Tai chi, which
was originally used in China as practice for self-defense, is now an exercise used
as a form of relaxation. Tai chi is an internal Chinese martial art. It started
around the 12th century and there different schools that taught the Chinese
the proper forms and techniques. It came to America around the 1940’s by Choy
Hok Pang who openly taught it to those who were willing to learn. Tai chi is
not complicated and also does not put stress on the body. It does not put
pressure on the muscles and when done correctly it can help with a person’s
balance. There are also many styles and
forms of Tai chi. when done correctly, practicing Tai chi has been known to
benefit people in many ways such as: decreased anxiety and stress, increased
energy, stamina, muscle strength and definition, and also increased flexibility
and agility. Some people have also claimed that tai chi has helped them with
sleeping, strengthened their immune system, and also helped reduced joint pain.
You can learn tai chi on your own by reading books or watching videos on YouTube,
but the best way to learn is by going to classes and learning from a trained
professional. Here at Ohio University, there are tai chi classes offered at the
Ping Recreation Center. It is an hour long class and cost $35 for students and
$75 for non-members of Ping. Going to a class will help with learning the
basics and will allow a person to know everything and be able to practice on
their own. The first 8 forms of tai chi are: Hold a ball, Part the horse’s
mane, Single whip, Wave hands like clouds, Repulse monkey, Brush knee, Fair
lady works at shuttles, and Grasp the wild peacock’s tail. Tai chi is very
simple to learn and doesn’t require a lot of energy.
