Benefits of Tai Chi Chuan

Breaking free...

The core benefits of practicing Tai Chi Chuan are increased strength, balance, energy and vitality; and hence better health and joy in life.
Benefits will be individual as our training time is limited.
Practicing at home will  increase the positive impact that the training can have on your life.

Physical Benefits

• More strength, flexibility, agility and sense of balance
  
• Better posture and decreased body-tension, often leading to relief of muscle pain or tension-related illness
• Increased internal energy - this usually leads to strengthening of the circulatory, cardiovascular and immune system and detoxifies the organ system of the body
• Boost for your metabolism - often leading to re-tuning of the body regarding eating habits, weight management, etc.

Mental benefits

• Increased mental agility
  
• More balance and focus
  
• Increased memory-power (by memorising moves and forms)
• Using your right brain (where creativity and intuition comes from) through meditation and imagination exercises
  

Everyday life

• More self-confidence - experience more enjoyment about who you are
  
• Ability to manage stress in new and more successful ways
  
• New approaches on how to handle the tensions and conflicts of everyday life - by integrating yin and yang (the hard and the soft approaches)
• New friendships and inspiration by spending time with a wonderful set of people

How about Self Defence?

Tai Chi Chuan is a very effective and powerful martial arts system. However, to use it for self-defence in modern times, we would have to train in very intense ways; several hours per day. Still - some training is better than nothing - and training certainly increases your alertness and awareness of dangerous situations.
More importantly - the training will help you avoid or neutralise tense and aggressive situations.

Sun Tzu, in his famous book The Art of War said: "To win without fighting is the best victory". We would like to take this a step further and say; What you learn in our school is not fighting or winning at any price, but increasing your ability to create win-win situations and non-aggressive problem-solving in your life; which is based on a grounded, healthy self-confidence.
 

In our school, we have a broad approach to "self-defence". Nowadays, the 'attacks' on our bodies and minds often are more complex than physical assaults.
Environmental pollution, bad food, poisonous substances in our everyday products, stress, toxic relationships etc. - all these can threaten our health. We can support our bodies and minds in their struggle to fend off these negative influences. Making ourselves stronger (not just in our bodies, but also developing inner strength) and being more relaxed, balanced and joyful are excellent defence strategies against these kind of dangers.

Benefits for other Martial Artists

Even if you are an experienced Martial Artist of a so-called external style (Karate, Tae Kwando, Boxing, Mixed Martial Arts, etc.): Practicing some Tai Chi Chuan can considerably improve your ability and can help you overcome performance barriers.
Tai Chi Chuan's slow and fluid approach to training is - paradoxically - a core ingredient of developing speed and power. There is some great truth in the Shaolin saying: "You have to slow down to speed up".

Interview with one of our students

Ken attends our 50+ class and the Advance class outdoors.

Ken, you have attended the Silverwing Shaolin school for almost two years now. Why did you start Tai Chi Chuan?
I started Tai Chi Chuan because I had practiced various styles of martial arts (and I still do): Shotokan, Tae Kwon Do and Wu Shu Kwan. 
I have always been interested in Tai Chi Chuan as a more 'internal' style; It is soft and flowing, but a very strong system. When I saw the Silver Wing flyer, I thought I would "give it a go".
 
Can you remember how you felt at the beginning? How was it to start?
Of course when you start anything new there is always a sense of uncertainty, of not knowing what to expect. However, that disappeared as soon as I got started. It is a very friendly group and you can work at your own pace. It is intense and focused, but there is no pressure whatsoever. I have made new friends... not only in the classes but also on the social side.

"Tai Chi is not to fight, but to discipline your mind and body, it is the story of the spirit."

What do you get out of it?
I like learning a new style martial art and get a lot out of learning the "forms" and practicing foundation techniques. There is also the spiritual side which I find very calming. And I also appreciate the chance for me to pass on my (limited) knowledge to new students. Tai Chi is not to fight but to discipline your mind and body, it is the story of the spirit.
 
What do you like about the class?
I like the chance to practice Tai Chi with distinguished instructors. Everything is clear with a lot of explanations and practical instruction. You can work at your own pace and aptitude, as they say: you only get out what you put in. The social side to the group is a bonus: good conversations and regular social gatherings.