Tai Chi Chuan means ‘supreme ultimate fist’, and has its origins in Taoism and the concept of Yin and Yang, opposing forces complementing each other to achieve harmony. Originally, Tai Chi Chuan was a formidable Chinese martial art, which was also beneficial to health. In modern Western Society it is thought of more from the health aspect and many students do not even realise they are in fact practising a deadly internal martial art.

The Tai Chi Chuan Form is a sequence of slow moving martial exercises, performed in a precise, continuous, circular manner with the whole body as relaxed as possible and the mind guiding each movement.

Tai Chi Chuan is practised worldwide and many people consider it to be an integral part of their everyday lives, leading to improved health, a calm stress-free mind and a flexible body. Tai Chi Chuan gently stimulates the internal organs, exercises the body, calms the nervous system, helps to lower blood pressure and mobilises the joints. With correct regular practice, the Tai Chi Chuan Form leaves you feeling warm, relaxed and gently stimulated. In time, the mind gains a stillness and clarity rarely experienced with other forms of exercise. Eventually, a calmness of the mind can be achieved, thus helping to alleviate stress and leaving you feeling more energised.

Tai Chi Chuan is a complex internal martial art based on dynamically interacting forces; Yin and Yang. The Tai Chi Chuan practitioner seeks to neutralise his opponent’s use of force before applying a countering force of his own.

At the time of its development, Tai Chi Chuan was a deadly fighting art. The ‘secrets’ of Tai Chi Chuan were jealously guarded by the few families who practised this art and could be used not only to save one’s honour but also one’s life. It was a powerful defence in those unruly times and it was within this context of life or death struggle that the techniques of Tai Chi Chuan were refined over the centuries. The practice of being single-weighted, techniques of relaxation and Chi Kung (energy cultivation that involves the coordination of posture, breathing and intent) were all developed with the express aim of injuring the opponent in an efficient, clinical manner. It is therefore very useful for the Tai Chi Chuan student to be able to appreciate and understand the martial context of the Form, even if the fighting aspect is of no interest.

It would be fair to say that the practice of Tai Chi Chuan is now a growth industry in the West. It is well known in the medical profession as many western doctors are advising patients to take up this as an exercise for body and mind, especially as age is no barrier. Whether a practitioner studies the full martial art aspect of Tai Chi Chuan or merely as an exercise performed within adopting a healthy lifestyle, it is clear that Tai Chi Chuan will continue to grow in popularity for a long time.