The aim of Tai Chi is to make your bones and muscles stronger, improve your blood circulation and your Chi (internal energy)
in your body in order to prevent pains and ailments, lose weight, be stress free and prolong your life expectancy.
To achieve this objective, the student must focus on the physical exercises recommended for the upper body in order to make him/her stronger. These are external exercises.
The other aspect relates to both concentration and coordination of movements which are closely linked to a spiritual approach. These are internal exercises.
The ultimate goal is to reach a state called “Rujing” which is a physical and mental state of serenity.
The result is a lightness of body and a peaceful mind.
Tai Chi can be practised by any individuals whatever his age or physical condition.
Tai Chi is a martial art that was developed in China to fight foreign invasions and overcome peasant uprisings.
Historically, Tai Chi is over 350 years old and its birth place is in the Chen village of Wenxian in the Henan province of China.
Its basic principle is to use the opponents’ force against them: “using one pound of weight to redirect 1000 pounds and adapting oneself to the opponent”.
Tai Chi is a series of soft and slow movements that are uninterrupted to create a harmonious flow which looks like a dance. Although the movements are usually soft and slow, they can occasionally be sharp and energetic.
As time went by, Tai Chi became less of a martial art and more of a technique to enhance health and well-being.
When practising Tai Chi, it is essential to keep in mind the natural flow of things. Exerting force and pressure is not required.
All that is necessary is to go with the flow in a flexible and rounded way. Should you try and resist you become a hurdle to yourself but if you relax you become more powerful.
As an old Tai Chi Master said: “the fluidity of water can overcome the claws of the tiger and the claws of the tiger have no effect on water whilst with time water can erode even the hardest rocks”.
In other words, one must always swim with the current, that is the way of Tai Chi..
