Tai Chi

kenmobrien

Mornin all. I was wondering if anyone could tell me about the benefits of Tai Chi, and where I might be able to learn it.
I do a bit of meditation to keep negative emotions at bay, but I would be interested in any suggestions anyone might have in this area.

Beruthiel

I did it for over a year with this guy:


http://www.taichi-ireland.com/taichi.html

jan is an excellent teacher and the benefits are different for everybody

I have always had lower back problems (since I was 12) - that's cleared right up, which really surprised me as I thought at this stage I'd always have them.
My friend who went with me always had problems with his knee (football accident when he was a kid) that got much better.

not only does it help your body but while doing the class it is unbelievably relaxing and very intensive for such a slow moving form
you do have to give it time, and it does seem like he's going slow in his teachings, but to be honest, if you want to learn it correctly that is the only way to learn, any teacher who rushes through the movements is useless as each movement is very important and should be learned correctly.

He teaches Tai Chi Wu

kenmobrien

Thanks. I'd like to start practicing. How often were you doing it during the week? Have to fit it in somewhere!

Beruthiel

I went once a week
you could go to his other classes if you wished and do it 2 or 3 times a week, however, it's important to practice what you learned each night so you can keep up and get all you can from the next class, missing one class can really set you back as you will have missed important info - you have to commit, but it's worth it

kenmobrien

Thanks Beruth,

Do you meditate at all?

luckat

Best guy in Ireland is supposed to be Master Deng.

http://www.dengtaichi.com/about_master_deng.html

kenmobrien

Just got off the phone with with who I think might have been Master Deng. I'm going to sign up for a class in Palmerstown, it's not directly with M.D., it's with someother guy called Eugene.
My sister had an accident a few years ago, when security guard in Virgin Megastore in pursuit of a shoplifter, knocked my pregnant sister to the ground. Her body hasn't been right since. The Tai Chi class is in Palmerstown, close to where she lives, so it's quite handy.

Thanks for the tips

Puck

Don't let this put you off at all but according to some Wu style taiji is supposed to be the hardest to learn. But still I'd recommend you go for it.

I do Yang style taiji, which is supposed to be the easiest. I'm only a beginner (two or three months) but after only a few weeks the benefits to my health were obvious. I had more energy, my lungs were getting stronger (I used to get lung problems every Winter because I had week lungs as the result of a childhood illness but this Winter I have had absolutely no trouble with them), my co-ordination has improved. I also pulled a muscle in my back and was in real discomfort but after two taiji classes it was fixed.

Taiji is harder than it looks because the forms are done slowly. It's easy to make a little mistake but still have the form look good in a fast martial art, but in taiji a mistake like that would be obvious. But keep at it and you will notice the improvements.

CHRIS GREER

Be straight with me lads- I'm a disabled person (wheelchair user) and I keep hearing that Tai Chi's excellent for wheelchair users. Before I send off for a $30 DVD from America, please tell me the truth-Is it excellent, or is that just sales pitch?

Puck

First off you can't learn tai chi from a DVD alone (or from a book for that matter). Books, DVDs and the like are only good for practicing at home as a suplement to taking classes with a good teacher. They're very good for helping you remember the sequence of movements in the form.

As for tai chi being good for a wheelchair user like yourself, well I really can't say for sure but tai chi's but gentle stretching and deep breathing can't hurt and is more effective than you might think. Because it's a martial art tai chi does involve a lot of balancing and leg-work though so I don't know how it would be modified for a wheelchair user. That said tai chi is just one form of qigong and there are others that would require less movement.

I'd find a tai chi teacher and ask them if I were you. Perhaps they would give you a demonstration. My teacher gives the first class free so maybe there are others out there that would do that.

I'd say hold off on buying the DVD for now if you're not sure (it's hard to find a good one amongst all the crap anyway) and talk to some tai chi teachers.

Tai chi is definately worth looking into though. From my experience it is quite adaptable for people with injuries in their joints and I can definately see it being modified for wheelchair users.

[edit]A quick google shows that their are modified tai chi styles for wheelchair users out there.[/edit]

Snowman

yah, don't waste your money buying a tai chi dvd or book until your committed. They're only helpful when you forget a certain movement between classes.

As has been said, best thing to do is speak to a teacher.

NB. There are many different forms of tai'chi, and some will definitely not be suitable for disabled people, but any teacher should be able to point towards a good form for you.