"Tai chi taught me how to move differently through the world--to slow down and enjoy being."      - Rodney Cohen, MD   "Women with swords...how cool is that?"      - Anonymous   "I started Tai Chi when my life was upside down. Profound changes started almost immediately. I live in the moment, I don't use force against force, I let things flow, and I've gotten strong and balanced and flexible. It's harder than it looks, but lots of fun."      - Michelle Dysch Age: 45 (began Tai Chi at age 42)         Single mother of 2   "Physically and emotionally safe, Arthur Rosenfeld's classes generate inner peace, confidence and are taught with skill, wisdom and humor. I am grateful to have found tai chi, this teacher, and this group."      - Mordy     enhances immune system [ read more ]     help you understand the world in a deeper way     beat back the degenerative disease of aging     improve your balance     increase your strength and flexibility     lower your blood pressure     escape the pain and limitation of arthritis     improve the quality of your sleep     get fit and strong 2500 years ago, the father of tai chi philosophy advised the emperor of China. His counsel was so wise and his foretelling so accurate, his name became legend in Asia. He set the strategies for battles, predicted the dates of earthquakes, and forecasted the arrival of storms and the duration of droughts. He tracked the rise and fall of flooding rivers, the vitality of food animals, and the survival of crops. He recommended allegiances and devised political moves. The secret power that allowed him to read the subtle magic of the world is still available, and known to such luminaries as Wayne Dyer, Warren Buffett, George Lucas, and many more.

Tai Chi Ch'uan (abbreviates simply as Tai Chi) is the most exalted of the Chinese martial arts, with dynamics powerful enough to defeat physical assailants and beat help back the degenerative diseases of aging. Translated, the name means Ultimate Cosmic Fist and indeed the practice can transform our life and spirit, increase strength and flexibility, boost our energy, increase our awareness and sensitivity, improve our balance, lower our blood pressure, help us live longer, and give us a new, healthier way of looking at conflict and challenge.

Legend has Tai Chi Ch'uan originating with a Daoist sage named Chang San-Feng at the turn of the last millennium. Historically, the authentic, original system was created by Chen Wang-ting (1597-1664), a 9th generation member of the Chen family and resident of a small village in the north of China. Chen constructed the system upon a tripod of Daoist thought, traditional Chinese medicine, and proven martial techniques.

Daoists believe there is a guiding force or intelligence to the universe. They call this force Dao, which means The Way. In the Daoist view, pairs of opposing forces (yin and yang) arose from nothingness (wuji) in much the way the Judeo-Christian creation story chronicles God's manufacture of heaven and earth from nothingness. Examples of yin and yang include male and female, light and dark, weak and strong. Every Tai Chi Ch'uan movement directly embodies this Daoist worldview. In fact, there may be no system of movement anywhere that more closely obeys metaphysical rules.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) differs from Western medicine in significant ways. Broadly put, it costs less and has fewer side effects than its allopathic counterpart and may be less effective for acute health crises and more effective for chronic conditions. TCM sees the body in terms of systems rather than organs. In the TCM model the body is crisscrossed by meridians - channels through which a life force called qi flows like water through a garden hose. Practicing Tai Chi increases this energy, opens the hoses, and aligns them for maximum flow.

China has a long and illustrious martial tradition. At times China has been little more than a conglomerate of warring states. Conceived by monks, doctors, scholars and warriors, numerous martial systems were derived from the movements of animals and the forces of nature. Early fighting techniques were tested in combat, and were lost if ineffective.

True Tai Chi was very nearly lost during China's so-called "Cultural Revolution" when the armies of Mao Tse Tung gelded, killed, or banished its masters. These days, the art is practiced worldwide by people of all ages, and is changing and evolving to suit the needs of the modern world. At our school, Pen and Sword Tai Chi, we strive to keep the deep, original teachings alive and kicking, while making them accessible to everyone.

Copyright Arthur Rosenfeld 2006

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