Tai Chi Chaun

Background:

Yang style Tai Chi (Taiji), an ancient Chinese martial art for physical and mental health. Literally the "supreme ultimate fist." The fist is a symbol of "using the body to train the body/mind/spirit." The thinking behind it makes it many things for many people. For some, it is a martial art; for others, it is relaxation, a form of meditation, a way of expressing themselves. Still, others just enjoy the movement.

Sifu Gary Alon Rogoff practiced Tai Chi for over 25 years. First under Leo Ming and student of Master Jardine, and from 2006 directly under Master Jardine. Sifu Jardine was the first non-Japanese to be awarded the title of Shihan (master) in both Tai Chi and Ryu Kyu Kobojutsu. Shihan has been involved in the martial arts for more than 50 years.

The society is the oldest running Tai Chi school in South Africa and has branches throughout the country as well as Mauritius, the United States, Britain, Australia, Canada, Greece and now in Jerusalem, Israel.

A significant benefit of Tai Chi is the nature of its practice, which makes it suitable for students to begin at any age. Students range in age from 15 to more than 80.

Tai Chi also has many health benefits.

Diligent practice will increase flexibility and overall body strength and promote robustness and general good health and resistance to disease. Regular practice of Tai Chi helps to slow the aging process. It also helps to reduce stress and increase concentration. Common health issues such as back pain, poor circulation, and painful joints are often resolved within a short time.

Jardine says Tai Chi doesn't cure anyone of anything. "It is simply a system for toning and balancing the body, and creating the environment in which it can heal itself,"

he continues;

"Possibly the supreme ultimate reason for training is to understand our oneness and to learn to live in harmony with the universe"

The spiritual head of the society is Grandmaster Duan Yu Chang, who lived in Taiwan, and originally came from Hubei Province in the People's Republic of China. He was descended from a teaching lineage that can be traced back to the grandson of Yang Lu Chan, the founder of Yang style Tai Chi.

Grandmaster Duan Yu Chang says simply:

"Train Tai Chi principles

into your body and into your heart".

Edward Jardine Sifu says there are only three secrets to success in Tai Chi:

"Practise, practice, practise".

Tai Chi is a complete, integrated, physical, mental, and spiritual martial art that fosters the natural development of the whole person.

It is also a form of exercise based on the wisdom of yin and yang (complementary opposites), that conditions body and mind at the same time.

It is classed as an internal martial art form that stresses using softness to overcome hardness. One of the current thinking of Tai Chi is to try to use four ounces to overcome a thousand pounds.

' To know others, first know self,

For heart beats like heart '

(Old Chinese saying)

There are different styles of Tai Chi, many of them identified by family names. Yang style, after Yang Lu Chan is the most widespread in the world today. There are also Wu style, Sun style, and Chen style, each with a different emphasis on speed and size of the movement.

Whatever the style, an essential aspect is a cultivation, storage, and circulation of natural energy called chi, in and outside for a healthier body/mind.

The Tai Chi form is a series of movements that all have martial art applications. Many of the moves have names that relate to animals and nature. Quite possibly, this is because people in the past studied animals and the rest of nature. The form includes punching, kicking, locking and grappling, in fact, all the elements found in other forms of martial arts such as karate, aikido, taekwondo, Shaolin, and other martial arts.

Yang style Tai Chi Chuan is usually practiced slowly. However, depending on the time available and the purpose of training, the form can also be speeded up.

Slowing down allows students to become aware of themselves and their surroundings.

It is also a form of exercise based on the wisdom of yin and yang (complementary opposites), that conditions body and mind at the same time.

It is classed as an internal martial art form that stresses using softness to overcome hardness. One of the current thinking of Tai Chi is to try to use four ounces to overcome a thousand pounds.

"You can't admire the flowers

on a galloping horse."

(Old Chinese saying)

Slowing down and silence . . . are in themselves a big lesson from the hustle and bustle of modern society. They are essential elements for self-defense.

"The quieter you become, the more you will be able to hear," says Jardine Sifu. "Tai Chi teaches you to be calm and relaxed while interacting with other people. Relaxation helps you to melt into the eternal moment - the past, present, and future."

At the heart of Tai Chi training is "to know yourself", says Jardine Sifu. In so doing, you get to know others and the world around you. In this way, you can be in a better position to "feel things happen before they happen," and to anticipate, pre-empt and neutralize problems and conflict situations before they arise.

Aim: