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TAI CHI IN CHIANG MAI:
a personal exploration

So what is Tai Chi? Tai Chi is an internal martial art which can be translated as 'the ultimate supreme'. Internal martial arts focus on developing internal energy and moving the body as one harmonious unit, whereas external systems, like kung fu and karate, are focused on specific moves, with most of the power generated by only certain parts of the body. In practice internal systems are more commonly practiced as meditations and for their health benefits, while external systems are usually practiced as fighting or self-defense styles.

The movements in Tai Chi revolve around creating fullness and emptiness within the body. At the most basic level this is done is by transferring weight from one foot to the other, or breathing in and out. But, it can also manifest as expanding and contracting, rising and sinking, or gathering and issuing.

We were asked at the beginning of the course what we wanted to get out of it. Answers ranged from 'getting out of the head and into the body', to 'as an introduction to martial arts.' I personally was looking to calm the mind without having to sit still. I was in for a surprise on that front as we had to sit still and meditate for 15 minutes twice a day, before practicing.

Although very different from yoga, the benefits attributed to Tai Chi are similar; namely improved concentration, agility, balance, vitality, general well--being and a calmer mind. This is achieved by allowing the chi to flow freely through the body. Although the heart rate doesn't rise, Tai Chi is widely recognized as a cardiovascular exercise equivalent to other moderate intensity exercises. In fact Tai Chi is also reputed to slow the ageing process.

Keith Good is the instructor at Tai Chi Thailand and he is assisted by Tabtum Khumsing. Keith has been practicing martial arts for over 30 years and Tai Chi for over 20 years. The course is run in a beautiful garden on the roof of Naisuan house, west of the city centre. The eight-day course is an introductory program in the 13 essential postures. Accommodation is provided at a very reasonable price, and although one can stay elsewhere, its probably advisable to stay at Naisuan house and completely immerse yourself in the course.

The 13 postures don't include a lot of the flowery forms one sees people practicing in parks all over Asia, but provides a solid grounding to expand into other forms. The popular Beijing 24-form was in fact developed by the Communist party in China after most of the Tai Chi masters had fled the country. It was designed purely for health and excluded any spiritual, self-defense or fighting aspects. The 13 postures or 13 'ways' express the way in which internal energy is expressed in Tai Chi - any other postures are a derivative of these 13 forms. If a practice does not include the 13 postures, it is not Tai Chi.

There are three sessions totaling seven hours a day and students are expected to practice on their own for at least another hour. The first and last session each day begin with a 15-minute sitting meditation, followed by a series of exercises to loosen the joints. As Keith puts it - 'take the relaxation out of the practice'. While Tai Chi itself is relaxing, one needs to have a relaxed body to practice properly and to get the most out of it. The course includes an introduction to the Chinese classics; the Tao Te Ching and the I-ching, as well as an introduction to the five elements of Chinese medicine. In fact Tai Chi and the Tao Te Ching go hand in with the opposing forces of Yin and Yang at the core of both the philosophy and the martial art.

The 13 posture sequence mirrors the Taoist cosmological path, beginning and ending in Wu Chi, where Yin and Yang are in perfect harmony.

Keith is a dedicated coach who teaches from the heart, and doesn't merely go through the motions. He has developed the course outline himself over the years and still adapts it to each group of students. Keith uses personal anecdotes to illustrate much of the theory, essential in illustrating the ancient Chinese theories' relevance today. The motto for the course was 'try soft' and we were encouraged to feel our way through the postures, rather than thinking our way through them. For someone accustomed to thinking their way through life, I found this quite a challenge. But after a few days I began to comprehend what that really meant, and everything suddenly became easier.

So does this course produce Tai Chi masters? No, it will take a few months of diligent practice to get to grips with and possibly a lifetime of practice to perfect. But, whether you are determined to begin a regular Tai Chi practice, or you want to know what it's all about, this course is a great introduction to both the theory and the practice of the art.

Information and photos courtesy of Tai Chi Chuan Meditation in Movement, Chiang Mai www.taichithailand.com.

Getting there: Naisuan house, the Tai Chi class venue is located inside Soi 1 next to Khuay Tiew Sam Baht noodles place on Doi Saket Kao Road, opposite Payap University (Kaew Nawarat Campus). More info at 081-7067406 and taichithailand@gmail.com.