Tai Chi Chuan is a martial art that can be used for both defense and health. When practiced at a slow pace, it can be extremely relaxing and stress relieving. Each move flows into the next without pause, and is accompanied by deep breathing. Today, Tai Chi is mainly used as a therapeutic way to relieve stress and clear the body and mind. Although, it was originally developed as a form of self-defense. In fact, the phrase “Tai Chi Chuan” translates as “cosmos martial art”. Tai Chi focuses on a lot of hand pushing motions and other graceful movements. However, there are multiple styles of Tai Chi that have distinguishable style variations: Chen, Wu, Yang, Zhao and Sun Tai Chi Chuan. For example, Chen features lower stances and large movements, while Yang is more of an upright and higher stance, and Wu style features stepping with feet much closer together than in Yang. The differences in each style of Tai Chi helps them emphasize a different effect on the body. For example, Chen is for fighting skills, Yang is for a good workout, and Sun is useful for arthritis relief. Although, each style may still be used to achieve any of the effects.
An exercise Tai Chi Chuan is often compared to is yoga. Health is a primary goal of both tai chi and yoga, and many people cross-train in both exercises. The flexibility one would gain from doing yoga can better their performance in Tai Chi Chuan. These practices attempt to coordinate the muscles, bones, heart and mind with the positive energy that surrounds the body. Both emphasize stretching, breath work and chi, which is called prana in yoga. Both seek to integrate the body, subtle energy, and mind. Their approaches to physicality are significantly more subtle than ordinary exercise methods and sports. Both help calm your mind and deal with stress. The main difference between yoga and Tai Chi: In yoga, you stretch to relax; in Tai Chi, you relax to stretch. Tai chi emphasizes stretching through sophisticated dynamic fluid motions rather than by holding static postures. Yoga tends to use more extreme stretches than tai chi and many postures lock the joints and arch the back, which never happens in Tai Chi. Because of this difference, anyone with back or joint problems may prefer to practice Tai Chi.
Some Tai Chi moves are more or less difficult than others. For instance, learning the steps