Tai Chi

[theapprentice]

I was reading a book that I had lying around my house, it was my aunts book. It was all on the philosphy of Tai Chi and spirituality
I did a couple of practice sessions from the book and I feel great, in only a day or two I feel more relaxed and my stress level has been reduced, touch wood.

Now I am interested in Tai Chi as a mental and self denese form, because you cannot use any martial art form without understanding its history and philosophy behind it. When you understand the mental principles behind the art, your mind can then control your body totally.

One of the most fundamental principles in Tai Chi is that the mind is stronger than the body, and meditation and relaxation help you achieve total control.

I dont want to learn martial arts so I can go around and beat up people who threaten me or try and rob me, a smart person will win by not fighting. Yet I believe that knowing how to defend yourself is something we must all do in our lives to achieve greater confidence and balance.

Sort of like a gun with a permanent safety.

Do you guys beleive that Tai Chi is an effective means of Self Defense?

I know that all martial arts have their pluses and minues, but is Tai chi comprhensive enough to ward of attackers and render them inoperable?

 

[Le Parisien]

I was reading a book that I had lying around my house, it was my aunts book. It was all on the philosphy of Tai Chi and spirituality
I did a couple of practice sessions from the book and I feel great, in only a day or two I feel more relaxed and my stress level has been reduced, touch wood.

Now I am interested in Tai Chi as a mental and self denese form, because you cannot use any martial art form without understanding its history and philosophy behind it. When you understand the mental principles behind the art, your mind can then control your body totally.

One of the most fundamental principles in Tai Chi is that the mind is stronger than the body, and meditation and relaxation help you achieve total control.

I dont want to learn martial arts so I can go around and beat up people who threaten me or try and rob me, a smart person will win by not fighting. Yet I believe that knowing how to defend yourself is something we must all do in our lives to achieve greater confidence and balance.

Sort of like a gun with a permanent safety.

Do you guys beleive that Tai Chi is an effective means of Self Defense?

I know that all martial arts have their pluses and minues, but is Tai chi comprhensive enough to ward of attackers and render them inoperable?

At our level, Tai Ji or Tai Chi is NOT an effective way for self defense, I repeat, it is NOT effective for self-defense.

It's a pretty good exercise for older people who can't do very "dynamic" sports without risk of injuries, but for young people, we better forget about it. Being Chinese, I know what I'm talking about.
There are millions of elderly people (like 65 years and up) who pratice Tai Ji on a daily basis in China, and you get to see that a lot in western documentaries about China. But young people just don't do it.

However, there are actually two major styles of Tai Ji. One is relaxed, this is the style that is seen and practiced everywhere.

And there's the faster and more offensive one. Once I saw a documentary about some German students learning this style in the Chinese province where Tai Ji was originally created, it was damn impressive! You basically can project people ten meters away using instant strength explosion and taking advantage of the opponent's own energy, unbalance and weakness.
But this style is for the masters, and it takes at least ten years of rigorous practice. So you can basically forget about it. Plus this style is not the one that is taught everywhere, so even if you have the dedication, you probably won't be able to find a teacher.

Just leave Tai Ji to the healthy grandmas and grandpas and pick up other martial art for self-defense.:yes:

 

[theapprentice]

Ic.

Well I had a feeling that Tai CHi wasnt a defensive art, but I think I will continue to study it and practice the forms for stress release and health. The more agile I become the better I can learn other martial arts.

So which martial art would you recommend?

 

[Skel]

gun foo