Tai Chi

Tai Chi, or by its full name Tai Chi Chuan, is an internal Chinese martial art. The name means "Supreme Fist" or "Boundless Fist" where ‘Tai’ translates to ‘great’, ‘Chi’ ‘Supreme’ or ‘Boundless’, and ‘Chuan’ to ‘fist’, indicating that it is a system developed for practical combat and self-defense purposes.

The exact origins of Tai Chi are unknown, but it is widely believed that it originated in sixteenth-century China in the Chen countryside, probably from a combination of several existing martial arts. Later, other styles developed, some of which also include training with traditional weapons, the most familiar of which is probably the sword.

Tai Chi training is characterized by fluid and conscious movement without the use of force, with special attention to the relaxation and balance of the body and concentration. The fighting techniques are characterized by the aspiration to neutralize an attack softly, that is, to avoid a situation of force versus force, and to use diversions and evasions in order to reach an advantageous position that will allow the execution of a counter technique.

Although it is a system that was developed for combat purposes, many trainees practice it today for health purposes. Many scientific studies have proven the benefits of Tai Chi for strengthening the body and mind and preventing disease, and it is now considered among medical professionals and sports trainers to be one of the most recommended types of physical activity for women and men of all ages. All these have made Tai Chi one of the most popular martial arts in the world today.

Tai Chi Kata

The kata is perhaps the most distinctive feature of Tai Chi training. The kata consists of a sequence of flowing movements performed at low speed, softly and gently. The kata is actually a kind of catalog of movements that includes all the main characteristics of a certain style.

The different styles have different katas with different emphases and different sequences, some katas are short and some long, and there are also katas performed with weapons. However, since they apparently all branched off from the same parent style, many similarities can be found between the katas.

The repeated precise kata training creates a training routine for the student that allows him to improve his understanding of movement and skill, maintain physical health and mental balance as well as memorize the fighting applications implied by the movements.

One of the most important ideas in kata training is the idea of constant improvement. The practitioner's ambition is to bring his kata to the maximum in terms of accuracy, flow, focus and every other parameter. We strive to apply the same idea in various life settings such as work, family, community, and more, a constant aspiration for self-improvement that also positively affects our environment.

The Health Benefits of Training

According to Chinese medicine, training Tai Chi on a regular basis is an ancient and tested prescription for good health and longevity. The soft and continuous movements flex the body and strengthen it, create a massage for the internal organs, and optimally affect the flow of life energy, qi, in the body.

The concept of Chinese medicine places the imbalance between yin and yang as the primary cause of physical and mental illness. The disease is caused by excess or lack of alignment between yin and yang in one or more of the internal organs. When the qi flows through the body smoothly it balances the levels of yin and yang in the internal organs and strengthens them. As a result, the various body systems work more efficiently, including the defense and natural healing systems.

The health benefits of Tai Chi are now well-known in the western world as well. It is considered a moderate physical activity suitable for most people, and the practice has been proven to contribute to strengthening the muscles, tendons, and skeletal structure, improving posture, flexibility, and balance, and even freeing joint movement.

Studies conducted around the world, some by leading academic institutions, have shown that training in Tai Chi has a beneficial effect on the respiratory system, blood circulation, and nervous system. It has been found that people who train regularly suffer less from symptoms associated with modern diseases such as blood pressure, mental stress, digestive diseases, respiratory problems, and immune system weakness.

Training can have a positive effect on almost every area of our lives. While the modern lifestyle presents us with daily, physical and mental challenges that are not simple, we need tools that will allow us to deal with them in the best possible way. Starting with disease prevention, through improving attention and concentration, improving mood and self-esteem, and of course, improving self-confidence and the ability to deal with different situations.

Practitioners testify that Tai Chi makes a significant contribution to improving the quality of their lives and note that training is like an island of peace in their turbulent daily routines.

The Power Of Softness

According to Master Wong Fu Lai, the philosophy of Tai Chi is its expression in the practical dimension. That is, in order to understand the system and be able to apply its principles in everyday life as well, it is important, in addition to training kata, to also learn the martial applications of each movement and to practice push hands.

Tai Chi is a martial art adapted to different ranges, mainly medium and short. Many of the techniques are based on a combination of a circular movement aimed at diverting and neutralizing the force exerted by the opponent, and a counterattack using explosive force arising from momentum and posture using the pelvis as a lever for movement. The variety of techniques in the system is very wide and includes blows, kicks, bolts, abortions, and also the use of various weapons.

Due to the gentle nature of Tai Chi training, some call it soft fighting. Indeed, even from a combative point of view, the main idea is not to use force against force, but on the contrary, against force, to use softness. A main tactic is to allow the opponent to use up the full potential of his attack in order to tilt his power, take him out of his balance and thus neutralize him and allow a transition to a counterattack.

Tai Chi, like other fighting systems developed for self-defense purposes, is fundamentally a defensive system, therefore most techniques are performed as a response to an opponent's attack. Fighting of any kind, which usually requires harming the opponent, is only a last resort that is used only after the other options have been completely exhausted.

Our modern learning approach at the Israeli Tai Chi Center turns Tai Chi from a mere fighting system into a tool that enables dealing with problems in a variety of situations such as relationships, work relations, business, and more. In such situations that are not combat situations, the use of the principles learned in training makes it possible to restore the balance when it is violated, thus bringing about the solution of the problem with minimum effort and maximum result.

The Cheng Ming Style

In 1929 a new kata was defined called the "Orthodox Style". The kata was developed by combining movements collected from all five main styles of Tai Chi: Chen, Yang, Wu-Hao, Wu, and Sun. One of the goals that pushed for the development of the orthodox style was to preserve the essential content, the core of knowledge, of Tai Chi in the broadest and most effective way. Ineffective movements and techniques were swept away in order to create a kata in which each movement has a clear martial application.

The final version of the kata was presented to the group of masters of the various styles so that they could add to it as they saw fit, and distribute it to as many students as possible. The same kata was also presented to Grandmaster Wong Shu Jin, who modified and expanded it while incorporating techniques from the Xing Yi and Ba Gua in which he specialized.

The result is a kata unique to Cheng Ming System that combines the advantages of all the main Tai Chi styles and is therefore considered the most complete style taught today. We teach this kata at the Israeli Tai Chi Center and in all branches of the Cheng Ming System in the world.

Tai Chi For Everyone

Tai Chi is a journey that begins with curiosity, with curiosity comes perseverance, with perseverance comes understanding, with understanding comes internalization, with internalization, comes ability.

We at the Israeli Tai Chi Center will introduce you to a new learning approach that connects the ancient magic of Tai Chi with contemporary everyday reality and will give you tools for personal development, self-expression, inner empowerment, balance and harmony, and a better quality of life.

In order to start training, no special athletic abilities or physical fitness are required, and of course, no prior knowledge. The training is suitable for almost everyone at any age. The instructors of the Israeli Tai Chi Center will be with you from the beginning, step by step, at your own pace from the beginning in a pleasant and safe training environment.