"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. One of the enigmas of the art is that it can be practised on many levels, from a simple meditative exercise for health, to a realistic martial art.
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.
“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
The NHS guide to the health benefits of Tai Chi.
What style of Tai Chi do you teach?
We teacher the 'old Yang' style of Tai Chi, passed on from Yang Jian-Hou > Li Jin Ling > Ku Yu Chang > Yim Sheung Mo > Lam Kam Chuen > Raymond Rand > our teacher Graham. It contains influences from many famous teachers including Sun Lu Tang and Ku Yu Chang. It’s the medium-frame Yang style of Tai Chi, and very circular in it's movements. See the article here on lineage for more details.
