The Original Tai Chi Martial Art – Chen Style Old Form One

Tai Chi or Shadow Boxing, another school of Kungfu in Chinese martial art culture, was born in Henan Province, 70km north of David Yao’s native place.

Tai chi, short for T’ai chi ch’üan or Tàijí quán  (Chinese: 太极拳，太極拳; pinyin: Tàijí quán), is a traditional Chinese martial art that combines mind and awareness of our body, the deep diaphragmatic breathing and Qi, the inherent vital energy, through graceful movements to achieve mindfulness and relaxation. Tai chi is practiced for both its defense training, its health benefits and meditation.

Qigong, qi gong, chi kung, or chi Gung (simplified Chinese: 气功 qìgōng literally: “Life Energy Cultivation”) is a holistic system of coordinated body posture and movement, breathing, and meditation used in the belief it promotes health, spirituality, and martial arts training. Qigong practice typically involves moving meditation, coordinating slow-flowing movement, deep rhythmic breathing, and a calm meditative state of mind.  Qigong can be viewed as a medicinal movement practice, combining breath work, relaxation, movement and self-massage all in one.

In these courses, I will show you through breath control exercises and Tai Chi skills to regain peace of mind.  Chen Style Traditional 74 Form LJ1  (陈氏太极拳老架一路  Chén shì tàijí quán lǎo jià yīlù  Chen Style Tai Chi Traditional Form  One; Chen Style Tai Chi Old Form Set One)  is the foundation of all Chen Style Tai Chi which keeps the kicking, jumping and leaping movements which will apply in fighting.

What makes  Chen Style Tai Chi unique? It is 发力 fā lì, (releasing power; releasing power in an explosive way),  It integrates whole body power and keeps the body in a relaxed state when releasing the power in a very short and explosive way. The hitting point can be fist, elbow or knee. This Fali is different from boxing or kickboxing. You can take some movements to practice at a fast speed and this can be a very good sweating workout for you.

This will take you around 3 months to finish it. However, you can just take a single posture to practice.

Tai Chi Strengthens Mind and Body

Tai Chi’s focus on posture and body placement may add benefits beyond what cardiovascular or resistance training can provide.

Tai Chi, a moving Yoga, does more than burn calories and tone muscles. It will enable you to gain flexibility and strength, reducing stress and allowing for greater relaxation. It’s a total mind-body workout that combines strengthening and stretching poses with deep breathing and meditation or relaxation.

The health benefits of tai chi

This gentle form of exercise can help maintain strength, flexibility, and balance, and could be the perfect activity for the rest of your life.

Tai chi is often described as “meditation in motion, moving Yoga,”  which originated in China as a martial art.  The Chen Style Tai chi is the oldest and parent form of the five traditional family styles of Tai chi. Chen-style is characterized by Silk reeling, alternating fast/slow motion and bursts of power.  The Chen Style Originated in Hen Nan Chen Jia Gou, 70 KM north of David Yao’s birthplace.

There is growing evidence that this mind-body practice, has value in treating or preventing many health problems. And you can get started even if you aren’t in top shape or in the best of health.  In this low-impact, slow-motion exercise, you go without pausing through a series of motions.  As you move, you breathe deeply and naturally, focusing your attention — as in some kinds of meditation — on your bodily sensations. Tai chi differs from other types of exercise in several respects. The movements are usually circular and never forced, the muscles are relaxed rather than tensed, the joints are not fully extended or bent, and connective tissues are not stretched. Tai chi can be easily adapted for anyone, from the fittest to people confined to wheelchairs or recovering from surgery.