18-style Tai Chi incorporates the essence of Tai Chi into 18 basic movements, which are both stretching and powerful, and are both hard and soft. It can not only enhance human physical fitness , but also improve human spiritual level. Below, I will give a detailed explanation of this Tai Chi technique from multiple aspects.
Action Features
The movements of 18-style Tai Chi are gentle and smooth, just like clouds floating gently and streams flowing slowly. Each movement emphasizes the use of curves and the rotation of spirals, such as the extension of the arms and the movement of the legs, which are full of natural bending and smoothness. This unique movement trajectory is conducive to the coordination and cooperation of various parts of the body, allowing practitioners to deeply feel the artistic conception of Tai Chi in every move and movement.
The movements are coherent and organized, and the movements are free to be restrained and relaxed. When unfolded, it appears solemn and grand, revealing the outward extension; when closed, it appears tight and subtle, as if the essence of the universe is concentrated in the body. Through the transformation between opening and closing, the qi in the body is guided to flow smoothly, and the effect of body and mind is finally achieved.
Fitness effects
Regularly practicing 18 styles of Tai Chi will be of great benefit to your health. This exercise can enhance the body's flexibility and make joints more flexible. For example, the rotation of the spine and the stretching of the limbs can gradually pull open the muscles and bones of the body, which has a positive effect on reducing the occurrence of joint diseases.
The enhancement of cardiopulmonary function is very obvious. During exercise, deep breathing and slow rhythm of movement make the breathing deeper and longer, and the heart is also effectively exercised, which further improves the body's endurance and resistance, and the overall mental state becomes more positive.
Difficulty in learning
Compared with those Tai Chi movements with more complex structures, the practice of 18-style Tai Chi is relatively less difficult. The types of movements are not complicated, and each movement has clear requirements and specifications, which helps beginners to master it more easily.
Action conversion is not cumbersome and does not require a particularly high foundation of coordination and coherence to understand and learn. Even people who are not familiar with Tai Chi can have a basic understanding of this kind of boxing in a short period of time.
Training skills
When practicing 18 styles of Tai Chi, you should pay attention to the guidance of your mind. Before starting the action, you should conceive the path and form of the action in advance in your mind and focus on the movement of various parts of the body. In this way, the action can be more accurate and smooth.
Coordination of breathing is equally crucial. We should choose abdominal breathing. When we inhale, the abdomen will naturally bulge, and when we exhale, the abdomen will shrink accordingly. This breathing method needs to be coordinated with the ups and downs of the movement, inhalation and stretching of the movement, and exhalation is carried out simultaneously with the contraction of the movement, thereby achieving the supreme state of unity of the body and mind.
Cultural connotation
18-style Tai Chi contains rich essences of Chinese traditional culture. This boxing technique perfectly interprets the harmonious thought of yin and yang advocated by Taoism, and fully demonstrates the seemingly opposite elements such as hardness and softness, reality and emptiness, movement and stillness, which are fully displayed in boxing techniques.
It not only follows the Confucian idea of meanness, but also has no overly intense movements and is weak, pursuing a balance and harmony. In this process, practitioners can experience the depth and breadth of Chinese traditional culture.
Have you tried practicing the eighteen styles of Tai Chi? If you like, you can share your feelings in the comment section. If you think this article is inspiring to you, don't forget to like it and share it.
