About Tai Chi for Beginners
One of kung fu's most complex and poorly understood systems, tai chi chuan seems impossible to learn even under a competent master's guidance. Beginners should not be discouraged, since the best training systems begin with simple fundamentals available to any serious student.
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History
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The mysterious art of tai chi has always been filled with closely guarded secrets and intentional misinformation. In ancient times the practice was kept within families, and outsiders resorted to spying and theft to acquire crucial pieces of this martial art.
Modern Systems
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Although widely taught and practiced, many of today's instructors are new to this kung fu and have not mastered the advanced practices of tai chi. Few understand and teach the real martial art, although many teach the form.
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Beginning Decisions
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Be critical of the quality of local classes by observing before you join. If the teacher is knowledgeable, the traditional methods will be respected and the class will follow old forms rather than modernized or simplified procedures.
Individual Study
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Though the physical form is complex, the inner knowledge of tai chi is equally important, and through many centuries was kept secret. Since the inner concepts are available to all serious students today, modern practitioners may follow the example of masters from older times by learning through independent study.
Traditional Training
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With or without class instruction, a genuine tai chi student can practice in the traditional manner. Tai chi chuan bases all movements on 13 fundamental postures, each of which should be practiced daily for one hour for one month before beginning the long form.
Compromises
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Since traditional training requires extreme dedication and many years of effort, modern Chinese masters developed a simplified system called the 27 movement short form. Designed for health benefits rather than martial applications, the short form is the method most commonly taught in the West today.
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Resources
- Photo Credit wikipedia.org
