T’ai chi ch’uan, << ty jee chwahn, >> is a form of Chinese martial art. The name, also spelled taijiquan, means supreme or pronounced grand ultimate fist. The art is characterized by slow, continuous movements that harmonize with breathing to help circulate the individual’s chi. According to Chinese medical and philosophical theory, chi is internal energy that runs through all living things. Although t’ai chi ch’uan may be used for combat, it is chiefly used as a method of mental and physical relaxation.
Loading the player...T'ai chi ch'uan
Students first learn to relax and find good posture. Then they practice a form, an unbroken sequence of postures and movements that is the heart of the system. A form may consist of more than 100 movements and postures. Later, students learn Pushing Hands, an exercise in which two partners gently push and yield with their hands against each other’s arms. The beginnings of t’ai chi ch’uan are obscure. Historians believe it has been practiced for about 1,000 years.
