Marie Carr

Tai Chi

In Tai Chi, the focus is internal, turning inward on the mind and concentrating on being relaxed fully, rather than employing the use of force and strength…

A toaist monk developed Tai Chi (Chuan – or Ying-Yang boxing) around 800 years ago as a branch of Chi Kung. It was primarily used as a sophisticated form of self-defence in which force was not used on the attacker or opponent, rather his energy was reflected back to him. With this form of movement, the highly trained mind and body of the defender uses his mastery over chi (life force) to effortlessly outwit the opponent. Calm, speed and oneness with chi combine to create a space into which the attacker ‘falls’ and becomes tired and confused; though the beauty and the grace of the movements have today caught the attention of our western tradition. A correct standing posture is an important part of Tai Chi as body weight needs to be evenly distributed across both legs. This posture is then maintained when arm movements are introduced, and later when breathing is coordinated with the sequence of movements.

Email: marie@interskill.org