Kung Fu – World Tai Chi Day

The crew from Enter Shaolin participated at a local World Tai Chi Day event yesterday. It’s nice to see the Tai Chi community coming together for a day to promote Tai Chi.

Like many when I first learned about Tai Chi I wasn’t very interested in it.

It seemed slow and pretty pointless. That was when I was looking at Tai Chi through the eyes of a person who didn’t understand exactly what it was.

The first 4 years of my training with Sifu Phu he kept suggesting that I start training in Tai Chi Chuan. I tried but I kept loosing interest in doing it.

Finally, after several years of training I hit a plateau in my training. It seemed like no matter what I did, I wasn’t able to stop using force in my martial art training. This really frustrated me because I was practicing all the time. Though, it was like the harder I trained the more difficult it was to soften up.

It was by the time that I hit rock bottom in my training that I gave in physically and emotionally to Tai Chi training. After a couple of years training in Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan I began to notice that my stances where stronger, I felt more connected to my center and I was able to move more quickly.

I got the connection figuratively and physically. My martial art skill literally jumped up 80% in what felt like a moment. What I mean is I was doing my training thing and one day I felt it. I felt myself connected from my toes to my fingers and everything in between.

I was something I never felt before. I wasn’t trying to feel anything I was just at a quite place doing my form and out of nowhere I sensed my body and my surrounding in a way that seemed magnificent words really can’t express what it felt like. After that moment I tried to hold on to that feeling, but I lost it.

Some more time past and every so often I would feel connected. Then one day after dedicated practice I was connected.

…Now fast forward to today

Whenever I practice any aspect of my martial art I can feel Chi (Qi) move throughout my body. I instantly can feel rooted and connected. This has changed my skill level tremendously.

Now I practice my Tai Chi as often as I can because now I can feel what it’s all about. To a impatient beginner Tai Chi can seem boring or even pointless. From personal experience you need to leave your ego at the door and just focus on learning.

…With that said,

if not for any other reason there is a lot of documentation on the health benefits of Tai Chi especially as you approach middle to old age that the benefits of doing Tai Chi out weigh the benefits of not doing it.

So go ahead and do some Tai Chi it won’t hurt you…

Hanging out with my Enter Shaolin Family