"I’m stronger in my legs, more alert, more focused and more relaxed"
What is Tai Chi?
One of the ‘internal’ martial arts of China, Tai Chi Chuan (the full name of the art) promotes health and well-being at the same time as being a potent form of self-defence. The most recognisable part of Tai Chi is known as 'the form' and is a slow, elegant series of movements that you find practiced in parks in China by groups of people of all ages.
What are the health benefits of Tai Chi?
Tai Chi Chuan has a profound effect on the overall health, posture and vitality of the practitioner. Tai Chi Chuan conditions the body and calms the mind; energy levels and mobility increase and the internal organs are massaged, enhancing their function. Regular practice of a Tai Chi routine can improve the mood, aerobic capacity, energy and stamina; enhance sleep quality, immune system; lower blood pressure; reduce joint pain and the risk of falls for older adults.
“Proper Tai Chi practice places certain demands on the body: The sinking of the weight, over time, tells the legs to add muscle and bone mass, while the turning of the body, in conjunction with deep abdominal breathing, ‘wrings out’ the organs, flushing blood out as they're compressed and allowing it to flow back in when the movement compresses another part of the torso. This flexing and unflexing reduces pockets of stagnation in the various organ systems.”
- Tai Chi Academy
Read and watch Dr Michael Mosley's excellent "Just one thing" on the Surprising Health Benefits of Tai Chi for more information.
What do you teach in a class?
We'll be teaching a mixture of Qigong and Tai Chi. Qigong consists of slow stretching exercises designed to loosen the body and open up the meridian channels as well as more meditative standing exercises. Tai Chi consists of a series of flowing movements performed in a sequence. More info on our Classes page.
What style of Tai Chi/Qigong do you teach?
We teacher the 'old Yang' style of Tai Chi, passed on from Master Lam Kam Chuen to Raymond Rand to our teacher Graham. It contains influences from many famous teachers including Sun Lu Tang and Ku Yu Chang. It’s an interesting form that is full of character and has great benefits. It's a medium-frame style of Tai Chi (not too big and not too small), and is very circular in it's movements. See the article here on lineage for more details or watch a video of Graham doing the form.
Which organisations are you associated with
We are a proud member of the Yongquan Martial Arts Association (YMMA).