I happen to know what's done in the parks because I know people who have actually done it. Chinese people as a matter of fact. From China. Who have actually spent most every morning and evening participating for most of their lives. In China. Where Tai Chi was developed. As a Chinese form of martial arts. By Chinese people. Subsequently simplified at the behest of the Chinese government. In order to be taught to Chinese people. By other Chinese people.

Born in China, practiced Tai Chi (short form) in China, versus one class stateside in long form Tai Chi.

Get my drift?

No offense, Shooting Star. I thank you for sharing what you do know about Tai Chi.

Here are some links if you're interested:

http://www.blinkx.com/video/china-te...pYVcJUYLhYkVBg

http://www.everyday-taichi.com/beijing-24-form.html

From Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/24_Form...i_Chi_Ch%27uan

The form was the result of an effort by the Chinese Sports Committee which, in 1956, brought together four tai chi teachers to create a simplified form of tai chi as exercise for the masses. The creators truncated the traditional Yang family hand form to 24 postures; taking between four and eight minutes to perform and to give the beginner an introduction to the essential elements of tai chi chuan, yet retain the traditional flavor of Yang style's longer hand forms (generally 88-108 postures).[1] Henceforth this form was avidly promoted by the People's Republic of China for general exercise, and was also taught to internees in Communist "re-education" camps. Due to this official promotion, the twenty-four form is most likely the tai chi form with the most practitioners in China and the world over (though no surveys have been performed).
What Shooting star was talking about was one of the long forms of Tai Chi, actually practiced as a martial art, and comprised of (he was EXACTLY right here) 108 forms. It's very complicated, it's intended for application as a martial art, and I wouldn't fool myself into thinking I could get even close on my own trying to learn that. That would be like trying to learn Ju Jitsu from comic books.

But that isn't what the masses of Chinese people you see on TV are doing in the park, it's far too complicated. They use the short form (see above).

Even with the short form, it would be better to have an instructor, but since I'm not trying to become a Master of the 108 Forms of Yang Family Tai Chi, I can get close enough for MY purposes, which are health and meditation related, not martial art related.

I'm guessing most of you aren't rural and have never lived rurally, or you've forgotten what its like if you have. Let's just say there's not a lot of diversity here and leave it at that.

Now if I were willing to drive to Charleston, I might be able to find somebody doing Tai Chi, but I'm neither willing or able to make a 120 mile round trip for something so frivolous. I've got an 89 year old parent with 2 kinds of cancer, COPD, CHF, and the creeping onset of dementia that I'm trying to care for on top of a full load in a doctoral program - I don't have time to go gallivanting off to Charleston for R&R.

I can, however, steal enough time to stand in the driveway and, as you so kindly put it, "wave my arms around".

Since I have no sangha here, I will use whatever tools I can find to help me in my practice. If half-assed Beijing 24 form Tai Chi is the best I can manage, I'm pretty sure the Buddha won't hold it against me.