Tai Chi
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Meditation in Movement
Body & Mind



Yang Family Tai Chi



Tai Chi is popular throughout the world as more people have become aware of its health benefits. Tai Chi uses the Taoist concept of change. This can be seen in the way the movements, breathing and mind are used to control the body. This in turn allows the body to maintain good health not only physically but mentally as well. Tai Chi in China is recommended as a way to stay healthy. It is used as a preventative tool in staying healthier.


Our senior students who only started doing Tai Chi at 60 and older have seen a remarkable improvement in their mobility. One of our students had difficulty going up stairs unassisted.

She is now able to walk up stairs without assistants or holding onto a rail. The joy and happiness she expressed when she told me was so rewarding. We love seeing the physical and mental improvement in our students.



Yang 24 Step Form





The yang 24 step form is the first form that we teach our students. It is a more modern form that has been developed with an emphasis on health. Learning the movements help students to develop the basic movement skills needed to progresss and develop their Tai Chi. This form develops coordination, energy, and range of movement. The form can be adjusted for each type of body and fitness level while still developing the basic skills.



Yang 21 Step Form





The yang 21 step form is a shortened form of the long Tai Chi Form. While shorter than the 24 step form, it is closer to the older forms of Tai Chi.

It trains the student to perform the more difficult movements and subtle movements. This form develops movement skills further and more of an awareness of energy.



Yang 41 Step Form





The yang 41 step form is adapted from the Long Yang Form. The form has changes in direction, the development of strength in the body with the deeper stances and more difficult leg positions. The use of energy is extended in the additional set of movements, and allows the student to develop to a higher level in their Tai Chi practice.



Yang Long Form





The Yang Long Form contains 108 movements. It involves changes of direction and use of force. Learning the sequence also improves the ability to organize and use movement appropriately based on the situation. The student learns to differeniate between the previous forms and the movements of the long form while the new techniques will develop the student's skills further.





Working with A Partner



To learn Tai Chi you need to work with the force of someone else. The empty hand forms will teach you the movements but push hands practice allows you to apply them.

We also have two person exercises that focus on different skills in Tai Chi: redirection, sticking, and using the force of the whole body.


The transition of weight between the legs and keeping the center of the body stable is an important part of fighting. In Tai Chi when doing push hands you're trying to sense the center of the other person while concealing your own. If you're aware of where their center is and when it changes to a weak position, then you can overcome the opponent. Anytime you have to move, you may shift into a weaker stance and if you're opponent is aware of it they can use that to push your center off balance.


Trying to push a partner off balance teaches you to feel how every part affects the whole. The idea is to make your body work together as one integrated unit. Think of it like a group of people tied together. If everyone tries to go in their own direction, no one will be able to get anywhere efficiently. Once everyone picks a direction, they have to learn to move so that they don't step on each other's toes. Communication on what to do as well as practice at doing the actual stepping is required. With enough time and energy the group becomes efficient and moves as one.




Qigong





Qigong exercises develop your awareness and ability to use energy, also refered to as qi. While Qigong refers to the energy systems and practices from China, most cultures and people have an idea of what energy is and how to work with it. The most fundamental idea is that energy is everywhere in some form, and affects us physically and mentally.

When we practice Tai Chi, we move externally, and move our energy internally.

We use energy to enhance how our bodies respond to change and to maintain a strong position when attacking and defending.





There are many different systems of Qigong: Medical, Martial, Spiritual, and others. The branches can be divided into external and internal exercises. External exercises use the limbs of the body to stimulate and build energy, and that energy is circulated back into the body. Internal exercises work from the inside out using relaxed still positions with an emphasis on circulating the energy at internal points so that it builds up and flows throughout the body.Tai Chi combines elements of both kinds of practice where very part of the body and mind move in unison.



QUestions And Answers





What is Tai Chi and how is it related to martial arts?





A system of fighting that can be used to improve your body and health. Tai Chi works on developing strength and speed in a different way than very-hard-style martial artists, boxers or MMA fighters use, but instead emphasizes body awareness and redirecting the opponent's force against them by using softness, yielding, and redirection.



Who created Tai Chi?





There are different accounts of the original creator of the system. Based on what we know Tai Chi originated in Chen Village. The martial art was practiced and developed in the village for generations up to today. Yang Lu Chang was the first outsider to be taught the form. From it, he developed the Yang style.


Modern Tai Chi has many branches and variations developed by different masters. Chen was the basis for Yang, Wu, Sun, and other family systems. In China the idea of a original or wrong version is left off in favor of the idea of complements. Each type of system is suited to a particular person and situation. Everyone starts with the same principles though. The interplay of yin and yang, using softness to overcome hardness, sensitivity and use of the whole body as an integrated whole, and the development of qi.



Will I be able to learn Tai Chi?





Everyone one starts with the basics. We start with simple moves and ideas that are practiced until the student is comfortable moving on to more difficult material. As you master successive levels of learning you will find that what was previously hard becomes easy and what was complicated becomes simple.



How long will it take me to learn?



Every student sets their own level of learning. If you're able to demonstrate skill with something, we'll give you more to learn. While the forms themselves and the exercises can be learned easily within a year by a very focused student, mastering them and learning them at successive levels of skills can be the pursuit of a lifetime.



How will Tai Chi improve my health?



Tai Chi is an excellent way to increase cardiovascular fitness, strength, and range of motion. The forms and drills slowly develop the body, and we adjust the movements as needed as well so that trying to make the body healthier doesn't cause it to be injured. Something that can often happen with other forms of fitness training where the person isn't given enough time to adjust physically to changes.



Can I use Tai Chi to defend myself?



Yes, but it requires more time to master for a new student. Depending on your background and experience in fighting you may be able to learn the techniques well enough to use in fighting. The ability to use those techniques with ease will depend on the overall strength and skill of your opponent. Tai Chi requires being able to follow the opposing force and turn it back with your own. However, for any person there is always another that has more strength and skill. Even then there is no way to say on the day who will defeat who for sure. Ideally, you try to avoid having to fight anyone in a life threatening situation.



How can soft, slow movements work against someone who is stronger and faster?



Tai Chi is not used slowly in fighting. Tai Chi Demonstrations are done slowly and beginning stages of practice have to be slow because you're paying attention to obvious and subtle aspects of the movements. To practice for fighting and application you start slow and progress to using the techniques quickly and automatically.



Greater numbers in military battles did not always determine victory. An opponent that uses their greater strength as a way to win loses their advantage against a neutralizing skill that is well developed.

Not all opponents use unskilled strength but that opponent would be using more than strength already and in that case the more skilled fighter will usually defeat the less skilled fighter.



If you have more questions, contact us and come try a class to find out more.




115 1/2 Main Street Monroe WA 98272





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