About Tai Chi Warm Up Exercises
Although Tai Chi Chuan's long form looks easy, the movements create unfamiliar stress and even pain in new students. Tai Chi warm-up exercises reduce physical problems and activate the energy centers important to the internal forces of this old martial art.
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History
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Common practice in many kung fu systems, exercises such as the Eight Pieces of Brocade give many health benefits if regularly performed. Other movements come from old Shaolin systems like Da Mo's Muscle Tendon Change.
Types
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Some essential exercises use stationary postures or slow and gentle stretches that involve muscle groups specific to Tai Chi practice. Other exercises chain together single Tai Chi movements repeated in left and right forms to develop fundamental strengths.
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Considerations
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Before learning the long form of Yang style, students should practice fundamentals like stance training. Developing the strength to stand properly in the kung fu horse stance for five minutes demonstrates the power required to correctly practice the long form without injury.
Energy Training
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Aspects of both warm-ups and practice which appear to be ceremonial actually are very important to Tai Chi and should be diligently performed. Focused and stimulated by simple movements, the internal energies gradually become strong enough to tangibly experience.
Qigong Systems
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Short Qigong forms like Silk Reeling and Flying Tiger make good warm-up procedures for Tai Chi Chuan. Forms taken from Shaolin, such as Eighteen Lohan Postures, may focus on different strengths and movement styles than those in Tai Chi.
Benefits
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Much easier to learn than the entire long sequence of any major Tai Chi style, the essential exercises and Qigongs deliver many of the same benefits. Disregarding the simple things that lead to competence causes many of the injuries and shortcomings of today's Tai Chi students.
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