T’ai Chi Ch’uan (pronounced ‘tie chee chuwan’), also known as Tai Chi or Taijiquan is one of the most ancient forms of Chinese martial arts. It is known as “the grand ultimate” and it is possibly the most widely practiced martial art in the world.
T’ai Chi is a term for the Chinese philosophy of yin and yang. It is an internal style with emphasis on correct alignment, the flow of internal energy and attention paid to every aspect of movement.
The ancient Chinese discipline of T’ai Chi is known for promoting a sense of overall well-being and “alert relaxation.” Recent research adds to the evidence that this virtually no-impact exercise has genuine health and fitness benefits.
In one study, volunteers age 58 to 70 who practiced T’ai Chi roughly five days a week showed a 15 to 20 percent improvement in aerobic capacity and knee strength after one year. In a second study, older volunteers with elevated blood pressure who did T’ai Chi for 12 weeks lowered their systolic blood pressure (the upper number) by 7 mm Hg – nearly as much as those who did a moderately intense aerobic-exercise program of walking and low-impact aerobics.
In ancient times, Chinese culture and traditional medicine were considerably more sophisticated than those practiced in many other parts of the world. In fact, many of the theories and practices used in China two to three thousand years ago have been found to be entirely consistent with modern medical practices. For instance, in the Han Dynasty (25-220 AD) the renowned doctor Hua Tuo wrote, “The human body requires constant exercise,” and also that “regular exercise aids digestion, stimulates circulation and helps the body to resist diseases.” This is almost the same advice any modern doctor would give.
