Time Tested Technique
As a fitness tool, tai chi packs a wallop
The sight of someone standing alone on a beach or a patch of grass performing what looks like slow-motion kung fu has become a familiar one in recent years as the health-conscious public has come to discover an ancient Chinese secret. All over San Diego County, the martial arts have gone mainstream, thanks to the widely popular tai chi chuan.
“Tai chi is (one of) the oldest forms of martial arts, dating back 1,500 years,” says Ben Stanley, Sifu – or lead instructor – at White Dragon Martial Arts Schools, “but its benefits have withstood the test of time.”
Rich Nye (center) led a tai chi chuan class at the White Dragon Martial Arts School in Clairemont. Tai chi, one of the oldest forms of martial arts, dates back 1,500 years.
Practiced in a slow, controlled manner, tai chi may appear more relaxing than invigorating, but its appearance easily can be deceiving.
“An hour of tai chi three to four days per week is a great amount of exercise,” Stanley adds. “It is a good, mild form of cardio that puts your heart rate in the best range to burn fat and lose weight.”
It may seem mild, but when it comes down to it, tai chi is a martial art that can still pack a powerful punch.
“Tai chi is slow and relaxed, but for self-defense, it is sped up,” Stanley says. “Each of the movements has real-world applications in combat, based on the principle that ‘one technique beats many.’ You never fight force against force, but you use principles to maximize your power. That’s tai chi in a nutshell.”
EXERCISE YOUR OPTIONS JUNE 6, 2006
– CHRISTINA ORLOVSKY
WHAT TO EXPECT: Students of varying ages, from young children to senior citizens, and a range of skill levels. White Dragon ranks tai chi students in a belt system similar to kung fu or karate, and tailors classes and private lessons to rank and experience level. Private lessons include instruction on formalities, stances, rules and history, while group classes give students the opportunity to practice “push hands,” or the tai chi form of sparring. Students also can expect an atmosphere of respect: Students and instructors bow to one another in salutation.
WHAT IT BENEFITS: The list of body and mind benefits is almost endless for this ancient sport. Sifu Stanley explains that tai chi is a way of improving health and longevity, as well as practicing self-defense, because, as he relays, “It’s bad for your health to let someone punch you in the nose!” Tai chi has been found to relieve stress and stress-related illness, reduce blood pressure and stimulate the immune system. It can also improve circulation, flexibility and mobility, making it popular with the baby boomer set. It has even been suggested that the athletic art’s complex patterns can stimulate mind function for elderly adults experiencing dementia.
WHAT IT COSTS: White Dragon invites first-timers to take a free one-on-one introductory lesson by registering through the Web site. Class packages vary, but include private lessons as well as unlimited group classes six days a week. Outdoor classes are also offered, and tournaments are held throughout the year.
Read the original article at Sign On San Diego by the San Diego Union Tribune www.signonsandiego.com
Tags: martial arts training in san diego, Tai Chi in San Diego
March 15th, 2010 at 4:24 pm
[...] Pearls of Wisdom » Blog Archive » Time Tested Technique [...]
March 15th, 2010 at 8:18 pm
[...] Pearls of Wisdom » Blog Archive » Time Tested Technique [...]
March 18th, 2010 at 10:21 pm
As a black sash member and dual student, I have benefitted from practicing Tai Chi for the entire course of my study at WD. Even though our class sizes are smaller for TC, I have gained so much insight about martial arts ( especially in relation to CLF ) and have developed flexibility and stamina from working both styles simultaneously. I am always delighted to see TC practitioners, wherever they may hail from, simply because as someone who strives to learn as much as I can, I know that the movements are deceptively simple ( based on the principle that one technique defeats many, as written by GM Doc Fai Wong). While I have a relatively high level of cardiac stamina after studying at WD for three years, every time I practice TC I break a sweat within the first few minutes of class. I would encourage ANYONE who is curious about TC to try it.
May 1st, 2010 at 8:03 am
Hello!
i was just exploring on your web site, and visited your blog. first of all i want to congratulate you about your schools. i want to leave my personal comment about the age of the martial arts and i would like to start with what the martial term means “martial = comes from mars the god of war, and art is the expression of the being, so… in your blog says tai chi is one of the oldest martial art, our world is older than we can imagine and ever since the first men were walking over the earth the had to develop a form of martial art to survive and to protect their families, so… if you read the bible which its supossed to be from about 10 000 years ago, there you will find that all those tribes from midorient were constantly fighting and were very good at war, were experts on the martial arts, and so we can find that kind of stories in every country on the surface of earth.
what is true the benefits of the martial arts are good to all human as well as they are taught with ethics and respect to all living beings.
keep on training !!!