T'ai Chi Ch'uan

[Pax]

Agreed. With a longtitudly split biceps tendon that subluxes it's about figuring out which part of the movement makes it sublux - which causes the pain. It isn't bad, am used to it, but of course its better to modify. All in all the Taichi DOES make everything feel much better, just this one little movement needs adjusting.

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It really is an awesome form of exercise, wish the class here was still going on. There are others but taught by someone who appears to have watched a video as their form of teacher training.

I will try the sunrise taichi on the beach when get back to FL, seems like the perfect setting.

[Catrin]

I've learned mainly from an awesome DVD series (Dr Paul Lam's TaiChi for Arthritis 1 & 2). I did take a class on the first part when I was almost through the series but observed that I had already learned the form properly from the DVD. I am not ordinarily a fan of instructional DVDs, but Dr Lam is an exception. There is a reason why the CDC and both American and Australian Arthritis Foundations support and recommend his programs. I would have continued with the class for the next part but I seemed to be the only student who really wanted to do the second, more advanced part. I wasn't about to pay another $70 to learn Part 1 which I can almost do with my eyes closed (literally).

Of course, it probably helps that he is a medical doctor, and has had arthritis since his teens. He has certainly overcome a lot (including a famine in China when his family went there from Vietnam back in the day). I swear, it's like he can see what I'm doing when I follow his DVD for my weekly new lesson and knows when I need a tip on posture or focus. Here is a link to all of his DVDs if any are interested. If you can't find a local instructor, this is a fine alternative. I already have the intermediate Sun 73 DVD, eventually will start working on that form.

The advantage of Sun style (which the Arthritis series is), especially for those with arthritis - is it has the most upright stances than both Yang and Chen, with quick stepping and flowing movements AND it has incorporated quite lot of QiGong. The creator of Sun Style was an older General and martial arts master - I suspect he may have been starting to feel his age :-) Yang is less upright and Chen is a combination of slow and explosive. Once I've learned Sun 73 I will probably add the Yang 24, but that won't be any time soon. There is much in Sun Style to keep me engaged and interested.

[Pax]

Thanks, Catrin, I'll look into those.

[Edwardhall]

It is an awesome exercise, So glad to see that you want to learn Tai Chi exercise now a day's. Tai Chi and Qigong exercises are more likely to each other. I was learning and doing this exercise past few years. This exercise is really very good. I have learned from the best Master Andrew Kenneth Fretwell and he taught me the best and the easy way of This Exercise. Here is the link Tai Chi and Qigong where I found the Master Andrew Kennet Fretwell. If you have any problem then Receive a free 30 min audio talk and powerful qigong meditation.

[Trek420]

It is an awesome exercise, So glad to see that you want to learn Tai Chi exercise now a day's. Tai Chi and Qigong exercises are more likely to each other. I was learning and doing this exercise past few years. This exercise is really very good. I have learned from the best Master Andrew Kenneth Fretwell and he taught me the best and the easy way of This Exercise. Here is the link Tai Chi and Qigong where I found the Master Andrew Kennet Fretwell. If you have any problem then Receive a free 30 min audio talk and powerful qigong meditation.

I study Yang Family Style Tai Chi. It's perhaps the largest style or I should say the one with the most people training in it. It's not the only style as there are several styles of Tai Chi each with their own traits. Yang Family style is known for our large circular movements. We do forms, long form, senior form, essential form .. single move training, push hands, sword and saber. In our particular school there are teachers certified to teach Qigong exercises as well. The head instructors at our school are direct students of Master Yang Jun. Yang Jun is a direct descendant of the founder of Yang family style.

I personally am skeptical and would caution against learning Tai Chi online whether from a CD or Youtube channel. You need to find the best instructor available to you in person. To find a good instructor carefully research the lineage; who did your teacher learn from and who did they learn from, and who did they ... etc etc. Find the best qualified person you can regardless of the style you pick. Teaching is its own skill. And there are those who are highly skilled at Tai Chi, but not so much at teaching. You want both. Watch a class and see how you feel about their style of teaching. Again if at all possible find a good instructor, because it's the instructor as much or more than the art that influences the quality of your learning. As a beginner you don't get the feedback you need, and more important the teacher can't see YOU on a CD. So you risk picking up bad habits that can take years to break and may even injure you if you don't have a good teacher.

If you live in an area that does not have Tai Chi available or does but you have doubts about the instructor or does but the class isn't offered when you can go or .... try to find instruction on Zoom.

It's not perfect but at least you can see the teacher, ask direct questions and more important they can see you. I respectfully would never train via a CD as a beginner.

I personally do use recorded classes, our school Youtube channel periodically as a reminder to practice the form or perhaps for sections I am learning. This works for me as a reminder or a learning tool. But then I started training martial arts in 1975 and switched to Tai Chi in 2018. So I've been doing this in person, with teachers for a few years. If you've a beginner do not do as I do. Find quality live instruction.

There are many Tai Chi styles to look into. Don't worry about different styles, IMHO all are good. Find a quality teacher near you. If you're interested in Yang Family Style you might find an instructor near you at:

https://yangfamilytaichi.com/find-an-instructor/