YANG FAMILY TAI CHI CHUAN ESSENTIALS

Tai Chi Chuan, or Tai Chi, as it is more commonly known in the West, is that slow motion exercise often seen in China’s parks early in the morning. Tai Chi Chuan players move in unison, with fluid gestures that seem to almost be “swimming in air.”

Tai Chi Chuan is a series of movements, based on offensive and defensive martial techniques, performed as a sequenced set. Some early observers called this Chinese “shadow boxing,” as some punches and kicks were recognizable. It is the slow, deliberate pace of these motions during practice that is so special.  

Recent  scientific  research  indicates  that  many  of  the  health  benefits  of  practicing Tai  Chi  Chuan  can be traced to this slowness and attention to physical detail. The steps are graceful; the body’s motion is circular, fluid and relaxed. There is elegance, a sense of ease and balance in the movements and an ineffable calm expressed by the players. There is serenity in the exercises that can be seen by even the most casual observer.