What hobbies have been passed down from your family?

I practice tai chi.

What came to mind after you read that statement? As I was writing an essay about tai chi last semester I became very curious about the common conception on tai chi. To gather data for that essay, I sent out a survey to find out 1) what came to mind when the Uni community considered tai chi, and 2) whether or not they considered it to be “cool.”

The most common responses to the first question included reference to old people, slowness, relaxation, and China. There were some pretty entertaining responses too, and some of my favorites were:

My grandma

A type of Chinese food

A warm drink (I think this person was thinking of Chai Tea)

Mr. Bild

Regarding the second question, more than half of the responders said they either didn’t consider tai chi to be “cool” or that they had never heard of it. I want to address both of these responses in this post and also share my connection to the practice.

First, if you haven’t heard of tai chi before, it is an ancient Chinese internal martial art which means that it focuses on nurturing the mind-body connection and emphasizes developing fine motor skills over brute strength or natural ability. In tai chi, you learn several choreographed forms. In combination, these forms incorporate all dimensions of movement in terms of length and duration of force expression. There is not a strike or kick in any other martial art that is not contained within the tai chi forms. In addition to the forms, traditional tai chi practice also includes meditation in sitting, standing, and lying-down positions, agility and cardiovascular drills, and fast, explosive movements called “fa jin.” All of these components are important to realize the full benefit of the practice.

Tai chi has been in my family for a long time. My uncle started practicing tai chi when he was a young boy. He was born during the Cultural Revolution in China with a congenital heart defect due to malnutrition. This was common during that period of Chinese history due to the widespread famine of the time. His family was told he would not live long. When he was twelve, his uncle recommended that he study tai chi as the only means available to cure his heart condition. He studied with several local masters initially, and eventually came to study with several of the most prestigious grandmasters in China. By the time he was in college, he had transformed from the weakest boy in his class to a strong martial artist; he won the Shanghai Collegiate Kung Fu Championship for three consecutive years, and was voted best overall martial artist. This achievement afforded him the opportunity to become a disciple of Grandmaster Feng Zhiqiang, who is a legendary figure in Chinese history.

After moving to America, he studied kinesiology to better understand how to explain tai chi from a Western scientific perspective. He now teaches classes and seminars around the world. As I was growing up, I had the opportunity to travel with my uncle and attend his workshops.

I started practicing tai chi seriously a few years ago. Last summer, I competed in my first tournament in Orlando. I know that the idea of a tai chi competition sounds like an oxymoron. Basically, you perform a form and you are scored on your technique and skill level. I was very eager to compete, and I trained for months before the competition. For much of that time, I was in New York. I woke up early every morning and walked through the Upper East Side to Central Park and practiced on a wide bridge there. People would stop and take pictures or videos, or cross to the other side of the bridge especially if I was practicing with my saber.

In the end, the competition went well– I won a gold and a silver medal. While I was proud of my achievement, I felt disinclined to tell my peers about it. I assumed that they wouldn’t consider it to be “cool.” I realize now that I shouldn’t avoid talking about it. The way that I can to change that perspective is to help explain what it is and share my interest in it with more people.