In order to get closer to something, we step. This is a fundamental human skill, yet so many people reach beyond their natural range instead...

It is absurd to think you are going to get anywhere by giving only an hour a week to your practice or that you can regularly skip classes. M...

Some people in this culture believe that the “consumer” is entitled to good service and if they feel wronged are entitled to take their cust...

The Chen form derived from battlefield military movements, where people wore medieval body armour that had to be compensated for. The Chen-s...

There is a point where something is weak, then it becomes strong, only to become weak again. Like a 'bell curve'... The human lifesp...

It is so tempting to stretch, to extend, to reach. To force, to push. Don't do this. Just do what you need to do to accomplish the resul...

Tai chi advocates moderation in all things. e.g. over-training is as bad as under-training. If you do not train enough, there will be very l...

 

Tai chi poise is healthy. The body is used naturally and comfortably. The mind is quiet. We listen to what the body is telling us rather tha...

Over-use and wrong use of the hands can cause immobility and arthritis. Main culprits: • Computer mouse • Mobile phone • Tapping a touch scr...

The main culprit for loss of mobility in most adults is sitting on their backsides too much. Sitting causes: • Strained neck • Sore shoulder...

  Sitting is more dangerous than smoking, kills more people than HIV, and is more treacherous than parachuting. We are sitting ourselves to ...

As people get older they lose the ability to move freely and easily. This reduces our quality of life. Tai chi was designed to off-set the s...

Y ou started life with a natural condition of suppleness and flexibility. A baby does not have sore knees, a bad back or arthritis. The limb...

  Consider this: Most people live lives that are not particularly physically challenging. They sit at a desk, or if they move around, it...

People are biologically inclined to be lazy, to stay put, to refrain from change. Breaking the status quo requires a deliberate, conscious e...

 

Tai chi re-trains the body to move like it is supposed to move. Like an animal would. No tension, no impediments. Free, spontaneous, comfort...

According to the book The Blue Zones it is important to think of exercise in terms of what you can reasonably do long-term. The ideal form o...

Stiffness and inflexibility are indisputable signs of being old. Work on this. Once your muscles are tense and your body is stiff you cannot...

If you're fat, don't try and run it off. See a dietician and/or follow a measured, gradual diet carefully and consistently. If you a...

Let's be honest here. If you are an adult and unfit - regardless of your age - this is your responsibility. Don't blame somebody els...

If you want your physical age to be impressive, put away your ego and commit to making a more tangible effort. Start by being sensible. Don...

Think about the qualities associated with youth: nimble, balanced, agile, light, mobile, coordinated, squatting easily, flexible, supple, fi...

Quite often people respond to aging with vain attempts to disguise their age. Who are they fooling? Plastic surgery, blonding your hair or d...

People at birth are soft and supple: At death, they are hard and stiff. When plants are alive, they are green and bending; When they are dea...

Their steps are often very heavy and their legs are locked and immobile. There is a sense of clumsiness. People frequently walk in an agitat...

This is an interesting question. There should be a sense of ease. No struggling, grunting or groaning, no pain in the back or the knees. The...

People start tai chi most weeks of the year. We see a lot of new starters. Over the years the physical condition of the intake has changed. ...

That is an easy question to answer. But it is just a number. Consider instead your age relative to the people around you or people you see i...

Many people are so uncomfortable in the absence of noise that they will leave the television on even when no one is watching. I have passed ...

Week in, week out, people attend tai chi classes. The instructor is always friendly. The lessons are always stimulating. Your fellow student...

A tai chi class is a quiet place, yet somehow neither boring nor lacking in stimulation. There are no mobile phones, no TV screens, no compu...

Most people have minds that are like adverts chattering noisily: worrying, flitting and unsettled. Qigong and tai chi slowly encourage you t...

It is good to talk, yet talking is also a problem. If your mind is never still and quiet, you cannot possibly feel relaxed and at peace. For...

Tai chi creates a situation where your attention is absorbed with where you are and what you are doing, so the mind becomes quieter automati...

There are calm places to be found in every town. A tai chi class is a good example. Calm voices, settled emotions and an atmosphere of frien...

If you do not commit time to calming activities and rest, your mind may never know stillness. Even in the midst of stunning beauty and peace...

 

Most people exist in a bubble. They wake in their own home, get into their car and then go to work/shops/wherever. There is seldom any time ...

  Keep moving along when you are ailing, to the extent you have any activity in you. (Hadrat Ali)   

Taijiquan students study all 13 areas of practice: Qigong Fitness Form Pushing hands Principles Brain work (meditation, awareness, metacogni...

People often refer to tai chi as being a complete exercise. The word 'complete' refers to the fact that tai chi training covers a ve...

 

Tai chi is a vehicle for exploring the many insights offered by the elusive and beguiling study of existence known as 'Taoism'. It i...

 

Improved body use, decreased muscular tension and a more flexible body all result in easier, fuller breathing. The student learns how to slo...

The effectiveness of tai chi as a physical exercise can be overlooked. It is easy to dismiss the seemingly mild training as being ineffectua...

Tai chi seeks moderation. Not too much and not too little. Neither passive nor overly-active. 'Doing less' and 'letting-go' ...

Students are taught how to allow things to gradually unfold, rather than forcing a result. Forcing promotes resistance whilst allowing leads...

As a person becomes more balanced - physically and mentally - their health naturally improves. Balance is fundamental to tai chi. We must be...

  Yin and yang are not in competition or conflict with each other but are complements of each other. Balance is not a state but a process. T...

  Front and back arise from each other. Difficult and easy determine each other. High and low define each other. Long and short measure each...

In reality, we typically experience a mixture of positive and negative events. Sometimes things go in our favour, sometimes they do not. Alt...

Usually, we desire one element (success) whilst seeking to avoid a less desirable alternative (failure). Happiness without sorrow. Health wi...

Do you sleep well? Are you clumsy? Is your life hurried and rushed? Do you have time for yourself? Is your back aching or stiff, especially ...

  Research shows that people’s ability to stand on one leg is an indicator of health and that getting better at standing on one leg can add ...

    My aim is only to move forward. (Afro Samurai)

A well-practiced student hits comfortably and easily, with their hands finding their own way to the targets. They are also used to being hit...

Upon impact, your hand/elbow/knee sinks slightly into the opponent before bouncing back off again. This process occurs naturally and need no...

 

Do not push on impact. That way, the kinetic energy will travel out of your body instead of just bouncing back. Your intention goes through ...

If you are tense, then much of it will bang off your attacker's body and back into you. There is a concussive shockwave that travels alo...

You need to feel what happens when you physically strike somebody. Do you feel a jarring, unpleasant jolt upon impact? Adverse feedback up y...

Ideally, you should end by actually hitting something. When you practice explosive technique just by doing taijiquan, your own antagonistic ...

Performing applications in thin air is no good. It proves nothing. Striking target pads and bags - whilst useful - are also unrepresentative...

You must learn how to deliver authentic strikes during practice. This is necessary for two reasons: 1. You need to be capable of hitting som...

Tai chi treats the body as a network of coordinated elements, a dynamic process of being. Good use of circulation, breathing, the nervous sy...

Instead of practicing in a forced, uncomfortable way, the tai chi student is encouraged to be playful and open-minded. To have fun. This lea...

Mind-body unity is a major theme in tai chi, particularly for students of the martial art. The cultivation of jing is entirely contingent up...

Adjusting, attuning yourself to what is actually taking place requires an acute presence of being. A clearer state of mind means better deci...

Heightened physical, emotional and psychological awareness are all hallmarks of long-term tai chi training. The student possesses the abilit...

Tai chi involves the cultivation of moment-by-moment awareness, paying attention to what is taking place as it is taking place. Unlike mains...

The Harvard Medical School Guide to Tai Chi lists 8 ingredients that promote good health: 1. Awareness (including mindfulness & focussed...

New students often have a wish list of things they want to learn. They will even ask the instructor to teach them specific skills i.e. sword...

New starters often believe what they see in the movies or on TV. It looks so exciting, so relaxing, so graceful... They want this for themse...

The first lesson will be hindered by your own personality. Even if you have trained tai chi before, you are unlikely to see past the veil of...

People are usually motivated by the quest for gratification. They seek out things that please them and avoid things that fail to measure up ...

There are many different approaches to tai chi. Some classes are earnest and challenging. Some teachers adhere strictly to the The Tai Chi C...

Everyone has an agenda. The more honest and open you are about your own, the more likely you are to find a suitable class. Do you have healt...

A teacher needs to cultivate an atmosphere of friendship, care and respect. The classes need to be akin to an extended family, with students...

 

This is an interesting question. In tai chi, the idea of 'strength' encompasses a wide range of physical and mental abilities. Stren...

As you get older, the quality of your life needs to be the focus: flexibility, agility, strength, relaxed muscles, calm mind, settled emotio...

Modern life is impatient; people want instant results and immediate gratification. Yet, things take time: a meal takes time to prepare, time...

A common theme in tai chi training is 'moderation'. Be cautious of extremes. Pushing your body can lead to injury, strain and physic...

People typically think of training in terms of a fixed outcome. They pass an exam. They get a certificate. Your aim in tai chi is not to pas...

Tai chi trains the body to respond to the requirements of the mind. We want your body to be capable of spontaneous movement in any direction...