A great deal of focus is put on Tai Chi for health, for Seniors, for the sick. While excellent and not to be downplayed in the least, there is another aspect of Tai Chi that is often overlooked - its benefit to Martial Arts Athletes.
Tai Chi itself was originally a martial art style founded amidst chaos and destruction. Originating over 300 years ago in China, and an evolution to other fighting arts of the time, it was predominantly a throwing art; with strikes and kicks used mainly to set up takedowns. Balance and rooting were at the core of it's prime principles. The movements inside are similar to other martial arts styles, giving great cross-training potential for martial arts athletes of other disciplines.
What is Tai Chi today? Although it still has martial potential, its primary use in todays world, is one small fragment of an old world Tai Chi practitioners training - slow movement practice.
How Tai Chi Can Help You
Coordination, Balance, Flexibility and Joint Mobility
Athletes of any sport need coordination, balance, flexibility, and joint mobility. Lacking one or all of these can seriously decrease performance, limit range of motion, or even lead to injury. Tai Chi uses slow motion transference of weight between the legs, forcing the athlete to work stabilizer muscles, focus on balance, and increase fine motor function.
The only time an athlete has 50/50 weight distribution in Tai Chi, is in the beginning and end of the routine known as a 'form' (choreographed sequence of moves). This propagates balance and stability as each leg is forced to support some, or all of the body weight depending on the posture being performed.
As the movements are undertaken, there is active stretching of the joints taking place. Further increasing mobility in areas such as the hips, shoulders, waist, back, neck, and legs. Movement initiated or supported by the pelvis is highly prevalent in Tai Chi, meaning the hips and lower back are opened up for increased flexibility and circulation. It's like a full body, slow, standing massage.
Coordination becomes a necessity as all Tai Chi movements incorporate the use of multiple limbs. Hands follow the feet, feet follow the hands, etc., causing a great deal of articulation in the body.
Relaxed State, Focus, Brain Game!!!
The use of all limbs and extensive coordination causes the brain to work overdrive in creating connections to the muscles in the body. This increases your mind/body connection which should be at the forefront of any athletes list of objectives, regardless of the discipline he/she is doing.
The brain is full of billions of neurons, each neuron is tied to some motion, action, thought, flavor, smell, etc. As one performs martial arts, they are assigning neurons to each thing they do. Eventually there becomes crossover e.g., in BJJ there is a use of the arm for 'framing' someone on the ground. In Tai Chi this same position is used throughout the moves/postures but standing.
As each athlete learns, these neurons start to develop connections between one another. The more connections made, the more we build a web. This web, as it grows, builds an extensive network of information that relates to each other, in this case regarding body awareness, and movement. The more connections, the more intuitive motion becomes.
As you learn, you are focusing your mind, and building fresh new pathways in the brain. The brain needs exercise just as much as the physical body. With Tai Chi, you will work the mind and body in unison.
The 'R' Word!
Many athletes have trouble with the concept of 'rest'. "If I am not training, I am not improving", or "I will get worse if I rest." "If I sit still, I will feel sorer than if I just keep training." "If I stop, I don't know what to do with myself." Some, or all of these may seem familiar to you. This is because as an athlete, you have a drive to improve, to get better, to be more.
The problem is, if we train 100% all the time, we get hurt. These injuries cause anywhere from minor annoyances, to excessive downtime, to even permanent disability. So how can you train and improve, but rest at the same time? Tai Chi.
Tai Chi is like getting a massage while standing and moving. Due to it's slow motion and low impact nature, you can still train and improve your body and performance while doing an activity. I have seen it referred to as 'Active Rest'. Incorporating two or three Tai Chi sessions per week can give you active rest, while continuing to keep you moving and help promote healing.
Yes, pain is a bi-product of exercise; and all athletes have come to recognize, live with, and some even embrace that pain, as a measure of success. But pain does not have to be a constant, or an inhibitor. As I have seen with my athletes and myself, doing Tai Chi helps break up the lactic acid that builds in the muscles post workout. It flushes the system and increase circulation throughout the body. This reduces recovery time while also decreasing discomfort.
Injury Prevention
As I have recently (within the last 2 years) taken up Brazilian Jiu Jitsu to augment my skills/training, I have come to see injury after injury in the BJJ world. At a recent immersion weekend, I was surrounded by people half my age taping their fingers, supporting joints, and using ice like candy. I train pretty consistently, doing BJJ 5 to 7 times/week on top of my other training. So I asked myself "what was I doing differently?"
While all sports have injuries, and this was an intense weekend of training, I found myself inadvertently using drills and exercises I learned in Tai Chi. Anything from Qi Gong movements for fingers, hips, sides; to wrist/shoulder exercises that not only stretch, but increase circulation and relieve pressure on the carpal tunnel helping the hands gain more circulation...equalling more healing.
Built within these Chinese Martial Arts systems I have spent the past 14 years training, were the bygone tools of centuries old martial artists to help them heal and keep training. So often in today's world do we discard the past, thinking the present is better. Some of the drills I have done for years, have helped keep me intact and able to train, giving me a newfound appreciation for them, while humbling me for my ignorance at the same time.
The More I Learn The Less I Know
The further I go in martial arts, the more knowledge I accumulate, the more I become aware of how little I actually know. I was tempted to get rid of some aspects of my training, not seeing the value it held. I now have a newfound appreciation and respect for what some of these 'pointless' exercises do to increase the health of my athletes and myself. Leading me to train longer, harder, and healthier. If martial arts is a lifestyle, then we need to perform the necessary maintenance to be able to do martial arts for life, not for a couple of years till we are prematurely aged and disabled.
Photos courtesy of Max Kotchouro
