Tai Chi

 

San Rafael Martial Arts specializes in Yang style Tai Chi. Tai Chi is one of the oldest documented forms of martial arts and because of many of its health benefits, one of the most practiced forms of martial arts today. 

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There are many benefits of Yang Style Tai Chi Practice; the most common benefits are balance, timing, strength and flexibility.

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• Balance is achieved through routine forms practice. With forms, the practitioner learns the concept of empty and full. Empty and full refers to the movement of your body while shifting from one leg to the othe. Using your legs and waist to shift your body from front to back or left to right helps the practitioner focus on balance, strength, posture and shifting their weight. It is common to have habits of leaning, tilting or reaching instead; causing our body to work harder to stay in balance.

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• Timing is best achieved when working with another practitioner.   Yang Style Tai Chi is famous for their Push Hands practice. In Yang Style Tai Chi there are many types of Push Hands drills to practice. The goal is to get your opponent off balance without using force.  This is where a famous metaphor is practiced, "Using four ounces to move a ton."  This is another way of saying redirect, guide or neutralize, instead of meeting their energy head on.

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• Strength training comes from practicing our forms slow and precise, including our traditionall weapons forms practice. Through weapon training the practitioner has total body movement while wielding a sword, staff, sabre or more. The weight of the weapon coupled with the specific movements of the body leads to stronger, leaner muscles.

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• Flexibility is achieved easily with Yang Style Tai Chi due to it being practiced slowly. The slow movement allows the muscles time to slowly elongate through routine practice.

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With many health benefits accredited to Yang Style Tai Chi, there are even more martial or self defense benefits. Every move within the forms are self defense techniques that includes joint locks, pressure points as well as traditional blocks and strikes. Some recorded health benefits¹ include aiding in the following:

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• Arthritis

•  Low Bone Density

• Heart Disease

• Heart Failure

• Hypertension

• Parkinson’s

• Sleep Problems

• Stroke

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¹Health Benefits cited from Harvard Medical School article in May 2009.