Do You Play Tai Chi?
by Wong Kiew Kit

Tai Chi Chuan - A Great Martial Art

Tai Chi Chuan (or Taijiquan in the modern Pinyin spelling) is an exceedingly effective martial art. But for various reasons, it has become so debased today that many of those practicing Tai Chi Chuan do not even know that it is a martial art! Interestingly, most of them call it Tai Chi instead of its proper name, Tai Chi Chuan.

The term Chuan is a Chinese term that corresponds to what Westerners would call Kung Fu. The term Tai Chi literally means Grand Ultimate and is a Chinese classical term for Cosmos. This term is also used in many other disciplines, such as Taoism, Feng Shui, as well as other styles of Kung Fu. Tai Chi Praying Mantis Kung Fu, for example, has nothing to do with Tai Chi Chuan.

Practicing Tai Chi Chuan is not just a therapeutic exercise; it is an excellent way to cultivate good health. And good health here is not just physical, but also emotional, mental, as well as spiritual (but not religious). Nevertheless, to gain these benefits you have to practice Tai Chi Chuan, not what I call Tai Chi dance.

Playing Tai Chi

Many people do not even practice Tai Chi dance; they "play" it. The expression "playing Tai Chi" is not only used in the West, but also among many Chinese in the East. Even if your main objective is health, you still have to practice Tai Chi Chuan as a martial art if you want to get the best benefits. If you "play" it as a dance, the benefits you get from your Tai Chi dance will be about the same as what you would get if you spent the same amount of time and effort on conventional dances typically taught in the West.

But if you practice Tai Chi Chuan as a martial art, your health benefits will be so remarkable that your dancing friends may find it hard to believe. At age 60 and beyond, while your peers are longing for the health and fitness of years gone by, you will actually feel healthier and fitter than when you were 25!

How does a martial art provide these benefits? Why do we practice a martial art if our main purpose is not to fight? Herein lie the beauty and wonders of Tai Chi Chuan, an exquisite and ingenious art developed by Taoists for "cultivation in normal times, subduing assailants in times of exigencies".

Taoism, it may be significant to clarify, is not a religion as most Westerners might conceptualize it. "Tao" means the Way. In this context, it means the way to good health, longevity, and spiritual joy.

Great Arts are Rare

All forms of genuine Tai Chi Chuan, without a single exception, focus on self-defense, otherwise they cannot be called Tai Chi Chuan. All movements in Tai Chi Chuan, including innocent-looking ones like lifting the arms up and bringing the hands back at the start and at the end of a Tai Chi Chuan set, are there for combat, and not for spectator-pleasing or even therapeutic considerations. Actually, while many people all over the world play or dance Tai Chi, very, very few practice Tai Chi Chuan.

If you have been practicing Tai Chi Chuan (or what you thought was Tai Chi Chuan) for many years, but find yourself lacking the benefits I have described, don't despair. Great arts have been rare throughout history, although their diluted versions may be popular. But at least now you know that Tai Chi Chuan is not a dance, but rather a comprehensive program for physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual cultivation. Now you know what to aim for.

It is very important to keep in mind that attainment in any art is through dedicated practical training, and not merely through reading or wishful thinking.

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