Restoring balance

By Sun Shuangjie Source:Global Times Published: 2013-11-17 19:43:01

Tai Chi is believed to help strengthen the body and facilitate the rehabilitation of patients. Photos: Cai Xianmin/GT and courtesy of jiyuntaichi.com

Tai Chi is believed to help strengthen the body and facilitate the rehabilitation of patients. Photos: Cai Xianmin/GT and courtesy of jiyuntaichi.com


Tai Chi, or taijiquan, which literally translates to "supreme ultimate fist," enjoys a history of more than 600 years and still thrives today. Although nowadays you will probably only see a Tai Chi master defeat another martial arts practitioner in a period drama on TV, it's still common to witness the ancient discipline being practiced by retirees in neighborhood parks.

As a martial art that draws on traditional Chinese theories of channels in the body and the ancient skills of breathing and directing one's qi, Tai Chi is believed to help strengthen the body and facilitate the rehabilitation of patients.

Most forms of Tai Chi practiced today developed from five traditional family styles, the oldest being the Chen family-style.

In the eyes of professional practitioners, Tai Chi is not just an exercise for old people, but a practice that can benefit people of all ages. We've found three organizations in the city that offer Tai Chi classes.

I-Taiching

It's no secret that a number of Chinese entrepreneurs are avid adherents of Tai Chi, among them Alibaba founder Ma Yun and Mengniu Dairy founder Niu Gensheng.

Shanghai-based I-Taiching was set up by Tai Chi master Huang Zhongda in 2006. After an investment from Fosun Group, I-Taiching expanded its operations to Beijing and Chengdu and is now the largest organization in China promoting Tai Chi for its health benefits.

A former businessman, Huang started to learn Chen-style Tai Chi in 2000 and refined his practice under the instruction of several Tai Chi masters. Aiming to promote the exercise in a professional and standard way, Huang established his first Tai Chi venue at Shanghai Stadium (1/F, Regal Shanghai East Asia Hotel, 800 Lingling Road, 5425-7546). Fosun Group chairman Guo Guangchang was one of his earliest students.

Huang believes the essence of Tai Chi lies in its philosophy of balance - yin and yang. Only when practitioners master this philosophy will they be able to properly perform Tai Chi movements, which in turn will benefit their mind and body.

The reason why the seemingly gentle and nonaggressive exercise can generate forceful power and defend the practitioner from harm is that each movement in Tai Chi strikes a balance between yin and yang.

The main characteristic of I-Taiching is its standardization of movements and guidance texts, which does not allow for deviation in movements. However, movements are simplified for beginners so that they can learn easy forms in a couple of months.

"We don't evaluate the efficiency of learners via their speed, but their understanding and feeling of the balance in their body," Cheng Peng, channel director of I-Taiching, told the Global Times. Refining the movements with the understanding of the guidance text takes much longer than simply memorizing the movements.

A 10,000-yuan ($1,641) annual membership fee at I-Taiching grants access to scheduled group classes held daily. VIP membership costs 30,000 yuan and allows students to make a reservation with their teacher for smaller classes of one to three students.

Tai Chi is believed to help strengthen the body and facilitate the rehabilitation of patients. Photos: Cai Xianmin/GT and courtesy of jiyuntaichi.com

Tai Chi is believed to help strengthen the body and facilitate the rehabilitation of patients. Photos: Cai Xianmin/GT and courtesy of jiyuntaichi.com


Heirs of masters

Sun Yichan used to teach Tai Chi amateurs in local parks, but now the 13th generation practitioner of Chen-style Tai Chi has found a fixed location in Hongkou district.

Located in a quiet lane near Hongkou Football Stadium, Ji Yun Tai Chi Studio (Suite E1, 188 Dongjiangwan Road, 5666-6390) is run by Sun Yichan's master, Sun Jiaxiong, himself a disciple of Chen Zhenglei, a revered 11th generation inheritor of the Chen style.

Recognized by Shanghai Chin Woo Athletic Federation as one of the martial arts teaching bases in the city, the studio was officially opened in July after three months of trial operation. Here Sun Jiaxiong and his disciples offer Tai Chi classes to people of all ages.

"We teach the most authentic Tai Chi movements of the Chen style. The study begins with some basic movements, and then we introduce abdominal breathing skills," said Sun Yichan, the manager of the studio who started to learn Chinese martial arts at the age of 6. She noted that emphasizing breathing at the beginning is distracting for new practitioners, who should focus the pace of their movements.

Unlike the standardization of I-Taiching, Ji Yun emphasizes the personal feelings of each performer. Sun said each movement should be made when the practitioners feel comfortable with it, and as time goes by, their movement will gradually improve.

Classes at Ji Yun start from 15,000 yuan per year. Teachers have no more than six students in one class. One-to-one classes are also available. The venue is open free to members.

Next to the main building of the venue, Ji Yun also runs a tea house where members can listen to lectures about traditional Chinese culture on a regular basis.

Tai Chi is believed to help strengthen the body and facilitate the rehabilitation of patients. Photos: Cai Xianmin/GT and courtesy of jiyuntaichi.com

Tai Chi is believed to help strengthen the body and facilitate the rehabilitation of patients. Photos: Cai Xianmin/GT and courtesy of jiyuntaichi.com



Academic force

Since 2005, Shanghai University of Sport (200 Hengren Road, 182-2117-1148) has been running one-month Tai Chi training programs, offering courses of different levels.

Led by Wang Kaiyuan, a 12th generation master of Chen-style Tai Chi and an award-winning practitioner in nationwide competitions, the teaching team are all professional coaches from Shanghai University of Sport.

Courses are available from beginner level to mid and advanced levels. They start from 1,500 yuan per program and last from one to three months. Classes are usually held at weekends.

Wang, who speaks fluent English, also offers one-to-one instruction, which costs 350 yuan to 800 yuan per class.



Posted in: Metro Shanghai

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