Taijiquan
Taijiquan (alternative spellings are Tai Chi Chuan, T’ai Chi Ch’üan, etc.) is a Chinese martial art. Not only is it very effective in combat, it is also beneficial for health and spiritual refinement. The term Taijiquan is short for Taiji Quanfa which can be translated into „supreme ultimate fist technique“. Every movement in Taijiquan is based on martial considerations. A Taijiquan practitioner moves in a particular way that gives him the best advantage in a given combat situation.
The term Taijiquan originates from the 19th century, although Taijiquan as a martial art is said to have a history of many thousand years.
If Taijiquan is practiced daily, it will improve the conscious control of the practitioner’s body and thus increase his or her functional ability, enjoyment, and quality of life. Skillful practice of Taijiquan requires a shift in awareness away from a self-centered point of view to a heightened sensory awareness which again will create a fundamental shift in the practitioner’s perception of the world. When all the elements of the performance flow together, Taijiquan will become an extraordinary artistic performance, where body and mind are one and a new perception of life comes forth. This may explain why Taijiquan has been so popular for such a long time. It effects practitioners at the core of their being and can change their whole life.
Taijiquan as Martial Art
No martial artist will be able to fight well if he is not fit and healthy. There are of course different ways of training for different martial arts. Some arts ask for strong muscles and powerful strikes, emphasizing aggressiveness and brutality, more often than not also accepting injuries sustained in sparring. But for those who prefer a more gentle way to gain power and stamina, practicing Taijiquan is the best choice.
Taijiquan is based on muscular relaxation and not muscular tension to fend off or initiate physical attacks. The slow, repetitive movement helps to increase and open the body’s internal circulation which isn’t just confined to blood circulation, but also to breathing, the lymphatic system, peristalsis, etc. and thus help to greatly improve the effects of stress in life.
Taijiquan as a martial art is based on the yin-yang concept. A Taijiquan practitioner does not confront an opponent’s force head on, instead he allows the opponent to move on and thus cause him to lose balance. By increasing his sensitivity to the opponent’s movements and intentions, he has to keep his body, muscles, and mind relaxed and thus will be able to counterattack more effectively. Following the movements of his opponent, he is constantly shifting directions and making use of the yin-yang complement of the opponent’s motion.
Taijiquan practice demands proper breathing. The general rule is to breathe out when one exerts force, for instance by pushing out to punch or pushing downward to block off, and to breathe in when one is pulling in to make a movement to set up an attack. In more progressed training, a sophisticated form of breathing is practiced in order to generate power.
Taijiquan and Health
Many people are not aware of Taijiquan’s combative and spiritual aspects as they want to practice it solely for health reasons. Some Taijiquan schools claim that only those who practiced Taijiquan as a martial art would also gain the best health benefits. That if Taijiquan was practiced as a dance, the benefits would be those a dance may give, such as better blood circulation, controlled breathing, balance, and an overall smoothness of movement. But that those who wanted to gain the kind of blooming physical and mental health that distinguishes an accomplished martial artist, would have to practice Taijiquan as a martial art.
However, no matter what reason Taijiquan is practiced for, long-term practice has shown to have numerous health benefits. For instance, it has favorable effects on cardiovascular and respiratory fitness and reduces the risk of strokes in elder people. Pain and stress are also reduced and the immune system is strengthened. Further, Taijiquan has also shown to be beneficial for patients who suffer from high blood pressure, heart attacks, arthritis and multiple sclerosis. It has proved to reduce the symptoms of hyperactive children and also to reduce mental disturbances such as anxiety and depression. Finally, it has also been beneficial for patients suffering from diabetes and hepatitis.
Modern Taijiquan
While across China people practicing Taijiquan can be seen everywhere, in the West, Taijiquan has become popular only in recent years. As practically anyone can learn at least the basic moves, it has become one of the fastest growing fitness and healthcare activities around. Unfortunately, many so called teachers do not fully understand the martial aspect of Taijiquan and often teach a mixture of motions out of some other self-defence systems. The former martial art is being changed into a simpler, more Westernized form, something that is easy and quick to learn. By doing that, the martial aspects of Taijiquan are lost. What is being taught today as being representative, is merely a shell of the great art of Taijiquan.
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