Tai Chi is surrounded by myth, legend, different translations, opinions & interpretations.  There are different styles of Tai Chi Chaun each with different moves but all provide health benefits. The Tai Chi Chaun sequences 

We refer to Tai Chi but it is in fact Tai Chi Chaun that we are teaching. Tai Chi Chaun is a Chinese martial art which also follows the Chinese philosophy of opposite forces represented by the Yin and yang symbol (also known as Tai Chi Diagram).  Martial arts is designed to use the opposing forces, storing and delivering energy, expansion and contraction of movements both attack and defense.

What is Tai Chi Chaun? It is a series of choreographed slow soft flowing movements that have a participant always in a state of motion from the start to the end of a sequence. Each movement has its own name within the choreographed sequence of movements known as the form.

Tai Chi Chuan is an ancient Chinese internal martial art dating over 400 years, its exact origins are unknown and there are various stories.  Who created Tai Chi Chuan is not conclusive or why, some say it was primarily a form of self-defence as China was a lawless society and others believe the monks needed a way to improve their physical ability to match their mental strength.  It is inevitably a form of movement that both has martial applications for defence, but also improves health and stimulates the flow of energy 'chi'.

There are five original styles of Tai Chi Chuan and many variants, each named after the different families in China that developed them. The styles are Chen, Yang, Wu, Wu Hao and Sun. The differences between these styles are mainly the different paces, stances, weight distribution and movements employed in them. However, they all still have similar basic principles underlying them. These range from corresponding movement with either the inhalation or exhalation of a deep, gentle breath, aligning the posture, smooth continuous movement, pushing against resistance, maintaining mental awareness and focus, relaxing the joints and always moving from a point known as the Dan Tian, 3 finger widths below the navel. This coordination of movement and breath is believed to free the flow of “chi”, a life-force energy that when blocked, can cause stress and illness. By improving the link between a person’s mind and body, Tai Chi chuan re-establishes natural harmony. 

Qigong is a traditional holistic health discipline that goes back at least 2000 years and can be translated as ‘internal energy work’. The moves are a wonderful method of relaxation and a gentle way to strengthen the mind and body.  There may be centuries between the creation of Qigong and Tai Chi Chaun but both activities harness the "Chi", helping our life energy flow.