Don't mess with my chi

About to remove your skull.

I was looking for a place to resume my study of aikido, and I was not having much luck. Then I came across a martial arts school not far from me that teaches tai chi, including the "fast" version used for self-defense.

I'd always considered aikido to be the most "spiritual" of the martial arts. Vigorous training of the body also trains the mind and informs the spirit.

I'm thinking now, however, that tai chi may fill the bill. Tai chi ch'uan is Chinese for "supreme ultimate fist." Whoa, dude. That's pretty spiritual.

At any rate, I actually showed up for a class, which is 99 percent of the game for an introvert like me. The teacher is a guy named Rich, a pleasant, unassuming young man. These guys who hang around martial arts dojos are usually pleasant and unassuming, knowing that they can, while you sneeze, remove your skull and affix it to your sacrum, and you won't even notice until you get in your car and the seat belt starts rubbing on your ear.

So we're on the mat, four of us and Rich. A guy named Chris with a motorcycle jacket to kill for -- except for the part about him rearranging your skull -- is off by himself whupping up on an invisible opponent. I'm in my corner trying the first three moves and trying not to fall over and trying to act real cool when I start to fall over.

A couple of the students showed up with tai chi swords. Dude!

Most people are aware of the very slow, graceful forms of tai chi, but each has a self-defense meaning -- if you don't fall over. The slow form also has the health benefits that result from relaxation and meditation.

Researchers have found that intensive t'ai chi practice shows some favorable effects on the promotion of balance control, flexibility, cardiovascular fitness, and has shown to reduce the risk of falls in both healthy elderly patients, and those recovering from chronic stroke, heart failure, high blood pressure, heart attacks, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and fibromyalgia. T'ai chi's gentle, low impact movements burn more calories than surfing and nearly as many as downhill skiing. 

T'ai chi, along with yoga, has reduced levels of LDLs 20–26 milligrams when practiced for 12–14 weeks. A thorough review of most of these studies showed limitations or biases that made it difficult to draw firm conclusions on the benefits of t'ai chi. A later study led by the same researchers conducting the review found that t'ai chi (compared to regular stretching) showed the ability to greatly reduce pain and improve overall physical and mental health in people over 60 with severe osteoarthritis of the knee.  

In addition, a pilot study, which has not been published in a peer-reviewed medical journal, has found preliminary evidence that t'ai chi and related qigong may reduce the severity of diabetes. In a randomized trial of 66 patients with fibromyalgia, the t'ai chi intervention group did significantly better in terms of pain, fatigue, sleeplessness and depression than a comparable group given stretching exercises and wellness education.

Read a lot more here on the health benefits. And don't mess with my chi -- I may fall over on you.