Tai chi chuan
Eddie Wu: Grasp Bird's Tail
Tai chi chuan "Supreme Ultimate Fist" is an internal Chinese martial art often practiced for health reasons. It is also typically practiced for a variety of other personal reasons: its hard and soft martial art technique, demonstration competitions, and longevity. Consequently, a multitude of training forms exist, both traditional and modern, which correspond to those aims. Some of tai chi chuan's training forms are well known to Westerners as the slow motion routines that groups of people practice together every morning in parks around the world, particularly in China.Today, tai chi has spread worldwide. Most modern styles of tai chi trace their development to at least one of the five traditional schools: Chen, Yang, Wu/Hao, Wu and Sun.
Tai chi training primarily involves learning solo routines, known as forms (taolu). While the image of tai chi chuan in popular culture is typified by exceedingly slow movement, many tai chi styles (including the three most popular, Yang, Wu and Chen) have secondary forms of a faster pace. Some traditional schools of tai chi teach partner exercises known as "Pushing Hands", and martial applications of the forms' postures.
Medical studies of tai chi support its effectiveness as an alternative exercise and a form of martial arts therapy.
Focusing the mind solely on the movements of the form purportedly helps to bring about a state of mental calm and clarity. Besides general health benefits and stress management attributed to tai chi training, aspects of traditional Chinese medicine are taught to advanced tai chi students in some traditional schools.
Some martial arts, especially the Japanese martial arts, require students to wear a uniform during practice. Tai chi chuan schools do not generally require a uniform, but both traditional and modern teachers often advocate loose, comfortable clothing and flat-soled shoes
Other training exercises include:
· Weapons training and fencing applications employing the straight sword known as the jian or chien or gim (jiàn ), a heavier curved sabre, sometimes called a broadsword or tao (dāo , which is actually considered a big knife), folding fan also called san, wooden staff (2m. in length) known as kun , 7 foot (2 m) spear and 13 foot (4 m) lance (both called qiāng). More exotic weapons still used by some traditional styles are the large Dadao or Ta Tao and Pudao or P'u Tao sabres, halberd (jǐ), cane, rope-dart, three sectional staff, Wind and fire wheels, lasso, whip, chain whip and steel whip.
· Two-person tournament sparring (as part of push hands competitions and/or Sanshou )
· Breathing exercises; nei kung ( nèigōng) or, more commonly, ch'i kung (qìgōng) to develop ch'i (qì) or "breath energy" in coordination with physical movement and post standing or combinations of the two. These were formerly taught only to disciples as a separate, complementary training system. In the last 60 years they have become better known to the general public.