Anta's Fitness And Self Defense will now be offering classes in Chen Style Tai Chi. These classes will be taught by Mr. Sergio Betancourt. Mr. Betancourt has been practicing Tai Chi since 1995. He is currently a student of Mr. Yan Gaofei, head of the World Taoist League. The style of Chen Tai Chi that he will be teaching is the Lao Da Jia or "Large Frame" method of Chen Tai Chi Chuan, as passed down through Mr. Yan Gaofei from his instructor, Grandmaster Chen Guanzhong. The Large Frame method is characterized by low stances, along with large and expansive circular movements of the limbs. This method of practice aids greatly in developing full range-of-motion joint mobility, improving the circulation of blood and chi to the extremities, and the strengthening of the leg muscles. Each class session will last 1 hour, and the classes will consist of wuji standing meditation, silk reeling exercises, chi kung, and forms practice.

Tai Chi Chuan, translated as Supreme Ultimate Fist, and popularly called Tai Chi, is a Chinese system of self defense and health promotion. Although the underlying philosophy of Tai Chi is based primarily on the health cultivation and cosmological principles of Taoism, Tai Chi is an exercise form practiced throughout the world by people of all religions and denominations.

Although there are numerous origin stories, the historical record indicates that Tai Chi was created during the early 17th century by General Chen Wang Ting. Having left military service after the collapse of the Ming Dynasty, he retired to his home village and synthesized a fighting style that incorporated many of the martial arts systems popular at the time. For several hundred years, this method evolved into the kung fu system practiced by the members of the Chen village. Eventually, Chen family members began teaching their system to outsiders. Additionally, during the early part of the 20th century, several high-level practitioners of the Chen style left their village and promoted the art throughout the capital cities of Beijing and Nanjing, as well as other Chinese cities. This further popularized the art outside of the Chen village. As the art's popularity increased, numerous styles and lineages emerged and spread out across China, and eventually the world. Today the most popular systems of Tai Chi are the Chen, Yang (the most popular in the world), Wu (Chien-chuan) ,Wu (Hao), and Sun styles.

All styles of Tai Chi lay great emphasis upon practicing forms. A form is a series of movements strung together in a sequence. Different Tai Chi styles have different forms. Some styles have only one long form, while others have numerous short forms. Most styles also contain weapons forms. Martial artists coming from Japanese, Korean, or Chinese systems will recognize the Tai Chi form as being a training tool almost identical to their katas, kuens, or forms. The form, in addition to other supplementary exercises and training methods, is the vessel which the Tai Chi practitioner fills with the "Internal" principles of Taoism.

In keeping true to its Taoist philosophical basis, the most important principle of Tai Chi is for the practitioner to try and maintain correct "Structure and Alignment" while moving. This postural principle is called Wuji. Wuji is first practiced within special practices which include standing meditation, silk reeling exercises, and the form, but eventually this principle is extended into other aspects of training, including push hands, sparring, and self defense. The high level practitioner will incorporate Wuji into everyday life. The Tai Chi practitioner strives to align his or her body correctly, perpendicular to the force of gravity, by relaxing and letting go of all excess tension. This process of striving to attain Wuji, often refered to as Sinking, is what facilitates and strengthens the flow of blood and Chi (The Internal Energy) throughout the body. The importance of this principle of structure and alignment cannot be emphasized enough. There are many who think that the value of Tai Chi comes from just relaxing and moving slowly. This view presents an incomplete picture. While it is true that relaxation is an integral part of Tai Chi practice, and that moving slowly can sometimes make us feel more calm and relaxed, and hence "better", this feeling of wellbeing, brought about when we attempt to slow things down, is only an indicator of just how stressed out and reved up we are during our normal life. In order to manifest those true deep-level, health restoration, and life enhancing qualities that Tai Chi is famous for, great empahsis has to be placed on practicing with the proper Wuji alignment. Due to the difficulty in attempting to keep correct posture while moving or holding static postures, the form is practiced slowly until the structural requirements become second nature. And this process takes a great deal of effort and practice.

When first attempting to practice Tai Chi, most students will find themselves having a very difficult time trying to move correctly within the form. This happens because for most adults, there is a great deal of tension being held by the upper body. Usually this tension can lead to conditions like tight neck or jaw muscles, a slouched posture, restricted and very high “chest” breathing, and numerous other aches and pains and otherwise general lack of mobility and flexibility in the joints. The Chinese Taoists describe this state as the body having lots of fire on top (the chest and head) and water below (the abdomen and kidneys). According to them, this unbalance within the energy of the body, is what produces conditions such as high blood pressure, poor circulation, digestive disorders, anemia, imsomnia, sleep apnea, anxiety, hormonal imbalances and a multitude of other physical and psychological ailments. Through the practice of Tai Chi as a health art, incorporating the principles of Wuji alignment, this high tension center, made up of congested Chi, is slowly brought down from the head and chest, and into the lower torso, and eventually down to the legs and feet. This change of state in which now the water is on top and the fire is down below is very beneficial to the health of the practitioner. Additionally, while moving the body throughout Tai Chi practice, the pinciple of silk reeling energy is always adhered to. This principle, which intially can be practiced as isolation exercises but is eventually incorporated into the movement of the whole body throughout the form practice, is very important for opening and strengthening the joints of the body. These two principles of proper Wuji alignment and silk reeling energy help to create a condition whereby the body becomes a conduit for the ground, producing a very strong, resilient, and biomechanically efficient way of moving the body. Through correct Tai Chi practice, old or damaged joints are gradually healed, and healthy joints are preserved, as the body learns to move in a much more efficient and health inducing fashion.

Call us today at 305 599-3649 or E-mail us at fitdef@aol.com.

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