This 14-week self-paced course introduces you to Taijiquan (Tai Chi Chuan, or Tai Chi) fundamentals that are applicable to all styles:

• body alignment (身法),
• stepping, or footwork (步法),
• hand maneuvers, or Silk Reeling Exercises (手法),
• relaxation (放鬆) and
• whole-body movement with Dantian as the center (以丹田為核心的整體運動)

To practice integrating the above principles in a coherent sequence of variable movements, you will also learn the beginning section (first 3'27" of this clip) of Chen Style Taijiquan Old Frame First Routine (Laojia Yilu 老架一路), one of the oldest forms of Taijiquan.

About Taijiquan and Its Benefits

Students come to this course with various background knowledge about Taijiquan - its history, martial art principles, health benefits, lineages, etc. If you are new to Taijiquan, here are some introductory information to get you started:

• 🎞 Taijiquan, the official introduction featured in the UNESCO announcement of Taijiquan being inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity;
• (A Very Brief) History of Taijiquan;

Taijiquan, besides being a martial art system, is popular for its many health benefits including balance and lower-body strength, stress reduction, and immunity boosting, and improvements in various chronic health issues. For evidence from clinical studies, the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), a branch of National Institutes of Health (NIH), has a series of articles reviewing and summarizing the effects of Tai Chi on a number of health conditions, in comparison to other mind and body approaches. 

• Tai Chi and Qi Gong: In Depth (October 2016)
• Mind and Body Approaches for Stress and Anxiety: What the Science Says (April 2020)
• Mind and Body Approaches for Chronic Pain: What the Science Says (September 2019)