TAI CHI CHUAN
PROTECTIVE & RESTORATIVE
GRACEFUL SELF DEFENSE TO PROMOTE LONGEVITY
Tai Chi Chuan, often referred to simply as Tai Chi, is a Chinese martial art that originated as a form of self-defense but is also practiced for its health benefits and meditative qualities.
Tai can be translated as grand, ultimate, vast, great, or supreme like the totality of the universe from which everything originates - universality; chi, the dynamic movement along the spectrum of polarities; and chuan, meaning boxing.
Tai chi incorporates elements of meditation and holistic health, emphasizing the balance between strength and flexibility, and of flowing and adapting to any situation that presents.
Students learn to redirect and yield to force rather than resisting it directly.
Tai chi is adaptable to all ages and fitness levels.
Benefits of a tai chi practice
Tai chi chuan positively transforms mind and body
▻ improve balance and coordination
▻ enhance flexibility and range of motion
▻ strengthen muscles
▻ promote relaxation and stress reduction
▻ aid cardiovascular health
▻ correct posture
▻ boost immune system
▻ improve mind body connection
▻ community / social interaction
▻ pain management
▻ improved cognitive functioning and memory
A journey of a thousand miles
begins with a single step
“Attending Tai Chi Chuan classes at MAIS has given me a more positive and relaxed state of mind.
I can now climb steps without having to put both feet down before going to the next one, and I can now get up off the floor without holding on to something.
It is a pleasure to take classes from Millhorn Kyosahnim and Padilla Kyosahnim.”
— Bessie —
mindful movement
Both the philosophy and movements of tai chi are deeply infused with Taoist concepts of harmony, order, and the natural world.
Natural phenomena and elemental concepts, the ultimate models of balance and flow, serve as the inspiring muse of the postures and forms.
As you study this ancient art of self-defense, you will learn to embody the grace of cranes, the power of oceans, and the lightness of clouds.
The reflection of nature in tai chi is as practical as it is metaphorical: as the majority of the human body is composed of water – especially, the brain at 95% - water elements naturally serve as one of the main inspirations of tai chi techniques.
By studying these movements, students deepen their connection with the natural world.
The practice of tai chi also cultivates a heightened awareness of one's own body and relationship to the environment: mindfulness of the breath, the ground beneath one's feet, and the surrounding space.
By attuning to these natural forces, students learn to move with greater ease and efficiency, much like the way animals and natural elements interact with one another in the world.
Softness affects
hardness
STILLNESS affects
MOVEMENT
OUTSIDE GENTLE
INSIDE STRONG
OUTSIDE FLEXIBLE
INSIDE DISCPLINED
OUTSIDE HUMBLE
INSIDE WISE
