How possible or recommendable is it to learn and/or practice tai chi alone?
What medium is the best? (Books, websites, videos, DVDs, etc.) Any recommendations?
What benefits are there to doing it alone, what are there to doing it in a class-setting? Any suggestions how to find a good tai chi class?
WRS
Well, I wouldn’t think of taking it without milk, to tell you the truth.
Oh wait a minute, that’s chai tea I’m thinking of, sorry…
Personally I don’t think you can beat classes though I have never tried learning from a video or book. I imagine it would be quite difficult to pick up or perform it correctly learning that way. You should be able to find classes available by contacting any Tai Chi Academy in the yellow pages. They would also have books and videos available if you prefer to do it that way. Most places offer a free lesson or two, try it out.
There is no problem doing Tai Chi alone, in fact it is most beneficial if practiced on a daily basis.
I didn’t know the Witch King approved of Tai Chi. Doesn’t seem violent enough, somehow. Go figure.
The main problem I would see in learning not in a class is that, unless you’re learning from a video, you’ll probably go way too fast. Also, posture is critical, and without somebody to look at you and make minor corrections as you go along, you’re going to miss out on a lot.
It’s also really cool doing it in a huge group of people. There’s an odd sense of empowerment there, because even if you’re new at it and hide at the back of the class so you can follow the people in front of you, halfway through it everybody’s turned around and everybody’s following you…
Yes, you can do Tai Chi alone with good results.
I can recommend the Complete Idiot’s Guide to Tai Chi. The same guy, bill Douglas, has a series of three video tapes that I think are great, too. They explain everything step by step.
I’d thought about Tai Chi as a “hobby” for a little while, just because it looks relaxing. But it occurs to me I don’t really know the benefits. Is it meditation, or a martial art, or what? I did see one special on tai chi that showed a specialist able to defend himself without breaking stride, able to put a man down but using the attackers momentum. What else is it known for?
Max–
It’s best known as an exercise practiced by a great many people in China, well into their elderly years. It develops and maintains a certain level of flexibility, strength and stamina (which most of the typical American couch potatoes do not have), and, provided you practice it fairly regularly, will keep you within shouting distance of reasonable shape for a very long time, without hurting too much (past the first few weeks, that is).
It is possible to use it to defend yourself, but your odds of learning enough to use in a fight within the first few weeks are nowhere near as good as if you take a basic self-defense course.
Depends on where you go. Park District courses tend to emphasize the meditative aspects, whereas I practice it at a martial arts school (as a “specialty” course) and the forms are essentially a drill to perfect the nuances before one learns how to apply the individual positions/techniques in a combative setting. You’ll just have to talk to a number of instructors first.
Also, there was an old thread called Self Defense Questions that had a pretty good debate on the qualities of Tai Chi. Can’t find it now though, but it’s worth looking into.
I wouldn’t even bother trying to learn it without face-to-face access to a good teacher. You need somebody who can spot your errors and correct them. You can practice on your own between classes, of course, but you really need regular access to an instructor.
It can be confusing as there are different styles of Tai Chi. There are many sites out there but I thought this one was quite good and explained the different styles very simply.
Well, I went out and bought two DVDs on tai chi. One of them is by Dr. Paul Lam and the other by Scott Cole. I haven’t watched the Scott Cole DVD much, but the Paul Lam DVD seems to be good. My only concern, of course, is whether I am grasping the positions/movements correctly even though they seem to do a good job showing them. I also wonder how important the qi gong moves are - whether they’re part of the tai chi whole or just something on the side. I don’t necessarily believe in qi gong.
I guess I’ll learn more as I watch and experiment.
WRS - can you Part Wild Horse’s Mane?
I can’t really comment because I haven’t seen the DVD’s of which you speak. I imagine it would be difficult to know if you are doing the movements correctly when you don’t have an instructor on hand to make the necessary adjustments to your movements and posture. Correct breathing with the movements is also very important in Tai Chi, I assume this has been explained.
I practiced through the Australian Academy of Tai Chi and they incorporate Qigong into their lessons. To get the full benefit I would go through the motions, even if you don’t believe in qigong it is extremely beneficial for relaxation and relieving stress.
I’ve done tai chi and that dog don’t hunt. Whatever your goals, I’d bet that you can get better results doing something else*.
I’m skeptical that you can get great benefits doing it alone if you don’t have some instruction under your belt already. It is very spiritual/mystical and if you don’t do it right, you’re wasting your time. That’s where the instructor comes in.
Judging from your listed location, you may have little luck finding a class. But, this is your best bet, IMO: Find the closest college/university and look into their continuing ed. classes, phys ed. classes, and even psych classes. If they offer it as part of the regular class schedule, you will be able to “audit” it for something like $50 a semester. Absent that, try a community center. Next, new age places and martial arts dojos.
I’d recommend taking a class just because one needs the feedback of a qualified instructor to be sure one is getting it down. After a while you can do it on your own, perhaps going back once in a while to purge bad habits.
Why do you want to take it?!
*I’m sure many will disagree on that.