Tai Chi Chuan (or Taijiquan) is an exercise that improves balance, flexibility, cardiovascular health and the immune system. It is also known as “Moving Meditation” since we practice slow, fluid, circular and centered Martial Arts and Qigong movements with a relaxed body and mind. Harvard Medical School says Tai Chi is one of the best exercises you can do for your health. It helps the recovery from chronic stroke, heart failure, high blood pressure, heart attacks, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and fibromyalgia and reduces the risk of falls, stress and the symptoms of Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder in adolescents.

Tai Chi forms, Push Hands (Partner Tai Chi) and Tai Chi Basics/ Mechanics/ Dynamics (which include a Tai Chi form as well as Tai Chi philosophy, principles and additional exercises) that I teach in Cyprus and Istanbul are recommended to be studied with the sequence below but you can start learning any other way that is most convenient for you. Enthusiasts of all levels of experience are welcome to join weekly classes, half/full day intensives, multi-day camps and one-to-one training.

Tai Chi Training

TAI CHI BASICS (6 HOURS)

Warm-ups
8 Steps Yang Style Tai Chi
10 Essentials of Tai Chi: 1-2
Bow Step, Empty Step, Parallel Step
Taiji, Yin-Yang, Taijiquan, Wuji
Four Powers: Peng, Lü, Ji, An
Standing Tree Qigong and Wuji Stance
Closing

TAI CHI MECHANICS (12 HOURS)

Warm-ups
16 Steps Yang Style Tai Chi
10 Essentials of Tai Chi: 3-6
Waist, Foot and Leg Mechanics
Metal, Water and Horse Riding (Mabu) Stances
Cat Walk
Backward Walk
Dantian Closing

TAI CHI DYNAMICS (18 HOURS)

Warm-ups
24 Steps Yang Style Tai Chi
10 Essentials of Tai Chi: 7-10
Applications of movements
8 Brocades
Wuji, Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth Stances and Power Tests
Sideways Walk
Ending-Beginning and Muscle Dynamics
Self-massage

OTHER TAI CHI TRAINING

8/16/24 Steps Yang Style Tai Chi
13/38 Steps Sun Style Tai Chi
42 Steps Combined Styles Tai Chi
16/32 Steps Yang Style Tai Chi Sword

Push Hands (Partner Training)

Tai Chi Instructor Training

Yang Style Tai Chi

Yang Style is the most popular Tai Chi style, developed by Yang Lu-chan during mid 1800’s. It has wider stances and more open hand and arm positions in relation to other Tai Chi styles. Click for Yang Style Tai Chi Lineage

8 Steps Yang Style Tai Chi

International Wushu Federation (IWUF) has developed the 8 steps form by bringing together the relatively easier movements of Yang Style. It can easily be learned at any age and takes only a few minutes to do the 8 movements. Therefore it’s an ideal exercise for beginners and for those with busy schedules. This is the form that you learn in Tai Chi Basics training.

16 Steps Yang Style Tai Chi

Again developed by IWUF for beginners, 16 Steps is the next form for students to develop their knowledge and skills. Most of the movements can be learned and applied with ease. You can feel the wide, expansive and circular movements of the Yang Style better in 16 Steps Tai Chi. This is the form we practice in Tai Chi Mechanics.

24 Steps Yang Style Tai Chi

Is developed by Li Tian Ji in 1956, who was appointed by Chinese Sports Committee to create a simplified form of Taijiquan based on the traditional Yang style Tai Chi with the aim to promote an effective health exercise that can be practiced by the majority of the general public. The resulting 24 Steps Yang Style Tai Chi movements take about 6 minutes to perform and train the students on most of the essential elements of Taijiquan. It is also known as Beijing Form or Simplified Form and is the most popular Tai Chi form all over the world. It takes more time and dedication to learn compared to the 8 & 16 Step forms but still can be learned and practised by beginners. This is the form that you learn in Tai Chi Dynamics training.

Sun Style Tai Chi

Sun style Tai Chi is one of the five traditional schools of Tai Chi characterized by nimble steps, opening and closing of hands, gentle and graceful movements executed with an even speed and the emphasise on self-rejuvenation and energy work. There is no power exertion or jumping. Advancing or retreating steps are usually followed by a half step, and bow stances are only occasional. Body weight doesn’t stay on one leg for too long. Relaxed mental focus is more important than physical exertion. Gentle postures and high stances make it a safe health and energy cultivation exercise.

Sun Style Tai Chi was created in the early 20th century by the famous Martial Arts Master Sun Lu Tang, who was a Xingyiquan and Bagua Zhang Master and a scholar of Yi Jing and the Tai Chi classics. When Sun Lu Tang was about 50 years old and already a well-known expert of Bagua and Xingyi he started to learn Wu (Hao) Style Tai Chi from Hao Weizhen. He saw Tai Chi, Xingyi and Bagua as one family of internal arts and combined Bagua Zhang’s stepping method, Xingyiquan’s leg and waist methods and Taijiquan’s body softness in his Sun Style Tai Chi. Sun Style Tai Chi lineage

13 Steps Sun Style Tai Chi

Is the ideal form for beginners with its easy and characteristic movements of Sun Style Tai Chi.

38 Steps Sun Style Tai Chi

Was developed by Professor Li Deyin and Tary Yip in 1996 and is based on the traditional Sun Style Tai Chi movements.

42 Steps Combined Styles Tai Chi

Professor Li Deyin, creator of 42 Steps Combined Tai Chi form

42 Steps Combined Tai Chi Form (or Competition Form) is the standard Wushu competition form which combines movements from the 4 traditional Taijiquan styles: Yang, Chen, Wu, and Sun. It was created in 1989 by Professor Li Deyin from the People’s University and Professor Men Hui Feng from The Beijing Sport Institute who were asked by the Chinese Sports Committee to form a standard competition form.

At the 11th Asian Games of 1990, Wushu (Martial Arts) was included as an item for competition for the first time with the 42 Form being chosen to represent Tai Chi. The chief judge of this competition was Professor Li Deyin as the developer of the form.

Sometimes also called 42 Steps Competition Form Tai Chi, it is a very effective health exercise because it improves flexibility, power and coordination. 42 Steps is more dynamic and powerful compared to 8, 16 and 24 Steps.

Tai Chi Sword (Taijijian)

Tai Chi Sword (Taijijian) practice has all the well-known health benefits of Tai Chi hand forms. It further improves your skills, coordination, balance and focus because the movements include sword techniques that you do with a wooden or metal sword.

16 Steps Yang Style Tai Chi Sword

Is the shortest Tai Chi Sword form. It combines Yang Style Tai Chi’s wide and open stances and curved movements with sword techniques.

32 Steps Yang Style Tai Chi Sword

Includes more challenging movements in relation to the 16 Steps Sword form and is the most popular Yang Style Tai Chi Sword form. Is developed by Li Tian Ji, who was the creator of 24 Steps Yang Stili Tai Chi hand form.

Tai Chi Stick (Taiji Yangsheng Zhang)

Taiji Yangsheng Zhang (Tai Chi Life Nourishing Stick) was developed by the Chinese Health Qigong Association based on yin-yang and human-nature harmony to promote a healthy and long life. Tai Chi Stick exercise consists of eight graceful, slow and flowing movements done with a stick that becomes an extension of the body.

These movements strengthen the internal organs, muscles, tendons, joints, correct the posture, increase flexibility, and balance the energy by massaging the energy points and meridians with the stick, and by directing the mind, breath and energy with Tai Chi principles.

Pushing Hands

Pushing Hands is a two-person Tai Chi training that improves sensitivity, coordination, balance, flexibility, and physical strength.

It improves the “listening” skill – the sensitivity to feel the direction and strength of your partner’s intention, and yielding and redirecting it instead of resisting force with force.

Check the EVENTS to see Tai Chi classes in Cyprus and Turkey.

Research on the Health Benefits of Tai Chi

Research on the Qigong & Tai Chi exercise that I developed for sleep apnea

One of my students, Gülhan Yılmaz Gökmen, carried out a research on the effects of the 60 minutes long Qigong & Tai Chi routine that I created for sleep apnea at the Sleep Disorders Center, Department of Pulmonology, Medical School, Bezmialem Vakıf University, Istanbul, Turkey during 2016-17.

25 adult sleep apnea patients received training of my routine for 1 hour, three times per week, for 12 weeks and a home exercise program was provided for another 2 days. The control group of another 25 adult patients received only a home exercise program for 12 weeks, 5 days per week. The study results suggest that my Tai Chi & Qigong sleep apnea routine may reduce AHI and daytime sleepiness, while improving subjective sleep quality, in patients with mild and moderate obstructive sleep apnea.

Other research on health benefits of Tai Chi

  1. Tai Chi has beneficial effects on cardiorespiratory and musculoskeletal function, posture control capacity, and the reduction of falls experienced by the elderly. .
  2. Tai Chi can help maintain strength, flexibility, and balance.
  3. Tai Chi is more effective than aerobic exercise at reducing blood pressure in patients with prehypertension.
  4. Tai Chi shows potential to enhance cognitive function in older adults.
  5. Tai chi beats back depression in the elderly
  6. Tai Chi improves T cell helper function of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus with an increase in T-bet transcription factor and IL-12 production
  7. Tai chi may be a useful treatment for fibromyalgia.
  8. Tai Chi may enhance quality of life, exercise capacity, and sleep stability in patients with chronic heart failure.
  9. Tai Chi training appears to reduce balance impairments in patients with mild-to-moderate Parkinson’s disease, with additional benefits of improved functional capacity and reduced falls.
  10. Tai Chi has benefits in health promotion and has potential role as an alternative therapy in neurological, rheumatological, orthopedic, and cardiopulmonary diseases. Tai Chi is effective in enhancing aerobic capacity, muscular strength, and balance and in improving cardiovascular risk factors.
  11. Tai Chi may reduce anxiety and depression and increase bone mineral density after menopause.
  12. Stroke patients who practice tai chi may improve their balance
  13. Tai Chi significantly raises immunity to shingles virus
  14. Five of the best exercises you can ever do- Harvard Medical School list
  15. Tai Chi helps boost memory

The Meaning of Tai Chi

Taoist (Daoist) philosophy says there was emptiness before the creation of the universe. This is called “Wu Chi (Wuji)” which means no-thing or no-limit and is represented by an empty circle. Then, a differentiation took place in this no-thing and a form is created. This is shown by a dot in the centre of the circle. This creation brings differentiation, which forms the polarities, the duality. These two poles are called yin and yang. Yin and yang change in relation to each other and create each other all the time. Tai Chi (Taiji) is the symbol that shows these two polarities.

Wuji (Wu Chi), First Differentiation, and Taiji (Tai Chi)

The Chinese characters that make the word Tai Chi 太極 (Taiji 太极), convey the meanings “boundless, ultimate, supreme ultimate”. We can think of it as the highest principle that creates all form. This principle includes yin and yang. Movement represents yang. When the movement reaches its extreme, it gives birth to stillness (yin). The extreme of stillness (yin) in turn creates movement (yang) once again.

As can be seen from the symbol above, when the two polarities (yin and yang) reach their maximum, they create the seed of their opposite. The word Chuan (quan) is martial arts. Therefore, Tai Chi Chuan (Taijiquan) is an internal martial arts where this highest principle is applied.

Tai Chi is based on the balance and change of yin (passive) and yang (active) elements and therefore reflects the balance of forward-backward, up-down, expansion-contraction, attack-defence etc. In Tai Chi you never meet brute force with resistance but follow the motion while remaining in contact until it exhausts itself or you can redirect it. This is based on the ancient Taoist principle that soft (yin) overcomes the hard (yang) and any movement transforms into its opposite when it reaches the extreme.

Since the movements in the Tai Chi practice are initiated and lead by internal energy (qi or chi) rather than hard muscle movements, we also learn a little Qigong in our Tai Chi classes and focus more on the health benefits and strengthening of internal energy, rather than martial applications.

Tai Chi Instructor Training

Tai Chi Instructors

Qigong & Tai Chi Music