Tai Chi

Tai chi is an ancient form of Chinese exercise. It is one part stretching, one part balance, and one part meditation. It requires concentration and grace. I suspect there is a large overlap among the practitioners of tai chi and consumers of traditional Chinese medicine. Because it is low impact, tai chi is popular with the older folks. It’s typically performed in the morning and out of doors.

Whenever I’ve seen tai chi on the Discovery channel, I’ve always seen Chinese people performing it in unison in large groups.

I have yet to see that here in Hong Kong.

What I have seen are people performing individual, do-it-yourself tai chi.

One day, I saw a woman walking briskly while at the same time gracefully swaying her arms from left to right. It didn’t really resemble the tai chi I’ve seen on t.v. It had a certain home-made-ness to it.

Another woman (pictured) was slowly raising her left arm above her head and then bringing her right arm around front and giving herself three, slow thwacks on her left side. Then she switched sides. Then she did the whole thing over again. If nothing else, I guess that stimulates the circulation.

I saw an older gentleman walking backwards. He would clap twice in front of himself and then he would clap twice in back. All that clapping must be helping to get his chi centered for the day.

I’ve seen a lot of folks here doing tai chi in the park and I have yet to see two practitioners who do it the same way. Do they study with different masters? Is it passed down through families? Is it regional? Maybe they come from different parts of China and Hong Kong? Or are they making up their own rituals? I honestly don’t know.

It must work though. People –especially the older folks- seem limber and fit. Who am I to second-guess?

The group mindset and the go-along mentality is one of the oft-mentioned aspects of East Asian cultures. But I’ve got to tell you, I’m seeing all this individual expression everywhere I go and I'm kind of liking it.

Makes me feel that a guy like me might actually fit in around here.

-Jack