Is Tai Chi a Soft Option?

Get ready to be offended Tai Chi establishment…….yes, it is.

Soft meaning easy, not a reference to internal, a definition of internal power will no doubt find its way into the forthcoming ebook. The opposing arguments to Tai Chi being a soft option are normally structured around the idea that the internal transformation that comes with nei gong practice involves some discomfort or that there are approaches to Tai Chi practice that are beyond a small frame form for example and have some athletic difficulty.

Both of these arguments are sound but when approached as a soul sport, the same way you might approach rock climbing, longboarding or maybe yoga for example, things with more of a creeping intensity than overtly lung burning; Tai Chi undoubtedly has less physical demands than it’s hard martial arts counterparts. It is to external arts as walking is to running. When you are engaged in a flow routine it is more of an experience than a workout which totally eliminates the boredom factor of other activities and means you can last longer and play anywhere and everywhere. You still might end the day with a pleasant ache the same way as if you’ve enjoyed a hike through a stunning landscape or spent the day on your feet exploring a theme park and taking in the immersive attractions and experiences. The concept of the surf bum is probably the image to hold in mind here and you rarely see any of that community being wildly out of shape but equally not caring either way.

You can come to internal arts with a less than perfect body (caveat - in our humble opinion the traditional family styles of Tai Chi can be kryptonite to existing dodgy joints, ask for advice on approaching these) and use it as a workbench for your personal evolution and fun.

But how do you make it harder should you want to? We could say hold low stances (don’t do this if you like your knees) or add in some more martial exercises such as hitting a heavy bag. There is another much more fun concept to integrate and that is ‘tricking’ which you would usually associate with XMA or parkour. We’re not suggesting that you learn tornado kicks landing in splits unless you want to, more something along the lines of increasing your flexibility and balance so you can hold out a beautifully poised front kick at waist height which is impressive in itself or introducing juggling skills and flowering in to your weapons practice. It’s nice to have a demonstrative manifestation of what you do, even if you’re much more concerned with mediation and cultivation.

So there you have it you lazy bums, Tai Chi is the art of smiles and of the long game.