“O b ti m i z e P er so n a l a nd P rofe s s i o n al P e rf o rm a n c e W i t h Ta i C hi Chua n”
Secrets for success in
Tai Chi Chuan
Over view Hello, my name is Robin Gamble and I help people optimize their personal and professional performance with Tai Chi Chuan. Seeing participants in my workshops relax, re-energize, re-focus and gain tactics for life and work, is a source of great joy for me and it’s my life’s passion to share the benefits of this amazing art with those who desire a more balanced and harmonious way of living. The aim of this report is to give you the essential information you need for success in the Art of Tai Chi Chuan. Whether you practice already or are thinking about it, the tips will help you get better results and to enjoy your practice more. It's the sort of info that I wish I had 12 years ago when I started this journey; it could've saved me a lot of time!
My background I’ve been training in Tai Chi Chuan now for over a decade; my studies have taken me all round the world, from Asia to Central America, including many trips to China. I’ve broken bones, climbed mountains, slept on straw mattresses and endured extremes in weather, all in the name of finding the best possible Tai Chi Chuan. I’ve competed on a regional, national and international level and have taught a wide range of people from college students to executives. I love this art and I want to share its benefits with as many people as possible. Now, I would like to share the benefits of Tai Chi Chuan with you and I feel that giving you these secrets is the best way to do this. For further information please visit my site here Enjoy
Robin
Introduction On the surface, modern life has given us many benefits, today you are richer, you live longer and you are freer to enjoy your life, however, does modern life make you wiser, happier and healthier? Many of us are more stressed, unhealthier and our spiritual lives are poorer today than before. Life seems to be getting more rushed and you need to take action now if you want to start living a healthier, calmer and more meaningful life. Tai Chi Chuan could be the answer for you. Before we progress, I’d to take a closer look at a couple of today’s biggest health issues, and suggest how Tai Chi Chuan can help to solve them.
Beat stress Because of the busy and hectic schedules that most of us face, a big health problem has developed that many of us are all too aware of, and that is stress. It affects almost everyone from highly pressured executives to the busy homemaker or student. In the U.S. 77 % of people experience physical symptoms of stress, amazingly, 35% say they felt so stressed they could cry. The annual cost to America from stress is $300 billion dollars, yes, you read that correctly. You can see further details here. Of course, it also has devastating effects across the world in places like Europe and Asia.
It can cause a variety of disorders, ranging from headaches, stomach ulcers, and even alcoholism. However, you can manage stress. You can learn to control stress, by taking part in a hobby, physical exercise or by taking part in relaxing activities. In my experience, Tai Chi Chuan is the best of these relaxing activities. It’s so effective
“
Scientific reports have found Tai Chi Chuan to be effective at reducing stress levels and improving well being.
because it relaxes you so many levels i.e. physical, mental and emotional.
”
If you are stressed, Tai Chi Chuan could well be the answer to help learn to relax, slow down and enjoy life. See what the ‘Mayo clinic’ has to say about its benefits here
Making life meaningful When your life has meaning, it has purpose and is more enjoyable. Increasingly in today’s world, when many of your material needs are met, it’s your inner dimension that’s left lacking and in need of attention. If this issue of inner contentment is not addressed, problems can arise... For example, some of the world’s richest countries also have some of the world’s highest rates of clinical depression. France for example has a depression rate of 21%, and the Netherlands 17.9%. See link. Scientific studies have shown that those who feel their lives are meaningless are likely to suffer from depression and self-destructive issues and those who feel their lives are meaningful are more likely to experience a sense of joy and satisfaction in life.
Tai Chi Chuan is an ideal means to increase the meaning and contentment in life; it has been scientifically proven to increase physiological well being, as you can see in this link.
“
The original purpose of Tai Chi Chuan was to help increase happiness and to develop inner peace
(A group of relaxed Tai Chi Chuan practitioners)
”
A powerful tool As I hope to show you, Tai Chi Chuan is an incredibly powerful tool to help solve the issues of stress and improve inner well being; actually it can deliver far more than this. It can also give you: good mental and physical health, vitality, confidence and self defense skills. It’s one of the most efficient forms or exercise. You can take anywhere. It can be practiced by almost anyone, you don’t need a gym or to change your clothes and just 20 minutes a day delivers powerful benefits. It’s the perfect companion that can give you health throughout your life. Now you have some idea of how it can be of benefit to you, I would like to invite you to have a look at the most important points of this amazing art. Please read on to get the ‘Secrets for Success in Tai Chi Chuan’
The first secret:
Have a clear definition of Tai Chi Chuan The need for clarity and concrete facts! If there is one thing that can be said for certain about Tai Chi Chuan, at least in the western world, it’s that there seems to be a good deal of uncertainty as to what it actually is. Common issues are: • Is it a dance or a martial art? • Is it Meditation or a ‘new age’ fad? This has been an issue since its arrival in the West in the 1950’s and still needs to be addressed, because once the definition is clear, many more people will benefit. Let’s get a clear definition and then have a quick look at the development of the art to better help our understanding. The “Real” definition = Tai Chi Chuan is an 'internal' martial art from China. Traditionally it delivers three levels of benefit, which are: 1. Health, 2. Self Defense 3. Personal Development Let's now take a quick look at the development of the art to give us a better understanding of these aspects. In the beginning... The majority of practitioners agree that Tai Chi Chuan was created by the Taoist Master Zhang San Feng on Wudang Mountain around seven hundred years ago.
Zhang San Feng
From descriptions of him, we know that he was an imposing and powerful figure who prior to creating Tai Chi Chuan was already a Master of Shaolin Kung Fu, China’s most famous martial art; He created the art as a method to put into practice Taoist philosophical principles, and to help his students with personal development and spiritual fulfillment.
Yang Lu Chan
Sometime later, the art left the mountains and passed from Taoist priests to civilians, they treasured the art for its health giving properties and also mainly as a means of self defense. Self defense was useful in a country and time when society was unstable and bandits could be around any corner.
At this time, Tai Chi chuan proved itself as effective for self defense and as a means to preserve life, so many of its Masters became famous for their combative skills, Yang Luchan (1799-1872) is a prime example of one of these masters. After travelling around China and besting many martial artists in competition he acquired the name ‘Yang the Invincible’. Interestingly, at the turn of the 20th century the need for these combative skills decreased and many Masters sought to develop the health giving aspect of their art to help the public. Yang Cheng Fu (1883-1936) is a good example of a Master who changed his practice to serve the health needs of people. He made his style slower and easier to learn deleting many difficult moves, like fast punches and jumping kicks from the Tai Chi ’Form’. Over time with the emphasis more on health, the ‘Chuan’ was dropped from the name, leaving just ‘Tai Chi’. This showed a clear move towards the health aspects of the art as the word 'Chuan’ refers to ‘martial art’ in Chinese. Yang Cheng Fu In conclusion, generally there has been a clear development in emphasis from personal cultivation to combat and then to health. Originally, on the mountains of Wudang, practitioners would have got all of these benefits; today however, I would say the majority of practitioners solely receive health benefits. Interestingly, many of the ‘health’ practitioners are totally unaware of the history and development of the art. I would suggest you look for a place where you can get all three aspects health, defense and development; you’ll get the most in return this way.
The second secret:
How it works An Eastern Science Tai Chi Chuan is founded and was developed on Eastern principles, philosophies and scientific practices. It was created out of the specific needs of its practitioners and through the centuries it has delivered excellent benefits. Reassuringly, this product of ancient China also stands up to the rigors of modern Western scientific testing. In this next section, you’ll see the underpinning philosophies behind Tai Chi Chuan. For convenience we will look at the ‘form, force, philosophy and function’ of how it works. We will also look at how western science views the practice and finally, why it is that such a wide variety of many people can use it.
Form: the aspect you’ve probably already seen. You have probably seen the slow motion movements of Tai Chi Chuan performed in parks around the world, these slow movements are part of what’s known as a ‘set’ or a ‘form’, a collection of graceful movements performed in sequence, however, there’s more to those movements than meets the eye. It may surprise you to know that every one of those actions is a martial movement and these moves fall within a range of strikes, kicks, locks and throws. These ‘forms’ were created to preserve and train techniques and skills, like relaxation, fluidity of movement, and breath control to name a few. Traditionally, these ‘sets’ are quite long, some have as many as 108 patterns and can take 30 minutes to perform. Today however there are many ‘short’ forms which can be completed in as little as 3-5 minutes; these have been developed for the convenience of the modern practitioner who has less time.
Force: the hidden power of Tai Chi Chuan The health benefits and the power required for martial training of Tai Chi Chuan are primarily derived from the ‘Chi Kung’ aspect of the art, ‘Chi Kung’ is the Chinese art of training the energy and mind, and is based on the methodology of the Traditional Chinese Medicine. In this system, there are meridians within the body in which Chi or ‘vital energy’ flows. When Chi flows smoothly through the meridians good health is attained and when the flow is strong one becomes powerful and more vibrant. This explains the tremendous health and energy levels of many older Masters who manifest a decades of training the energy and mind. When Tai Chuan is performed at a high level, every aspect of the training is practiced as Chi Kung, or as an exercise of the energy and mind.
Philosophy: useful when applied Tai Chi Chuan is founded on Taoist philosophy and the main concept utilized is that of ‘Yin Yang Harmony’. Yin Yang are the two opposing yet complimentary aspects of reality and the aim in Tai Chi Chuan is to manifest this concept for the practitioners benefit, this concept can be applied at the health, combat and cultivation levels depending on the skill of the practitioner. An example of how this is applied in Tai Chi Chuan for health is using ‘soft’ or Yin methods like ‘Chi Kung’ for building martial power and a robust body (Yang). In combat, the tactic of ‘yielding’ (Yin) to a forceful attack (Yang) so as to neutralize, redirect and later counter, is another example of applied Yin Yang philosophy.
Function: knowing how to use the art. Tai Chi Chuan is a great martial art and as mentioned, all its movements can be used for combat or self defense. Originally, this martial art came about through taking the most effective movements and applications from Shaolin Kung Fu, linking them in flowing continuity, adding Taoist meditation and breathing and imbuing it all with Taoist philosophy. Beautiful. However, to learn how to defend yourself with the art you must learn the functions of the movements and train them meticulously. The ability to defend one’s self effectively takes time and training regardless of the art. You also need to find a qualified instructor; nowadays not many know how to apply the movements effectively. That said, Tai Chi Chuan has many excellent and intriguing combat training methods, like push hands, striking hands and weapons training. None of these methods require aggression or an athletic body, when trained skillfully there is no reason why a woman cannot become as skillful or even more so then her male counterparts. Even if you are not yet interested in the martial aspect of the art, knowing the functions of the movements will greatly enhance your depth and understanding of what you are practicing, and in addition will aid all other aspects of your training. Lastly, and importantly, the greatest ‘function’ of Tai Chi Chuan is to apply the results of combat training effortlessly into your daily life. Qualities like confidence, calmness under pressure and clear mindedness are all hugely beneficial to daily life and can be gained from Tai Chi Chuan combat training. Not many teachers can teach these aspects, if you find one, you are very lucky. Moving on..
How does Tai Chi Chuan work from a western perspective? The West, at present, has nothing similar to ‘Chi’ or ‘life force’ to explain the health benefits of the training; also the ideas of the practice being a martial art and a method of self development are still quite new in the West. Given this, the West primarily views Tai Chi chuan as a ‘low impact’ health exercise.
From the western scientific view point, this low impact exercise works well because of the emphasis on the body’s total relaxation, constant shifting of body weight between the feet, the development of balance due to the various single legged postures and because of the breathing methods which are utilized. All these factors contribute to the arts effectiveness as an effective health method. Even with this relatively limited concept of the art, many benefits have been discovered through recent scientific research. For example, “Tai Chi is gentle and not strenuous, but it has been shown to have a positive effect on muscle strength, flexibility, and balance,” from Harvard’s health education site. Also, “Tai Chi can help a range of disorders including anxiety, arthritis, fatigue, joint stiffness and stress” taken from an Australian Governments health information website. Additionally, a short internet search can bring forth a torrent of recent research that proves Tai Chi Chuan is an excellent method for improving health, beating stress and other related issues. http://www.taichiresearch.com/ makes for interesting reading on this subject.
“
Possibly the two most amazing features of Tai Chi Chuan is its range of benefits and its accessibility to people of all ages and backgrounds
Why is it so accessible?
”
What really sets the Tai Chi Chuan apart is that almost anyone can do it! It can even be adapted for people that are in a wheel chair or bed bound. As you saw in the ‘How it works’ section, Masters like Yang Cheng Fu did an amazing thing, they turned a secretive, highly effective and demanding martial art into a health practice that can be enjoyed by millions of people.
These Masters omitted many difficult moves and fast explosive actions which most people find challenging; they ‘smoothed it out and ‘slowed’ it down so more people could do it. This initial smooth, slow and soft approach of Tai Chi chuan sets it apart, it opens up the training and benefits to a massive amount of people. Contrast this with another martial art like Thai boxing which requires speed, power, excursion and aggression from the outset and which understandably relatively few people can do and you’ll see the difference in approach even more. The ‘soft’ approach of Tai Chi Chuan gives mass appeal and makes it incredibly accessible in addition it’s relaxing and enjoyable almost immediately, so you don’t have to wait a long time to see the benefits.
How it works, conclusion Once Tai Chi Chuan is viewed from the Form, Force, Philosophy and Function standpoint it’s much easier to observe its working’s and even when viewed from the relatively limited view of a ‘low impact exercise’ the benefits are still clear and apparent. So now you know how it works, how will you be able tell ‘Good’ Tai Chi Chuan from ‘Bad’ Tai Chi chuan? Please read on.
The third secret:
How to tell good from bad There’s a lot of choice out there. Today, there is a great variety of Tai Chi Chuan available to you, so how do you tell ‘Great Tai Chi Chuan taught by a great teacher with a lot of experience’ From ‘Sub standard Tai Chi taught by someone who took a weekend course’? There are many ways to tell, and we are going look at a few so later you can make an informed choice as to who train with.
What about the style? There are five major styles of Tai Chi Chuan, as well as some relatively minor styles. The major styles take their name from the families that developed them, these are: Chen, Yang, Wu, Wu Hao, Sun. Their characteristics are as follows: 1. Chen - relatively athletic with low stances and some fast movements 2. 3. 4. 5.
Yang - Slow and even paced with large movements Wu - Very similar to the Yang but smaller more compact movements Wu-Hao - Very small movements and very hard to find outside of China Sun - Small movements and a combination of Tai Chi Chuan and also two other martial arts, Hsing yi Chuan and Bagua Zhang
(Above from left to right a posture from Chen style, Yang Style and the little known Wudang style)
Of course, every practitioner will claim their style is the best but the reality is that they should all deliver good health, combat and cultivation aspects and there are good and bad teachers in all styles. Some will claim that certain styles will suit certain body shapes better for example tall athletic people should do Chen or Yang Style, to a certain degree this may be true, however, I’d add that often a skillful teacher with a good method can adapt their art for the student.
To summarize the styles, I wouldn’t say that one is better than another, they have different characteristics which some people may find preferable, but ultimately they should deliver the same types of benefits.
Look at the teacher I believe this to be a more important than the style. Have a good look at the teacher, • • • • •
Is he healthy? Can he defend himself? Does he have good ethics? Is he happy? Can he teach?!
(For convenience I use ‘he’ of course it could be a ‘she’)
All of these issues are very important questions you should ask before you invest your time and money in training. Some teachers are healthy, however they can’t defend themselves, maybe this doesn’t matter to you if you are just in class for the health benefits but it also means his knowledge of the art is lacking. Some teachers can defend themselves using Tai Chi Chuan, however they aren’t healthy in mind or body, and this means they’ve not applied the basic principle of Yin Yang harmony in their training. Some teachers may not have good ethics or may use crude language, does that bother you? Others have a high level of skill but can’t teach. All of these are factors to consider when you are looking for a good teacher.
Look at students When you attend a class you are thinking of joining, look at the students. Are the students getting the benefits? If the main aim of the class is health and vitality, are the experienced students healthy? This is important because if the students have been training for some years and they’ve not got what’s outlined in the class, their art doesn’t work. Are they happy? Is a good question if you’re looking for self development, after all that’s the point of self development, to feel more comfortable, happy and at ease with yourself and others. Can the students defend themselves? If you are there to learn self defense and you notice the students can’t defend a simple punch you may need to look somewhere else to realize your objectives.
Be clear about the benefits Make use of your time and go to a class where the benefits are outlined clearly.
“
If you know what you are aiming for, You will know when you’ve arrived
”
Ensure that the teacher can let you know what’s on offer, is it health, self defense or combat, or personal development and cultivation, meditation, or is it all of the above? It’s a great help to you if the teacher and students can tell you clearly what the point of the training is, a class like this has direction.
The best Tai Chi Chuan is applied to life If you find a class where all of the aspects are given equal measure, the goals and objectives are clearly outlined and the teacher and students are ‘happy and healthy’ you are ‘in luck’. You are going to be getting some real Tai Chi Chuan. If the above is true and the teacher and students can apply the benefits of their training ‘directly into life’ for their benefit and for others, then you’ve found Tai Chi Chuan at a high level. To summarize, to tell the good from the bad, take a look at • • • •
The teacher, The students, The benefits outlined and whether the training can be applied easily into your life.
As a final bit of advice, ask clear and well thought out questions to help you understand more about the class. So, if you’ve found a class you like, what ‘benefits’ can you expect?
The fourth secret:
How to know what results to expect It’s really important to point out that if you find a Master or instructor that can deliver all the benefits promised of the art in one place, you’re really lucky. Most teachers today focus solely on the health side of things, a few on the combat and even less on personal development. So, let’s look at what each aspect can give you.
The promise of good health Western science has found that Tai Chi Chuan can • • • • •
Reduce stress Improve sleep Improve the immune system Improve feeling of well being Improve balance
Also, • • • • •
Reduce the risk of falls (particularly useful for seniors) Improve brain function Lower blood pressure Decrease chance of heart disease Improve flexibility and movement range in joints
I could go on; needless to say, it’s an incredible system for health. Interestingly, as well as these benefits, I have experienced that high quality Tai Chi Chuan can deliver even more. High quality Tai Chi Chuan can also help overcome many medical health problems, increase your energy levels, give you vitality, increase your mental clarity and make you happier.
How do you know if you are getting these benefits? If you practice great Tai Chi Chuan you should notice a marked increase in your stamina and energy levels through the day, you should generally look and feel fresh and your thought processes should become clearer, you may also be able to view problems with a calmer and more relaxed frame of mind. All of this can greatly add to your quality of life.
Combat and self defense: useful in a fix. When you find an instructor who can really teach usable Tai Chi Chuan combats skills it’s great. There is much to be gained from the martial training of Tai Chi Chuan
(Above martial training in Tai Chi Chuan is fun and open to all) Muscles and agility are not needed for the combat training of Tai Chi Chuan and aggression is to be avoided too, this makes the art very appealing to those of a more ‘gentle’ or ‘peaceful’ nature. The lack of emphasis on physicality and the focus on calmness, softness and skill mean that success in the art can be developed by people of any size or sex. Important training methods for martial Tai Chi training include, Zhan Zhuang, a type of standing Chi Kung to produce power, solo sets, and partner work in the form of applications, combat sequences, push hands, striking hands and sparring, as well as partnered and solo weapons training.
The benefits from such training can include • • • • • • •
Greater energy levels A stronger and more powerful base Ability to think and act under pressure Greater sensitivity to others Increased confidence Increased agility and flexibility The application of strategy in combat training and later, in life
Personal Cultivation: upgrade yourself. Note- The type of Tai Chi Chuan that brings these results can be rare, and at this point you may not even be interested in these ‘deeper’ aspects of the art, which of course is absolutely fine. Id this is true the following still makes for interesting reading.
The highest level of the art is the systematic method of personal development and cultivation within Tai Chi Chuan, which can allow you to: • • •
defeat old negative habits (like worrying) acquire good habits (like compassion for others) increase your happiness and contentment
The benefits of this training mainly come from the Chi Kung and meditative aspects of the art, which can be imbued into every part of the training for instance the ‘form'. Practitioners training at this level perform every movement as an exercise of energy and mind and the results can be delightful. The training can also be focused upon in specific Chi Kung skills within Tai Chi Chuan like ‘Dan Tien’ breathing or in standing or seated meditation. In this training, which is very enjoyable, a deep peace and tranquility can be achieved.
Further benefits from this training include • • • •
Calmness Mental clarity Wisdom An ability to view problems clearly and without attachment (Enjoying the peace of standing meditation known as ‘Wuji’ in Tai Chi Chuan)
Overall, personal development Most of the Tai Chi Chuan that’s available today emphasizes on health, and with good reason, everyone one wants good health! However if you want to super charge your benefits, I’d recommend finding a qualified instructor who can deliver the defense and cultivation aspects of the training too, regardless of whether you interested in these aspects at present, you will gain far more benefits in the long run if these areas are included in your training, as its these aspects that really ‘boost’ the art. Lastly, in regards ‘to what benefits you will get’, it’s important to remember, ‘you will get what you pay for’ I.e. if you go to your nearest class and pay peanuts, you are likely to receive ‘lower grade’ Tai Chi Chuan, as opposed to spending time to find a quality instructor who has a reputation for delivering results and then practicing daily.
The fifth secret:
How to find a great Master/Instructor The Master Tai Chi Chuan Masters and instructors, as in any profession, can range from the ‘elite’ to ‘unqualified’. A good master must be able to demonstrate to you what he teaches. If he or she claims to teach high quality Tai Chi Chuan they must be healthy, be able to defend themselves and have some perceivable level of mental clarity, calmness and happiness. These qualities are simply impossible to attain in a short period of time, for instance over a ‘weekend instructor training’ course. Ideally, the Master should be skillful in his or her art; they should also have a broad and deep knowledge of the subject and be able to answer questions clearly and easily. Their teaching approach should be logical in progression and not hap hazard, they should be happy to pass on information to deserving students. Ideally they should be an embodiment of Tai Chi Chuan, being emotional balanced, full of energy, physically graceful and also happy. Lastly, they should be moral in daily life.
“
“A great master is tolerant, compassionate, courageous, righteous and shows a great love and respect for life” – Grandmaster Wong
To summarize a great Master is... • Skillful • • • •
Knowledgeable Systematic and generous Radiates inspiration Has High moral values
Keep this in mind before dedicating your precious time and you will be well served.
”
A bit more background I truly hope you have found this information interesting and useful. I feel that if I’d had this information 12 years ago it would have sped up my progress significantly and I think I may have found find my Tai Chi Chuan teacher more quickly too. With this in mind, I hope these secrets help you to be more informed with regard to Tai Chi Chuan, and also that it also helps you with your own Tai Chi Chuan journey. The five secrets again were • • • • •
A clear definition of what Tai Chi Chuan is How it works How to tell good from bad How to know what results to expect How to find a great Instructor or Master
These are what I truly believe are the essential nuggets of information you need to start and to succeed on the path. My aim in the future is to help spread information on the benefits of Tai Chi Chuan far and wide, I’ll be doing this through my website and in the future with books while also continuing to teach workshops internationally. Hopefully one day I will see or hear from you personally. In the meantime if you have any questions please email at robin@warriorstrategy.com You can also send a message through the contact form on my site here I wish you the very best Robin p.s You can find the schedule for upcoming Tai Chi Chuan courses taught by myself here I teach a variety of courses, e.g. “How to apply Tai Chi Chuan to your life” p.p.s. Have some questions? Please check out the FAQ’s section of my website. Robin Gamble Head Instructor www.WarriorStrategy.com