Tai Chi
 

Has anyone else here tried it? I've been curious for some time, so finally took a class. Only one lesson, but it's much better leg exercise than I expected, and very interesting.

Is that a Tea or something?

My wife drug me to those for awhile, I laughed at first but then got sore. After awhile it went away and I felt pretty good about going. I think she is signing us up again.

Sore - yeah. My legs are definitely complaining.

Tai chi has virtually nothing to do with working your muscles, it is about improving the flow of your internal energy, aka Chi.

A 'hard style' system like Hung Gar or what have you would be far better for working muscle groups. Tai Chi is on an entirely different level, it is an internal system like Pa Qua and Yin Yang.

Tai Chi is actually said to be one of the 3 deadliest fighting systems in Kung Fu.

Good class, depends on the instructor though. I'm not into the spiritual aspect some bring to it, but really like the poses/stretches when it flows well.

I understand the part about energy flow, but my legs don't yet understand the no-work principle. I'm not accustomed to spending a lot of time with legs bent except while skiing. I can clearly see benefits to this, particularly with balance.

Actually the three original "internal" martial arts styles are Tai Chi, Xing Yi (Hsing I) and Pa Kua (Ba Gua). I took Xing Yi many years back, and recently started back up with Tai Chi (Yang style). There are different flavors of Tai Chi but what most people associate with it is the 24 movement form. This is the classic slow movement that you see in parks in China and elsewhere.

You can work muscle groups just fine with Tai Chi, and in fact Chen style has very fast/hard elements. But even doing 24 at a very slow tempo I work up a sweat, and if you do it right, move the chi around and work the stances you get a great workout without beating up your joints. We are also doing sticky hands which can be quite an expenditure of energy.

Highly recommended as long as you get a good sifu. Lots of quacks and poseurs out there in the martial arts world. You have to hunt for a decent school.

What do I have to order to get eggroll with it...

This is Tai Chi.

You are thinking of Chai Tea.

I'm not sure how to detect a quack - I know enough to know I know very little about it. My wife found the class and she's pretty good about ferreting out the right places to go. Suggestions?

It can be hard. If they prattle on about their "lineage" I tend to shy away. A Tai Chi sifu should be pretty calm and rather retiring. Beware guys with black eyes ;)

Tai Chi is taught in a ton of places. There are a lot of videos on youtube that show very authentic versions of the various forms (24 movement, 32 movement sword, 40 movement, etc). Since Yang style tends to be slow and non-combative at least you're not at risk of getting hurt (unlike some MMA schools taught by bozos). You just need to watch for hyperextension and use proper stretching (which should be part of class).

Tai Chi is also associated with some of the "new age" types, and whether or not they know what they're talking about is up for discussion. Some have studied with a proper sifu/school, others picked it up somewhere and make stuff up.

Thanks - no warning signs, then. Except the black eyes....

Tai Chi is attractive to me. One of my biggest problems is mental noise. I almost never, ever, slow down. Taking a deep, smooth breath is difficult for me. No kidding. So......I find Tai Chi attractive. For me, it would be a time for slowing down and refocusing. Meditative. Without a doubt, it would be good for me.

Get the order to go. Hot and sour soup is excellent with this BTW! :)

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...can't see flash here.

So what the fk are you running from in yourself that you always have to keep on the go...

Nostatus on the other hand has two oposing points of view and can't decide which one to listen to.

Mother on the other hand says, "Turn the fking volume down it is too loud, I can't hear myself think." Of course i was oposed to anything Mother ever says, however after repeatedly trying to reason with me, she she finally picked up a baseball bat and smashed all my equipment...after which she exclaimed, "Ahhhh silence isn't it golden."

Good question. Can't take a deep, smooth breath. Don't sleep much. Grind my teeth. Pace. Smoke. Bite fingernails.

But here's the funny part: Nearly everyone who knows me thinks I am one of the calmest people they ever met.

Even recently, I spoke with someone about taking Tai Chi lessons. I would like that.