5 Taijiquan and HealthAs a result of his important role in the popularising of taijiquan during the 1930's, Yang
Chen Fu is often called the “Father of modern taijiquan”. In his book, The Application of
Taijiquan, he mentioned that when he was a young man he decided there was little
point in his learning taijiquan because it only enabled him to defend himself against asingle person. He preferred to learn a technique which would enable him to fight millions
at a time, by which means he could help save China from being conquered and divided
up by other nations. His uncle explained to him that taijiquan was not just a means ofself defence: in fact, primarily, it was a method of making people healthier and stronger.
In order to save a nation, his uncle advised him, one should start by making all its
people healthy and strong. Then there could be some hope of saving a country fromforeign domination.
Yang Chen Fu took these words to heart and from that time onwards devoted his life to learningand teaching taijiquan, and it is largely as a result of his efforts that taijiquan has become so
widely practised around the world. However, it has primarily been taijiquan's immense benefits
to health that have caused it to become so popular rather than its usefulness as a means of self
defence.

Even though written evidence indicates that taijiquan was only devised about 300 years
ago by Chen Wangting, the basic principles and techniques used can be dated backthousands of years. For example, the internal discipline used in taijiquan is based on
the principles of Daoyin and Tuna. These techniques are both mentioned in the writingsof 4th century B.C. authors such as Lao Zi and Zhuang Zi. Many of these techniques
were devised by traditional Chinese physicians to improve health and longevity.
Taijiquan stands apart from other martial arts in its use of the sort of techniques
mentioned above which are used to strengthen the internal Qi, and other characteristics
which are discussed elsewhere in this book. It is this combination of exercises used tostrengthen the internal Qi together with the simul taneous performance of a series ofrelaxed, continuously flowing external movements directed by mental concentration
which makes taijiquan so immensely suitable for healthy exercise.
The accumulation of thousands of years of knowledge and technique has come together in thecreation of taijiquan to form a completely perfect exercise for good health. Its main use for many
years was, of course, as a martial art, and in this form it was also proved to be one of the mosteffective forms of combat ever devised. Taijiquan's origin as a martial art doesn't invalidate it asa means of attaining good health, since, even in its original form, the main emphasis in its
practice was to create a stronger, and thus a healthier body.

Taijiquan is a complete exercise in many sense of the word. Firstly, it requires complete
mental concentration and great clarity of mind, so training the central nervous systemand promoting mental relaxation. Secondly, it either directly or indirectly exercises andbenefits all the body's internal organs. Thirdly, it exercises all the muscles, joints andligaments of the body. There can be no doubt of its immense benefits to health, and thevast majority of people who nowadays practise taijiquan do so for this very reason.
Scientific research supports the view that regular practice of taijiquan is beneficial to the healthof both body and mind. Specifically, regular practice will improve mental health, improving
mental relaxation and the ability to concen

trate, and also physical health, by improving many of the body systems such as the
cardio-vascular, respiratory and digestive systems. Taijiquan has also been shown to
improve immunity, coordination, body awareness and the skeletomuscular system, andis also successfully used for its curative effect on many diseases. It has been used bydoctors all over the world to treat different psychosomatic diseases, mental stress, heartdisease, hypertension, diabetes, arthritis etc.
Much research has been undertaken, and many papers published in authoritative journals,
concerning the medical benefits of taijiquan. Much of this has been carried out in China, theoriginal home of taijiquan, but some has also been undertaken in other countries of the world
because of its increasing popuTarity in those parts. A summary of one of these papers is
included in Appendix (ii).

It is worthwhile taking a look at these health benefits a little more closely, firstly from theviewpoint of modern scientific knowledge of human physiology and of modern medicine,and then from the viewpoint of the classical taijiquan texts and of traditional Chinese
medicine.
All forms of taijiquan share many basic principles and therefore have many similar benefits to health. However, there
are particular characteristics relating to each style of taijiquan, so we will finally look at those particular benefits which
result from practising Chen style, taijiquan - a style that has a greater range of benefits than any other style oftaijiquan.

1. The Modern Viewpoint (i) Mental Health In our modern world we travel very much in
the fast lane maintaining lifestyles that are often extremely hectic, and resulting in manycases in poor eating habits, too little exercise and a great deal of mental stress. It has
been said that more than 50 % of illnesses treated by modern doctors can be attributed
to psychosomatic disorders or, directly or indirectly, to mental stress.
It is well known that mental stress can cause physical illnesses such as cardio-vascular
problems and high blood pressure. Stress has been proven to cause increased blood
cholesterol levels and even some forms of cancer. Thus mental stress has a very clear anddirect relationship to total body health, causing not only mental but also physical illness.

In practising taijiquan the principle requirement is for the mind to be completely clearedof extraneous thoughts so that it can concentrate completely on the execution of therequired movements. When performing taijiquan the mind must be in a relaxed yet clear
and alert state so that it can be used to direct and coordinate the movement of all parts

of the body. This exercises the central nervous system and improves mental relaxation.
There is very definite connection between relaxation of the body and relaxation of themind. Usually when one is mentally tense one's body tenses up, and when one's mind
is relaxed one's body is also relaxed: there is a direct physiological connection. Whentaijiquan is practised properly the muscles are gently stretched out and fully relaxed andit would be impossible to do this if in a tense state of mind. Thus in order to practise
taijiquan properly one is almost compelled to relax mentally.
Further enhancing mental relaxation, the movements of Chen style, taijiquan arecomplicated, and specific requirements are called for at a particular time for each andevery part of the body. In order to execute the movements properly one needs to have aclear mind, relaxed yet totally concentrated, which makes it almost impossible to think of
any other matter than taijiquan.
In order to fulfill all these requirements it is necessary to train one's mind, and it ispossible through it to reach a mental state similar to that of meditation, which is why
taijiquan is often called “meditation in motion".
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Practising taijiquan is also a pleasurable experience, giving the practitioner a feeling of
comfort and improving their mood. The Sinica study (summarised in Appendix (ii)) wasable to verify this fact through the recording of electrical brain waves (EEG) of twogroups of people. One group consisted of regular practitioners of taijiquan whilst theother group, a control group, were not taijiquan practitioners. In the experiment the
taijiquan group recorded a larger number of alpha waves than the control group. The
production of alpha waves, the study reported, signifies a state of “mental clarity andconcentration", and subjects were said to be “highly calm and alert", and to have
“improved or restored memory". All these findings are consistent with mental relaxation.
(ii) The Cardio-Vascular System

Another part of the body that has greatly benefited from regular practice of taijiquan is the
cardio-vascular system. Various studies (including the Sinica study mentioned previously) haveshown that regular practice of taijiquan improves heart function, exercising the heart in a gentle,
yet gradual and well controlled way, in a similar manner to swimming. Exercise of the cardiovascular system in taijiquan is continuous but gentle, and exercises can be tailored to suitdifferent levels of health. So taijiquan can be said to be suitable for everybody, and as a form ofsustained exercise of the cardio-vascular system, taijiquan is now recommended by many
physicians to their patients with heart problems.
Another means in which the heart benefits from the practice of taijiquan is through theabdominal breathing carried out as a part of it. This causes alternate increases and decreasesof pressure inside the abdominal cavity which, in turn, cause alternate increases and decreasesof pressure inside the thoracic cavity. This in effect gives the heart a gentle massage, having
similar beneficial effects to a massage given to tired muscles.

Changes of pressure inside the thoracic cavity also improve the ability of the heart andlungs to contract and expand, thus ensuring better blood circulation, and improved air
exchange within the lungs.
Another factor which can lead to improved functioning of the cardio-vascular system is thatwhen the whole body's muscles are stretched out, especially when executing spiral movements,
this has an effect similar to that of twisting a sponge, efficiently emptying the blood andlymphatic fluid from all parts of the body including the extremities. When performing thesubsequent returning movement this has an effect like untwisting a sponge; the body is able tosuck in a greater amount of blood and nutrients than normal, thus improving the circulation ofblood through the body and allowing oxygen and nutrients to reach all parts of the body more
efficiently.
There are other factors which can affect the heart in a less direct way, such as elevation ofcholesterol and triglyceride levels, which can cause atherosclerosis (damage to the bloodvessels and to the heart). It has been clearly demonstrated in many studies (including the Sinica
study), that taijiquan can decrease the level of cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood.

(iii) The Respiratory System
The abdominal breathing required in taijiquan is performed in coordination with body
movements and is deep, slow and rhythmic in nature. This type of deep breathing utilises theabdominal and diaphragmatic muscles and is very beneficial as an exercise for the lungs. Many
physiotherapists teach their preoperative patients deep diaphragmatic breathing as an aid torecovery, since it opens up the full space of the lungs and promotes better oxygenation of the
body tissues. By creating alternating negative and positive pressures within the thoracic andabdominal cavities it improves perfusion on the internal organs.
Correct coordination of body movement with breathing is very important. When a movement isperformed which involves an opening up of the body,
31such as when both of the upper limbs stretch out in Leisurely Tying Coat, this should beaccompanied by inspiration. The movement involved in opening up stretches out themuscles of the chest wall, which controls inspiration, as well as lowering thediaphragmatic muscles. The combination of all these movements of the muscles fully
extends the respiratory capacity. When performing a closing up movement, the reverseis also true, with all the air being fully exhaled from the lungs.
A study quoted from Traditional Chinese Fitness Exercises by China Sports Magazine and New
World Press showed that taijiquan practitioners enjoyed greater vital lung capacity, greater lungtissue elasticity and a lower rate of calcification of the rib cartilages, as well as easier breathing
patterns after completion of a respiratory function test, and a quicker recovery time.

(iv) The Digestive System Taijiquan improves the digestive system in various ways.
Firstly, when practising taijiquan, the relaxation of muscles and elimination of mental stressenhances the functioning of the parasympathetic nervous system which aids better digestionand also the general repair and maintenance of the body.
Secondly, practising taijiquan increases the flow of blood to the intestines and stomach throughthe alternate increases and decreases of pressure inside the abdomen resulting from abdominal
breathing. With improved blood circulation the function of the digestive system naturally also
improves. The change of pressure caused by diaphragmatic breathing also gives the abdominalorgans a gentle massage.
Thirdly, in a sequence of events not yet fully understood, it has been shown (by the Sinica study
and others) that the level of blood cholesterol and other blood fats in the body can besignificantly lowered by practising taijiquan for as little as six months. It seems that somehow
the breakdown of unhealthy fatty substances is encouraged through the practice of taijiquan.
Fourthly, as with all other forms of exercise, taijiquan aids the digestion of food and enables the
body to utilise a greater proportion of its calorific content. Thus taijiquan is particularly suitablefor people with poorly functioning digestive systems or who are obese.

(v) The Skeleto-Muscular System It has been scientifically established that lack ofphysical exercise leads to a thinning and weakening of the bones (osteoporosis) andcauses susceptibility to fractures. People with a deficiency of calcium, and those whosebody cannot utilise the calcium in it, such as menopausal women, are also affected inthis way, but lack of exercise is known to be a common cause of these sort of problems.
It is also well known that people who exercise very little are extremely prone tomuscular and ligamental injuries.
Research has quite clearly established that regular exercise increases the density of the bones,
making them stronger and less likely to fracture. Taijiquan is especially effective as a form of
exercise because it increases the muscle load slowly, without stress, and gradually increases
the strength of the bones.
When practising taijiquan, correct upright posture is essential. Good posture decreases thestress on the joints and the bones and allows them to work more efficiently and as aconsequence to last longer. Poor posture not only affects the internal organs, since there is lessspace for them (for example, people with hunch-backs have a smaller lung capacity), but also
causes more stress on the joints and the bones.

The gentle stretching exercises practised in taijiquan will strengthen the muscles andthe bones, making the muscles more supple and stronger. This rhythmic stretching out
and relaxing of the muscles has the effect of alternately squeezing the muscles dry andthen letting the blood flow back in. In this way
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more blood becomes diffused into the muscles and the joints, and with the blood comesthe nutrients and the oxygen that will improve the nutritional state of the tissues,muscles and bones. Also, a muscle that is tense due to physical or mental stress for along time will be easily damaged, whereas the gentle stretching which occurs whenpractising taijiquan will prevent such injury or even repair it.

Almost all taijiquan movements hinge from the waist and involve a great deal of movement of
the region around the lumbar vertebrae. Taijiquan, therefore, greatly benefits the lumbar spine
and the muscles around it. The Traditional Chinese Fitness Exercises study mentioned earlier
indicated that only 25.8 % of a group of elderly taijiquan practitioners studied suffered fromspinal column deformities compared with 47.2 % of a control group chosen to represent thenormal population and of the same age. X-ray examination of their spines also showed senile
osteoporosis (thinning of the bones) in only 36.6 % of the taijiquan group as compared to63.8 % of the control group.

(vi) Other Systems Taijiquan benefits ALL systems of the body. The immune system,
which helps the body to fight invading disease and cleans up abnormal cells which are
the precursors of cancer, is another good example. In 1989 in Dallas, Texas, in theUSA, a research team undertook one of the world's largest ever studies on exercise andhealth. The findings showed that moderate exercise, such as obtained from walking or
swimming will improve many aspects of health, including the immunological system.
Taijiquan must, therefore, be considered to be an entirely suitable form of exercise forachieving improved immunological activity etc.
All other systems of the body are geared to working more harmoniously and effectively
with regular exercise. When the major systems, such as the cardiovascular andrespiratory systems, are working well then the repair and maintenance of other systems
also functions well. So we can safely assume that practising taijiquan will improvemetabolism and also the regenerative capacity of the body.
The fact that taijiquan benefits so many different parts of the body at the same time,
does not diminish the level of benefit received by the individual parts. On the contrary,
the benefit obtained by one system will actually enhance the benefits obtained byanother. For instance, if we compare the benefit obtained to mental relaxation bypractising taijiquan for one hour compared to that obtained from lying down and relaxing
mentally, the former is considerably more effective because the relaxation of themuscles enhances mental relaxation, as does the abdominal breathing and the mental
concentration required to perform the movements correctly. In fact, taijiquan is so welldesigned that one benefit will always amplify another. To give another example, mental
relaxation improves muscular relaxation, muscular relaxation improves abdominal
breathing and better posture, which in turn will further improve mental relaxation. It is
like a ripple effect, with the benefits compounding on each other to improve the overall
health of the body.
In summary, taijiquan is a gentle form of exercise that is suitable for the entire
physiological system of the human body. It is especially beneficial since it combines
physical exercise with mental exercise and, unlike many other forms of exercise, has
the added advantage that, because it is gentle and relaxing, it also causes minimal
injury problems.
2. The Traditional Viewpoint In ancient times Chinese culture and traditional medicine

were considerably more sophisticated than those in practice in many other parts of theworld. In
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fact, many of the theories and practices in use in China two to three thousand years ago
have been found to be entirely consistent with modern medical practices. For instance,in the Han Dynasty (25 - 220 A.D.) the renowned doctor Hua Tuo wrote, “The humanbody requires constant exercise”, and also that "regular exercise aids digestion,
stimulates circulation and helps the body to resist diseases." This is almost the same
any modern doctor would advise; it is hard to believe that it was written nearly 2,000
years ago!
Many of the points discussed under the previous section are also entirely consistent
with traditional Chinese medicine and do not need to be repeated here. Instead,discussion will mainly be centred on those traditional ideas not yet embraced by modern
science.
Taijiquan incorporates the ancient philosophical techniques of Daoyin and Tuna. Daoyin is theconcentrated exertion of inner force, whilst Tuna is a set of deep breathing exercises. Forming
the basis of Daoyin is the Jingluo theory of the flow of internal energy throughout the body,which forms the basis of all traditional Chinese medicine. The term meridian which is used inwestern texts on acupuncture is the equivalent of Jingluo. Qi flows from the Dan Tian along
meridians to all parts of the body.

Qi is a concept firmly embedded in Chinese culture and traditional medicine. Qi is
defined as a form of life energy which circulates all over the body in all living people. It
originates as a combination of air from the lungs, the essence from the kidneys and theessence from food and drink via the digestive system.
Qi not only maintains life and health, it governs almost all activity in the body including:(i) It activates the life force, and the growth, metabolism, regeneration andrepair of the body. (ii) It has a warming effect, regulating body temperature and keeping
theorgans in an active capacity. (iii) It guards against invasion of the body by disease. (iv) It
enhances and regulates the circulation of blood, body fluids, saliva etc.,
throughout the body and is, therefore, responsible for the transportation ofnutrients and oxygen to the whole body. (v) It restores and maintains the level of bloodand body fluids circulating in
the body. Qi is stored in the Dan Tian and circulates around, to and through all parts ofthe body.
In summary, Qi is of vital importance to the health of the entire body. A person withstrong Qi is both healthier and stronger than a person with weak Qi, and any

disturbance of the flow of Qi, or weakening of Qi, will result in illness.
Qi is not a tangible substance, and its existence cannot (as yet) be detected by modern
scientific methods. Circumstantial evidence is however plentiful: most taijiquan practitioners will
testify that they can feel the Qi flowing through their body and will, to varying degrees, be able todirect this flow.

Traditional medicine bases much of its theory on Qi; it is an essential part of all
traditional Chinese medicine, including acupuncture which is now very well known andaccepted throughout the world.
Acupuncture is based largely on a belief in the curative effects of correcting the flow of
Qi. Acupuncture therapies are used to regulate and improve the flow of Qi precisely inthe same way and for the same reasons that practitioners of taijiquan, through constantpractice, aim to improve the flow and strength of their Qi, giving lasting theraputic
benefits to the whole body.
Taijiquan was created with the basic intention of strengthening internal Qi. It can be achieved byfollowing the basic principles of Taijiquan, that is, by allowing Qi to sink to the Dan Tian, keeping
the body erect, keeping the head straight, and relaxing and sinking the shoulders and elbow
joints. The flowing
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movements of taijiquan are an excellent means of facilitating the improved cultivation and flowof Qi.

With a stronger Qi, and with the ability to direct it at will, the practitioner can concentrate
Qi at one point of his or her body when attacked, making this point stronger and lesssusceptible to injury. When the internal force is delivered during an attack, the power
released is very great, as often demonstrated by the famous masters of taijiquan, suchas Chen Fake. (See the section on Chen Fake in the chapter on the history of taijiquan
for details of his remarkable use of internal force.)
Control of Qi can be used to great benefit in improving health. Not only does a stronger and wellflowing Qi allow the body to function better, but it can also be directed to cure illness of aparticular part of the body.

For many years taijiquan has been recommended by traditional Chinese doctors as aform of therapy, and nowadays there are special taijiquan units attached to many of thehospitals in China which teach patients how to use taijiquan to improve their health.

3. The Special Benefits of Chen Style, Taijiquan
to HealthThe most popular form of taijiquan in practice in the world today is the Yang style. Yang Luchan
learned Chen-style, taijiquan in the early 19th century when he was employed as a servant in
the Chen household. He became a highly skilled and enthusiastic practitioner and soondeveloped his own style, which was more open and gentle with no fast movements, jumps ordelivery of force. His style was further developed and refined by his sons, and in particular byhis grandson, Yang Cheng Fu, into the Big Frame which is now the most popular style oftaijiquan practised in the world today. It is a style suitable for general use by people of all ages
and levels of fitness and is in keeping with modern needs of exercise and the maintenance ofgood health.
The Chen style is not as well known or as popular as the Yang style but it contains many
characteristics which were omitted from the Yang style when that was created. These uniquecharacteristics offer additional health benefits to suitable practitioners.

The Chen style, for example, places a great deal of emphasis on the use of spiral force.
As the body is twisted this has a squeezing effect on the body and the muscles,
emptying the blood vessels and the lymphatic system more thoroughly. When the bodyis twisted back the other way this allows the blood vessels to be filled to their full
capacity once more. This greatly improves circulation and helps to remove toxic
elements from the blood. This alternate contraction and then relaxation which resultsfrom performing spiral movements with the body has very great theraputic value for thecirculatory system.
One of the main technical characteristics of Chen style, taijiquan are that softness and hardness
should complement each other, with fast and slow movements being intermixed. To achievesatisfactory expression of these characteristics requires excellent timing and training in thecontrol and delivery of internal force. This further improves coordination and reflexes. A recent
study in Beijing has shown that practitioners of Chen style, taijiquan have faster reflexes thanpractitioners of other styles. The fast and hard movements are particularly beneficial to thosepeople who have a need for more rapid expenditure of energy, or for those who need a more
expressive emotional outlet.
The movements in Chen style, taijiquan also contain a more clear and direct application for selfdefence than any other form of taijiquan. This is an added bonus to the practitioner since
understanding the application of a movement to self-defence helps the practitioner to better
understand the movement and also how to direct the flow of internal force within it. It forms asound foundation for training for self defence purposes and is entirely suitable as a complement
to other marital art disciplines.
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Chen style, taijiquan also involves more hand and finger movements and morestretching of the body joints than other styles, which is very beneficial for those people
who have a need for a more comprehensive exercise for all parts of the body.
Chen style is more vigorous, usually requiring a lower stance, and includes fast
movements and force delivering movements, such as the punch in Cover With Hand
and Punch With Fist. These require a greater exertion of strength. Yet, as explained in
the movements themselves, they can all be performed with differing degrees ofexertion; certain modifications and the adoption of a higher stance will make the form
much less vigorous. Chen style, taijiquan is, therefore, suitable for most people, and foryounger people who wish to attain a high level of physical fitness faster, or for fitter
people who wish to extend themselves further, this style has a great deal to offer.
In summary, all forms of taijiquan have basic similarities and all are very beneficial to health andfitness. However, the Chen style has many extra benefits for suitable practitioners.
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BOOK：
「Chen Stytle TAIJIQUAN The 36 Forms」
PROFESSOR KAN GUI XIANG・DR PAUL LAM