Tai Chi is a Chinese martial art focused on promoting physical health and mental well-being. It helps keep muscles and joints loose and also promotes good posture.
When someone says they practice Tai Chi, they usually mean Tai Chi Chuan, the variant that originates from Chinese martial arts . Tai-Chi-Tao is a variation of that, which is clearly focused on human health.
Tai Chi exercises
The Tai Chi Tao exercises are calm and not very difficult. The exercises are based on the five elements of energy theory: water, fire, earth, wood, and metal. They help you gain more energy .
The exercises also have a positive effect on blood circulation and the supply of oxygen to the muscles.
Tai Chi Tao exercises can relieve pain, mainly due to their slow pace. People with RSI, back pain, rheumatism, and ME, among others, can benefit from Tai Chi Tao.
Movement science and self-defense
Although, particularly in the West, many Tai Chi practitioners focus on the health aspect of Tai Chi and see it 'merely' as a system of movement, there are also practitioners who practice this art for its effectiveness as a self-defense art .
In the Chen style, in particular, the emphasis on the self-defense aspect is much stronger than in, for example, the Yang style. The forms are often performed more deeply, with more bending of the knees, thus better learning to maintain balance.
In Tai Chi as a form of self-defense , the emphasis is primarily on disrupting the opponent's balance by moving with the opponent's movement and neutralizing it.
Maintaining one's own balance is, of course, of great importance. The moment the opponent is thrown off balance, a counterattack can potentially be launched.
