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For several thousands of years, Tai Chi has been a fundamental part
of the Chinese medical system to maintain one’s health by
way of meditation and Tai Chi forms .The Chinese characters for
Tai Chi Chuan was often translated as the “Supreme Ultimate
Force”. The notion of supreme ultimate was often associated
with the Chinese concept of Yin-Yang, where one can see a dynamic
duality (male/female, active/passive, dark/light, forceful/yielding,
etc) in all things. “Force” (or fist) can be thought
of here as the means or way of achieving this ying-yang, or “supreme-ultimate”
discipline. Tai Chi Chuan has also become an internal martial art,
where superiority over an opponent is not gained by the use of brute,
strength, speed and power, but where the harnessing of internal
energy, or Qi (chi) is used. “Chi” is the natural flow
of one’s energy that circulates in all things. When Chi is
weak or stagnant in our body, we become ill. Through the relaxed
and graceful movements of Tai Chi, we learn to circulate “Chi’
throughout our body, relaxing and healing our body and calming our
mind.
Today we often refer to Tai Chi as “A Martial
Art Discipline” (Martial = Body , Art = Spirit, Discipline
= Mind). It is now practiced in the west, and perhaps can be thought
of as a moving form of yoga and meditation combined, There are a
number of forms, which consist of a sequence of movements. Many
of these movements are originally derived from the martial arts
(and perhaps even more ancestrally than that, from the natural movements
of animals and birds) although the way they are performed in Tai
Chi is slowly, softly and gracefully with smooth transitions between
each move. For many practitioners, the focus in doing the forms
is not, first and foremost, marital, but as a meditative exercise
for the body. For others the combat aspect of Tai Chi are of considerable
interest.
Another aim of Tai Chi is to foster a calm and tranquil
mind, focused on the precise execution of these exercises. Learning
to do them correctly provides a practical avenue for learning about
such things as balance, alignment, motor skills, rhythm of movement,
and movement from the body’s vital center. Thus the practice
of Tai Chi can in some measure contribute to being able to better
stand, walk, move and run. It also aids in managing the effects
of daily stress on the body.
Tai Chi allows for spiritual and physical awareness.
When performing Tai Chi movements, we develop the ability of “losing
preconception and existing in the now”, thereby responding
to our world fluidly, being able to adapt to any situation.
In the AMAI’s Tai Chi program, you will be learning
the Yang Style of Tai Chi which is the most commonly practiced style
of Tai Chi. It will include forms, breathing methods and practical
applications. Our ranking system starts with a white sash representing
the absense of Tai Chi knowledge through the black sash.
We hope you’ll feel the connection between the
movements of Tai Chi as the whole body is connected as it moves
through the form. Find some space, be yourself and focus on the
“way of the body, mind and spirit”!
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