Taoist Tai Chi
Encyclopedia
Taoist Tai Chi Society
The International Taoist Tai Chi Society is an umbrella organization for the governance of its member associations around the world, which are dedicated to the teaching of Taoist Tai Chi....
and associated national Taoist Tai Chi societies. It is a modified form of Yang-style t'ai chi ch'uan developed by Taoist monk Moy Lin-shin
Moy Lin-shin
Moy Lin-shin . was a Taoist monk, teacher and T'ai chi instructor who founded The Taoist Tai Chi Society , the Fung Loy Kok Institute of Taoism and the Gei Pang Lok Hup Academy.-Early life:As a sickly youth Moy was sent to a monastery...
in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Moy incorporated principles of Lok Hup Ba Fa
Liuhe Bafa
Note: The art is commonly abbreviated as LHBF, and often referred to by its Cantonese name: Lok Hap Baat FaatLiuhebafachuan 六合八法拳; Pinyin: liùhébāfǎquán) is a form of internal Chinese martial arts. It has been called "Xinyi Liuhebafa-" 心意六合八法拳 and is also referred to as "Water Boxing" due to its...
and other internal arts
to increase the health benefits of practising the form.
Taoist Tai Chi Awareness Days have been proclaimed by municipal governments across Canada since the 1980s to acknowledge that "the slow and graceful movements of Tai Chi relax and strengthen the body and mind, help to relieve stress, develop flexibility and coordination which is particularly beneficial to seniors and others in combating a variety of health conditions and disabilities"
These proclaimed days also serve to acknowledge that "members of the Taoist Tai Chi Society contribute many hours of service to our community, conducting fund-raising campaigns and events that have benefited many charitable organizations and other worthy causes"
Tai Chi in general
Tai Chi generally provides health benefits. In all the forms of Tai Chi there are movements that involve briefly standing on one leg, which may improve balance; circular movements of the shoulders and wrists which improve suppleness and circulation; learning the sequence of the set movements may improve cognitive function such as concentration; the social atmosphere can sometimes forge friendships and alleviate loneliness and anxiety; and the exercise itself can boost a person's mood and alleviate depression.All forms of Tai Chi have been noted by YK Chen as regulating body weight, improving cognitive, lung, digestive and heart functioning as well as improving skin tone and bone structure.
Research on Tai Chi in general, carried out at the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
by Dahong Zhou, MD, shows that Tai Chi provides moderate exercise, equal to brisk walking. Zhou also notes that Tai Chi in general reduces stress levels and emotional problems while improving "concentration, attention, composure, self confidence, and self control". Zhou indicates that Tai Chi generally reduces hypertension
Hypertension
Hypertension or high blood pressure is a cardiac chronic medical condition in which the systemic arterial blood pressure is elevated. What that means is that the heart is having to work harder than it should to pump the blood around the body. Blood pressure involves two measurements, systolic and...
, relieves chronic headache
Headache
A headache or cephalalgia is pain anywhere in the region of the head or neck. It can be a symptom of a number of different conditions of the head and neck. The brain tissue itself is not sensitive to pain because it lacks pain receptors. Rather, the pain is caused by disturbance of the...
s, dizziness
Dizziness
Dizziness refers to an impairment in spatial perception and stability. The term is somewhat imprecise. It can be used to mean vertigo, presyncope, disequilibrium, or a non-specific feeling such as giddiness or foolishness....
and insomnia
Insomnia
Insomnia is most often defined by an individual's report of sleeping difficulties. While the term is sometimes used in sleep literature to describe a disorder demonstrated by polysomnographic evidence of disturbed sleep, insomnia is often defined as a positive response to either of two questions:...
, has benefits for people suffering with mild arthritis
Arthritis
Arthritis is a form of joint disorder that involves inflammation of one or more joints....
and rheumatism
Rheumatism
Rheumatism or rheumatic disorder is a non-specific term for medical problems affecting the joints and connective tissue. The study of, and therapeutic interventions in, such disorders is called rheumatology.-Terminology:...
, improves breathing and blood circulation and is "an excellent exercise for the mind." His research shows that due to the low intensity of most forms of Tai Chi, that as an exercise regimen it does not lead to fatigue or stress.
Taoist Tai Chi
The health claims made for Taoist Tai Chi by the Taoist Tai Chi SocietyTaoist Tai Chi Society
The International Taoist Tai Chi Society is an umbrella organization for the governance of its member associations around the world, which are dedicated to the teaching of Taoist Tai Chi....
are generally similar to those made for all forms of Tai Chi.
In common with other forms of Tai Chi, the society says that for beginners Tai Chi starts out as primarily an external exercise, but for more advanced students it becomes more internal, exercising the internal organs and mind as well as the frame and muscles. Early in learning the Tai Chi set students may notice that the form strengthens the larger muscle groups in the legs, arms and back. According to the Taoist Tai Chi Society, the stretching aspects of the form improves the functioning of the joints, tendon
Tendon
A tendon is a tough band of fibrous connective tissue that usually connects muscle to bone and is capable of withstanding tension. Tendons are similar to ligaments and fasciae as they are all made of collagen except that ligaments join one bone to another bone, and fasciae connect muscles to other...
s and ligament
Ligament
In anatomy, the term ligament is used to denote any of three types of structures. Most commonly, it refers to fibrous tissue that connects bones to other bones and is also known as articular ligament, articular larua, fibrous ligament, or true ligament.Ligament can also refer to:* Peritoneal...
s by taking them through their full range of motion. This can improve flexibility and reduce age-related deterioration.
The Taoist Tai Chi Society claims that later in their training students note increased mobility in the spine and that the form restores proper alignment of the spine with the shoulders and pelvis
Pelvis
In human anatomy, the pelvis is the lower part of the trunk, between the abdomen and the lower limbs .The pelvis includes several structures:...
through the spinal stretches and rotations that are built into the set. Additionally the society claims that the form stimulates the spinal nerves, providing a balancing effect on the nervous system. Later on in practice the student may find that the set will exercise the internal organs, possibly resulting in increased circulation, digestion and elimination. The society claims that the set strengthens the cardiovascular system, improves physical conditioning, decreases fatigue and improves endurance.
Many of the health benefits claimed are related to the relaxation aspects of the Taoist Tai Chi set. The long stretches in the set may reduce tension at a muscular level and the slow pace of the set can create both mental and physical relaxation. The society claims that by relaxing the mind during Tai Chi the brain requires less blood and nutrients and that this allows the rest of the body to make use of these. This all may act to calm the heart and mind, while possibly improving strength and reducing overall stress.
Philosophically, the tai chi taught by the Taoist Tai Chi Society is stated to be taught from a belief that people are innately good but that the nature of society causes people to become self-centred and to acquire bad habits. The aim of the training is to "eliminate these weaknesses so that our original nature of goodness can again shine brightly, guiding our thoughts and actions." To achieve this the society promotes the virtues of compassion and service to others, through students becoming instructors who then teach Tai Chi to new students without any personal gain. In some cases, Tai Chi may be taught by the society as an integrated meditation art as well as an exercise program.
The Taoist Tai Chi Society sums up the challenges:
Form principles
Taoist Tai Chi has several principles of movement that are meant to be a part of every posture, these principles are what defines Taoist Tai Chi as a unique tai chi practice. Several of these are attributes espoused by many non-Society teachers, but are expressed somewhat differently than is traditional within Taoist Tai Chi. Here is a brief description.45 Degree Angle Step": the principle of Straight/45 refers to the desired degree of the feet in relation to one another, usually with the front foot Straight forward and the back foot (left or right) at 45 degrees outward. This is meant to aid in squaring the hips.
Positioning the Front Knee: The knee should not extend beyond the toes to prevent injury.
"Squaring the hips": at the end/forward position of a movement (such as Single Whip
Single Whip
Single Whip is a common posture found in most forms of t'ai chi ch'uan. Typically at the end of the posture the left hand is in a palm outward push and the right hand held most commonly in the form of a hook or closed fist...
) the hips of a practitioner should be square or facing completely forward and in line with the front or "Straight" foot. Conversely, when at the rollback or beginning of a posture the hips should be in line with the back or "45" foot. The professed health benefit of this is that it facilitates a turning/stretching of the spine and an opening of the pelvic region (specifically the hip joint).
Weight placement: there should be a straight line from the top of the head to the heel of the rear foot in all forward positions.
"Equal and Opposite Forces": In Taoist Tai Chi a push with one hand is balanced with an equal push with the other hand.
Foundation exercises
In addition to the full 108 Taoist Tai Chi set, students are taught a unique group of cyclical foundation exercises that focus on the joints, called "the jongs". Most of these exercises, either in their form or execution, are completely unique to Taoist Tai Chi. These exercises are not only used as preliminaries to the form, they are espoused as being the basic elements that provide health benefit in the varying movements of Taoist Tai Chi. Instructors often explain postures by referring to a foundation exercise.The main foundations include:
- A basic forearm rotation: the forearms are held up and forward and rotate in and out. The hands are located in front of the left and right meridianMeridian (Chinese medicine)The meridian is a path through which the life-energy known as "qi" is believed to flow, in traditional Chinese medicine. There is no physically verifiable anatomical or histological basis for the existence of acupuncture points or meridians.- Main concepts :...
. The elbows are stationary. - A rotation of the arms in front of the body: making a circular motion with the hands: where one pushes away the other pulls in. The thumbs move from the central axis of the body. It is mainly an upper body stretch in which the arms move outward from the center and then back.
- "Dan Yu" (spine stretching). A squattingSquatting positionSquatting is a posture where the weight of the body is on the feet but the knees are bent either fully or partially . In contrast, sitting, involves taking the weight of the body, at least in part, on the buttocks against the ground or a horizontal object such as a chair seat...
exercise meant to work primarily the pelvic region, the legs and the lower back. Fifty or more repetitions may be performed in advanced classes. The feet are placed in a stance wider than the shoulders. When squatting the knees move in the direction of the feet. - "Tor Yu" (spine turning). The feet are at the typical "Straight/45" position, minding the "in-stepping/out-stepping". The pelvis alternates between weight over the front "Straight" and the back "45" foot. Thus the trunk moves following the pelvis. The hands follow the body and cross in front of the lower dantianDantianDantian, dan t'ian, dan tien or tan t'ien is loosely translated as "elixir field". It is described as an important focal point for internal meditative techniques.There are various points of dantian...
when the body moves backward to the '45 back" position, and then uncross and push away towards the "Straight front" position leading the trunk. For the outside observer it seems that the hands make a circular motion, however they don't for the practitioner. In addition to its purported health benefits this exercise is particularly similar to the Silk reelingSilk reelingSilk reeling , also called winding silk energy chánsījìng , refers to a set of neigong movement principles expressed in traditional styles of t'ai chi ch'uan, but especially emphasised by the Chen and Wu styles of t'ai chi ch'uan...
of other styles in that it helps develop the theory of movement present in all of Taoist Tai Chi. - An arm separation such as in kicks: the arms start crossed in front of the body, move sideways, backward and down, and forward up again with the hands crossed on the centerline in front of the chest.
- A variant of the "Wave Hands like Clouds" move.
- Stationary stance versions of the posture "Snake Creeps Low", in which the practitioner may come to a full standing position in between left and right sides of the posture.
- Sometimes repetitions of various other movements (e.g., Brush Knee, Go Back to Ward Off Monkey, or Flying at a Slant) but usually movements that lend themselves to repetition.
Form list
The 108 movements of the Taoist Tai Chi set are:
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