Chinese kung fu fans

Tai Chi is an exercise that benefits people for all ages, especially the seniors, who enjoy the soft, flowing movements.

Their movements were slow, graceful, continuous and rounded and beautifully demonstrated the basic principles of China’s most famous martial art.

Tai Chi Chuan first showed its unique advantages over other Chinese martial arts in the 1953 National Sports Mass Meeting. It has no specific requirements for space and apparatus. It can be practiced by either men or women and older or younger practitioners alike.

Before the birth of the modern Tai Chi Chuan, its complexity and its many different styles prevented it from spreading to the general public. The forms of traditional Tai Chi Chuan may involve 85 to 100 different movements, which could take more than 20 minutes to complete.

The new short form consisted of 24 movements, and this routine could be performed in four to eight minutes. It was less physically demanding than longer forms and especially appealed to older beginners who want to improve their health. Practicing short forms could also lay a sound foundation for learning longer forms or other styles of Tai Chi Chuan.

Tai Chi Chuan is one of the most precious parts in Chinese therapeutic exercise, for it combines martial arts and qigong. The gentle flow between various movements contributes to a state of calmness. The nervous system can be regulated and strengthened in the process. If practiced properly, every movement of Tai Chi Chuan will be a training of body, energy and mind, known as jing, qi and shen, the “three treasures” of every person.

In Chinese medical philosophy, practicing Tai Chi Chuan can enhance the natural operation of body, energy and mind and finally prevent or cure diseases.