T'ai Chi Ch'uan

[Catrin]

As I've done so many times before, my ever decreasing ability to do traditional Kettlebell competition style workouts (and even the fitness styles) beyond simple swing intervals, I've found another activity. I can still do simple KB workouts (and do), but my destroyed shoulders and neck really limits how far I can take it. The damage is related more to an arthritic hot mess in one shoulder, and the torn tendons in the other shoulder is more related to impingement caused by the lack of that shoulder fusing properly, but of course the competition work did not help.

So today I experimented with something else that I can add to my hiking and kettlebell swings

As it turns out there is a local Catholic priest who has been studying T'aiChi Ch'uan for most of his adult life with a master in China (they both travel back and forth and he comes to Indianapolis every spring for a workshop). He also teaches it twice a month for free, and I finally made it. Even with all my broken bits, I found my balance better than I thought. Also, outside of some slight numbness in one movement, there was NO discomfort or pain or...anything.

He has just moved his class from a beginners form to a more advanced - but it was still easy to follow as he knows how to demonstrate and break it down. We also only covered a couple of movements in the time we spent on the form. I like it, and as there are no weights or other equipment involved, I think it will be far more difficult for me to over-do - I just need to really focus on proper form but that is with everything.

[Pax]

I've done Tai Chi and it was wonderful, very fluid and yet still focused.

[Crankin]

Sounds perfect!

[Catrin]

Part of life is to learn to make lemonade, but I've been interested in this since I gave up Taikwondo in 1999 (when I screwed up my right knee the first time). It will be interesting to see how this works for me, crossing my fingers and toes!

[emily_in_nc]

That's great, Catrin!

DH and I took a Tai Chi class decades ago and did not like it, but it's been so long, I can only vaguely remember why. I think it's because at that time we were young (me 20s, him 30s) and preferred faster, higher impact forms of exercise. We didn't have a lot of physical limitations to work around, and Tai Chi was just too slow and "boring" at that time. I felt the same about yoga then too, and I love it now, so I think our feelings about it were just a function of our ages at the time. I suspect I'd like it if I tried it now! I remember my father-in-law taking a class in it in his 60s and really enjoying it.

I hope this turns out to be a good activity for you. Keep us posted!

[Catrin]

I hope it works, and Fr Guy is teaching us one of the older styles which also is one of original fighting forms. I do like the level of focus that it is already apparent will be required and the symbology behind everything. Very large class, at least in comparison with my KB classes. There were about 20 of us with many ages represented.

[Catrin]

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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[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]

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