ethnography on Tia Chi

Tai Chi



One Saturday morning I went to visit a Tia Chi Class , this is a form of martial arts in

moving meditation and excersise. The class that I observed ran for an hour and a half. Tia Chi

has been known to improve mental as well as physical health. For those of you who have

heard of Yoga, it is some what similar to that. Tia Chi was created some 3000 years ago by the

Sholin monks for daily living practices.



This particular Tia Chi class was held in a remodeled warehouse type building. As I entered

the building the sign said the Tia Chi class was on the second floor. I went up to the second floor
,
opened this large steel door and found my self in a very large room about 50 feet long by 25

feet wide. The floor of the room was completely carpeted and there were some pillars that

where use to support the building they were carpeted up several feet from the

bottom. This could prevent any injuries should a student come in contact.

However the room being as large as it was allowed plenty of space for the students to perform

their excersises efficiently.



As I glanced around the room I noticed that along the walls were many displays

of weapons. Broad swords display in pairs, being they are used that way during the

lesson. Tia Chi swords with custom made handles that had insciptions on them where

used during the forms with elegance and grace. There was weapon with a very long handle and

long curved blade which was called a horse cutter. This weapon was used in war time to stop

charging horses. There was also several other kinds of weapons such as chains, spears,

staffs and tiger hooks. Some of which I observed the students used to perform their lessons.

While I was observing the class I noticed a soothing aroma of chinese tea brewing.

During intermission time it seemed to me that this tea helped enlighten the students to maintain

the atomoshere and tranquility of the sessions.

Now its time for the lessons to begin. I notice the instrutor stood out in front of the room

and call the students to formation. All the students line up in four rows about six feet from

one another to allow room to perform. Like soldiers lined up to march I thought. All with black

loose fitting uniforms on and a cloth belt. The instructor then turns on some chinese music. He

turns and faces the students. And begins the warm up lessons.

In a loud voice he gives the instructions as well as performs them. Step by step the students

perform the movements. All with unity and percission . The gracefullness of ballet dances.

Forward and back too and fro , jump ,kick bend. And then turn and do it all over again. Now its

time for a break. So they rest for 10 minutes or so. Now its time for the second set of the

lesson. This time the students have picked up weapons to work with during there practice.

Some had swords, some with a staff , few with chains. How dangerous I was thinking.

But not a one of them made contact with the another. The lessons are someone repertishous.

I noticed that the instructor now was moving about the students to assist them in performing

the moves correctly. Two of the students had move to the side of the main floor to work on

there one to one defensive moves. Back and forth they kick and jabed at each other. Ducking

rapidly stepping forward and back.



Tia Chi is a martial art of defense not offense. There are several versions of Tia Chi. One of

which I observed was Tia Chi Chuan. An ancient form that has the theory of four ounces of

strength against a ton of force. Repelling the opponnet without resorting to force against force.

After the 3rd sequence of the forms the students took a rest from their intense workout.

In about ten minutes the instructor called the students to form up once again. The instructor

then paid respect to the students, as they to him by closing with a bow to each other. I then

had a chance to talk with the instructor, and he invited me to return and learn more.