Wave of the Future
This article was featured in the ____ issue of Kung Fu magazine. Reprinted with permission.
by
Chi-hsiu D. Weng, Ph.D.
with Mark J. Wong
When most people hear the term “Tai-chi” they envision a group of students performing slow, flowing dance-like movements. Few realize that this internal style of Chinese Martial Arts can be used for cardiovascular exercise and still maintain its self-defense applications. Cardio Tai-chi has been created and designed by the author to do just that. The strength of this training system lies in its fundamental Tai-chi Kung-fu movements and its innovative teaching approach—the “Tai-chi Bird Story”. Combined with fast, rhythmic, low-impact body movement drills, this training system improves coordination, balance and cardiovascular health while developing proven self-defense techniques.
Aerobic-Cardio
Dr. Kenneth Cooper, founder of aerobic exercise, describes a healthy program as having a pattern of intensity, length and frequency. The exercise has as a pattern that moves any large muscle groups and can be maintained continuously. Some activities are rhythmic in nature such as dancing, swimming, biking, rowing boats and jogging to name a few.
Besides pattern and intensity there is also length and frequency. To reach the desired training effectiveness people should workout for 20-60 minutes. The workout should be flexible and interchangeable. The workout should be at least three times a week, since the muscles need sufficient time to rest in-between workouts.
Each aerobic exercise is different and should fit the individual. A good exercise program should be aimed at the goal of the individual; whether it is to lose weight, to stay healthy, or for athletic training.
The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that in order to keep a healthy heart, one should try to maintain a balanced, low-fat diet and to perform at least fifteen minutes of cardiovascular exercise three to five (3-5) times a week (depending on your health condition and doctor’s recommendation).
Dr. Weng’s Tai-chi Monkey System: Cardio Tai-chi
Martial arts have become a great source for cardiovascular exercise. For example, Cardio-Kickboxing and Tae-Bo are hybrids of boxing, Martial Arts and aerobic dance that offer a high-intensity, stress-relieving workout. While its popularity continues to rise, so do reports of injuries. With all cardio-kickboxing and its’ sub-groups, it would be wise to follow some basic training information before one begins in order to prevent hyper-extended elbows or knees and pulled hamstrings. In contrast, Cardio Tai-chi is a less aggressive, high energy and low impact exercise that also works the major muscle groups with far less possibility of stress to the joints or hamstrings. Cardio Tai-chi may be one of the best exercises that meet the criteria for quality cardiovascular fitness regimens. It uses authentic Tai-chi Kung-fu movements as its core, an innovative teaching approach with the “Tai-chi Bird” story, and fast, rhythmic, low-impact body movement drills for improving focus, coordination and balance. This program cross-references the Tai-chi Bird story movements in conjunction with Tai-chi self-defense applications that maintains its high caliber.
Internal and External Training
Tai-chi is one of the major Internal Kung Fu system whose series of Tai-chi movements comply with the Taoist principles of three internal combinations. The three Internal Combinations are: “I” mind, “Chi” breathing and “Li” force. Tai-chi in its original form uses body alignment with meditative diaphragm breathing health exercises for stress management and other health benefits which improves your understanding of Tai-chi principles, therefore you continually benefit and improve balance, centering, coordination, awareness, sensitivity, flexibility and sophisticated self-defense applications as you practice. However, for fighting applications the breathing is complying with the necessity of speed and endurance required by the techniques deployed which emphasize the cardiovascular training. Therefore, the idea of the internal system at this point is mostly associated with strategy and character of techniques. The author originally created the Cardio Tai-chi routine for self-defense and International Sanshou competition (Chinese competition kickboxing) training drills. The same fighting drills were slightly modified and choreographed into a supplementary Cardio training routine to be simple, flexible, rhythmic, fun, easy to follow and remember, with a balanced variety of motor movements drills. Cardio Tai-chi’s additional benefits include improving cardiovascular fitness, building strength while learning the preliminary coordinating drills for self-defense applications.
Fighting Tai-chi Bird
“Tai-chi Bird Story” is a simple study format within Cardio Tai-Chi to help students learn and remember the names of the Tai-chi movements. Out of the many movements of the original Tai-chi form, only the selected movements are used to apply to Cardio Tai-chi. The chosen specific Tai-chi Nine techniques include a variety of fast, rhythmic, short-range body movement patterns. Short-range body movements allow you to maintain a fast rhythm for a long duration. These same Cardio Tai-chi movements are actual techniques that can be applied by an expert Tai-chi exponent against an aggressor and are often used in Sanshou or Chinese Kickboxing competition.
The Tai-chi Bird Story lists the Nine techniques; the first six techniques are the major movements that can also be used for medium and far distance fighting applications. The other three are the supporting techniques that are often used for close quarters. Cardio Tai-chi is formulated through the fictional story of “Tai-chi Bird”. The related movement drills are flexible enough to create an exercise routine that best fits your needs to improve your health and a better understanding of Tai-chi. Originally, in the Ching Dynasty the most prominent Tai-chi master Yang Lu-chan earned the nickname of “Unbeatable Yang” because of his skill in this fighting system against all challengers in his time. Tai-chi-chuan was originally used for self-defense at combat speed. There are Tai-chi-chuan training which is slow for improving coordination, breathing and meditative health-healing movements, but Tai-chi applications by a trained and experienced practitioner is done at combat speed for its purpose.
A practitioner can improve his strategy and technique in free sparring or self-defense by using the Nine major techniques and the various combinations that are created from it for various situations. Two-man sparring drills should be practiced if one is seeking proficiency in self-defense or free-sparring applications. Free sparring is trained with total measurement of angle, distance, timing and strategy of countering. For example, to measure the angle of approaching, the two arms are like two gates. The inside gate is the entrance between the opponent’s two arms. Outside gate is entering from outside the opponents arms, side and back area. Also the height of the countering moves are angles of choices. Different, distinct movements, angles (inside and outside gates) are used with these certain techniques on your opponent depending on the situation. The uses of these techniques are deployed in a related, but different ways depending on the distance of your attacking opponent. For example, Waving hands in clouds and Brush knee and twist step is used for close and middle range. At middle range these techniques are executed, faster and are flexible in use with more variety of techniques. At close distance the same techniques are powerful and are done in the context of strict control your opponent.
Cardio Tai-chi is based on:
- Practical techniques for self-defense.
- Flexibility in fighting distance and speed.
- Balanced strength (upper, lower, left and right) over the entire body.
- Simplicity of design for Cardio fitness, patterns of movements to upgrade your techniques including angles, distance and approach.
- Three-Six-Nine Method
The tactics of study of Tai-Chi Bird uses the 3-6-9 method. These include the Three Tips, Six Combinations (Three Internal and Three External) and Nine Techniques.
- Be sure to get a physical checkup before you begin training (precautionary action).
- Concentrate and try to learn something new to improve your ability out of each workout.
- Relax, maintain an open mind and be creative in the movements.
- I-Mind (attention)
- Chi- Breathing (energy flow)
- Li-Force (power)
External Three Combinations:
Describe the three levels (upper, middle, lower) of alignment and associate with the stated body parts. - Front view alignment: Shoulder and hip
- Side view alignment: Elbow and knee
- Direction: Hand & foot
- Grasping Birds Tail
- Golden Rooster Stands on One Leg
- White Crane Spreads Its Wings
Group B: Action of the bird - Waving Hands like Clouds Drifting By
- Playing the Fiddle
- Frog Kick
Group C: Master’s action - Open the Window to View the Moon
- Parting Wild Horse’s Mane
- Carry Tiger Back to the Mountain
Six combinations comprise of two groups called Internal Three and External Three Combinations.
Internal Three Combinations
Nine Techniques are composed of three groups:
Group A: Growth of the bird
Three Tips for the Cardio Tai-chi participant.