By BAN LANDES
For The State News
Imagine relaxing and exercising at the same time.
Then think of being able to escape from your body’s limitations and into a state of mind where you can increase energy, health and emotional well-being.
There’s a group of students on MSU’s campus who practice this mix of relaxation and martial arts - the Tai Chi Club.
“We started the club this year,” said telecommunication sophomore Sean Jong, club president and instructor. “We wanted to introduce tai chi to newcomers at a beginner’s level and hopefully get enough people interested to help it grow.”
Tai chi can be thought of as a moving form of yoga and meditation. There are various forms, consisting of a sequence of movements.
Many of the movements are originally derived from martial arts and the natural movements of animals and birds.
“Legend says that it was developed from watching a crane battling a snake,” Jong said. “A lot of modern martial arts have roots from the tai chi movements.”
The concept of chi - the energy of the universe believed to flow within the bodies of all living things - exists in ancient Chinese philosophy and medicine. The same principle exists with Tai Chi; to foster the distribution of chi in the body with the belief it will enhance health and vitality.
At its weekly practices, the club teaches the basic 13 movements, which are performed at a moderate speed with smooth transitions.
“It’s like being together with all your movements, removing the mechanical elements of the physical body and focusing on the spiritual aspect,” economics senior Ryan Mangahas said. “It puts you in a mellow state of mind, unlike other martial arts.”
The majority of tai chi movements are solo, such as ‘white crane spreads its wings’ and ‘single whip.’ Some have up to 100 positions and may take as long as 20 minutes to complete.
However, the martial aspect of tai chi is employed in two-person exercises, which are a slow-tempo form of combat.
“‘Push-hands’ is an exercise that tai chi practitioners use to develop their own sense of balance,” Jong said. “Two opponents will face-off and try to knock the other one out of balance. So, whoever breaks concentration first will be pushed over.”
Whether alone or against someone, tai chi also is a physical workout.
Research has shown it’s a weight bearing and moderate intensity cardiovascular exercise that can decrease stress and enhance respiratory and immune functions, which promotes emotional well-being.
“It’s really good for relaxation and it increases the efficiency of all your organs,” said Paul Klein, the club’s vice president. “And because of that, your body can function more properly.”
Correctly learning tai chi techniques helps improve balance, alignment and rhythm. With regular sessions, the practice can improve the ability to stand, run, walk and generally move with agility.
Practitioners say they feel they’ve had a decent workout after an hour-long session, even though they may have never broken a sweat. Instead, they experience sustained energy and tension relief.
Some practitioners even claim tai chi enhances their energy circulation so much that they feel warm and invigorated for the rest of the day.
“If you’re at all interested in martial arts or helping to heal your body, come to the club,” said Klein, an English senior. “It’s fun, friendly and free.”
The Tai Chi Club meets at 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays in 218 IM Sports-Circle. For more information, e-mail jongshya@msu. edu. MSU also offers a one-credit Tai Chi course, Kinesiology 106M.
