You’ve probably heard about the health benefits of tai chi, yoga and other Eastern forms of meditation. No doubt somebody you know has a
special mat in their living room or takes a class every week. But what is it
about these exercises that make them good for us? Were they all meant to make
us healthy, or do some have other origins? This week I will be exploring several
popular “New Age” forms of alternative medicine from the East.
When I say the words “tai chi,” what do you think of? You likely
imagine people in loose clothes waving their arms slowly through the air like
an interpretive dance. What if I told you that some of the best (and most
lethal) martial artists on the planet practice tai chi?
Does this guy look like he's into tai chi "because it's relaxing?" |
Balance, Philosophy, and Self-Defense
The coolest part of martial arts is the stories. The history
of tai chi is unknown, but each of the oldest schools (there are four) have
their own version. One involves a Shaolin monk named Chang San Feng in 1200 AD
watching a snake fight a Magpie. Although the Magpie was faster and had the
advantage of flight, the snake won. Chang observed how the snake made up for
its lack of speed by being able to twist faster that the Magpie could fly. He
later adapted this into a system of martial arts, now known as the revered
Chang family tai chi – the oldest of the four schools.
The philosophy of T’ai Chi Chiuan (“Grand Ultimate Fist”)
requires a balance of two forces: receptive and active. Think of “active” force
as a push and “receptive” force as a pull. The philosophy explains how these
complementary forces guide all of nature. The tides roll in and out, daylight
extinguishes moonlight, hot and cold fronts create life-giving rain, and so on.
This symbolizes the balance of the two universal forces, NOT good and evil |
Instead, tai chi teaches us to meet hard with soft, to
re-direct force instead of meeting it head on. A quick sweep of the arm can
push a punch off-course, a side-step could make the attack miss entirely, or a
step backwards can cut the power in half. In all cases, non-violent action
either reduces or nullifies the force of the assault – receptive force
counteracts active force.
Breathing Deeply and Other Cool Things
Tai chi is often confused with another Chinese practice
called qigong. Qigong (Qi = Life Energy, Gong = Mastery) focuses on meditation,
breathing and slow movements to strengthen and stretch the muscles, promoting whole-body
health.
But it’s not just for health – mastering one’s qi is critical
for becoming a powerful master of the martial arts. For instance, one of the
deadlier types of qi strikes involves pushing one’s life force into an opponent
and then making it explode. Obviously this is a little dramatic and serves
mostly as metaphor. A punch from a martial artist differs from the average
person because the former has specialized training. The force of the punch,
instead of spreading over a wide area, is focused through just one or two knuckles,
causing far more damage. Instead of an explosion from within, the forceful
punch can push deeper into the body, causing skeletal or organ damage.
I told you this stuff was cool! |
Qigong, in and of itself, does not teach fighting at all.
But practitioners of tai chi still use qigong as a way to hone their own life force. As
a result, qigong has distinct health benefits. Research studies suggest that qigong can reduce chronic pain from fibromyalgia, lower blood pressure and promote longer/deeper sleep. Although it is not a cure-all, (if you have an infection,
antibiotics work a lot better than stretching,) the health benefits are being
recognized by the medical community.
Where the YMCA Got It Wrong
Tai chi includes all of the elements of qigong, but the
movements of tai chi are symbolic of self-defense. The Yin form of tai chi
practices these movements slowly as exercise. But when put into danger, practitioners
of tai chi are meant to use what they have learned to defend themselves at
full speed. This active defense, the Yang form, often goes un-taught in America, so most of us think of tai chi as a slow dance instead of a martial
art.
Probably not a martial artist. Notice the difference in dress. |
Think of Daniel-san from The Karate Kid, or Xiao Dre from the
2010 re-make of The Karate Kid. Doing an action over and over again (waxing a
deck or hanging up a jacket, respectively) trains the body to move instinctively.
So instead of a slow, flowery motion, in an actual fight, the symbolic stance
is replaced with actual fighting.
Yeah, yeah, I get it – technically these movies demonstrate kung fu, not tai chi. But there aren’t many mainstream tai chi movies to
choose from, okay?
(Copyright: Sony Pictures. Come on guys, I'm a poor college student - no need for a lawsuit.)
Practicing tai chi without knowing what the stances represent
only gives half the lesson. The Yin form without the Yang form is meaningless
and goes against the central tenant of balance. So the next time you see a
group of loose-dressed people waving their arms around in a park, don’t think
of them as dancing – think of them as training to be warriors…
Warriors in yoga pants.
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