faq

you can start today by firing up your favourite search engine and looking for a real life tai chi class in your local area! (if you live in london, hmu)

a little but mostly no. it’s like trying to learn how to swim by watching a video. sure, you’ll get some pointers but you can’t feel the water through your screen. tai chi is the same. you have to feel it to get it

not necessarily. they help if you know what they’re talking about. beginners can try an online video to see if they like it. but you’ll need irl classes for structure and physical corrections

short answer: ideally something flat, comfortable, and not too grippy. long answer: i wrote about tai chi footwear here.

look at their lineage. legit masters come from a long line of masters. look at their students too. do they have skills? there are a lot of meh teachers out there. even meh teachers can teach you something, but if you want to get good, find a good one

depends on your goals. once a week is better than nothing. three times a week and you’ll start feeling it. every day and you’ll start living it. even ten minutes a day builds up over time. consistency matters more than duration

try a yoga class instead. look for a slower or more meditative style if you can, but honestly even a regular class is better than nothing. tai chi and yoga are different on the outside but inside they’re surprisingly similar

tai chi is basically applied qigong. all tai chi is qigong, but not all qigong is tai chi. qigong is like chinese yoga. tai chi is like the martial arts version of that

yeah sure, go for it! qigong is super important in tai chi, so much so that it’s a red flag if your tai chi school doesn’t do any

i do qigong every day. i’d skip tai chi before skipping qigong. it is great for your health. would recommend

depends who you ask. some say it’s bioelectricity. others say it’s breath, awareness, blood flow, intention, or some combo of all of them. i just call it the thing you feel when everything’s working right. if you don’t feel it, keep practising

no. it’s not a religion. you won’t have to chant or pray or whatever. it can be spiritual if you want it to be. it has roots in daoism. definitely not a cult. my school is the best non-cult i’ve ever joined!

yes. five main styles:

• chen
• yang
• wu
• wu/hao
• sun

i do yang. i’d say steer clear of any school that doesn’t identify with one of the above. there are exceptions of course, but in general, a school without a style is poor quality and not very good

if you’ve got options, you are lucky! pick the best teacher, not the style. yang is usually more for health, chen more martial but a martial yang teacher can still wreck you. if done right, it’s all for health and it’s all martial

yes but with a big caveat. it takes years, like 10+, and you need a teacher who actually teaches the martial side. if they only talk about energy and never touch structure, timing, or application, you’re not learning the martial part

look man... mma has rules. real fights don’t. that “master” was probably fake. real masters look fake too. it looks fake to me too but i legit believe my 75yr old sifu could beat me up (since he has)

that’s the best part! you’re never doing it right! you’re just doing it less wrong! that’s why you keep practising. to reach the ideal form you’ll never quite reach. for some people, this is beautiful. for others, it’s endlessly frustrating!

my first tai chi teacher always said: tai chi is simple but not easy

trust me, it’s not easy. you can make it very hard on yourself. you can sweat bullets, experience doms, and crawl in and out of bed if that’s your goal

i’m biased but... try it! you can make it easier for yourself. a competent teacher will modify the poses for your body and ability. ask a medical professional if you have any health concerns before starting

i practise every day. 20+ hours a week on average. classes most days. personal practice if not. qigong daily. on workshop weeks, it doubles. on retreat weeks it quadruples

...you don’t need to do this much. i’m just a bit insane

yeah. just tai chi for now. i used to do judo, bjj, kickboxing, swimming, racket sports, full gymbro phase, you name it

these days it’s just tai chi and i’ve stayed in good shape from that. maybe that’ll change. maybe not. time will tell

yeah, a lot of old people do it. but young people can and should. tai chi is full of nuance. by the time you’re old, it’s harder to learn. you’ll be old one day anyway. might as well be a tai chi superstar when you get there

if it works, stick with it. the best exercise is the one you do. tai chi is just different. you can do it into your old age. you probably won’t be kicking bags at 80. tai chi is still there when your knees aren’t

depends how much you practise. you might not get what you’re hoping for

it’s like tennis, some people go pro. same with tai chi. once a week won’t cut it. but recreational practice still gives real benefits. just don’t expect miracles... unless...