The prevalence of the oldest schools of learning on dynamic principles of today is believed to be the aftermath of the ongoing and ever-rising practice in Tai Chi. The term Tai Chi originates from the Tai Ji symbol which is commonly known in the Western World as the Yin and Yang.

Core training has two features primarily: the solo form, which emphasizes slow sequence of movements maintaining a straight and firm spine, range of motion and fine abdominal breathing; and the Push Hands which involve training of the principles of movement in a more practical and convenient way.

By incorporating solo form in Tai Chi training, the students go through a natural and complete range of motion over gravity’s center. With constant practice, the solo form of Tai Chi benefits the student with good and proper posture, improved flexibility, and better their body’s blood circulation. Moreover, it gives students’ focus and prepares them for an even more rigid form along the course of Tai Chi training.

Major styles of traditional Tai Chi have forms that somewhat differ from the others in its presentation. Some differ in the wave of the hands, in the position of the legs, the reaction of the body and the pace of the movement. But these things don’t matter at all because what is important to Tai Chi practice is that it benefits not just your body but your mind as well. And besides, there are still many similarities coming from the point of their common origin that are obvious enough to recognize, anyway.

Solo forms, weapons and empty-hands are the basics in learning just about any form of martial arts application. This is in preparation for students for their self-defense training.

The philosophy goes: if one becomes stiff and equally uses hardness in attending to violence, otherwise resisting it, then it is expected that both sides can be injured at a certain degree. An injury like that is a Tai Chi theory that coincides with the consequence of fighting brute with brute, which, in Tai Chi is far beyond the right attitude and style.

Unlike in other martial arts wherein force is applied to some measure, in Tai Chi, students are taught that instead of battling it out or directly resisting an incoming force, they should meet it with the most subtle movements and softness, following every attacking motion and in the end, exhausting the attacking force. This is all done while remaining at a close contact manner. This is the principle wherein the yin and yang is applied. If this method is done correctly, the yin-yang balance in combating is the primary goal of training Tai Chi.

Aside from discipline, Tai Chi schools also put their concentration on how the energy of a striking person will bring damage to his opponent. Say for example, you can use your palm to hit your opponent looking the same and performing the same but with a different impact on the target.

A palm can strike and push the person either forward or backward. It is done in such a way that the opponents are lifted vertically from the ground thus breaking and deforming their center of gravity.

Then, you can finish your opponent with a final blow bringing traumatic internal damage.

Want to better your Tai Chi skills? Check out Tai Chi Los Angeles, a Tai Chi organization in Los Angeles aiming to spread the understanding of the fundamentals of Tai Chi and bringing it into a worldwide practice.