THE NAME “WARRIOR TAI CHI”
Warrior Tai Chi was established as a 501c (3) non-profit to improve the mental, physical and spiritual health of those who serve or have served in the military of the United States of America and their spouses. Hence the name “Warrior Tai Chi.” Classes are also available for the general public and company wellness programs.
GET THE REAL BENEFITS OF TAI CHI
Tai Chi is a very deep art with no finish line. Most people new to Tai Chi start with the TaijiFit program, a program designed to induce Flow it is a program that is endorsed by the Veterans Administration. Occasionally we have an intense 10 week Self Defense course. Our premier program is traditional Tai Chi following the ‘Clear Tai Chi Curriculum‘. The Clear System believes in teaching real Tai Chi in depth as soon as possible. In order to reap the many benefits of Tai Chi, you learn structural alignments; efficiency of movement; the various body states and energies of the art. These are some of the skills that bring about the real benefits, which we want you to receive as soon as possible. As a result, we teach a short form in order to avoid a common problem in Tai Chi. Most schools spend great amounts of time learning long sets of choreography without developing the real components of Tai Chi. Essentially these schools delay the health improvements that could come for their students. Sometimes the internal skills are never really developed because the choreography has become king. Many practitioners spend years and years on form only to later discover that their Tai Chi is empty and watered-down. We provide to three programs.
HEALTH VS. FIGHTING
Another common misunderstanding occurs when learning Tai Chi for health versus for the martial fighting applications. In order to truly understand the form and to have the proper structural alignments and efficiency of movement, which are all part of bringing about good health, you absolutely must have exposure to the martial applications. This does not mean that you have to kick and punch – especially if you are a senior like me, but it does mean that you need to at least have the martial aspects demonstrated for your understanding. Programs that do not teach this are not giving you the full scope of the art and thus, the full health benefits of Tai Chi.
ZOOM, VIDEO OR IN PERSON
There are a lot of body states in Tai Chi that are next to impossible to teach with words alone. You must have an instructor that you will touch hands with. You need to feel and learn through direct transmission. Push Hands is the part of Tai Chi training that is also frequently missing from programs. Before you run away thinking that you do not want to be pushed, maybe you have a bad knees (that’s me) or poor balance, please be assured that Push Hands in our classes is very gentle. It is taught to those who are wiser, regularly. Students appreciate the benefits of this part of the training.
SELF DEFENSE
Yes, there is combat and tournament style Push Hands – only those interested in that training will receive it. You are not pressured into the martial side if you are studying for health. But if you are interested in self defense we teach that also. We hope this brief description enables your ability to make a wise decision when searching for proper Tai Chi training. At Warrior Tai Chi, we teach everything we discussed above and much more. We are proud to represent Master Richard Clear and we teach his Clear Tai Chi Curriculum. If you have any questions, please write to Sifu Ty at: Ty@WarriorTaiChi.org or call 210-935-1649.