanshin.





Omei Kungfu has several similar exercises, including Daperng Qigong, an esoteric method which I learned from my teacher. It is famous for its ability to build incredible strength and internal power.





The isotonic tension exercises of Oriental martial arts were the inspiration for Dynamic Tension, and exercise developed by Charles Atlas ("The World's Most Perfectly Developed Man"). Every man who read comic books between 1941 and the 1980's would be familiar with the ads for his exercise programs.





So, if I were to hazard a guess, I'd say you were probably watching Sanshin Kata from Okinawan Karate, or White Crane Kungfu. Either that or a Shaolin basic power training exercise. Those would be the most common.





Another possibility is that you were watching tai chi done very badly.





- Ian Sinclair


Chief Instructor ~ Cloud Mountain Martial Arts, Orillia, Ontario, Canada


Vice President ~ Canadian Taijiquan (Tai Chi) Federation|||prob a variation of temple style, or an americanized version.|||Are you sure it is not Falun Gong?|||Well ur not suppose to tense up ur muscles when ur practicing Taiji. In the highest levels of Taiji u use ur Yi to move ur Chi, and ur Chi to move ur body. I think u might be talking about using ur Yi.

Does anyone know what are the benefits of practising Tai chi?

Ive been practising tai chi from few months now, I noticed some benefits but not so clearly maybe I do it the wrong way|||Tai Ch is an ancient exercise form of China. As one of the most important branches of Chinese Kung Fu, Tai Chi emphasizes the harmony, the balance and the unity between people and nature, and promotes the healthy development of people both physically and mentally.





Tai Chi can be much more beneficial than many other exercises, mainly because body alignment and motion works with the body and not against it. You can not get "worn out" doing Tai Chi. In fact, the movements relax the cardiovascular system while giving it exercise. Stress is placed on the muscles (which get stronger) in stead of the joints (which wear out).





Stereotypically it is practiced throughout the world by the elderly for fitness and longevity, but the defensive abilities contained in both the movement and overall practice are real. In fact, some schools stress the martial applications, and after some years of training it proves itself to be one of the most effective martial arts ever developed.





Probably 90% of people starting Tai Chi are there purely for their health, but many go on to embrace the complete art.


Regular practice of Taoist Tai Chi can bring a wide range of health benefits to the muscular, skeletal and circulatory systems. The flowing movements of Taoist Tai Chi serve as a moving meditation that reduces stress and provides a way to cultivate body and mind.|||a few months in any art ,system is a very short time to experience any noticeable improvement.time is very important , give yourself time to improve,Tai-Chi is serious stuff,it takes years to reach an acceptable level of skill. be patient and put in the effort and you will achieve your goals .|||benefits of learning tai chi is you actually learn tai chi!|||Just a sideways thought have you tried Yoga? Just in case you get bored of the Tai Chi|||personally i practice meditation and xin yi/ bagua. I notice that snce i have been doing this, when i spar a fight agains anybody for sparring or etc, my mind is always at ease, i never get nervous, so i have more chance of wining because i can think better.|||The benefit will grow slowly with your health and your mind. With Tai Chi in a fight, you need to be train for over 10 years and a sifu that explain the meaning of chi to you. Tai Chi is self expression of ones power with the surrounding and energy. Tai Chi is deep. If you want to live long, learn tai chi.|||It's an excellent way of melding mind and body...


or to put it from an athletic perspective...


you're developing an acute sense of kinesthetic awareness.





It's meditation so you should notice improvements in your overall sense of well being.





For me, it helped to keep me balanced and at peace.


I hope it does the same for you.|||Benefits as explained by my girlfriend :





Calms the mind and relaxes the body through body movement and mindfulness/meditative thought during forms.





Builds awareness of your center of gravity and gives you overall awareness of balance.





Can be either a social (class) or solitary (idividual practice) event, depending on what your needs are at the time.





Nice workout for the lower body, especially the quadriceps.





Maintains flexibility in larger joints in the body (ie - knees, hips, shoulder, elbows, etc).





Unifies mind-body-spirit (sort of touched on earlier).





From a TCM perspective it increases the circulation of the body's qi and blood.|||None.|||i was instructed that it helps to strengthen the tendons, ligaments and balances your core, where as yoga is more to do with muscles and if you watch closely, some of the movements are part of kata so it probably will help with strength and technique in some areas of other martial arts.

What is the difference between qigong and tai chi?

Quite often when practices cross from one side of the world to another there is a lot of misunderstanding. Qigong is composed of two words qi and gong. Qi means air and also equates to life energy. Gong means work or exercise. When you put both words together it means an exercise that uses breathing methods to enhance your life energy.





Taijiquan (another spelling of tai chi chuan) is a martial art that uses principles of qigong, meridian theory, a very refined sense of body mechanics, etc.





Qigong is purely health and healing oriented while arts like Taijiquan, though very good for health and longevity, are martial in nature. Unfortunately most Taijiquan instructors (especially in the West) only teach the health and meditative aspects and neglect the martial. This is a very sad situation, as it only gives its practitioners a small slice and not the whole pie. Even if done for health purposes, the training should involve a broad spectrum. For the Taijiquan path this gives the best results for health. It does no good for anyone to water down this beautiful art.|||They are similar, but the primary difference is the meditations that are incorporated into the qigong. Qigong is more mind-body oriented in that it specifically aims to quiet the mind and encourage the flow of chi throughout the body and soul. Tai Chi is also good for balancing the chakras and encouraging the flow of chi, but does not incorporate as much in the way of meditation and calming of the mind. I have tried both, and i highly prefer the Qigong.|||Qigong falls under the tai-chi umbrella. To put it in very simple forms, qigong is like a type of exercise that can be done in tai chi style. There are also bagua, kung fu, and xing-yi qigong styles which are other forms of Chinese martial arts. Each qigong exercise works a different part of the body in a different way. Much like other Chinese martial art styles, qigongs have some wonderful health benefits to them too. I have been studying for years now and I always start my workout or practice routine with a few qigong exercises.

Places in Florida that teach Shaolin Kung-Fu and Tai Chi?

Ok, im looking for a place in florida (around tampa) that teaches shaolin do kung-fu and tai chi for an average price.|||What is Shaolin Do? Shaolin is chinese and Do is japanese. What kind of tai chi are you looking for? The health exercise or the one that actually teaches combat applications?





Also Shaolin Kung fu is too broad a term. Wing chun and Choy lay fut are both "Shaolin" and look how drastically different they are|||Stay away from Shaolin Do. It's a fraud. Sin Kwang The' is a fraud.|||Dude ever heard of google? U should listen to Sensei Scandal. He always gives good advice whether people want to hear it or not.

Any1 know what kind of tai chi is used in Blood and bone the movie?

Any1 know what kind of tai chi is used in Blood and bone the movie??|||If the push hands was performed in low stances, it is most likely Chen. However Chen also does high stances. The complete list of common Tai Chi styles are Yang, Chen, Wu, Sun, and Wu-Hao. In addition there is Wudang Tai Chi which has a different origin (or so I believe.)|||the 3 most popular styles of taijichuan are Yang, Wu, and chen.. the only bit of the movie I saw was him and his misus doing "push hands" which is used in every style of tai chi.

What would happen to my body and mind if I did Yoga, Tai Chi and a Martial Art?

If I were to do all of these then how will I feel? Would I get into shape also with exercise?|||You mind will feel more calm when you practice Martial Arts, because Tai Chi makes your body and mind stronger.


Same applies with Yoga.





You are combining soft and hard techniques, so will the benefits of both. You will feel great. I have been practicing all three at the same time before.





I hope you have found a real good Tai Chi teacher. Many people don't know that Tai Chi is a self defense. It's practiced slowly, but can be applied fast, as a pure self defense. Try to find a good Tai Chi master, who can teach you the Tai Chi pushing hands, which is practiced with another person|||u will feel happier because exercise releases "happy" chemicals from your brain. You will also feel better about yourself because u will be more lean and fit.|||Ive been taking Martial Arts for almost a year and a half now and I found even when I first began, I felt so much lighter and happier mentially. Its a great work out, a great self - esteem booster and its just always such a good feeling. Its fun, its affordable.. and theres classes everywhere, just look around! hope you enjoy!

Is Mount Wudang or Chen Village a better place to learn and experience Tai Chi?

Afterall, they are both known as the birthplace of Tai Chi...|||Mount Wudang being a religious temple, the rules'll be a lot stricter there. There's a video of Wudang Tai Chi on youtube under Hong Kong TVs "Kung Fu Quest" and the priest shows the self defense applications pretty impressively. Then the "Needle Through Brick" documentary shows some good Tai Chi as well. But Chen village is doing the most business teaching Tai Chi now so their most likely to be most accommodating to Westerners.|||Chen family Tai Chi does have fajing in it, but that is not it's primary focus. It also has a lot of circular movements. The two systems are similar in combative nature.





I will agree that it all really just depends on you and what you want. Although, with the right teacher, you can get the same experience from either system.|||it depends on which style of tai chi you want to focus on





wudang tai chi is different to chen village tai chi





chen style tai chi is very dynamic and uses alot of fajin (explosive) energy


i'm not 100% sure on wudang but i think they are more of a circular and slower.





i'm sure both teach pushing hands and the general tai chi exercises.


but i'm very sure that chen style tai chi inherits amazing self defence techniques


i've not seen wudang tai chi in application...





it really depends on you, but i'd go to chen village because i would love to learn the martial applications of chen style tai chi|||certainly they were historically important in tai chi, i would try one of the big parks or squares in beijing or shanghai at sunrise where you will find huge groups of people practicing





try looking up a tai chi holiday, there are loads if you google it|||The Chen village is the actual birthplace of Taijiquan. It doesnt matter where u learn it as long as u find a good instructor to study under.|||Will it makes you a better christian ,if you `d go to a Vatican ? Or Jeruzalem ?

Best Tai Chi DVD for Elderly to Improve Balance?

Hi, my grandma is in her 80s - takes no medication and is very active - however she is starting to loose her balance. I have read that Tai Chi is the best way to improve balance in the elderly, but there are so many I need help in choosing the best one for her. Does anyone have any personal experience/opinion about what I should get her? Thank you for your help!|||I have done some Tai Chi and also a lot of Yoga. I personally feel it is best to take some of your "basic" training working directly with a teacher in both fields.





Your grandmother may well have a medical condition causing her balance problem so I wouldn't advise beginning with a DVD. I am sure that some one on one guidance in either is best to get her started.

Where to find Collapsible Tai Chi Sword?

I was wondering if there was any store near by, where I can buy a practice Collapsible Tai Chi Sword. I live around San Jose, Winchester Huff Avenue. Is there any place near by where I can buy one? Like a Chinese, Viet, store etc. Do you think they even sell it at a flea market not the real one, but a practice one?|||Almost all Chinese martial arts supply web sites sell collapsible Tai Chi sword.





But my advice to you is not to waste your money because this kind of sword is really not suitable for practice. Here are the reasons:





1. It is collapsible like an antenna so the inside of the blade is hollow. This make the whole sword very light and out of balance. We practice weapon today because it help us work on our overall balance, focus and to build our wrist, arms, and shoulders. You get none of these if you use a hollow collapsible sword.





2. The workmanship and material of these kind of sword are very low quality. Years ago someone in our taichi class bought one and it felt apart when he tried to close it (push the blade back into the handle). This happened the first time he used it.





Get a good metal taichi sword with good balance and weight to practice, not this type of juke.

What schools in brandon, fl is there that teaches tai chi straight sword?

i always wanted to learn the tai chi straight sword. m y friends brother has a wooden one and i always pick it up and it feels right like my wooden bokken, but i can't find any schools in brandon. my teacher says that its really rare on this side of the pound.|||Check google. There are 5 major styles of Tai Chi. U have to learn the MA before u learn its weapon forms. U need to check to see if the instructors are even qualified. Ive seen people that have taught for years but have no understanding of the art.

Any recommendations for instruction videos in Tai chi or Shotokan Karate?

I have taken classes in both these disciplines before and am not currently able to find classes near by. I just want to try and keep up my mid level skills.|||Shotokan has many "authorized" videos out there. If you're seeking Shotokan stay with these.

Tai Chi does not refer to a particular style that has been regimented through an organization. Hence the quality of these DVDs is often not up to the level you may wish for.



HOWEVER!!!!!

Unless you are a very skilled practitioner, instructional videos in these complex arts are of little value. Tai Chi like Chi Quong and Aikido is among the most subtle of the martial arts and it is NOT possible to learn without feeling the weight exchanges and momentum shifts in your instructor.

As a reminder of the range of techniques or the order of techniques in a kata these videos are great but trying to learn new techniques without the hands on direction of a qualified instructor is extremely difficult. It鈥檚 very similar to trying to perform surgery after watching it being done on House.

You may get the majority of the process done correctly but the patient will still die.



Martial Arts is not yoga (even the static yoga postures are composed of many stressors weighing against each other) and yoga is hard to learn solely via video despite their ready availability on the net.



If you want to train and your first choices aren't available make your selection from among those arts that are available. Yes there are many flavors of MA out there claiming to be the "True Path" or the "Best" and there's little agreement on the question but all of them contain much of value. So if the best isn't there go for the next best and take full advantage of your instructor鈥檚 ability to transfer kinesthetic, tactical and strategic skills not available on disk.

Learning many different styles will only improve your abilities in the long run and if you're not in it for the long haul look for something else to do for "exercise" that you enjoy and can keep doing.



Good luck in your effort!|||The "Century" martial arts supply website has good instructional videos on Shotokan katas. Each one is demonstrated at least 3 or 4 times, in different ways (regular speed, regular speed from a different view, slow, slow from a different view, against attackers, regular speed again, a whole group practicing the kata).





Not only that, but the person explaining the kata is one of the Funikosi family members (I think the guy's name is Keith Funikoshi...been awhile since I watched the DVDs).|||This video helped me to refine the steps and is assisting me with my breathing. If you are already at the mid-level stage, it will help keep you to improve what you already know. It is well worth the money. Other videos I have seen have not come close to this one.|||Here is a great Tai Chi instructional video:


http://8step.com/products/taiChiVideoSec鈥?/a>





I am not sure what style of Tai Chi you have studied but this vidoe has helped me out a lot.|||Here are 2 suggestions from my wife (who is a certified instructor):

Where is Tai Chi taught in Kolkata?

I wish to learn Tai Chi for improving my fitness and health. Is it taught anywhere in Kolkata?|||Sensei Tania Hui is an internationally acclaimed martial arts instructor. I do not have much information.|||CATCH UFC STREAM FOR FREE





http://wlwrestling.darkbb.com/


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http://wlwrestling.darkbb.com/|||Check google|||no

I do Tai Chi regularly other day I saw 'steam' streaming out of my fingers is that part of my aura I'm seeing?

No I'm not seeing things, it was like a beam of grey light coming from my thumb and finger tips on both hands, saw this once and hasn't happened since. Assume it is part of my aura - or build up of energy as it happened as I was closing my Tai Chi exercise. Has anyone else seen this??|||Well, it's possible you just practiced outside when it was cold, and the steam you saw was a result of the chi flow to your hands boosting your skin temperature and making steam.





Assuming that you actually were seeing your etheric field though, it basically works as follows;


There are two schools of meditation in daoism (which are often intertwined with chi gung and tai chi).


Fire Method


Water Method





The fire method emphasize forcing things to occur, and using visualizations.


The water method is much more relaxed and tries to let things spontaneously occur. Often, rather than force something to happen, they just do everything to create a situation where the desired affect can randomly occur.


The water method is "better" but it's harder to do and not as commonly taught.





Most of the better students I know who can do things like 'see auras' have all told me similar stories. There were practicing the forms they were given, and eventually something just clicked in them and they started being able to do things including seeing auras/etheric chi fields.





What you're doing sounds like one of the early stages to that. The main goal is basically to let the wonderful accident you experienced happen more.





Other than that, to a large extent the efficacy of these types of things is influenced by what practice is used (ie. there are many many different tai chi forms and ways to do each one). It's possible there's some sort of energy mechanic which occurs in the form you did.


If you have any desire to pursue this further, I have my own bias about what forms and practices are the best for opening up your internal senses, but I think that goes beyond what you're asking here.





Anyhow, hope that helps. Feel free to message me if you have any questions!|||my sister does tai chi and that culd b possible i can feel my aura( either that or im cazy) ur good ur arua is able to be seen and felt my mom read books on that ^_^|||it is hard to decide what you've seen but you can learn more here:





http://www.amazon.com/Hands-Light-Healin鈥?/a>|||Negative energy coming out of your body. I've heard it described as a grey smoke before. You must of really be into your tai chi! That's just a great sign that's it's working for you. I hope that helped or even made sense. Best wishes!|||Not exactly your aura but energy streaming out of your physical body and into your aura as the internal level of energy increases with the practise of Tai Chi.





All the best!|||Hello Jan





It would have either been your aura, but I feel more likely your etheric self. This is the electromagnetic layer that surrounds the body.





Sadhara

Does tai chi involve any strikes in its system?

It just seems to be nothing but pushing and pulling is there any punches or kicks at all in Tai Chi???|||It is all in there. Strikes, punches, palm strikes, grabs locks, pressure points, leg techniques, ....etc. it is all there but not obvious.|||Practically every martial art technically has all aspects. The problem is that people judge arts by what they specialize in, what they learn first, and by what they see in competition. Tai Chi focusses on pushing, pulling and redirection, but it contains strikes, kicks, locks, throws, and pressure points, along with Chi Gong and energy work.|||It's all in there, punches, kicks, throws, grappling. The combat forms of Tai Chi are essentially a complete martial art so elements of everything are of course included.|||Don't mistake the push hands exercise as the way a Tai Chi Chuan practitioner would utilize his/her training in a real self defense situation.





Push hands is an exercise about learning to deal with incoming force. A push, accellerated to a faster speed, can be turned into a strike. Some of the stepping in the form is to allow for a low line kick to be inserted. Some of the movements are actually set-ups for grappling moves or throws.





The best thought I ever heard about the internal arts is that the forms teach movements. Ideas of what form the body can take. The principles taught are a reminder to be balanced, centered, etc. so that one can use the movements effectively.





Never judge a book by its cover.

What is the history of Tai Chi Chuan? Village or soldier orientated?

Especially the Chen and other major schools?|||Chen Style Taijiquan is the original style of Taijiquan from which all others are descended. It was indeed created by a retired general and kept in the Chen Family. It wasnt until the 1800s that it was taught outside of the village. Thats when Yang Style popped up and so on. Yang Style also started the "health exercise BS" to rip people off

The origins of Taijiquan is a subject people argue about but Chen Jia Cao has historical proof that it was created there.|||Although there is some debate, all five major schools of Tai Chi (Wu, Chen, Yang, Sun, Wu) agree with CTC's assessment that their Tai Chi originates from Chen Village. Where it originates from before Chen Village is more open to debate, and some speculate a Taoist source.





The idea that Tai Chi comes from Shaolin has no historical basis as far as I know of, and this is the first time I heard of it.|||If you actually studied the different histories, you'd lose your mind.





But if you watch the masters, you can see it evolved from Emperor's Long Fist and it was indeed perfected at Shaolin Temple, which is why there were originally so many styles of Tai Chi.|||It's a little known website called WIKIPEDIA

Is there a website that teaches simple tai chi or qi gong forms?

I know there is no substitute for a teacher, but since there is none around I was wondering if there were any websites that taught just some simple ones that I could practice.|||You can check out these...





http://www.everyday-taichi.com/


http://www.taichiacademy.com/formsandmov鈥?/a>





Both have examples of movements and positions.





Also, Youtube is good too. This is a set of 46 videos that show various moves and such.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KSsMWOJf鈥?/a>|||Where have you looked for teachers? Where do you live?

How can i practice tai chi chuan each day with only 10 to 20 minutes in the morning?

would i be able to do something with just a little bit of time and still feel calm and relaxed from practicing?|||Yes, 10 minutes is about the minimum but as long as you do your practice mindfully and concentrate on the principles and only one thing at a time, you will get some benefit. For example, do your basic exercises concentrating on qi circulation. Or do your form once through concentrating on the waist as the commander in every movement. Don't rush just to get finished in the 10 minutes you have. Do what you can and be satisfied with that. Take longer times when they are available to you, such as weekends and holidays. Some is better than none .... as long as you do it mindfully.|||No. You must first prepare yourself before practicing tai chi chuan. Learn chi gong first. Then, after you experience the energy flow, should you study tai chi. 20 minutes of chi gong is plenty.

So i went to a tai chi class and accidently farted?

i admit it was my first tai chi class the experience was amazing peaceful blissful enchanting relaxing angelic but i shudnt have eaten fried chicken b4 the class and i swear i was so relaxed that i didnt even realised i was farting but the cool thing was everyone was so in the zone that they didnt notice..how cool was that?who wants to do tai chi?|||Okay it was not as bad as my fart, I had been dating this girl I liked a few times but we never had the right moment to kiss so when I finally got up my nerve I Farted, I was utterly terrified but we just laughed it off, and se decoded to try again, and guess what I did it again, we said our good byes and she went inside and almost died of laughter while I was almost dieing of embarrassment. Happy to say things worked out we have been married for two years now. You have to have a sense of humor about the things you can鈥檛 control.|||lmao. thats so funny.|||wow ur lucky it wasnt loud! maybe it smelled thougfh|||not me|||That sounds like fun. Good thing no one noticed-- you must have been relieved!|||LMAO! aaaaaaaahhhhhhhh thanks for the laugh hehehehe|||hahahahahahahaahahahahahaha lmfao|||i'm down..we can have a fart contest or possibly a queef contest|||ROFL


woooooooooow nice *2 THUMBS UP FOR U!*|||Tai Chi is Indonesian so they don't notice. Had too much chinese food in funky Chinatown.|||They were in the zone your fart. They were dead. lmao|||thats great|||yes!! thats awesome. you, and people like you are the reason i love yahoo answers|||so?|||They probably noticed but didnt want there Chi to fould neither there concentration lol so they ignored it. The least you couldve done was said Excuse me lol.|||they either didnt notice or didnt care.|||I'm sure it was no big deal to the other people in the class.


While moving and bending slowly your body does relax and


if you squat you will release gas. Just like moving a baby's legs


up towards the shoulder's...they fart!|||so what was the result of "flatulance vs inner peace"? (if no one heard it or smelt it, did it actually happen?)


or was the amusement a product of your own mind?


(LOL-I think it's funny as hell!(|||Lol, thats so gross...|||even if i was in a "zone" id notice you fart.|||LMAO!





I love Tai Chi, and I wish that my fellow class members were as "dedicated" as yours! The last time I farted in a class everybody fell out of their "Golden Pheasant" (also known as Golden Cock) onto the floor laughing! How embarrassing!!

Is it true that some people who do tai chi practice with large pots of water?

i heard it from a guy who did tai chi, but i can't find information on it online|||The guy must've seen one too many Jet Li movies. I remember a scene in the movie "Tai Chi Master" where he trained by swirling a big vat full of water. Same thing with Donnie Yen in "Drunken Tai Chi" I could be wrong, but I think it's more of a personal preference thing for solo practice, a creative way of training if you don't have a partner.|||There are a number of old training methods that the Chinese and Japanese would employ for the purpose of enhancing their training and development. Some of these included things like training in thigh high water or under a water fall as well as training while standing and balancing atop of rocks and posts. They would also make use of various common tools and items used for living to also accomplish this. Black Belt magazine has had a number of articles on this over the years and some books out there on TMA also touch on these aspects.





Clay jars filled with varying amounts of water were used in Chinese martial arts for developing a person's tendon and hand, wrist, and forearm strength for instance by moving while gripping them with the finger tips over the mouth of the jar and was referred to as clay jar training. This is what you might be referring to.|||Well its not a Chen Style Taijiquan training method. I saw it in a Jet Li movie but that was a movie.

My tai-chi teacher is all about martial principal. Any thoughts on this?

I have been with him for about 3 years. His students tend to be better than most, regardless of what art people practice, in self-defense, or offense, is they so choose. Is this too much too fast, for tai-chi? He fought competitively for years (with external arts), but says he never understood power until he began practicing the internal arts. This man has multiple black belts in many different external arts. Just curious what you have to say.|||I agree with him. Taichi is all about the internal chi and the very core of one's strength.|||Tai Chi does not always need to be practiced slowly. Though always practicing quickly is a mistake IMO.

Xtians: Would you consider it inappropriate for your church to offer Tai Chi or Yoga classes?

How would you respond if your church provided space for such activities? Would you say anything to your clergyman?





Thanks in advance.|||It depends on the sect.





Some christians have problems with meditation, so they would not allow these classes in their churches.|||i, at this time, personally do not believe them to be heretical. some of the native american tribes played a game like lacrosse. maybe this game had some religious meaning to them, idk. let's suppose it did.





now, i wouldn't consider a church playing lacrosse as heretical. they don't assign that meaning to it.





basically, they're doing the same actions but with different beliefs behind them. and heresy is all about beliefs, not actions.|||ONLY if it is meant for the members to grow closer to God and not for their own personal amusement. you must do everything to glorify God, after all he deserves it. I don't see how yoga or tai chi is church or God related at all though...|||It depends how Tai Chi or Yoga is conducted in the church.


There will be no conflict if taught as an exercise for health, fun , love and friendship.|||You shoul have ask if its good to be a gay person,,,I think there is only two type of christianity in intire world...Roman Catholic and others...next time specify your question.|||No problem at all. In fact, healthy idea.

Have you ever seen a Tiger Onitsuka Tai Chi shoe that is black with white tiger stripes?

I think it always comes with yellow tiger stripes, but do they maybe make special editions?|||they came out with a new one which is Black With Yellow Stripes and there is a pair on eBay that is also Black But With Red Stripes.. they have other colors too but theyre ugly in my opinion i.e. Brown with light brown, beige with green, white with red, and the white with black (which are really boring and look like nurse shoes to me.. i personally like the grey with navy but i cant find my size anywhere. if you find black w/ white please let me know or any other colors that are nice lol

Where can i learn kung fu or Tai Chi in Sacramento?

Prefer to be in Elk Grove, but please advise if you know good master.|||Phillip has given a great start for searching the school, here's my suggestion just in case.





Check your local yellow pages look for the all the available schools your area has to offer.





The reason I always suggest to look in the phone book first is due to the fact you're pretty looking for a school in your local area. This makes your inquiry a lot faster and easier because all the information is available for you right there.





Secondly, if you are not having any success with this type search, try contacting an organization of that particular style on the internet and ask if they can refer schools or instructors available in your local area.





Please note that there are good number of good instructors that do not advertise or teach for commercial purpose thus you won't see them advertise anywhere. They are mostly located in private gyms or community centers.





Hope this helps and good luck with your search.|||Tai Chi


http://www.sactaichi.com/


http://www.aikido-of-sacramento.com/taic鈥?/a>


http://sacramento.citysearch.com/profile鈥?/a>


http://www.barbaragoldberg.com/


http://www.qigonginstitute.org/listing/t鈥?/a>


http://www.chongskungfu.com/contact.html





There's probably more than that but since i live in the OC there's not much i can give you but that... all in sacramento.. good luck





Kung fu


http://www.chongskungfu.com/


http://www.usaomei.com/


http://www.eagleclawsacramento.com/


http://www.easternways.com/


http://www.typhoonma.com/|||Check out www.sacramentotaichi.com. Original Yang Tai Chi with Sin Tien Qi Gong as well. For health and martial arts, believe it or not. In Carmichael, though, but I myself commute to it from E.G.

Recomendations for Tai Chi instructional video?

I want to learn T'ai Chi (Yang style) and I would like to find a good instructional video. Does anyone have a recommendation or two? Thanks!|||Try Element: Tai Chi for Beginners -- Samuel Barnes





This one is good too:


Scott Cole: Discover Tai Chi For Beginners

Is tai chi a relaxation technique or a martial art?

Both. Different styles for different things. Tai Chi Chuan Chen style is, most probably, the most martial of the tai chi forms. Tai Chi Chuan Yang style as taught in the West is normally associated with relaxation. Tai Chi ChiKung forms are more for the meditative, spiritual and healing.|||As far as i麓m informed, tai chi was developed by an old general, who tried to keep his soldiers healthy, while at the same time training them to kill in battles. Instead of using two different techniques or systems to maintain health as well as fighting skills, he combined the knowledge of his time about the human body, health and fighting into a new multi-purpose system.


The benefits for his soldiers were:





- their injuries due to fight training were not worse than injuries from the battlefield (which has often been the case)


- their health improved


- their mind was awake (tai chi also trains your brain)


- they could beat the crap out of their enemies








The health benefits are a long long list. I myself have been practicing tai chi for roughly 2.5 years. As a fighting system, it can either be tender (which is, in my opinion, the best method) or plain brutal. The philosophy in both cases is: If someone starts a fight with you, you end it in one move. What you do with it, is your choice. I麓d always go for avoidance, though it麓s the hardest to pull off.





The strength and mental health coming from practicing tai chi are mostly due to its ability to help you relax as good as possible, even in motion. This way there are no antagonistic tendencies of your unconscious or body mechanic preventing you from releasing for example a full power punch or being relaxed in tough situations, maintaining the control. This is not only useful in combat situations, but also in general.





The two benefits i found most intriguing are posture and body awareness. I cannot even remember the last time i stumbled. I had back and neck pain before starting tai chi due to bad posture - gone forever (i hope at least) ;-)








What麓s also really interesting, is that the health and relaxation part supports the fighting part and vice versa. If one of these is not present, it麓s not tai chi. You need both for full benefits.|||Martial art but they refer to it as a meditation in motion. There philosophy is finding the energy center of the body through daily use of the techniques.|||It is a martial art.





Tai Chi Chuan is a effective fighting system. But just because you see old people in a park moving slowly with Tai Chi doesn't mean its a new age relaxation method.|||Its a martial art but its forms are used for exersise and it really good,its like yoga but you learn how to defend yourself as well

Is it okay to watch TV while doing Tai Chi standing qi gong/meditation?

I originally thought this must be incorrect... because the mind is not cleared if one is watching TV, but I heard that another Yang style Tai Chi instructor watches TV while he does his standing qi gong/meditation. Is this possible if you stay in a natural and relaxed state; being aware of the TV, but not concentrating on it?|||The place must be quite and no disturbance while you are doing those, so if you perform it while watching TV then it will divide your mind and will going to loss your concentration, in that point self presence are worthless to the essence of your purposes.





Good luck








________|||haha well actually it depends really. Cause a tv is hypnotic like a camp fire. If there is no sound and just images, it can actually help clear the mind, only if you dont actually pay attention to whats going on though.


Because if you pay attention to the story in the tv, it wont have the same clearing of the mind effect.


But yer what you want is a quite place where you can let your mind go blank, whilst focusing on your exercise.


So yes it pretty much is possible to stay in a natural relaxed state whilst watching tv : )





hope that answers your question : )|||It is theoretically possible, and it may work for him, but it is very difficult and it is very unlikely to work for you. It's one of those things "If you need to ask a question like this, then the answer is no."|||Typically no, I usually meditate late in the evening or early morning when my family is asleep, so that I'm not disturbed. I don't even like it when someone is mowing their lawn or blowing leaves with a leaf blower.|||It's not OK.





Watch TV before or afterwards, if you must.|||That would still be watching tv standing up.

Is it possible to master tai chi and wing chun together?

I am willing to study Wing chun and Tai chi together but separately so is it possible to master them both. I don't care how long will it take. and if its possible, i want your opinion on it|||There are no fundamental differences in power generation, just in how specialized they are. WC is for close range fighting, where you cannot move your elbow or shoulder to extend your hand forward (much). Tai Chi, however, is much longer ranged and uses lower stance to accelerate and cover ground more, with concurrently more body momentum. It is designed to train your body to handle excessive amounts of force that can be generated, whereas WC uses a lower tier of body force, by regulating it with a stricter and more rigid stance structure.





Same principles, different applicatons. So long as you keep that in mind, you'll be good to go.|||You need to define what you would consider mastery. Mastery is not the same to everybody. I know people who have trained in Tai Chi for 30 years 8 hours every day I would consider a master but they themselves do not think of themselves as masters becasue they feel they still have so much more to learn and to their seniors who have trained in Tai Chi for 50 years or more and have dedicated their lives to Tai Chi they are not. I also know people who just decided one day that they are masters and expected their students to call them master and they don't have the skill or knowledge to be called masters. Theoretically you could make up a martial arts style and call yourself master of it. So it depends if you wait till someone calls you a master or if you on your own decide you are a master.


It also depends on who you train with. If you aspire to become a master then you will have to train with/from masters. One can not learn to soar like an eagle if you learn from a chicken. To train with true masters is a priviledge not everybody falls into. Masters don't just train anybody.


I think it is possible. With the proper training and the proper attitude nothing is really impossible.|||I studied them both together but didn't master either. I'm not sure any martial art can truly be mastered. One thing for sure is that my Wing Chun got better after I added Tai Chi to my training. Example - After gaining a little skill at push hands, my chi sao also got better. If a training partner tried to shove my arm back into my body I'd redirect it just like it's done in push hands. I certainly see no harm in studying both arts simultaneously.|||Yes. Wing chun Master Hawkins Cheung, for example, is also a tai chi instructor.|||if you have 2 life times to train then yes.


it takes decades to understand one style and a life time to master it

Does anyone know where I might be able to purchase an Ebonite Tai chi bowling ball?

I have been checking ebay and craigslist periodically along with every website I can find. I would greatly appreciate it if someone could tell me where I might find one or if someone has one they are looking to sell.|||look at internets or googles on a good website for bowling ball..|||search in google u will found

How do you start your own group realisitcally? I am in to tai chi, psychopictography and mythology buta hermit?

I'm 28 in a small town|||i think you have to start a group realistically


otherwise you will have to start a group unrealistically and that won't work.





yahoo groups

What makes Tai Chi a recognized fitness program?

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?|||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.|||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.|||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.

Why do we have to touch the roof of the mouth with our tip of the tongue while doing tai chi and qi gong?

The teacher told men to touch the roof of their mouths with the tip of their tongue and women to touch the roof with hook-shaped tip of their tongues. Why is this necessary?


Also, why is it useful to swallow our mouth fluids during practices?|||It connects your Conception Vessel with the Governing Vessel.





CV is your centerline. It runs along center of the front of your body from your Perinium upward to just about where your bottom lip curls against your gums. It is Yin





GV runs along your spine and begins at your coccyx, upward to your head and down the top-front of your head - it ends at your gums a few mm above your two front teeth. It is Yang





This is done during Qigong practice to create free flowing energy ihhaling inward and down your GV under to your perineum to meet with your CV to your Dantien, where the breath is held during the transition from inhaling to exhaling and up your CV and out through your mouth and nose.





This is called "Circular Breathing" and is the basis of delivering Qi to all the parts of the body and develop what is called "Iron Shirt". You use your "thoughts" to see the breath moving along this "circle".





In case he didn't tell you, you're also supposed to tighten your sphincter slightly for the connection to be complete.





When the circle is complete, you are balancing the Yin and Yang.





You swallow your saliva to lubricate your digestive tract during Qigong practice. This makes sure you are not concentrating too much on what you are doing in the exercise and neglect natural functions of the body.





You might also begin to burp and/or expel gas - aka "fart"! Don't suppress these functions during practice. Your Qi is expanding and helping rid the body of them.|||for one it keeps you from sticking your tongue out during class. its an unconscious thing some adults and kids do. i always use this line in my karate class when i see them with there tongue handing out.





2nd it and the reason your tai chi instructor tell you where to but your tongue, it has to do with your chi flow and help in completing the circle for it to flow. it is also a practice in goju ryu.





the month fluids i have not heard of before. interesting?|||It forces you to breathe through your nose.





Not sure about the swallowing thing, but it sounds more hygienic than spitting it out!

Can Tai Chi be learned from home?

From a DVD or something. Or is it better to enroll in a live class?





I've never done it you see. But it's something I'm interested in because I suffer from depression, and I've heard that Tai Chi helps with that. |||I have used a combination of classes plus DVDs.





I have been taking Tai Chi (or taiji) for 22 months. I started with the Yang 24 simplified form, and more recently changed to Fu style. I find having a Tai Chi instructor very beneficial because he can comment on my technique.





I have used Dr. Paul Lam's DVD "Tai Chi - The 24 Forms" as well as "Tai Chi For Well Being" with Robin Linde. Of the two, I prefer Robin Linde's DVD.





Some people where I train have used DVDs by Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming or YMAA. They liked the DVD, but I cannot comment on it.





My personal recommendation would be to get the classes. A lot of people start Tai Chi and then drop out. It would help you to have the support of a group that the classes would provide. If you are suffering from depression, I would recommend working closely with your doctor and mental health professional in conjunction with this training. I am not implying that you need mental health services because there are different degrees of depression ranging from mild depression to clinical depression.





I am supplementing the tai chi with karate. My family doctor said that almost any physical activity would benefit me by reducing stress and the by the production of endorphins during training. I am not training to be able to fight, although that comes as a byproduct of the training.





Martial arts training brings about remarkable changes in brain chemistry. The concentrations of various neurotransmitters that are responsible for facilitation or inhibition of nerve impulse transmission in the central nervous system -- acetylcholine, norepinephrine, serotonin, dopamine, gamma amino butyric acid (GABA), glutamic acid, endorphins and others -- are changed so that a new balance is attained. The clinical signs and symptoms that ensue are easier to record than the actual neurotransmitter levels, and many studies are in agreement on the emotional, behavioral and physiological changes that accompany martial arts training. A few recent investigations, however, have pinned down the neurochemical changes, as well. Eighty-nine year old Grand Master Yong Woo Lee, founder of JungDoKwan Taekwondo credits his years of martial arts training for his good health and mental sharpness at his age.





Among the early changes seen when individuals engage in a martial arts training program are mood elevation, heightened energy levels, enhanced self-confidence and self-esteem, lower anxiety levels, resistance to depression and improved coping ability. Changes in blood pressure and heart rate, which are, to a large extent, mediated by the central nervous system, occur soon afterward. Heart rate is slowed, and hypertensive blood pressure (systolic and diastolic) is reduced toward normal. Hapkido Grand Master Gary Pointer says: "Martial arts training keeps me going strong with a smile on my face! It is the ultimate mental and physical health program."





These physiological changes are a function of the rebalancing of the sympathetic (fight and flight) and parasympathetic (rest and repair) halves of the autonomic nervous system. Studies by the Inchon Sports College of Korea have found increased parasympathetic tone in martial arts trained subjects, and ascribe the slowing of heart rate and reduction in blood pressure to this increased tone. Others have recorded lower plasma catecholamine levels associated with lower blood pressure following martial arts training. Resting heart rate is largely controlled by the parasympathetic fibers of the tenth cranial nerve (vagus) to the heart's pacemaker (SA node). But blood pressure is much more complex, and more body chemistry, especially hormonal chemistry, is involved. The bottom line is that martial arts training reduces hypertensive blood pressure, and that the response is distance/intensity-graded.





Returning to the neurotransmitter connections with training, higher levels of serotonin and dopamine have been recorded following intense martial arts training. These would account for the mood elevation and antidepressant effects equal to those of regular aerobic exercise. Keep in mind that changes in GABA, endorphins and other neurotransmitters may well contribute to these psychological effects. There have been improvements in the physical capabilities of Parkinson's disease patients following six to eight weeks of martial arts training. (Dopamine levels are commonly low in people with Parkinson's disease.) In one patient, a 69-year-old Korean female, Soo Yong Kim of Shi-Hung City, anti-Parkinson medication was discontinued after martial arts training greatly improved her aerobic capacity while training at the JaeIl JaeYook Kwan school owned by ChungDoKwan Grand Master Jong Song Kim.|||Salutations,


There is a myriad of titles out there. Most of these require a good bit of space, however, there are a couple that are more compact in movement. I will edit this answer tomorrow with an address for you, for the program I most enjoy. Also you are doing an excellent thing, trying to find positive ways out of a depressed state. but toughing it out by yourself can be difficult. Good luck. I would also suggest you look into Chinese Internal Boxing, this can be practiced in conjuction with Tai Chi. Cheers


OK, I am Back. The DVD is called Chen Taijiquan By Master Ren GuangYi It can be obtained through MartialArtsMart.com. I understand this gentleman has a school in New York City, and what I have seen of the DVD, I will probably be going soon to meet him in person. I Recommend this DVD. Again Take care, and Best of luck with your Research. Cheers|||people try to learn yoga from home and hurt there backs very badly what do you think tai chi could do to you if you have some thing wrong|||It is not impossible to learn exclusively from a DVD, but it is not sensible either. If you are willing to invest dozens of hundreds of hours of your time, why not spend a few dozen dollars to get the best possible instruction, and best return on your invested time?





Furthermore, joining a group of like-minded individuals may help cure your depression, faster than spending that time in front of the television.|||As another answerer said, its best to combine the two, however Tai Chi by itself isn't a good fitness system. Now, as far as being the "ultimate cooldown," no argument there.





Generally the fitness regiment I follow, has the following steps;





1) High kicks to stretch the legs, 5 times each.


2) Hand stand, held for 5 deep breaths.


3) From the hand stand the "child" position in Yoga.


4) 18 brockade chi kung (if that's what its called....) that is designed to promote muscular health.


5) Then, I warm up each muscle group isotonically using simple calisthenics, 5 reps each, the one exception being the obliques; for those I do 10 "side kick" stretches, and I hold it for 2 deep breaths on the last "kick."


6) Then I do Charles Atlas isometrics work, 10 reps per muscle group, done in a circuit style, every single muscle group, head to toe. I breath in as I tense, breathe out as I release.


7) After the isometric work, I work my abs, obliques, and lower back muscles 20 reps each.


8) I allow myself to just plop down on the floor for about 5 minutes, after which time I get up, drink water and...


9) Proceed to stance training; I hold each stance from the "25 Shotokan Kata" book for 5 deep breaths, on the exhaling breathe I visualize I am breathing out coal black smog. It is a meditation exercise; I assume I am pure evil, that I need to breathe out "black smog" that is the evil that resides in my person, and I do that as a mental/stance training exercise while holding every stance, on both sides left and right, for 5 deep breaths each. That training method I borrowed from Master Yang Lu Chan, founder of the Yang form; before he taught anyone Tai Chi, he would have people hold the 13 basic postures for 10 breaths each, and have them repeat the process over a period of 4 hours.


10) I then do "universe" meditation, that "tree hugger" posture many Tai Chi practitioners do; no "black smoke" exhaling, just simple deep breathing, relaxing and blanking out the mind.


11) After that, basics; starting with blocks, 20 reps each, followed by attacks, 10 reps each.


12) After that, I do the Heian and Tekki series, followed by Empi and Gankaku, in succession, no rest.


13) I allow myself to plop down on the floor for another 5 minutes, I get up, and then go drink water.


14) I then do the Yang Long form of Tai Chi, and it takes me between 10 to 15 minutes, depending on how focused I am. Ultra focused on a "good day," I can do it in as much as 20 minutes.


15) I do the kick outs, hand stance and then child, followed by chi kung and after that


16) A complete body stretch, combining elements of stretches outlined in the book "Dynamic Strength," and "Yoga; For Men Only," in addition to laughable attempts at the eagle posture. After all stand up stretching is complete, I drop to splits and I'm almost there now, then I do side to side.





All that stuff takes me roughly 1 hour and 50 minutes when I am zen like, 2 hours and 20 minutes if I'm screwing around. I do all that, 6 days a week now, and on Sunday I do 2 hours of lotus position meditation, followed by a couple of sessions of Tai Chi to relieve my sleepy legs.





Yes, you can learn Tai Chi from home but it takes for freaking ever, just join a club, and even if you learn you still have to do other things on the side, such as strength training and "hard" cardio. The best and most convenient method, is easily the Atlas system; take it from me, I have been on a friend's bowflex, I have lifted weights, I have done military style cals, and I have even tried traditional isometrics, and none of it, works as well as Charles Atlas dynamic tension. Not to say weight training and cals aren't effective; the one draw back with CADT is that you can not measure progress at all. Okay you see noticeable drops in bodyfat levels but you can't measure how fit you are by how much you can lift because your body provides the resistance. The method I use is hand stands; for hand stands to be done properly, every single muscle has to be well developed. If a single muscle group is underdeveloped, and the body lacks some degree of strength symetry, a hand stand is almost impossible to do. In other words, tough to swallow as this may be, how well a person does hand stands is an excellent way to gauge how fit they are. A fit person will do it easily, but, an unfit, unbalanced one, even if they look fit, will struggle with it.





Good luck man, and look into what I've said.|||any martial art is best learned from a master directly, but things can be somewhat learned at home =)|||yes taichi can be learned from books and cd's but it is still best to consult someone who is knowledgeable about it especially a master...i have been a practitioner for 7 years now and i know the difficulty of beginning the practice of taichi....if ever u have found someone to teach u....always be patient,humble and persevere and respect your teacher...goodluck..

Where can i find a cheap collapsible tai chi sword?

Well, look at the question it pretty much explain everything, lol, but i need to find a sword thats less than 15 dollars because i want to make a hidden blade out of it. I also want to buy it online since my parents won't drive me anywhere to buy a sword, so just give me a website. Please and thank you.|||At any chinese store..|||check out at Amazon there are many good product at good price


http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?u鈥?/a>





Also check out at Ebay


http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-鈥?/a>|||Hi Christia...!


You can find a cheap collapsible tai chi sword here


http://amzn.to/bKGe8t?dg20sy|||You can find a cheap collapsible tai chi sword here


http://amzn.to/bKGe8t?dg20sy

How does one generate Fajin with the Tai Chi Long Pole?

I've started practicing the Chen Style Long Pole, and for the most part of it I'm able to generate fajin through my dan tian enough to make the pole's tip reverberate, but I cannot figure out how to do the same for the movement where you swing the pole up in a counter clockwise circle and hit it at head height. No matter how I try, I tend to make the tip barely shake, if move at all.|||You know that power is generated from the feet and legs, directed through the hips and waist, and expressed in the hands. Ultimately, it is always an issue of improving alignment, relaxation of the joints, and maintaining proper structure. Not too flacid nor too stiff. But in the end you simply need to be practicing continuously until you get it. Not just mindless repetition, but analyzing what works and what doesn't work with each repetition.





One thing that might work is to go back to Lao Jia Yi Lu and look at the areas where you can fajing well - or at least where your instructor tells you that you fajing well. Take these areas and extrapolate what works there to your long pole form. Outside of not being able to see your form and help you in person, that's the best that I can do;).





Good luck.





Also, please be careful not to stress your back as using the long pole (all 10 feet of it) can cause injuries if you use improper technique.

Where could a find a great teacher to learn either tai chi (for combat) or Ba gua zhang?

Preferably in the US.|||http://www.beijingkungfu.com/


This teacher is insanly good and won the "competetor of the year" award. The grandmaster of the studio is one of the 5 people in the world living that has mastered EVERY SINGLE STYLE OF TAI CHI! He also knows Bagua. But they have another teacher to teacher the Bagua class.|||If you included your locale, locating one near to you would be easier...


Feel free to contact me, as I can help in the southern California area.|||If you are interested in this type of internal stuff and also a Christian..Systema might be for you:


http://youtube.com/watch?v=O7_dzu4TQDs





Is this club near you?


http://www.systemalouisville.com/index.p鈥?/a>

Has anyone heard of the Tai Chi master called Grandmaster Gary Khor?

He teaches Yang style Tai Chi, Qigong and other Chinese martial arts.





Is he famous?|||I couldn't find a whole lot on him. His biography neglects to mention who he trained with. There are videos on youtube about his school but very little where he actualy does something so you could see what his Tai Chi looks like.


I'd give him the benefit of a doubt. If I was looking for a Tai Chi school I would go and watch his classes a few times, then ask for free trail classes before signing up.


Famous? I have never heard of him but I also live in the US.

What's the difference between Tai Chi and Qigong?

Both of these traditions appear to be based upon systems of breathing and movement aimed at improving health. I was wondering what fundamental differences there are between the two?|||The correct definition of Qigong is any training or study dealing with Qi which takes a long time and a lot of effort.





Taijichuan is a subset of Qigong.that deals primarily with physical well being, "moving meditation" and self defense.





Qigong is about "self regulation" this can involve the physical body, spiritual matters (religion), emotional matters and the human psyche.





Qigong is about regulating/controlling the flow of Qi (energy) within the body, channeling it, directing it and using it for specific purposes. Regulating Qi flow is one of the basic elements of Chinese medicine and accupuncture.


.|||the description of qigong above is pretty accurate, but taichi needs some more explanation.





taichi (or more correctly taiji) means absolute unity, and it is a philosophical concept, and i believe the proper name for the yinyang symbol.





taijiquan is the martial art based on that absolute unity. This is what we think of when we say taichi. It contains a lot of qigong in it. But there is also a lot of other things that are not qigong as well.





the short answer would be qigong is exercise, taichi is martial arts, but martial arts is good exercise, and exercise is necessary for martial arts.|||I too agree with the above comments and only wish to add.





It is true that Qigong is an exercise, however what it is exercising is a person's Qi (chi). There are many Qigong movements, some that promote bodily health, some strength, some balance the chi, and others that support martial movements. Our chi is our bodies' energy force, this force supports our life, encourages healing, and affects our mood. It is by no means a "religious" or "spiritual" force. American studies are being done to possibly link chi with the natural electric current that runs through our bodies.





Tai Chi, however, is a martial art (as stated above). Tai Chi is a martial art that is very much based in the principals of Qigong, that trains the body while simultaneously training the chi. Sadly, in America today, Tai Chi is taught much the way that Qigong is meant to be used, as merely an exercise regimen. Not many Tai Chi instructors cover the martial uses for this very powerful and ancient art. Many believe that the majority of martial arts that exist today, including the famous shaolin kungfu, have a basis in Tai Chi. There are many forms of Tai Chi, but most all of them are simple and quick to learn, and once learned are merely practiced repeatedly until becoming second-nature. In my opinion, most every martial artist should know at least once Tai Chi set or Qigong exercise.|||Tai Chi has been proven to enlighten your spirit more. As well, it looks beautiful to do.

Where can I find free beginners lessons in tai chi?

I would like this to be in video form,with step by step instructions.|||http://beauty.expertvillage.com/intervie鈥?/a>|||Ebay.|||Ebay thats a good idea, or for free try Utube, I picked up a video in a thrift shop a while back now watched it once, nothing beats being in a class. I bought the video to look good in the class to which i have never been back either, lol|||just go to your local WalMart or sporting goods store and look in the fitness section. there are tons of them. also youtube has some good ones.

A good website or dvd to learn tai chi?

My doctor said I should try doing tai chi for my jionts and muscles. Where could I learn some moves online or a dvd?|||you'd be surprised how many teachers are around you but don't advertise.... it sounds silly but find an asian restaurant(not a take out, an actual restaurant and ask). it sounds stereotypical but it works every time i move. if they don't know, they know someone who does.





we found one by accident the first time. he did his form outside every Sunday with his wife and kids, people just joined in. just commit 4 moves to memory each week and you'll get it in no time. very relaxing.... mind clearing..... and as your doctor suggested, very good for your body because of the strength and breathing control you gain almost magically but obviously is in the movement of the form|||Best advice I can give is - Don't





Learn from a real life teacher and not a book or movie, if you learn from a book you are just copying a movement.





If you learn from a teacher you can develop a understanding of how the move can effect you, if it can lead into another move, how to use it in a attack or defence, where to use it and how and also fix up faults in your body positioning, A book can't do that.





Edit - Walt B and Happy Bunny also give good advice on how to find a teacher. (A little bit strange in Happy Bunny's case but stranger things have happened and the unusually also work as well as the usual).|||I agree with everyone else. There are many excellent videos out there but w/o someone pointing out important details and correcting your beginner mistakes, many of the benefits of a good tai chi practice will be lost. There is no substitute for a good teacher. Finding a teacher in your area should be easy. The phone book or a quick internet search will most likely give you a few options. Most gyms, community centers and YMCAs offer tai chi classes, but most practitioners would recommend an actual kung fu/ taichi school(provided that is an option)

What is the difference between the long and short form in Tai Chi?

And which form do most Chinese do daily?|||Tai Chi like most martial arts has gone through a series of evolutions and changes. The more recent history of taijiquan has taken what was once a very effective form of martial art and turned it into merely a form of exercise for some.





The short forms came about as a way of introducing the basics of the various forms (Chen, Yang, etc.) to the general public. The idea was to make the whole of the form easier for beginners to learn. For example, I believe the Yang style long form contains 108 postures and was altered by Yang Cheng-fu removing the vigorous fajing movements to the slow moving form most know today to accentuate the health benefits. A student of his, Cheng Man Ching who lived in New York City, introduced this form of the art to America and shortened it to a 37 posture form by removing certain postures and repetitive movements from the longer form of his teacher. Both men's efforts were to make the art more available to the average person.





Other styles of taijiquan have developed short forms for similar reasons. Unfortunately, some of these efforts have only served to "waterdown" the art.





As to which form most Chinese do daily.... Don't know. But there aren't just two forms (long and short), there are many various styles of the art as well.





If you're looking to begin learning, I suggest you look for a teacher who's focus is both on the health and the combative elements of the art.|||One is long %26amp; one is short.





Sorry, I couldn't pass that up. lol.


I don't know.|||The Length of the stance. Meaning both the number of motions in each form and the spacing of your feet in the rooted position.|||The Difference is the NUmber of postures in the form





Short Form Tai Chi is about 64 postures long





Long Form is Closer to 128 Postures





Both long and short are part of the same forms and the first 64 of long for are exactly the same as Short Form, you just cut the second half off for short form.





The form practiced varies from person to person





Now you may be thinking about is it Tai Chi Chuan or Tai Chi Chen these are actuall two differnt form all together and most chinese practice Tai Chi Chuan as it is a little older (out of the temples)|||the long and the short of it is they both have the same difference.

I started my martial art experience years ago with tai chi, I am now taking some hard style arts-kung fu?

I miss the internal arts training-does studying hard style help my application of tai chi? I want to return to internal atrs, but do not want to by pass the learning, though I do not like it as well.|||Hey Nathan!





I just came by to say,.. I pray He will prosper you in this area ... and to give you your hearts desires :))





I have always had a love of martial arts, but sadly with physical problems I've never been able to get involved - you are so blessed. .








Sarah :)|||Thanks to whoever voted for my answer - much appreciated :))

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|||Just study tai chi dont do another style. I would be dying to do tai chi but none in my area wing chun is my chice.


Tai is not only good for self defence but for fitness etc aswell.|||External styles depend on muscular strength. Internal styles use internal strength. If u like Taijiquan, then go back to studying it. I prefer Taijiquan to External styles too|||It's all about Yin and Yang - you may find that the hard style complements your soft style. In my class we practice Qi Gong alongside the Shaolin Kung Fu, which gives a balance between internal and external power.

Are there any kung fu or Tai Chi classes in Pune?

I want to learn Kung fu/ Tai Chi. Are there any classes in Pune (India) where I can enroll?|||Yes. For Tai Chi check out this site: http://www.taichiindia.com/in/contact.ht鈥?/a>|||Tai Chi event in Pune..... 31st January 2010


Check.......... http://www.taarago.com/node/2033

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|||Hello,





there is a very good instructor i am learning from he knows taichi and also kungfu he takes clases in vishranwadi on sat and sun morning as well as evening contact no 9822090975

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I have a few questions about Tai Chi?

I'm a bit overweight and I was wondering if tai chi is good for weight loss? If so, which style should I be practicing for self defense/fighting, weight loss and flexibility increase? Also, where should I get started? I searched yellowpages and couldnt find an instructor.|||Don't waste your time doing Tai Chi. I have never seen anything other than pot-bellied Masters or wimpy dudes doing it. As an internal art there is no requirement for strength or stamina.


Try Muay Thai, Capoiera, or Taekwon Do.|||there is a really good shaolin school called "shaolin-do". They teach shaolin kung fu and tai chi. Tuition is very affordable, and they have a good curriculum and a solid reputation.





THey have a website with a list of locations (shaolin-do.com).





Any good form of tai chi will improve your flexibility. However, although tai chi can complement weight loss, Tai chi isn't the best way to lose weight for beginners. It can help, but I'd advise taking kung fu or something more cardiovascular.





I lost 20 lbs in a month doing capoeira by going to 2 classes a week. You could look that up if interested. However, I'd still recommend taking tai chi, as well. You can observe capoeira videos on you tube for some reference. You could also google search locations for capoeira and tai chi schools in your area.





Yoga is another excellent way to assist in weight loss and overall health.|||Tai CHis is probably the worst style of all martial arts for weight loss. It is really a good art to learn to keep some bit f flexibility and you can do it well into your old age. but there is almost no sweating or strenuous activity or cardio at all.





I wouldn't even recommend a style to you other than to say that any style I can think of has more ability to help in weight loss that Tai Chi|||Taichi isn't very effective for weight loss. You'll have a better shot at weight reduction with swimming, jogging or simple dieting. Any of the styles can be practiced for self defense or fighting if done right. Yang, Chen, Sun, Wu and Wu are all the same in principle. If you want to find instructors in a specific area, posting your location would help a bit.|||look in feng shui links.|||try muay thai or karate kyokushin|||with a good and authentic tai-chi teacher, you can loss weight, develop grace and good posture and learn self defense through tai-chi.





to find an instructor, we have to know first what part of the world do you live.|||If you can find a San Ti Shi (Sun Tai Chi) place it will give you everything you look for...


http://www.suntaichi.com/santishi.html

I want to take a form of martial arts, would tai chi fit my situation?

I want a form of martial arts where it can be used to defend myself.


However, i also want to protect my friends and family so the techniques must also enable me to strike first at times.


(ive been a victim of bullying, and my neighborhood isnt very good)


I want to start have a sense security of safety.


However, im not looking for muy thai where it's just used to beat another kid up!|||you would need to find someone that teaches the combat aspect of taichi





There is no best style.





Your size, body type and sex have nothing to do with the style you want to choose. People that think that your size and body type determine the style know little to nothing about martial arts.


people of all various so called body types, are found in all styles of martial arts and do well in those styles





Most people will tell you there style is the best or they heard such and such is a great style,


The style is not important, what matters is how good your instructor is and how you train. The style is secondary, they all have there pro's and con's there are no superior styles.


If you have an instructor that can鈥檛 teach you how to fight, regardless of the style, what good would it do you?





Choose a school with a good instructor in the end that鈥檚 all that matters, that and how you train.


Its the person that has the ability to fight not the style|||Actually, yes Tai Chi would fit your situation very well. Tai Chi teaches you control over your energy and how to attack with it. Although the moves may be slow, it teaches you to relax, and so when you strike, you will be fast. If you take Tai Chi, you will also have a longer life, be more immune to sickness, and a bunch of other side effects that are good. If you learn Tai Chi, you can have a sense of security because you can learn to know that there is energy for you to call on for everything in everything, If you learn Tai Chi, you will definitely learn to defend yourself and people that you care about.|||Don't rely on a style, your option must be open because things must depend on the quality of the techniques teach by qualified Instructor.





Better if you do visit some dojo, ask some important and necessary questions to the assigned Instructor, maybe through the effort you can choose and decide if what's better for you, wherein you may feel satisfied and comfortable conveniently.








Good luck








...............|||If you are getting beaten up by sloths and snails tai chi is fine, but otherwise its not that great, way to slow and the moves are not very practical. Try karate (not a mcdojo, try to get one of the 4 Original styles) because there are movements that don't require them to strike first, but also a wide range of blocks and counters.


Hope it helps!|||Well defending doesn't invole striking first. Any form is good for self defense including karate.

What are the health benefits of walking, swimming and doing Tai Chi Chuan?

Walking burns fat,train your muscles,keep you blood circulate properly.





Swimming helps you to grow,improve your breathing system, strengthen up your heart muscles (reduce the risk of heart attack),maintain your stamina,and if you swim in a pool in which it has dirrect morning sunlight,it coould be healthier 9for your skin and heart).





Tai Chi Chuan maintains the balance of the chi.It gives you a balance harmony (peaceful).Tai Chi movement involves circulating the energy.With thath,you can bring positive energy to you and keep you healthy.|||Walking and swimming are an obvious benefit! Tai Chi not so, just a lot of people doing something in slow motion|||None at all - it's all a silly story to keep you from being a slag.

I want to take a form of martial arts, would tai chi fit my situation?

I want a form of martial arts where it can be used to defend myself.


However, i also want to protect my friends and family so the techniques must also enable me to strike first at times.


(ive been a victim of bullying, and my neighborhood isnt very good)


I want to start have a sense security of safety.


However, im not looking for muy thai where it's just used to beat another kid up!|||I would Suggest Tai kwon do Just for the fact that most of it is easy to learn but takes much discipline to master either that of Karate I have a black belt in tai and I'm working on my blue belt in Karate. These fighting styles have helped me in my life , for the fact that I am a security guard and have had to defend myself on multiple occasions.|||i personally would suggest taekwondo it is used effeciently by the korean army for small against big and uses mainly kick which is 70 percent more likely that a person will not be able to defend against.





note: if you are going to take tai chi then learn the sped up version actually ment for selfdefense, but be cautious the sped up version is actually very deadly believe it or not.|||You should take up mixed martial arts i've been training for 4 years now and the class i got to covers pretty much every sports fighting style. Sure you may get a few bumps here and there but its worth it.|||Wing Chun definitely its calming and it teaches you to respect the people around you but when it comes to defending yourself you can submit your enemy or strike him/ she with punches or kicks.|||Ive been doing wushu for ages since I was a kid. It saved me a hospital trip once.|||your thinking too much go take tae kwon do or if you want to get into an older martial art take kadjekembo (Spelling?)|||Wing Chun and carry a knife.

Hey does anyone know where I could find really good Tai Chi books?

Ok so I've heard that you can do really cool things like blocking Chi and everything (self Defense) but I don't know how to do that. Can someone tell me EVERYTHING you need to do to learn how to do that stuff???|||First of all its IMPOSSIBLE to learn Tai Chi or any other MA from the internet, book, or dvd so dont waste ur time. There are different styles of Tai Chi. Look up Tai Chi on Wikipedia and do some research on the subject first. Tai Chi is an EXTREMELY DIFFICULT MA to learn. Google the Tai Chi schools in ur area and visit them and ask the instructors questions. Remember Tai Chi is a martial art first and foremost and not a health exercise. If any of the instructors tells u anything different leave immediately. I am a Chen Tai Chi practitioner. Chen Tai Chi is the original style of Tai Chi and its the most difficult to learn but in my oppinion its the most effective. Well see whats available in ur area and check out the different styles on youtube then decide. Good luck|||If you want to learn Taiji as a practical martial art, you need a teacher. Books will only be of value once you know what you're doing.





Even then it's an endeavour of years to get the necessary skills to be able to do that sort of thing.





I'd go find yourself a teacher!|||i agree with ctc. however books can help a practitioner with their learning.





try amazon.com

How to gain abs effectively and do you know any websites I can learn yoga and tai chi ?

I hear sit-ups and crotches are not effective and I want to know proper way to sculp abs. I want to see some improvement by the end of the summer. And I also want to learn medication help my mind body and soul.|||For abs, try this: http://www.scribd.com/doc/6466200/Legend…|||Check out Diamond Dallas Page's YRG Workout. It is yoga based but they added in core strength movements that tone your body. I found the workout online at www.GreatDrills.com or if you want DVD's get them off of ebay, they have the best price.|||“I think this website may help you”


http://44a18q3s-bi5-l00rnn4t4dp4d.hop.clickbank.net/|||hi dear,





I think this free videos may help you!





http://www.youtube.com/user/fitnessvip





Cheers,


Faran

What is the difference in karate, japan karate, taekwondo, tai chi, or kung fu if any?

Im going to be entering my kids and I, in martial arts classes this summer, but I don't know which one. I don't know what to really look for in a class either.|||Depends what you want for your kids.


If it's just as a physical exercise for your kids, then any will do, most schools offer trial period, so the decision will depends on which one your kids enjoy and probably price for the lesson.





If you want your kids to learn a real self defense art, then I suggest to stay away from Taekwondo, as most TKD schools are now just watered down version of the actual art, and will train very little in term of self defense.





Karate is good as self defense only if you can find a serious Karate school. As with TKD, Many Karate schools are so watered down too (nicknamed McDojo).


BTW, Karate is actually a Japanese art.


Kyokushin Karate is a very good form of Karate with emphasize on full body contact sparring to prepare the practitioner for real world application.


But I won't suggest Karate for your kids, as the McDojo ones are useless and the serious ones are too hardcore for kids.





Chinese Kungfu, which includes Tai Chi are alright, but this will pose the same dilemma as Karate. The fakey ones are basically just teaching your kids how to dance, the serious ones will be very hardcore. (serious self defense school will put emphasize on real contact sparring, rather than touch spar or point spar like TKD)





My suggestion for your kids will be to train in grappling art like Brazilian Jiujitsu or throwing arts like Judo. They have pathways for world class tournaments and they are pretty effective when it comes to self defense. If possible, find Judo school that train with no gi (martial art uniform) so you know they also put emphasize on real world use.


Those art above are softer art and you won't have to suffer seeing bruises on your kids as much as if they take Kyokushin Karate. Nothing is stopping your children to take the more hardcore training when they are older, but those other arts will provide them with the physical training.


They then can combine the arts together and be good at both stand up and ground fighting.|||Your kids won't like tai chi, it's almost entirely slow motion breathing exercises.



Most kung fu (kung fu is very varied, in fact tai chi is a form of kung fu) is traditional and elaborate with forms named after animals like the tiger and the monkey. It's pretty good but it depends on the instructor



Karate is more hard-style: straightforward punching and kicking while yelling. It has the white jackets with the belts (e.g. black belt) that you see on the tv and in the movies. It can be effective for self-defense but only if the school is a "hard contact" style like kyokushin. If you don't want your kids fighting for real then there also are tons of karate schools that don't do that.



There is no "japan karate" as karate is already from japan (originally okinawa, which is an island owned by Japan)



Taekwondo is unrealistic to the extreme, with movie-style kicks. You are not allowed to punch, catch the opponent's kicks, kick to the legs, grapple, grab the opponent's wrist, etc. It's centered around slap-kicking for points. Check out olympic taekwondo on youtube, the olympic's own announcer laughingly called it the world bouncing championships.|||Karate is Japanese it means empty hand. It has been taught in Japan for a thousand years. Tae kwon do is the Korean version of Karate brought from japan in the 50's. Tai Chi is not really a martial art but a chinese exercise routine that looks like kung fu. kung fu is the original chinese boxing that was developed by unarmed monks in china many years ago. Karate is also used as a general term to describe all of them. I have taken Karate and tae kwon do. I prefer karate because of its practicality and easier learning curve. Tae kwon do is nearly the same but with difficult to learn and generally impractical flashy hollywood style kicks added.|||Sorry Jeffrey but Tai Chi or it' s correct name Tai chi chuan is a real martial art with a long history of centuries. It is much older than Taekwondo and might be as old as Karate or the original Okinawan Te.


The slow movements are just one part of the martial art. I briefly trained in a Wu Style Tai chi chuan school in Sydney, Australia. They did the slow form (48 movements) then you could move up to the fast form (with the self defence applications) and also the weapons like double swords and spear. Tai chi chuan is a solid martial art when taught well. As good as Karate or Taekwondo when correctly instructed but like all three can be taught incorrectly or often not completely like the other two. Many only teach the slow forms. Kung Fu like Wing Chun, Bak Mei and Choy Li Fat are awesome too.





My advice would be Karate or Taekwondo for the kids. It will keep them fit, make friends and be social. It will teach self defence. When they are older they can choose to stay or go to another MA for self defence.





Note: I am not saying Karate or Taekwondo are bad for self defence. I do not know the branch of them or instructor. I assumed they would be McDojos/McDojangs since they are kid classes. However both can be great! ITF Taekwondo or JKA Shotokan Karate are solid for self defence and be great for your kids to train in throughout their lives. Kung Fu is great too like the ones I mentioned earlier. Tai Chi would be better for them when they are a bit older.

What's the difference between a Wushu and Tai Chi straight sword?

I'm not talking about the forms, I'm talking about the actual swords and how they look. And how do you know if the sword is balanced right?|||They say a picture is like a thousand words. The three swords on this page are tai chi swords. One is a dao and the other two are jian. The middle one is an antique jian and the bottom one is a modern reproduction. I use these swords for tai chi.





Click on the first thumbnail on this page for a full length picture. http://www.chinese-swords-guide.com/tai-鈥?/a>





These are real tai chi swords, called jian. They are strong, not like the wobbly, thin sword shaped things people use for wushu. It depends what you want the sword for. Real tai chi is a martial art and people who train in it as a martial art use a sword that would keep them alive in a real battle.





Back in the days when Yang Luchan was developing what we now practise as tai chi (taiji, Taijiquan), he would've had a sword like the antique in that picture from the Qing dynasty, if he had a sword at all. We try to train with the actual weapons the tai chi sword forms were created with. We train with wooden replicas when swordfighting, using the moves from those forms because we want our partners for next time.





There are all sorts of things labelled "tai chi" sword that I wouldn't look twice at. It depends what you want it for.





A jian usually has the point of balance about 6 - 8 inches down the blade from the guard. This varies, of course. the right balance is the one that allows you to move the sword to a new position quickly. The sword should almost have a springy lively feel. Obviously, a real weight jian will not move in the same way as a "pretend" tai chi sword. This is where wushu becomes rhythmic gymnastics with a sword. It's beautiful to watch and very skilfull but it isn't swordsmanship. You couldn't use those moves with a full weight jian against a real swordsmans and hope to stay alive. Again .... it's what you want it for .... everything has its own purpose. Wushi isn't swordsmanship so don't expect it to be and don't expect to learn real swordsmanship if you decide to learn wushu.|||Well that's a hard question since there are a lot of different types of straight swords and it's always debated which is better.





However one big difference is if you mean wushu as in the performance sport, not the traditional Chinese martial arts. If you mean wushu like Jet Li's background, then the weapons they use are always lightweight, often spring steel--ever notice how they shake and quiver? Now that does not mean tai chi straight swords are necessarily better but a true tai chi adept should be able to use a combat steel sword--much heavier than a wushu style sword--and something that can be more effective in a real fight.|||Since i practice both wushu and taiji i think i can help you. the actual design of the sword or jian is the same. certain makers use different alloys for different reasons. typically i would use two swords, a heavy one for training and a light one for competitions. spring steel is good for competing because of its durability and its ability to transfer your force to the end of the blade. looks great. by the way one way to check your swords integrity is to put the point of the sword on the floor and hold the tip of the pommel with one finger. if the sword stays balanced and strong you've got a good sword. if not, the sword probably wasn't made very well. hope this helps.|||My knowledge of Tai Chi is limited, but from what I understand, the Tai Chi sword is divided into 3 parts, the tip is very thin and razor sharp for cutting and stabbing while the middle part of the blade is slightly thicker and sharp for parrying and sliding, while the bottom part near the hilt is thick and dull for blocking. Basically you cut and stabbed with the tip, parry, slide and slash with the middle part and if all else fails, block with the bottom part near the guard. The Wushu sword I guess is like most basic straight swords, only thinner and lighter.|||I believe that both disciplines use the Jian.





The Tai Chi Jian usually has a tassel on the pommel, I'm not sure about the Wushu Jian.





As for balance...


The walking stick is my preferred weapon so I can't say.|||Might be the same thing.


thats kinda like asking whats the difference between a staff and a bo|||im pretty sure they are the same.