What is the relationship between Taiji and Health

5. What is the relationship between Taiji and Health
Q21: What is the relationship between Taiji and Health?

A: Taiji exercise regulates all systems within the body, and improving digestion, respiration and also circulation. Since the movements are performed in a relaxed manner, this can also lead to a reduction in stress-related disorders. The low impact nature of the routines improves the condition of bones, joints and muscles without strain whilst encouraging balance, flexibility and coordination to promote health and vitality within the individual.

Taiji is recognized by the Chinese government and many health institutes around the world as a form ofexercise that offers some of the greatest all-round health benefits.
 
Q22: Who can practice Taiji?

A: Taiji is suitable for people of all ages and levels of physical fitness. The movements can be performed slowly and gently in higher postures for health benefits or faster and more powerfully in lower postures for self-defence applications and for fitness. The amount of exercise to practice is also totally controlled by the practitioner according to personal fitness levels. No matter how many times you practice a week or how hard you train, as long as you are committed, you will gain the great health benefits and enjoyment of Taiji. Click to learn Polyarteritis Nodosa in TCM.

Q23: What are the recommended learning procedures for Chen Style Taijiquan?

A: According to our teaching experiences, we would like to suggest the following procedures for beginners to take up in order: To learn the Hands Forms-Foundation course;
11 Short Forms;
18 Short Forms;
Old Frame (Laojia);
83 Forms - New Frame and Laojia Cannon Fist;
New Frame Cannon Fist.

To learn the Weapons –
Sabre;
Sword;
Long Pole;
Halberd;
Spear;
Double Sabre;
Double Sword.

To learn Push Hands and Applications -
Single Hand;
Double Hands;
Moving Steps;
Lower Position (Dalu);
Free Step;
Application (Full contact combat).
 
Q24: Why does Taiji put so much emphasis on relaxation? What is the meaning of proper relaxation? And how can you achieve it when you practice Taiji forms?

A: Relaxation benefits both health and the ability to perform martial arts. According to ancient traditional Chinese medicine theory, there are many energy channels running throughout the body. When the channels are free, the energy flows smoothly, the body is in good health and it is hard for sickness or diseases to enter the body. However, many people have problems relaxing due to mental stress, poor posture (raised shoulders, over bending knees and tense muscles) and incorrect body movements. If the body is not relaxed, the blockages of the energy channels occur, slowing down the energy flow inside the body. This stops the blood circulating freely as well as limiting internal energy. Click to learn Hyperviscosity Syndrome in TCM.
 
In order to solve these problems, Chen Style Taiji exercises require people to relax their whole body. This can be done by putting every single joint and every part of the body in a specific relaxed position or posture allowing the internal energy to flow freely. The simple example is when you bend your elbows too much the blood circulating through your arm will become weak and less blood will be delivered to the tips ofyour fingers. Less energy will be flowing through your arm. That is the reason that Taiji requires people to bend the arm slightly, only in a rounded circle shape, all the time. The positions and postures in the forms were created and tested by the highly skilled Chen family masters in the past based on their own experience from generation to generation. That is why Chen Style Taiji puts so much emphasis on relaxation. Particularly, it is important to get the postures and positions altered and fixed with hands-on manipulation by skilled masters in person (in Chinese called "Tiao Jia Zhi").
 
For martial arts, when the body is not relaxed, the ability of sensitivity and stamina decrease. A tense body leaves you vulnerable to your opponent's arm lock or energy release. If you are tense, their Fajin (energy releasing) can harm you and, if you are relaxed, you can absorb it more easily. Be relaxed, but not floppy in Taiji along with a stress-free mental state during application movements. These conditions are necessary to perform high level skills not only in Taiji, but any physical sport. Click to learn Hypotension (Low Blood Pressure) in TCM.

Q25: Why should you ask for the Taiji positions or postures to bead justed with personal manipulation by the masters? Can you learn it from watching a video or reading a book?
 
A: The tiny adjustments on your Taiji positions or postures by an experienced master make a great difference on the inner effect of your practice. The slightest adjustment can make a huge difference that has to be experienced to be believed. The internal energy increases rapidly followed by a huge amount of heat spreading and flowing all over your body. Your legs will shake and your body will sweat. Those effects are not easy to get from a book or video. You'd better attend a class and let the master adjust you in person by hand. These adjustments have to be patiently and consistently repeated until the student can replicate these adjustments for themselves. This takes a lot of time and effort, but will reap great rewards in the long term.

It will also unravel the so-called mysterious abilities Taiji people possess. I will go further to say that this type of training is the key to unlock Chen Style Taiji from just being a beautiful form to being used in real combat. An old Chinese saying goes, "One adjustment by a high level master is worth three years hard training by yourself!" This is why in my class I always encourage students to stay in a fixed position after adjustments to experience it for themselves. Internal energy and feeling are so difficult to describe and there are many books which attempt to do so. It is much quicker to make the student feel it for themselves; I do not have to explain it to them. They understand completely by experience, not by reading hundreds of books. I open the door, the student must walk through by themselves. Click to learn Stroke (Apoplexy) in TCM.