Tàijíquán, or Tai Chi Chuan as it is sometimes called, is an ancient martial art and exercise form from China. However, people in every corner of the world enjoy it today. It is known for its slow rhythmical movements. Tàijíquán is similar to Yoga or Qìgōng in that it is slow, deeply involved with breathing, and can relieve stress. It is different from yoga in that it can also be used for self-defense.

The health benefits that come from practicing Tàijí are acquired alongside the self-defense benefits. The regular practice of Tàijí can improve the health of the lungs, strengthen the legs and knees, improve posture, improve balance, improve flexibility, reduce stress, improve memory, and increase self-confidence. Tàijí also makes a great low-impact aerobic exercise (even moving slowly, you still get aerobic benefits). Tàijí has been used across China and the United States with great success as an alternative to physical therapy. It has been taught all over the world to the elderly as a low-impact method for rejuvenating and restoring health. In traditional Chinese medicine Tàijí is often prescribed to help patients recover from illness more swiftly or even to help prevent illness from occurring in the first place.

At present Tàijí is practiced by more than 20% of the worlds’ population and is growing as a preferred form of exercise. People enjoy Tàijí because it is not as hard or rigorous as many other modern forms of exercise, but is equally (and sometimes even more) healthy.

 

Because of the contemplative nature of Tàijí, and becuase development of internal energy is stressed above the development of muscular power, it is known as an "internal martial art," or sometimes "soft style." Martial arts that depend on the development and use of muscular power over internal energy are known as "external," or "hard," styles. Besides Tàijí there are several other Asian martial arts that stress the development of internal energy and are thusly classified as "internal styles." All of these arts have similar benefits, but are not as popular as Tàijí. Some of these arts include Bagua Zhang, Xingyi Quan, and Aikido.