What is Thai Chi...?

Question

And is it called that?

How does it improve your balance?

Answer 1

basically by initially lowering your centre of gravity by performing drills such as horse stance,low horse. this strngthens your legs improves posture etc.tai-chi as described by all the others can be a great way to keep healthy and lower stress levels etc.Tai-Chi-Chuan is a fighting art primarily,health is secondary which seems to be ignored by most people,westerners generaly consider it a health exercise,not true.to me it is like eating the eggshell and leaving the egg. you must try it all ,weapons,forms breathing ,fa-jing,locking,throwing etc .There is an awfull lot of undiscovered knowledge in Tia-Chi

Answer 2

Tai chi, sometimes called tai chi chuan, is a noncompetitive, self-paced system of gentle physical exercise and stretching. To do tai chi, you perform a series of postures or movements in a slow, graceful manner. Each posture flows into the next without pausing.

Anyone, regardless of age or physical ability, can practice tai chi. It doesn't take physical prowess. Rather, tai chi emphasizes technique over strength.

Tai chi is used to:

Reduce stress

Increase flexibility

Improve muscle strength and definition

Increase energy, stamina and agility

Increase feelings of well-being

Tai chi has more than 100 possible movements and positions. You can find several that you like and stick with those, or explore the full range. The intensity of tai chi varies somewhat depending on the form or style practiced. Some forms of tai chi are more fast-paced than others, for instance. However, most forms are gentle and suitable for everyone. And they all include rhythmic patterns of movement that are coordinated with breathing.

Although tai chi is generally safe, consider talking with your doctor before starting a new program. This is particularly important if you have any problems with your joints, spine or heart.

Answer 3

One of the three orthodox "internal" styles of Chinese martial art (the other two being Xingyiquan and Baguazhang). The term "Taiji" refers to the ancient Chinese cosmological concept of the interplay between two opposite yet complementary forces (Yin and Yang) as being the foundation of creation. "Quan" literaly means "fist" and denotes an unarmed method of combat. Taijiquan as a martial art is based on the principle of the soft overcoming the hard.

Complete Taijiquan arts include basic exercises, stance keeping (Zhanzhuang), repetitive single movement training, linked form training, power training (exercises which train the ability to issue energy in a ballistic pulse), weapons training (which includes straight sword, broadsword, staff and spear), and various two-person exercises and drills (including "push-hands" sensitivity drills). A hallmark of most styles of Taijiquan is that the movements in the forms are done quite slowly, with one posture flowing into the next without interruption. Some forms (the old Chen forms for example) alternate between slow motion and explosive movements. Other styles divide the training into forms which are done slowly at an even tempo and separate forms which are performed at a more vigorous pace. The goal of moving slowly is to insure correct attention is paid to proper body mechanics and the maintenance of the prerequisite relaxation.

Training exercises can be divided into two broad categories: solo exercises, and drills which require a partner. A beginner will usually begin training with very basic exercises designed to teach proper structural alignment and correct methods of moving the body, shifting the weight, stepping, etc. All of the Taijiquan arts have at their very foundation the necessity of complete physical relaxation and the idea that the intent leads and controls the motion of the body. The student will also be taught various stance keeping postures which serve as basic exercises in alignment and relaxation as well as a kind of mind calming standing meditation. A basic tenet of all "internal" martial arts is that correct motion is born of absolute stillness. Once the basics are understood, the student will progress to learning the formal patterns of movement ("forms") which contain the specific movement patterns and techniques inherent in the style.

Traditionally, single patterns of movement were learned and repeated over and over until mastered, only then was the next pattern taught. Once the student had mastered an entire sequence of movements individually, the movements were taught in a linked sequence (a "form"). The goal of training is to cultivate a kind of "whole body" power. This refers to the ability to generate power with the entire body, making full use of one's whole body mass in every movement. Power is always generated from "the bottom up," meaning the powerful muscles of the legs and hips serve as the seat of power. Using the strength of the relatively weaker arms and upper body is not emphasized. The entire body is held in a state of dynamic relaxation which allows the power of the whole body to flow out of the hands and into the opponent without obstruction.

The Taijiquan arts have a variety of two person drills and exercises designed to cultivate a high degree of sensitivity in the practitioner. Using brute force or opposing anothers power with power directly is strictly discouraged. The goal of two person training is to develop sensitivty to the point that one may avoid the opponent's power and apply one's own whole body power wher the opponent is most vulnerable. One must cultivate the ability to "stick" to the opponent, smothering the others' power and destroying their balance. Finally, the formal combat techniques must be trained until they become a reflexive reaction.

Modified forms of Taijiquan for health have become popular worldwide in recent times because the benefits of training have been found to be very conducive to calming the mind, relaxing the body, relieving stress, and improving one's health in general. Most Taijiquan schools do exactly this so becareful if you're looking for self-defense in Tajiquan.

The major styles of traditional Taijiquan are the:

Chen

Yang

Wu

Wu Jianchuan (or Jianquan)

and Sun

All other "styles" are variations of the above.

Answer 4

Tai chi chuan is generally classified as a form of traditional Chinese martial arts of the Neijia (soft or internal) branch. It is considered a soft style martial art — an art applied with internal power — to distinguish its theory and application from that of the hard martial art styles.[3]

Since the first widespread promotion of tai chi's health benefits by Yang Shaohou, Yang Chengfu, Wu Chien-ch'uan and Sun Lutang in the early twentieth century[1], it has developed a worldwide following among people with little or no interest in martial training for its benefit to health and health maintenance[4]. Medical studies of tai chi support its effectiveness as an alternative exercise and a form of martial arts therapy.

Some call it a form of moving meditation, as focusing the mind solely on the movements of the form purportedly helps to bring about a state of mental calm and clarity. Besides general health benefits and stress management attributed to tai chi training, aspects of Traditional Chinese medicine are taught to advanced tai chi students in some traditional schools.[5] Some martial arts, especially the Japanese martial arts, use a uniform for students during practice. Tai chi chuan schools do not generally require a uniform, but both traditional and modern teachers often advocate loose, comfortable clothing and flat-soled shoes.

Answer 5

Tai Chi Chuan (aka Taiji Quan) is a martial art that stresses blending and yielding with the opponents strength, never using force on force. The moves are practiced very slowly for chi developement, precision and balance.

EDIT: Contrary to popular belief, Tai chi chuan IS a martial art and can be used combatively. All of the moves in the form have martial applications.  There is a lot of uprooting the opponent as well as chin-na, strikes and kicks.

Answer 6

Its called Tai Chi, or Tai Chi Chuan I think.

Its basically a very gentle martial art. There's no fighting or stuff like that like karate, etc, at least in the more popular version. Its more of a slow meditative thing where you focus your mind and body on getting the poses smooth and correct.

It helps your balance in a couple ways, first it is just good gentle exercise which helps some on its own, and also more importantly the poses require a lot of balance and work muscles you don't usually use. So over time as you improve on different poses your balance will also improve. Here's wikipedia link and also a couple youtube videos

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tai_chi_chu...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9SRS_z67...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAe95N3T8...