Tai Chi the Martial Art & Philosophy – Ji Hong Tai Chi Mississauga

Tai Chi for All Ages of the Family

February 17, 2018 by May Rahnema 1 Comment

If you’re considering what everyone in the family can do this coming Family Day, consider tai chi also known as taiji quan. Tai Chi is a form of exercise that has been widely adopted around the world. It originated from China where it became popular when it was promoted as a way to help the people stay healthy throughout life and well into old age. The Chinese approach to health care starts with prevention so having a form of exercise to help people maintain a high quality of life while aging was the key to looking after the people.

Today, Tai Chi is practiced by millions of people worldwide. Some people start as young as 5 years old but there are also many people who are 85 years old and older who are continually practicing. Tai Chi spans the generations found in many Asian as well as other families.

Tai Chi for the Whole Family

Tai chi is appropriate for the whole family and people of all ages because of its intentionally focused and slow movement. The numerous health benefits of tai chi have been vetted by extensive research. The multitude of benefits that come from Tai Chi practice is so wide ranging that it benefits people at every age and over time as each of our body’s needs evolve with the different stages at different ages.

Here are some of the key benefits:

Improves balance and reduces incidences of falling
Improves posture for better body alignment and reduced muscle imbalances or pain
Low impact work out that provides cardio benefits
Increases mental and physical engagement
Reduces stress with slow movements and the focused mental engagement

Tai Chi for the Younger Family Members

Whether you have little ones interested in martial arts or a young person who finds it difficult to get into highly physical activities, Tai Chi offers some amazing benefits for young people.

For those who start out young, tai chi classes focus on the physical challenges and athletic development. Having had two boys who grew up learning wushu (Chinese martial art), Sifu May is well versed in what young people need to learn and remain interested in tai chi.

Younger participants are typically encouraged to engage in the Chen Style Tai Chi form. It is more dynamic and physically challenging with its low squats, powerful bursts and large robust limb movements. This form encourages increased strengthening and stretching of the lower limbs as well as the dantian or core strength. This demanding form is ideal for the growing and active bodies of young people while keeping them engaged and interested.

Maintaining the 5 bows stance of the body allows the tai chi martial artist to maintain the strongest stance possible while minimizing the chance of being knocked over by external forces or by a tai chi partner during an interactive exchange in class. Not only does this improve the balance of the person practicing tai chi but it also reinforces proper postural habits. Proper posture is key for young people to establish at an early age.

Of course, any type of martial arts training requires a discipline to learn movements but also to control the mind and body through the fluid and flawless execution of these movements. For many young people, this is a great way to improve awareness of their physical bodies and the movements. So, whether your child is a burgeoning athlete or a child who is clumsy and could use a better awareness of their own bodies, tai chi is a great way for them to strengthen as well as grow confidence in their own body.

And, of course, there’s the appeal of learning tai chi because it is a martial art. For many young kids, there is a huge appeal in becoming a martial arts expert and learning to handle a weapon safely as well as adeptly.

Tai Chi for the Adult Family Members

As the parent, participating in your own class while waiting on a younger family member is a great way to address some of our own adult concerns such as reducing stress from day to day life. Unlike other forms of exercise, it’s impossible to practice tai chi without being fully engaged in thinking about your entire body and where your hands, feet, legs and head will be moving next as well as the final direction that they’ll face. There is no room for the mind to wander while participating in tai chi

It is this demand for complete attention that gives tai chi the nickname as being the “moving meditation” of exercises. It is practiced slowly so that it forces people to think of all the details of each movement but the slowness also provides part of its meditative qualities.

When we approach middle age, we constantly have to balance our family as well as work lives. Our focus moves to deeper and more mindful aspects of tai chi such as the concept of Yin and Yang and what it means to have balance. Not just the kind of balance that prevents us from falling but in the use of our bodies to push or pull. In the advanced Push Hands class, your awareness of balance extends beyond your own body and includes your partner’s physical space. You are therefore actively listening and constantly adjusting to maintain the Yin/ Yang of the partnership.

Ultimately, learning how to move from an internal intention is a very important part of the tai chi growth path. Where children learn to mimic the movements with amazing results, when we advance as adults, we learn the internal intention behind the advance concepts of tai chi movements. We learn to practice how controlling our internal intention affects our external movements. We focus on what’s important about intention and we don’t let the smaller external or unimportant stuff distract us from intention.

Tai Chi for Family Members Beyond Middle Age

As we reach our 40’s and 50’s and beyond, our concern starts to shift towards aging gracefully and avoiding illnesses typically developed later in life. We want to remain physically capable and fit instead of aging prematurely. Tai chi is well known for preventing and alleviating the symptoms of diabetes, high blood pressure, Parkinson’s, osteoarthritis and other pathologies.

In addition, many people recovering from heart surgery or other injuries are still able to practice tai chi when other high impact work outs wouldn’t be appropriate. So, whether we are limited in what we can do and need to progress towards an ability to perform more intensive activities or we are looking for other ways to return balance to our bodies, tai chi has proven to be effective.

Tai chi helps people remain fit and maintain their core strength without the kind of high impact activities which may cause backs, knees, hips and other joints to deteriorate prematurely. At this age, our bodies are not able to recover seemingly instantaneously as our bodies did when we were in our 20’s. Tai chi is a slower moving and gentle practice which raises our heart rates giving us a good cardio work out as well. It seems counterintuitive that a slow moving activity can raise our heart rate but tai chi does improve our circulation significantly and people feel their core temperature rise after just a one hour class.

Tai Chi for Elderly Family Members

As we age further, it becomes difficult to find an activity that we can continue to do well and consistently. For people in their senior years, there are many benefits of learning and participating in tai chi. After a fall, seniors tend to continue to experience a wide variety of physical ailments from which they are slow to recover. After a single fall, many seniors find their health deteriorates significantly. However, maintaining good health, a strong core and posture as well as an ability to re-balance their bodies quickly allows elderly people to avoid a fall. This makes a huge difference in the upcoming quality of life in a senior.

Tai chi is not only physically beneficial but the mental challenges and the social nature of practicing tai chi helps to alleviate some of the top mental conditions seniors face today. The conditions of most concern to seniors include depression and dementia. Research shows that the people who practice tai chi tend to avoid these conditions or reduce their symptoms. Part of the reason is that tai chi helps improve the social aspects of our seniors’ lives because tai chi is practiced in groups with friends, families and people of all ages.

Finally, tai chi offers physical and mental challenges for seniors while giving them a sense of accomplishment. We all need goals and objectives which is the same for the elderly where a sense of accomplishment and purpose helps the mental state and well-being of all our grandmothers and grandfathers everywhere.

Celebrate Family Day with a Visit to Our Mississauga Tai Chi Studio

So, if you’re still not sure that tai chi is for the whole family, we invite you to come down to our Mississauga tai chi studio to experience it for yourself and meet people who are having a fun and challenging experience with tai chi.

Looking forward to seeing you soon!

The Tai Chi Learning Path – Part 2 of 2

January 22, 2018 by May Rahnema Leave a Comment

While in the Basics classes, people are learning basic movements and positions as well as much of the terminology. In the advanced classes, we go beyond. In the Basic classes, everyone is mostly just following and copying what they see.

In the advanced tai chi learning path, people start to understand why these basic concepts exist and how to leverage these concepts to be able to move fluently. They’re learning more complex series of movements which challenge their balance and ability to be centred or grounded even when the movements and postures become more intricate and complicated.

As we touched upon in the last blog, the next step in the learning path after the Basics class is choosing either a Yang Style or a Chen Style tai chi forms class.

Tai Chi Forms (or Taolu)

A Tai Chi form is a series of moves that are executed continuously from one move to the next, similar to a choreographed dance routine. A traditional tai chi form will take somewhere between 20 to 30 minutes to complete. At the beginning, you have to learn and remember the sequence of moves in the routine called a form.

Whether you’re good at memorizing or not, there’s more to being able to execute a form than just knowing the order of the movements. Being good at a form whether it’s the Yang Style or Chen Style form, it’s all in the little details of knowing how to shift your centre or dantian. And, at the same time, maintain optimal balance and postural strength with each upcoming movement or stance.

While you are achieving a certain amount of fluency with the moves, learning to apply tai chi concepts begins and continues to deepen with time. Using the choreography of the form, people learn to incorporate tai chi concepts into the movements, starting with the basic concepts then progressively layering on more difficult and complex tai chi principles into the movements. It may take 3 seasons to learn the basic movements of the form but a lifetime to learn and master tai chi concepts and principles.

A form is much like a dance. We can all learn how to achieve a level of competency so we can enjoy the basic form. To master a tai chi form takes years of practice to unleash and have our bodies understand both the art and science of fluid yet powerful movement concepts. The consistent long term practice makes it easier for us to remember movements while staying active and physically fit. And, some people enjoy perfecting a single form as a way of learning and achieving this understanding.

Some people like to explore the different styles of tai chi and understand the unique characteristics of each style, hence learning multiple tai chi forms. There is no rule or set path to learning tai chi. Learn from various forms as well as other advanced classes to continue understanding how to apply the concepts. Follow your heart and take the path that feels right.

Depending on people’s personalities and personal preferences, some like to mix it up to add variety and different challenges which teach us the same concepts from a different perspective.

Push Hands (or Tuishou)

Push Hands is a sparring activity meant to teach us how tai chi principles are applied. Instead of learning a series of movements in a choreographed set, we learn to respond and react to an outside force or a partner. It is a practical application of tai chi skills taught in various forms practice and applying these skills and concepts to interactive live situations where your partner is constantly moving and shifting.

It is about learning to sense the outside forces and becoming aware of other people’s movements. In turn, we learn to become much more aware of our own movements. We’re challenging the practical application of movements we learned in tai chi forms. And, we’re learning new movements as a way to respond to forces applied on us from our classroom partners without losing our own centre of balance.

Most people do not learn tai chi for the purpose of martial arts, therefore learning push hands is not always the first thing that comes to mind. However, it can be an important aspect of the learning path and this class is another part of the path to understanding many of the tai chi principles. Without actual physical contact with another person, it may often be difficult to appreciate some of the nuances of tai chi concepts.

Push hands is a direct path to learning tai chi principles as opposed to learning movements. You can start push hands training after learning the basics but it`s recommended to practice at least one form prior to or concurrently with the push hands class. Alternatively, start by achieving some fluency with a form first before beginning Push Hands.

For those looking to learn the martial aspects of tai chi, push hands is an essential course on the martial arts path within tai chi. And, for those looking to master tai chi, push hands is a necessary practice to achieving a complete understanding of tai chi principles.

Weapons

Incorporating weapons into tai chi practice takes our training to a different dimension. It is difficult enough trying to control our own body to achieve the tai chi principles. Adding an inanimate object extends our physical awareness beyond the length of our arms. People learn to incorporate the movements of the weapons as an extension of our own bodies.

Weapons have a tendency to exaggerate and expose flaws in our posture, balance and other tai chi principles. So it is an excellent means to enhancing tai chi skills while conditioning the physical body and sharpening our mental focus.

Learning one of the tai chi open hand forms for a minimum of 2 years is a pre-requisite for any of the 4 types of weapons classes: spear, sword, broad sword and long pole. In order to extend tai chi principles to a weapon, it is necessary to be fluent with basic tai chi concepts for the physical body first. Without understanding how to access the dantian or how to maintain the physically sturdy bow stances, it becomes impossible to translate tai chi concepts of movement to the weapon being wielded during class.

Without the open hand forms experience, the movements used with the weapon in our hands becomes clumsy and dangerous to others in the class as well as to ourselves. Learning a weapon is both mentally and physically challenging. The physical challenge is obvious as the extra weight of the weapon adds a level of physical work not found in the open hand forms.

A couple of years of open hand form conditioning will ease the transition to the weapons classes. Even the mental focus that is required can be exhausting. Each person has to be vigilant and pay constant attention or the weapon will hurt us or someone else.

Once people are ready, they find that learning a weapon is a lot of fun. The child in us comes out to play all while we learn to master tai chi skills.

Weapons have a tendency to exaggerate and expose flaws in posture, balance and other tai chi principles. Weapons classes are an excellent means to enhancing tai chi skills, conditioning the physical body and sharpening mental focus. All of this while having a lot of fun learning to master tai chi.

The Tai Chi Learning Path

The rich philosophical roots of tai chi bring a wealth of knowledge and principles that can make learning tai chi a life long journey. Each person’s journey is different depending on what we each want to learn of tai chi.

Each person`s learning path is unique to them. After a couple of years of taking steps to master the basics followed by some open hand forms training, people keep it lively and interesting by mixing, matching and even re-learning with deeper perspectives and appreciation.

Regardless of the journey ahead, start with a visit to our studio to meet our tai chi community. And, we`ll help you get started in a Tai Chi Basics class so you`ll have the foundation needed to enjoy a lifelong journey in tai chi.

The Tai Chi Learning Path – Part 1 of 2

December 5, 2017 by May Rahnema Leave a Comment

When you first investigate tai chi as well as what to learn and how to learn, you may wonder how to get the most out of your tai chi class and feel like you’ve learned skills that are meaningful to you. Even when you might not remember every move in the right order for a while, tai chi will give you many skills that help with your physical fitness, postural and movement goals.

After having taught tai chi for 14 years, I have been enhancing our classes and how we teach tai chi in order to help people gain a more in-depth understanding at every level and facet of the learning experience. Whether you are starting with a high level of fitness or you are working at getting fit, you will gain improved understanding of posture and positioning which will protect your body from over extending, remain more solidly grounded even while moving and using postures which do not over stress your weight bearing joints such as hips, knees and ankles.

If you do feel these joints are stressed even after learning how to align your posture, you may have a variety of tight muscles and / or adhered connective tissues which is preventing you from accomplishing your full range of motion in a pain-free way. Tai Chi can help stretch and strengthen muscles through slow repeated motions while encouraging your joints to move more easily.

Why People Want to Learn Tai Chi

Everyone has their own personal goal or reasons for learning tai chi. Based on what I have learned from my students over the years, here are some of their goals for wanting to learn tai chi.

To stay healthy by being active
To recover from injuries, illnesses or recent surgeries
To reduce stress or tension in their lives
To prevent deterioration of existing health conditions
To improve their health and to strengthen the body
To learn a softer kind of martial art
To learn a skill that can complement another sport or martial art
To excel in martial arts
To satisfy their curiosity about this sometimes mysterious art

Regardless of which goal encourages you to learn tai chi, we all have to start from the beginning with the basics. If you haven’t practiced tai chi previously, we’ll help you start by understanding the basic movement and postural concepts which you’ll continue to practice and master throughout the course of your tai chi journey no matter which style of tai chi you take after the introductory course.

Several core basic movements are introduced within the Tai Chi Basics class. However, a true understanding of how these movements help you remain grounded and balanced as well as their mastery typically requires that you challenge yourself through a variety of forms and weapons classes. In these classes, you’ll be applying and maintaining these techniques while adding a level of challenge to movements.

Learning Tai Chi Basics

A lot of people may feel that they need to choose one tai chi style over the other but this is hard to do if you have never tried tai chi before so we like to start people with a tai chi basics course. You can learn basic moves which are common to most of the tai chi styles. Even the vocabulary translates across styles so once you start learning tai chi, you can easily start with one style and translate your skills over to another style if you have the basics.

Learning the basics include learning what it means to have a good posture, how to move without causing injury, what is true relaxation, how does tai chi achieve mind/body awareness, how to harness internal strength, etc. These are important concepts for a student to understand, even if you are not able to physically execute the moves correctly at the beginning, you need to know why and what you are trying to achieve.

In our Basics class, which everyone takes when they first join our tai chi studio, we teach the core routines which also help warm up the body. These routines help people re-acquaint their access to the body’s core or dantian before working on practice routines for your posture, balance and movement. At the end of our 3 month Basics program, people can expect to know what each movement looks like visually and be able to mirror them in a basic way.

Tai Chi Forms and Push Hands Classes

After learning basics, you’ll want to make a choice of taking your new found skills into an area where you can use them to continue your health and fitness journey with tai chi. There are a couple of ways to accomplish this.

Typically, people will learn a Form which is a series of movements choreographed to apply and hone the skills learned during the Tai Chi Basics classes. Typically, to learn a whole form takes 2 to 3 seasons so that students both have the time to build new muscle memory by executing movements in new combinations which will challenge their ability to maintain balance and posture while getting their brains to create new movement pathways in a fun and fulfilling way.

One of the forms that we teach is Chen Style Tai Chi which is the original and the oldest of all the tai chi styles. It is a little more demanding because it was designed for the old time warriors of the day. These warriors depend on their tai chi martial arts skills for survival and as a livelihood.

The other form we teach is Yang Style Tai Chi which is today, the most popular tai chi form practiced. It is gentler and has a more graceful appearance to all its movements. But, don’t be fooled, it is still a challenging form in its own way.

Push Hands is an interactive use of open hand skills. Push Hands is typically considered a more advanced course than the Forms courses because it challenges our ability to use movements and stances learned in the forms classes. In Push Hands, we challenge ourselves to remain balanced when approached by another person who is attempting to unbalance or throw us off our feet.

People begin to have a deeper understanding energy flow of the movement or posture and the deeper connection of how it gives us balance and strength when they start one of the Advanced classes.

In the next blog, we will discuss these Advanced courses along with where the Weapons courses help people gain an advanced understanding of their skills.

Joining the Tai Chi Basics Class

In the meantime, check out our full tai chi schedule for the current and upcoming season to find a date and time which will work for you. Or, contact us today to discuss how you can visit our studio and trial a class which will give you more insights to the teaching style as well as the community you’ll find within our studio. I look forward to meeting you about tai chi and whether it may be for you.

Why People Learn Tai Chi Sword

October 1, 2017 by May Rahnema Leave a Comment

For some people, one look at the schedule and they are instantly drawn to the Tai Chi Sword class. They find it both exciting and exhilarating even to think about wielding a sword with some degree of competency. If you feel this way, you can get some background information throughout this blog to make your experience in class that much more enriching.

For many others, seeing Tai Chi Sword on the class schedule will pique their curiosity and make them wonder if it’s for them. It may also seem intimidating to some people. If you feel this way, you may be wondering if you are ready or if you will enjoy yourself or if you will be coordinated enough to accomplish all the movements. This blog will help you figure out if Tai Chi sword is right for you.

What’s Fascinating about Tai Chi Sword

Of the four main tai chi weapons: long pole, spear, sabre and sword, the sword is the lightest weapon. The sword requires only one hand to wield and people are often entranced by the graceful, intricate and fluid movements.

This explains why the sword is the most popular weapon to learn amongst tai chi students. Now, even though the sword may have the most appeal and seem easiest to learn, in reality, it is the most difficult of all the weapons to master.

The sword form is beautiful to look at, and just like any performance, the movements require dexterity, balance and precision to be flawless while appearing effortless to the observer.

Fundamental Tai Chi Sword Techniques

The Tai Chi Sword is a double edged straight sword with a long history in Chinese martial arts with a variety of additional characteristics. Regardless of the additional characteristics and names for the different types of swords, all double edged straight swords perform 4 specific actions.

Point – this applies to movements where power travels to the tip of the blade hitting the target at the blade tip. Point techniques typically feel like a flick or a whip.
Thrust – this applies to movements where the arm is flexed and extended making a straight line from arm to sword handle to sword tip. Power extends from the arm onto the entire sword blade. The tip of the blade connects with the target first and the rest of the blade follows through at the same connection point. Thrust techniques have motions that are led by the sword tip.
Cut – this applies to movements where the sword hits the target along the edge of the blade with power focused about mid-length of the sword where the blade meets the target. Cut techniques have motions that are led by the sword edge.
Slice – this applies to movements where the sword connects to the target along the edge of the blade at one point and travels to another point on the edge. That means power is exerted on the sword edge and slides along the blade following the changing contact point. Slice techniques typically have a circular and fluid feel to it.

Learning each type of movement and the focus of each is important to knowing how to focus the body’s power or jing. Body movements and focus will be different in each action. Knowing which action is being executed will change the mental and physical focus of body movements used to accomplish each. Numerous challenges in posture and balance will occur due to the addition of a weapon in the hand but more than physical movements, a lot more mental focus is required to focus the body and sword to act in a precise and controlled manner.

Tai Chi Sword Proprioception and Mastery

Unlike the other weapons, not only do we need to move the sword into position in a striking motion at the target but the sword needs to flow through the air following a very specific path throughout the entire motion. The 4 main types of sword techniques each require movements that travel in very different paths. The practitioner must know the technique, understand the path and be able to guide the sword along the exact path with the utmost precision.

While it is easier to use a sword because it is lighter, it also means that people must take extra care even when walking with the sword in hand. One needs to be vigilant and intentional when carrying a sword or you may cut yourself or worse, someone else around you.

To be able to practice the sword with precision requires your full attention. Your mind is on full alert, constantly observing and following the prescribed path for the sword. When you practice this way through the entire sword form, you find yourself exhausted mentally more so than physically.

Using the sword is like a dance with your sword. In the beginning, you are just following the steps and completing the action in a technical way, often getting in the way of the sword and moving awkwardly. With a great deal of practice, mental focus and precision of motion, the sword slowly becomes a mere extension of the martial artist.

You will begin to sense the entire sword as an extension of your own body from the blade through to the tip. You will no longer think of how to move the sword to where you want it to go, but you will think of where you want to go. You and your sword become one.

Tai Chi Sword to Enhance Balance and Posture

Long before we achieve this level of mastery, working with the sword will challenge all the basic concepts of tai chi balance and posture. Whenever we add a weapon to our practice, we are adding a weight with some length that challenges our sense of balance. If we are not paying attention, our posture will tilt. We constantly need an increased awareness and focus on both posture and balance while practicing the sword form.

Students are ready to learn Tai Chi Sword when they have enough experience to know how to maintain the 5 bows in their posture in any variety of empty hand tai chi forms. The 5 bows posture ensure the strength and flexibility within the body to move without losing balance or being knocked over by either the added weight of the weapon or by contact with external elements.

Maintaining the proper 5 bows posture for strength throughout the key joints of the body is difficult even in empty hand forms. Adding the sword and having to guide it through a specific path creates new challenges. Advancement of this skill takes a lot of practice with both the sword and empty hand forms. And, it takes even more time to fully master.

Finally, we challenge our ability to use the energy of the body with intention to create movement. This intention starts at our dantien which is at our body’s core. In an empty hand form, this energy moves from dantien to shoulder to elbow and finally hand. With the sword, the energy now has to be transferred from dantien to shoulder to elbow to the hand and finally into the sword.

To achieve this principle, you need absolute control of the sword both mentally and physically. Using a simple movement of sweeping the sword from left to right, you have to hold the sword steady while waiting for your dantien or core to shift to the right. Next, your body turns and then your arm starts to pull the sword to the right. All the while, you hold the sword steady until your core has shifted before the elbow begins to lead followed by the hand directing the motion. Finally, the energy is directed through the sword to finish the path and intention of the movement.

This unfettered direction of energy is where the swordsman gains the power to wield the weapon both effectively and powerfully. Very often we can judge the skill level of a swordsman by how steady the sword is held throughout the entire range of each movement.

Tai Chi Sword for Fun and Fitness

One of the main reason we practice tai chi together is for fun and fitness.

In modern society, we do not practice the sword for self defense or survival. So most of us will never achieve the level of master swordsman, but this should not stop us from learning the sword or the joy of learning it.

There are two basic requirements that I ask of my students who want to learn tai chi sword. Firstly, know the tai chi basics and have practiced an empty hand form for at least 6 months to a year. Your readiness depends on how diligently you have been practicing the details of your form throughout the months and years. Secondly, bring your full attention to class so you know exactly where your sword is at all times for your own and other people’s safety.

Learning tai chi sword is hard work but the rewards are worthwhile. There are no words to explain the exhilaration and joy of moving and being one with your sword until you’ve tried it for yourself. People just have fun when it comes to Tai Chi Sword!

Why Do People Enjoy Tai Chi?

July 7, 2017 by May Rahnema 1 Comment

Personally, I know why tai chi is so beneficial to people and why I enjoy tai chi so much. That’s one of the reasons why I started this blog. However I was curious to know how other people felt about tai chi and the classes we hold here at the studio.

Recently, I sent out a survey to everyone to find out what classes are preferred and what people would like to see happen here at Ji Hong Tai Chi Mississauga specifically. So, it was interesting for me to understand what people enjoy most about tai chi and I thought you might be interested as well.

“I am very self-conscious and I am mindful that I require a lot of time to fully grasp the flow. I focus on my hand or leg and sometimes forget the other physical components to the moves. I feel that I can learn at my level and not feel singled out because of awkwardness with some of the stances. This has really helped me to be enthusiastic about learning.” Donna M. [Oakville]

The Learning Experience by Tai Chi Class

There was not just one overwhelming favourite class amongst everyone. Instead, each person had reasons for enjoying specific classes and for varying reasons, people enjoy different types of tai chi classes too. If you have been eyeing any of the classes and want some insights into what you will learn in these classes, these insights may offer what you need to choose additional tai chi learning experiences.

Tai Chi Basics

Everyone starts with tai chi basics first. Starting here helps people learn the basic movements, a handful of core vocabulary terms and some basic understanding of the significance of these terms and how they influence posture, balance and biomechanics. After this class, each person has the basics to start their own personal training, journey or path. Glad to hear that people do find they have the basics after this class.

Yang Style Tai Chi

This is the most popular form of tai chi. Whenever a video clip or photo of tai chi is shown, it’s typically of people practicing the Yang style of tai chi. Between Yang and Chen styles, Yang is the more graceful looking form, with a range of lengthening and flowing movements. People found that they learned to relax, improve their posture, improve their balance when moving and they were able to de-stress and focus which brought them to a better state of mind.

People who gravitate towards Yang tend to look for health benefits, a focus on artistic expression and enjoy activities that most resemble dancing.

Chen Style Tai Chi

Chen style is the original tai chi form. It is a more physically demanding form of tai chi designed more for the martial artist within. People who enjoy these classes along with the advanced Cannon Fist indicated that the physical nature of this form was one of the aspects they enjoyed. People found Chen style tai chi improves their overall coordination and condition. They find that they learn to access and project their inner strength while remaining relaxed and performing soft movements. People also find that during the Chen classes, they learn more how the moves are applied from a martial arts perspective.

While all forms of tai chi can eventually lead to martial arts, people who gravitate to the Chen style tend to be physically prepared for more demanding movements with a wider range of speed, more demanding coordination and flexibility as well as explosive movements of internal energy.

Weapons

This is an advanced course but we encourage everyone who has a curiosity or passion to join the course. It’s a lot of fun and it’s intended to enhance your sense of using your new found skills. These two quotes say it best:

With weapons, it really makes you more internally aware of your movements and surroundings with the weapon you are holding whether it be sword, sabre or spear. It eventually becomes an extension of your body and you begin to understand the dynamics of what each weapon brings. – Oleh, [Etobicoke]

I learn how to use the spear with the muscles I have not used before. And learning my focus needs more focus, otherwise; the spear will whack on the head or my leg.” – Aree [St. Catherines]

Weapons is not only fun to do but no matter your level of coordination and balance, it will test and challenge both of these skills. When returning to practice Chen style or Yang style, people experience balance, biomechanics and postures with a new found heightened awareness of each. People become more finely attuned to all aspects of movement.

Push Hands

Push hands tests your ability to use your learned movements when there is another person using their weight to tip you off your balance. An even greater understanding of how your body maintains its balance throughout the entire movement and at all moments is tested.

“The most interesting part is feel Taiji ‘Jin’, and trying to do it in a right way”
– Kevin [Mississauga]

It’s also not easy to knock someone else over without extending beyond our own centre of gravity. When people first start, it’s easy to lose balance. Over time, as people become more experienced, it’s a game of patience and continually moving with complete centredness and balance in order not to allow our opponent any opportunities to find our lack of balance. It takes patience and great awareness of our bodies to know our own balance and whether the opponents are centred and balanced or off-centre and unbalanced.

Qi Gong Health & Vitality

People have found Qi Gong to be very relaxing. It’s becoming quite a popular course for relaxation and health benefits. Qi Gong works on the meridians of our bodies as understood in Traditional Chinese Meridians to help our bodies remain healthy and stress free.

Some people are asking for more meditative variations of Qi Gong….

Tai Chi Fitness

Various movements are practiced during the fitness class. People find it an extra cardio boost to their weekly work out by adding a couple of classes per week to their regular class. If you’re looking to accomplish a movement which has so far been elusive, this class and the forms class are ideal for helping to practice specific movements repeatedly.

What People Are Saying About Our Teaching Methods and Instructors

One of the core philosophies of our tai chi studio is to encourage each person’s passion for tai chi and encouraging natural teaching skills amongst our senior members to carry on the tradition. Our dedication to teaching tai chi has always been twofold with as much emphasis on teaching as well as knowing tai chi.

Here’s what people told us about our teaching methods:

“I have taken other martial arts before, but I think May is the best instructor I’ve ever had. She’s very patient and I like the way how not only does she show us the techniques but also the theory and reason why a move is done in a certain way. “ – Enrique [Mississauga]

“May is awesome. A keen observer of how the students are moving and making helpful suggestions for improvements adapted to each students current skill level.” – P Morenz [Etobicoke]

“May – patience, humour, very nice and understanding to everyone, excellent teaching skills” – Bozena B. [Mississauga]

“May is very patient and excellent teach. She knows enough to correct movements but understand it won’t be perfect in the beginning” – David C. [Mississauga]

I’m really happy to see that our focus on the teaching of tai chi as much as the tai chi itself makes your experience worthwhile. Your positive reviews are much appreciated.

May’s Insights and Observations about Tai Chi

Let me share some of my thoughts about tai chi. Hopefully, these insights will help you find the right class and offerings that will make your tai chi experience fun and personally rewarding.

Tai Chi for Health

There are many added benefits of learning tai chi. Many people come for specific objectives and then realize they are getting much more than expected. Most people start tai chi for its many health benefits. People continue practicing because after becoming and staying healthier, they discover other challenges. People become engaged in exploring the heights of personal accomplishments and physical competencies over their own bodies which is possible within the art of tai chi.

While gaining these exceptional movement skills, people still continue to improve their health, core strength, balance and posture.

Tai Chi as an Art

If you enjoy expressing yourself through art, then tai chi is perfect as a means to discover yourself and express yourself through movement. The awareness and integration of mind and body, the expression of character and personality through tai chi movement can be very fulfilling.

The forms when executed well are beautiful to watch and also to experience. You can start tai chi at any age and still be able to excel in it. Many other sports, dance or physical activities require starting at a young age to do well. Tai chi is different. You can start at any age and you have a sense of accomplishment even if you start learning tai chi late in life.

Tai Chi to Enhance Athletic Performance

Tai Chi is an excellent complement to other sports, exercise or martial arts. The core principles of posture, balance, relaxation and elasticity in tai chi can enhance your performance in other physical endeavours and activities. We have received a lot of positive feedback from those engaged in other sports like: golf, skating, running, walking, karate, rowing, tennis, etc.

Don’t be fooled by the slow pace. After several months of practice, our tai chi members become stronger and more fit than they would have ever imagined regardless of their initial fitness level on the first day of classes.

Tai Chi as a Martial Art without the Aggression

People can start tai chi at any age because there are few physical limitations. Especially, if you were interested in martial arts as a younger person but never had an opportunity, tai chi is a chance to learn a powerful martial art which is practiced at all ages.

You can build up from a minimum of physical fitness. And, you don’t need aggression or to crush your knuckles regularly to become a martial artist.

In tai chi, aggression is replaced by calmness and mental focus. External physical strength is replaced by inner core strength through postural alignment and balance. Brute force is replaced by sensitivity and elasticity. The skills that make for a good Tai Chi martial artist are the same qualities which we continue to develop as we mature. The potential in each of us is limitless.

Tai Chi is an Experience

The depth of the art is immense. We can learn for a lifetime and still continue to discover new and wonderful nuances of the art. All one has to do is just start. Join us today

Tai Chi for the Whole Family

Tai Chi for the Younger Family Members

Tai Chi for the Adult Family Members

Tai Chi for Family Members Beyond Middle Age

Tai Chi for Elderly Family Members

Celebrate Family Day with a Visit to Our Mississauga Tai Chi Studio

Tai Chi Forms (or Taolu)

Push Hands (or Tuishou)

Weapons

The Tai Chi Learning Path

Why People Want to Learn Tai Chi

Learning Tai Chi Basics

Tai Chi Forms and Push Hands Classes

Joining the Tai Chi Basics Class

What’s Fascinating about Tai Chi Sword

Fundamental Tai Chi Sword Techniques

Tai Chi Sword Proprioception and Mastery

Tai Chi Sword to Enhance Balance and Posture

Tai Chi Sword for Fun and Fitness

The Learning Experience by Tai Chi Class

Tai Chi Basics

Yang Style Tai Chi

Chen Style Tai Chi

Weapons

Push Hands

Qi Gong Health & Vitality

Tai Chi Fitness

What People Are Saying About Our Teaching Methods and Instructors

May’s Insights and Observations about Tai Chi

Tai Chi for Health

Tai Chi as an Art

Tai Chi to Enhance Athletic Performance

Tai Chi as a Martial Art without the Aggression

Tai Chi is an Experience

SITE MAP

SEARCH FOR TAI CHI INFORMATION

TAI CHI TALK

Areas of Tai Chi Talk

Mississauga Tai Chi