Tai Chi, Balancing, Mediation etc..

[Clash]

Hey guys, I was wondering if doing some self taught Tai chi would be a good way to improve balance to apply to my Shotokan training I'm about to begin. I need to work on balance and have read that tai chi helps a lot. There is also of course the spiritual side of it which I'm interested in and such.You know would give me a reason to mediate and clear my mind and pratice breathing.

I'm surethese types of question get asked here all the time. Anyways theres no where around here to take a tai chi class unless I'm in collage. Which I'm not.

So are they any good Tai Chi instructional videos that could help.. not to try and master Tai Chi or anything but just to get down the basics and expand some of my learning? I know Tai chi is used a lot by the elderly for health reason but are there the same kind of noticeable benefits for say a 18 year old male? Also pretty much any other opinions or information you practitioners would like to share would be very welcome.

ps. I've posted a few threads in different forums asking a lot of questions, I've seem to have caught the martial bug.. If anyone feels im asking to many newbie questions/spamming or biting off more than i can chew please tell me and I'll try to adjust my questions/postings and such appropriately

[bushido_man96]

There is a book titles The Complete Idiot's Guide to Tai Chi and Qi Gong that might be of interest to you. The author of that book also has some videos out that may be what you are looking for. I am not sure how beneficial self-taught Tai Chi will be for you, but you can check these out and see what you think.

[DWx]

I've seen a coupla vids from this guy, he's quite good, might help you:

http://www.taichihealthways.com/tai-chi-dvd.htm#beg

He has quite of few bits on YouTube too:

[Clash]

Thanks guys, I know that normal self-taught martial arts are not a good/effective way of learning.. But maybe I'll be able to pick up a ccouple of things.

[bushido_man96]

The way you are attempting to take this on, for balance training and what not, I think you will be fine. If you were looking into combat applications, then I think it would be tougher for you. However, none that we have suggested show any of that, I don't think.

[lordtariel]

I would be very hesitant to try and learn it on your own. The two arts are quite different from each other and it would be better to see if you could at least take a few introductory lessons in tai chi before going off on your own.

I agree that The Idiot's Guide to Tai Chi is pretty good. Another good one is Ultimate Guide To Tai Chi : The Best of Inside Kung-Fu. If you're interested in martial applications of Tai Chi, then I also recommend Tai Chi Martial Applications by Jwing-Ming Yang.

[Clash]

Thanks for the advice, I actually had decieded just the other night to hold off on the Tai Chi, and just focus on condition for Shotokan until I get at LEAST a few lessons/months in and then see how I go from there.

I'm still waiting to get my paycheck so I can start shotokan but while I've been waiting I've been doing some work with a speed rope, weights, and I've been running at least one mile every other night or as much as possible even if its only once or twice a week. Also I just bought some hand grips or wrist strength. So I'll just focus on that stuff for now.

But since I"m holding off on the Tai Chi.. Does anyone have any good advice for training balance?

[bushido_man96]

Stand on one leg and do various exercises. Do kick repetitions, like side kicks, round kicks, front kicks, etc. Do 10 of each, then switch legs.

Later on, as you get better with that, do front kick, then rechamber it and then turn the leg over for round kick with the same leg before setting down. Simple drills like this will help to improve your balance. There are countless others to do, as well. Once you get your stationary balance down, try to do things on one leg while moving around, to improve your dynamic balance.

[Clash]

Thank you. I'll give those drills a try tonight!

[Athena]

For balance..XD There was this one thing that they had in the wight room of my high school. It was like a board with sand paper glued on it for grip and that there was this cylender thing..You try and get it even, perfectly balanced. ^.^; was so much fun I still love it but it's gone T.T