| Ever thought about finding Tai Chi lessons online? | | | | Chen, Yang, and Wu style already mentioned, |
| Clearly while a live teacher is much more | | | | there is also the Hao, Sun, Fu, and Chen Panling |
| preferable, many people don't have the time and | | | | forms. All these styles share both a common |
| or the money for weekly classes. And some | | | | beginning and the same principles. Among these |
| people simply don't even have a tai chi school | | | | principles are: relaxation, extension, continuity, |
| near them. And if I'm going to be completely | | | | structure, and intention. Truly, these concepts are |
| honest to you (and you wouldn't have it any | | | | the "wine inside the bottle." |
| other way, would you?), many so-called tai chi | | | | An odd but little known fact (little known to the |
| teachers have only scratched the surface of their | | | | health and wellness crowd) is that Tai Chi was |
| training. That is to say many teachers only | | | | originally best known as a fighting system. In fact, |
| learned the first level- the choreography. While | | | | in his book, Yang style master Chen Weiming |
| this is o.k., it's sort of like a bottle of wine. The | | | | wrote: "Everyone knows of Tai Chi's marvelous |
| bottle is a great container, but what you really | | | | skill for fighting. But hardly anyone knows just |
| want is the delicious liquid inside. It's the same with | | | | how good Tai Chi is for one's health." Now, of |
| tai chi. What you want is the health maintaining, | | | | course, just the opposite is true! |
| life enhancing, inside stuff. So what do you do if | | | | So, if you are like many and are looking for |
| you can't or won't go to a local tai chi school? A | | | | excellent tai chi lessons online, it's best to choose |
| modern alternative is to find a place that offers | | | | one of the more established schools mentioned |
| good, quality tai chi lessons online. | | | | above. The Yang style is most popular, with its |
| Tai Chi is thought to have been developed first | | | | wide open and flowing movements. One favorite |
| by the Chen family in northern China. Later it was | | | | teacher is Master |
| popularized by the Yang and Wu families. There | | | | Chan of Singapore. For more information about |
| are several well known (and a few not so well | | | | Master Chan and Tai Chi lessons online, see the |
| known) family style of Tai Chi. Along with the | | | | link in my author's box below. |