Thai chi...help please

[Gearoidin]

I did Tai Chi for 2 years and loved it. It is slow and graceful but you have to be so strong to do it. We did it to music, usually Chinese but occasionally Enya.

There was no religious elements - no chanting, channeling, or anything like that. People in my class ranged in age from about 25 to 81. The 81 year old lady was one of the most flexible and graceful people I’ve ever seen.

My teacher was Japanese but he’d trained in China for 10 years. He used to be a typical Japanese business man and one year when he had his physical (he was 32), his doctor said he had the body of a 50 year old because of high blood pressure, over weight etc. The doctor recommended he change his lifestyle so he quit his job and moved to China to study Tai Chi! He showed me a picture taken just before he went to China and it didn’t look like the same person. When he was teaching me, he was about 45-48 and looked about 35.

I’d love to go back but can’t find a class that fits with my schedule.

 

[Farsight001]

Farsight my brother i know this should be about the op question but you are wrong. Matial arts were all about preservation in very dangerous times.

That is what it became, but further back, it was art. Someone saw it’s usefulness as more and took it and turned it into a fighting method. I’m talking way back at the beginning, nearly 10,000 years ago.

 

[acacia12]

I did Tai Chi for 2 years and loved it. It is slow and graceful but you have to be so strong to do it. We did it to music, usually Chinese but occasionally Enya.

There was no religious elements - no chanting, channeling, or anything like that. People in my class ranged in age from about 25 to 81. The 81 year old lady was one of the most flexible and graceful people I’ve ever seen.

My teacher was Japanese but he’d trained in China for 10 years. He used to be a typical Japanese business man and one year when he had his physical (he was 32), his doctor said he had the body of a 50 year old because of high blood pressure, over weight etc. The doctor recommended he change his lifestyle so he quit his job and moved to China to study Tai Chi! He showed me a picture taken just before he went to China and it didn’t look like the same person. When he was teaching me, he was about 45-48 and looked about 35.

I’d love to go back but can’t find a class that fits with my schedule.

Oh, my giddy aunt! what do you mean you have to be strong to do it? Do you mean physically?

 

[acacia12]

Farsight my brother i know this should be about the op question but you are wrong. Matial arts were all about preservation in very dangerous times. These people trained daily for the protection of themselves and the village and family. Although some martial arts are translatted today as exercise here in usa, they have a very different meaning in the land of their origin. In fact only after wwll were some taught as exercise to american soldiers. The asians did not want to share there true art to the giegen or barbarianswho were occupying there lands. They were taught watered down school children martial arts. Go to okinawa and you would see a very different art than you see here. Luckily the original arts have been preserved and taught to select people who have over the years brought the true intent of the martial arts here to USA. I couldsit here all night and teach on this but i dont want to derail the op. God bless:thumbsup:

I’m ok with what you’re writing. I’m actually learning from your posts.

 

[acacia12]

That is what it became, but further back, it was art. Someone saw it’s usefulness as more and took it and turned it into a fighting method. I’m talking way back at the beginning, nearly 10,000 years ago.

Whoa! 10,000 years ago! magic!

 

[kempo1]

That is what it became, but further back, it was art. Someone saw it’s usefulness as more and took it and turned it into a fighting method. I’m talking way back at the beginning, nearly 10,000 years ago.

Sorry my friend that is not the case i have studied martial arts in the physical and in history
For many years. I have trained in seven styles. I have studied under some very prominate people who know more about the fighting arts than you and i put together. I have stidied the history of these fighting arts extensively. Although they all have came about differently the common thread they all shared was the necessity to preserve their physical being. Some were to fight opression, some were toprotect a ruler, some were to protect family and villages, and some were for the battle field. Take for instance the spartans trained to fight and kill starting as very young boys. They were taken from the mother and put in rigerous battlefield training. The fighting art they used is called pankration, very deadly. The summari were very similar they had training in weapons, juijitsu,which was the hand to hand side of the training if they lost there weapon, and horse back training using bows and arrows. None of these were originally an art of any kind. This is a very brief description for you to have an understanding of what i am explaining to you.

 

[kempo1]

I’m ok with what you’re writing. I’m actually learning from your posts.

Thank you i appologize if this is going in a different direction. I hope you get a sense of things as they are. Going back to tai chi, it is taught two ways one as exercise and the second is for self defense. Both are great. Keep in mind that most forms of it here will be the exercise.not everyone is versed here in the self defense side of it. They do a competition called push hands which is actually fun. You and your oponent go fore arm to forearm and try knocking each other off ballance. But that is in the self defense side usually.

 

[acacia12]

Thank you i appologize if this is going in a different direction. I hope you get a sense of things as they are. Going back to tai chi, it is taught two ways one as exercise and the second is for self defense. Both are great. Keep in mind that most forms of it here will be the exercise.not everyone is versed here in the self defense side of it. They do a competition called push hands which is actually fun. You and your oponent go fore arm to forearm and try knocking each other off ballance. But that is in the self defense side usually.

Lol! I want to learn to relax, not get battered!

 

[kempo1]

Lol! I want to learn to relax, not get battered!

Lol !!! No fear the normal everyday tai chi taught here in USA is usually the very relaxing exercises. That is why you see so many elderly envolved. It is great go try it i think you will love it. It will also give you great relaxation. It will soften up the tension and you will love it.

 

[Farsight001]

Sorry my friend that is not the case i have studied martial arts in the physical and in history
For many years. I have trained in seven styles. I have studied under some very prominate people who know more about the fighting arts than you and i put together. I have stidied the history of these fighting arts extensively. Although they all have came about differently the common thread they all shared was the necessity to preserve their physical being. Some were to fight opression, some were toprotect a ruler, some were to protect family and villages, and some were for the battle field. Take for instance the spartans trained to fight and kill starting as very young boys. They were taken from the mother and put in rigerous battlefield training. The fighting art they used is called pankration, very deadly. The summari were very similar they had training in weapons, juijitsu,which was the hand to hand side of the training if they lost there weapon, and horse back training using bows and arrows. None of these were originally an art of any kind. This is a very brief description for you to have an understanding of what i am explaining to you.

I mean no offense, but who in the world cares how much you have trained in martial arts? That doesn’t make you an expert on the history of martial arts. As you say, you have studied the history of these fighting arts extensively. What about before they became fighting arts?

 

[kempo1]

Well my sir you sound very offensive to me and if you read my post you would see that i very much explained that i stidied under people who knew a lot more than i do. So am i an expert yes in more than one style and how about you have you studied or trained at all in your life in the arts? Apparently not because you probably would have mentioned this so i would say i probably know agreat deal more than you. I have a vast knowledge of the history of the arts because i studied for years as i said in books and in training with renowned martial artists. Now what i can tell you sir or mam is that some of the fighting arts to outsiders coming in to these foreign lands during war time looked like a dance, but what they were actually doing was their katas or sometimes called forms, which is a systematic rehearsel of movements. These movements all are self defense and attack moves. So too someone not familiar with them they wouldlook like a dance. Then during night time the teachers would secretly teach students in hiding so the occupiers would not know it really was a fighting art. Needless to say you are wrong in your views because history says so. Next time before you go on attacking make sure you know what your talking about first. Its like taking a knife to a gun fight.

 

[kempo1]

I mean no offense, but who in the world cares how much you have trained in martial arts? That doesn’t make you an expert on the history of martial arts. As you say, you have studied the history of these fighting arts extensively. What about before they became fighting arts?

You know that really is a dumb comment i mean really,so if you had a question on faith or morals for the Pope would you tell him who cares how much you trained or studied that doesnt make you an expert. I wont even entertain your sarcasm anymore i dont think i was ugly toward you in those earlier posts. Next time educate yourself first so you dont sound so juvenile. Good night and God bless

 

[acacia12]

Well my sir you sound very offensive to me and if you read my post you would see that i very much explained that i stidied under people who knew a lot more than i do. So am i an expert yes in more than one style and how about you have you studied or trained at all in your life in the arts? Apparently not because you probably would have mentioned this so i would say i probably know agreat deal more than you. I have a vast knowledge of the history of the arts because i studied for years as i said in books and in training with renowned martial artists. Now what i can tell you sir or mam is that some of the fighting arts to outsiders coming in to these foreign lands during war time looked like a dance, but what they were actually doing was their katas or sometimes called forms, which is a systematic rehearsel of movements. These movements all are self defense and attack moves. So too someone not familiar with them they wouldlook like a dance. Then during night time the teachers would secretly teach students in hiding so the occupiers would not know it really was a fighting art. Needless to say you are wrong in your views because history says so. Next time before you go on attacking make sure you know what your talking about first. Its like taking a knife to a gun fight.

So does that mean, that when I see those people doing the slow movements in Tai Chi, those movements can be lethal?

 

[Gearoidin]

Oh, my giddy aunt! what do you mean you have to be strong to do it? Do you mean physically?

“Oh, my giddy aunt!” That made me giggle. Yes, you have to be strong to do it but you gradually build up muscle tone by doing it and therefore, increase your strength. i am one of the most uncoordinated people you have ever seen (learned Irish step dancing as a child and looked like a demented spider). but I managed Tai Chi and became so much more flexible.

 

[acacia12]

“Oh, my giddy aunt!” That made me giggle. Yes, you have to be strong to do it but you gradually build up muscle tone by doing it and therefore, increase your strength. i am one of the most uncoordinated people you have ever seen (learned Irish step dancing as a child and looked like a demented spider). but I managed Tai Chi and became so much more flexible.

“a demented spider” :clapping: I’m using this one!

 

[SteveLy]

To get a little back on topic: Here is a link describing the Chi here and another. As with other Eastern type practices the Chi is a “Universal Life Force” energy which is said to have characteristics we associate with God or Spirit, and as such would probably fall into the classification of “another God” and proscribed by the first commandment.

Secondarily, the practice of “emptying oneself” through Eastern meditative practice such as that in Tai Chi is the opposite of what general Christian practice dictates as we believe Christ lives within us, and therefore our soul’s should not be emptied, but filled with Christ through the Holy Spirit.

Thirdly, as we open ourselves to this “Chi” we open ourselves potentially to dark spiritual forces as well. For those who have gained benefit please don’t comment or argue, this is not a commentary on your experience. I’m glad you feel fulfilled by your practice. I am just presenting caution that as we give permission to spiritual things which are not God through Jesus Christ or the Holy Spirit, we place ourselves in potential danger.

Though not as titillating as Eastern mysticism, riding a bike to your local parish for an hour of adoration would provide equal benefit with none of the questions about proper practice.

Good luck!

 

[acacia12]

To get a little back on topic: Here is a link describing the Chi here and another. As with other Eastern type practices the Chi is a “Universal Life Force” energy which is said to have characteristics we associate with God or Spirit, and as such would probably fall into the classification of “another God” and proscribed by the first commandment.

Secondarily, the practice of “emptying oneself” through Eastern meditative practice such as that in Tai Chi is the opposite of what general Christian practice dictates as we believe Christ lives within us, and therefore our soul’s should not be emptied, but filled with Christ through the Holy Spirit.

Thirdly, as we open ourselves to this “Chi” we open ourselves potentially to dark spiritual forces as well. For those who have gained benefit please don’t comment or argue, this is not a commentary on your experience. I’m glad you feel fulfilled by your practice. I am just presenting caution that as we give permission to spiritual things which are not God through Jesus Christ or the Holy Spirit, we place ourselves in potential danger.

Though not as titillating as Eastern mysticism, riding a bike to your local parish for an hour of adoration would provide equal benefit with none of the questions about proper practice.

Good luck!

:bigyikes: