Tai Chi 

Tai Chi is een oude bewegingskunst uit China ook wel bekend als mindful bewegen., sterk beïnvloed door het Taoïsme. De bewegingen worden langzaam uitgevoerd, waardoor al een bepaalde rust ontstaat. Doordat zowel boven- als onderlichaam, links en rechts, apart bewogen worden zullen de coördinatie, balans en lichaamsbewustzijn sterk aangesproken en ontwikkeld worden. De ademhaling wordt door de beoefening vanzelf dieper en gelijkmatiger. Langzamerhand zult u meer energie ontwikkelen en meer ontspanning voelen. Tai chi bestaat uit zachte vloeiende bewegingsoefeningen. De ene beweging gaat over in de andere, zonder dat u daarbij veel hoeft na te denken.

Chi betekent energie en tai chi zorgt ervoor dat de energie in uw lichaam gaat stromen. De oefeningen maken de gewrichten los en maken de spieren sterker en soepeler, zonder ze te veel te belasten. Verder bouwt u met tai chi uithoudingsvermogen op.
Tai chi wordt vaak gegeven in combinatie met chi kung, ook wel geschreven als qigong. Chi kung is gericht op ademhaling en ontspanning. Daardoor is de combinatie van tai chi en chi kung heel geschikt voor ouderen.
Tai chi of tai ji (vereenvoudigd Chinees: 太极拳; traditioneel Chinees: 太極拳; pinyin: tài jí quán) is een van oorsprong Chinese vechtkunst, die nu veelal beoefend wordt als neijia, innerlijke bewegingskunst. Tai chi wordt beoefend voor zijn gezondheidsbevorderende eigenschappen, maar ook als een vechtsport voor zowel zelfverdediging als voor het uitschakelen van opponenten.
Tai chi is een Chinese vechtkunst, die ook wordt gebruikt als bewegingstherapie. De bewegingen zijn vloeiend en iedereen kan meedoen. Tai chi helpt u om uw spieren soepel te houden en u wordt er blij van. Vooral in Aziatische landen is tai chi erg populair onder senioren, maar ook in Nederland wordt het veel beoefend. Ook iets voor u?
De term neijia ('innerlijke bewegingskunst') verwijst naar de nadruk die bij een aantal Chinese bewegingskunsten, zoals tai chi en xing yi quan, ligt op de innerlijke beleving en ontwikkeling. Dit in tegenstelling tot sporten waarbij de uiterlijke manifestatie belangrijk is, zoals bij karate of kickboksen.
Tai Chi Chuan (Taijiquan) is een Chinese interne krijgskunst gebaseerd op de Taiji filosofie. Tai Chi Chuan kent diverse stijlen zoals: Chen, Yang, Sun, Wu en de Shaolin Rou Quan. Binnen deze stijlen zijn weer vele verschijningsvormen. Traditioneel beoefenen mensen Tai Chi Chuan als een gevechtskunst, met zijn zachte bewegingen en snelle, explosieve aspecten met of zonder wapens.
Tai Chi Chuan bestaat uit verschillende elementen, want Tai Chi Chuan is meer dan langzame vloeiende bewegingen. Qigong, Chan meditatie, kennis van de Chinese filosofie en de traditionele Chinese geneeskunde zijn onderdelen voor het leren van traditionele Tai Chi Chuan.
Tegenwoordig wordt Tai Chi Chuan dagelijks door zo’n 200 miljoen mensen in de wereld beoefend als een langzame, sierlijke oefeningen voor de gezondheid en vitaliteit. Deze moderne vorm van Tai Chi Chuan heeft een lage impact en een minimale belasting op de spieren en gewrichten. Het is hierdoor geschikt voor alle leeftijden en conditie niveaus. Gezien het sterke meditatieve aspect wordt Tai Chi Chuan nu vaker beoefend als een vorm van meditatie in beweging.

 U hebt het vast wel eens gezien: mensen die alleen of in een groep vreemde, trage bewegingen maken. Ze balanceren langzaam van het ene been naar het andere, soms een vuiststoot of een snelle draai makend. Sommigen staan doodstil met de armen gekromd voor zich of bewegen ze traag om zich heen, alsof ze de lucht wegduwen of juist naar zich toe halen. Hier wordt Tai Qi of Qi Gong beoefend. In parken in China is het nog steeds een bekend beeld.

In de Traditionele Chinese Geneeskunde (TCG) zijn Tai Qi en Qi Gong manieren om de energie (Qi) te voeden, in beweging te brengen, te harmoniseren en beter te benutten. Beiden zijn een systeem van oefeningen voor gezondheid en herstel en bevorderen de gezondheid tot op hoge leeftijd. Door de aandacht voor ademhaling en rustige bewegingen ontstaat er ontspanning in het lichaam. Deze vorm van ontspanning is zelfs beter dan de ontspanning die wij ervaren tijdens slapen.

Tai Qi en Qi Gong vaak worden deze bewegingsvormen in één adem genoemd. Logisch, want ze lijken op elkaar: langzame, aandachtige bewegingen, balanceren van het ene been naar het andere, met soms een duwende of stotende beweging. Of ineens een snelle draai. Iedereen kent wel het beeld van een groep mensen die Tai Qi of Qi Gong beoefenen in een park.
 Bewegen volgens Tai Qi en Qi Gong
Alles is altijd in beweging. Dat is een van de uitgangspunten van de Traditionele Chinese Geneeskunde. Beweging betekent stroming en als de energie kan stromen, brengt dat gezondheid en welzijn. Beweging volgens de Tai Qi en Qi Gong betekent dat je heel bewust gaat werken met die energiestromen in je lichaam. Zo kun je je energie voeden, in beweging en in balans brengen en uiteindelijk beter benutten.
 Het verschil tussen Tai Qi en Qi Gong
Hoewel Tai Qi en Qi Ging uiterlijk op elkaar lijken hebben ze een andere achtergrond. Ook is de beoefening anders. Van Qi Ging oefeningen wordt vaak gezegd dat de bewegingen eenvoudiger zijn.
 Wat is Tai Qi?
Tai Qi is voortgekomen uit de Qi Gong en ontwikkelde zich tot een zelfverdedigingskunst. Dat kun je aan sommige bewegingen nog goed zien. Het lijkt alsof de beoefenaars een aanval terugkaatsen of wegleiden. Geen verdediging met wapens, maar verdediging met de kracht van energie. Inmiddels draait Tai Qi niet meer om zelfverdediging. Het is een bewegingsvorm die gezondheid, focus en ontspanning brengt. De bewegingen zijn wat complexer dan bij Qi Gong.
 Wat is Qi Gong?
Qi Gong bestaat langer dan Tai Qi. Het is niet gericht op de energie die van buiten komt, maar juist naar binnen gericht. Het werd van oudsher al beoefend om de doorstroming van levensenergie te stimuleren en op peil te houden. De bewegingen die horen bij Qi Gong oefeningen zijn eenvoudig en makkelijk aan te leren.
 Tai chi is an ancient Chinese martial art. Initially developed for combat and self-defense, for most practitioners it has evolved into a sport and form of exercise. As an exercise, tai chi is performed as gentle, low-impact movement in which practitioners perform a series of deliberate, flowing motions while focusing on deep, slow breaths. Often referred to as "meditation in motion," tai chi aims to concentrate and balance the body's qi (vital energy), providing benefits to mental and physical health.
 Many forms of tai chi are practiced, both traditional and modern. While the precise origins are not known, the earliest documented practice is from Chen Village and Zhabao Village in Henan, which are located a few hundred miles from the Shaolin Monastery on Song Mountain. Most modern styles trace their development to the five traditional schools: Chen, Yang, Wu (Hao), Wu, and Sun. Practitioners such as Yang Chengfu and Sun Lutang in the early 20th century promoted the art for its health benefits. Tai chi was included in the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2020.
 Etymology
The name "tai chi", the most common English spelling, is not a standard romanization of the Chinese name for the art (simplified Chinese: 太极拳; traditional Chinese: 太極拳; lit. 'Taiji boxing'). The Chinese name was first commonly written in English using the Wade–Giles system as "tʻai chi chʻüan". But English speakers abbreviated it to "tʻai chi" and dropped the mark of aspiration. Since the late twentieth century, pinyin has been officially adopted in China and replaced Wade–Giles as the most popular system for romanizing Chinese. In pinyin, tai chi is spelled taijiquan (tàijíquán). In English, tai chi is sometimes referred to as "shadowboxing".
The etymology of tai chi's Chinese name is somewhat uncertain because of the lack of a record of spoken usage. Before the mid-nineteenth century, it appears that outsiders generically described the art as zhanquan (沾拳, "touch boxing"), "Long Boxing"(長拳), mianquan ("Soft/Cotton/Neutralizing Boxing"; 軟/棉/化拳)[citation needed] or shisan shi (十三式, "the thirteen techniques"). In the mid-nineteenth century, the art began to be associated with the philosophy of taiji (see Conceptual background). This association may have originated in the writings of the founders of Wu (Hao)-style tai chi, perhaps inspired by a tai chi classic attributed to the semi-mythical Wang Zongyue that begins with the words "Taiji is born from Wuji; it is the mother of Yin and Yang".  However, as the Wu (Hao) founders had no financial need to promote their art, their contributions to the "tai chi classics" were not distributed widely for many years. The first public association between taiji and the art was a poem by Imperial Court scholar Weng Tonghe describing a tai chi performance by Yang Luchan. It is not clear whether Weng was making a new connection or whether the new name was already in use. Written evidence for the Yang family's adoption of the name taiji first appeared in a later text, possibly completed in 1875 by Yang Luchan's son, Yang Banhou, or no later than the first decade of the twentieth century by one or more of Yang Banhou's disciples. By the second decade of the twentieth century, Yang Chengfu's disciples and Sun Lutang were using the term taijiquan in their publications, including in the titles of some of the tai chi classics. It then appeared in a book by a Chen family member, Chen Xin, published after he died in 1929.
 Philosophical background : Tai chi philosophy
Zhou Dunyi's Taijitu diagram which illustrates the Taijitu cosmology.
Chinese philosophy, particularly Taoist and Confucian thought, forms the conceptual background to tai chi. Early tai chi texts include embedded quotations from early Chinese classics like the I Ching, Great Learning, Book of Documents, Records of the Grand Historian, and Zhuangzi, as well as from famous Chinese thinkers like Zhu Xi, Zhou Dunyi, and Mencius.
Early tai chi sources are grounded in Taiji cosmology. Taiji cosmology appears in both Taoist and Confucian philosophy, where it represents the single source or mother of yin and yang (represented by the taijitu symbol ☯). Tai chi also draws on Chinese theories of the body, particularly Taoist neidan (internal alchemy) teachings on qi (vital energy) and on the three dantian. Cheng Man-ch'ing emphasizes the Taoist background of tai chi and states that it "enables us to reach the stage of undifferentiated pure yang, which is exactly the same as Laozi's 'concentrating the qi and developing softness'".
As such, tai chi considers itself an "internal" (neijia) martial art focused on developing qi. In China, tai chi is categorized under the Wudang group of Chinese martial arts—that is, arts applied with internal power. Although the term Wudang suggests these arts originated in the Wudang Mountains, it is used only to distinguish the skills, theories, and applications of neijia from those of the Shaolin grouping, or waijia (hard/external styles).
Tai chi also adopts the Taoist ideals of softness overcoming hardness, of wu wei (effortless action), and of yielding into its martial art technique while also retaining Taoist ideas of spiritual self-cultivation.[20]
Tai chi's path is one of developing naturalness by relaxing, attending inward, and slowing mind, body, and breath. This allows the practitioner to become less tense, to drop conditioned habits, to let go of thoughts, to allow qi to flow smoothly, and thus to flow with the Tao. It is thus a kind of moving meditation that allows us to let go of the self and experience no-mind (wuxin) and spontaneity (ziran).
A key aspect of tai chi philosophy is to work with the flow of yin (softness) and yang (hardness) elements. When two forces push each other with equal force, neither side moves. Motion cannot occur until one side yields. Therefore, a key principle in tai chi is to avoid using force directly against force (hardness against hardness). Laozi provided the archetype for this in the Tao Te Ching when he wrote, "The soft and the pliable will defeat the hard and strong." Conversely, when in possession of leverage, one may want to use hardness to force the opponent to become soft. Traditionally, tai chi uses both soft and hard. Yin is said to be the mother of Yang, using soft power to create hard power.
Traditional schools also emphasize that one is expected to show wude ("martial virtue/heroism"), to protect the defenseless, and to show mercy to one's opponents.
In December 2020, the 15th regular session of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage included tai chi in the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
 Practice
Traditionally, the foundational tai chi practice consists of learning and practicing a specific solo forms or routines (taolu). This entails learning a routine sequence of movements that emphasize a straight spine, abdominal breathing and a natural range of motion. Tai chi relies on knowing the appropriate change in response to outside forces, as well as on yielding to and redirecting an attack, rather than meeting it with opposing force. Physical fitness is also seen as an important step towards effective self-defense.
Tai chi movements were inspired by animals, especially birds and leopards.
There are also numerous other supporting solo practices such as:
Sitting meditation: The empty, focus and calm the mind and aid in opening the microcosmic orbit.
Standing meditation (zhan zhuang) to raise the yang qi
Qigong to mobilize the qi
Acupressure massage to develop awareness of qi channels
Traditional Chinese medicine is taught to advanced students in some traditional schools.
There is no scientific evidence for the existence of qi, nor any demonstrating the effectiveness of acupressure or traditional Chinese medicine beyond that of placebo treatment.
Further training entails learning tuishou (push hands drills), sanshou (striking techniques), free sparring, grappling training, and weapons training.
The fundamental training concepts of the art are detailed in a few dozen classical texts originally written in classical Chinese by tai chi masters, the "tai chi classics". In these texts, it is noted that the physiological and kinesiological aspects of the body's movements are characterized by the circular motion and rotation of the pelvis, based on the metaphors of the pelvis as the hub and the arms and feet as the spokes of a wheel. Furthermore, the respiration of breath is coordinated with the physical movements in a state of deep relaxation, rather than muscular tension.
Tai chi is a complete martial art system with a full range of bare-hand movement sets and weapon forms, such as the jian (straight sword), dao (curved sword), and qiang (spear), which are based on the dynamic relationship between yin and yang. While tai chi is typified by its slow movements, many styles (including the three most popular: Yang, Wu, and Chen) have secondary, faster-paced forms. Some traditional schools teach martial applications of the postures of different forms (taolu).
Taolu (solo "forms") are choreographed sets of movements practiced alone or in unison as a group. Tai chi is often characterized by slow movements in Taolu practice, and one of the reasons is to develop body awareness. Accurate, repeated practice of the solo routine is said to retrain posture, encourage circulation throughout students' bodies, maintain flexibility, and familiarize students with the martial sequences implied by the forms. Usually performed standing, solo forms have also been adapted for seated practice.
 History
Early development
Tai chi's formative influences came from practices undertaken in Taoist and Buddhist monasteries, such as Wudang, Shaolin, and The Thousand Year Temple in Henan. The early development of tai chi proper is connected with Henan's Thousand Year Temple and a nexus of nearby villages: Chen Village, Tang Village, Wangbao Village, and Zhaobao Town. These villages were closely connected, shared an interest in the martial arts and many went to study at Thousand Year Temple (which was a syncretic temple with elements from the three teachings). New[clarify] documents from these villages, mostly dating to the 17th century, are some of the earliest sources for the practice of tai chi.
Some traditionalists claim that tai chi is a purely Chinese art that comes from ancient Taoism and Confucianism. These schools believe that tai chi theory and practice were formulated by Taoist monk Zhang Sanfeng in the 12th century. These stories are often filled with legendary and hagiographical content and lack historical support.
Modern historians point out that the earliest reference indicating a connection between Zhang Sanfeng and martial arts is actually a 17th-century piece called Epitaph for Wang Zhengnan (1669), composed by Huang Zongxi (1610–1695). Aside from this single source, the other claims of connections between tai chi and Zhang Sanfeng appeared no earlier than the 19th century. According to Douglas Wile, "there is no record of a Zhang Sanfeng in the Song Dynasty (960–1279), and there is no mention in the Ming (1368–1644) histories or hagiographies of Zhang Sanfeng of any connection between the immortal and the martial arts."
Another common theory for the origin of tai chi is that it was created by Chen Wangting (1580–1660) while living in Chen Village (陳家溝), Henan. The other four contemporary traditional tai chi styles (Yang, Sun, Wu and Wu/Hao) trace their teachings back to Chen village in the early 1800s.
Yang Luchan (1799–1872), the founder of the popular Yang style, trained with the Chen family for 18 years before he started to teach in Beijing, which strongly suggests that his work was heavily influenced by the Chen family art. Martial arts historian Xu Zhen claimed that the tai chi of Chen Village was influenced by the Taizu changquan style practiced at nearby Shaolin Monastery, while Tang Hao thought it was derived from a treatise by Ming dynasty general Qi Jiguang, Jixiao Xinshu ("New Treatise on Military Efficiency"), which discussed several martial arts styles including Taizu changquan.
 Health
Tai chi's health training concentrates on relieving stress on the body and mind. In the 21st century, tai chi classes that purely emphasize health are popular in hospitals, clinics, community centers and senior centers. Tai chi's low-stress training method for seniors has become better known.
Tai chi has been promoted for treating various ailments, and is supported by the Parkinson's Foundation and Diabetes Australia, among others. However, medical evidence of effectiveness is lacking. A 2017 systematic review found that it decreased falls in older people.
A 2011 comprehensive overview of systematic reviews of tai chi recommended tai chi to older people for its physical and psychological benefits. It found positive results for fall prevention and overall mental health. No conclusive evidence showed benefit for most of the conditions researched, including Parkinson's disease, diabetes, cancer and arthritis.
A 2015 systematic review found that tai chi could be performed by those with chronic medical conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart failure, and osteoarthritis without negative effects, and found favorable effects on functional exercise capacity.
In 2015 the Australian Government's Department of Health published the results of a review of alternative therapies that sought to identify any that were suitable for coverage by health insurance. Tai chi was one of 17 therapies evaluated. The study concluded that low-quality evidence suggests that tai chi may have some beneficial health effects when compared to control in a limited number of populations for a limited number of outcomes.
A 2020 review of 13 studies found that tai chi had positive effect on the quality of life and depressive symptoms of older adults with chronic conditions who lived in community settings.
In 2022, the U.S.A agency the National Institutes of Health published an analysis of various health claims, studies and findings. They concluded the evidence was of low quality, but that it appears to have a small positive effect on quality of life.
 Sport and self-defense
As a martial art, tai chi emphasizes defense over attack and replies to hard with soft. The ability to use tai chi as a form of combat is the test of a student's understanding of the art. This is typically demonstrated via competition with others.
Practitioners test their skills against students from other schools and martial arts styles in tuishou ("pushing hands") and sanshou competition.