Tai Chi has changed my life

[Adam23]

btw im new here, but im very excited about these forums. i used to go to musicplayer.com but, well, the drum forum there is a little slow, so i moved onto here.

back to the topic

For the past few months my drum teacher Cooty Harris has gotten me to start taking Tai Chi lessons from him at his school, and WOW...this is probably the best decision i have ever made in my entire life. This martial art is amazing, it focuses on the energy flow throughout the body by practicing movements very slowly. It helps with balance, lowers blood pressure, improves quickness and alertness. I take these lessons twice a week and i have learned so much, and my life is so much better. I just feel better about everything, it has truely made me a better person, and feel a better drummer.
I notice i can solo and i can keep pace of my breathing and my shoulders remain level and im much more relaxed, my movements seem so much more full and nothing is more exciting then doing a chi workout then grooving on the kit. My mind is totally focused, its great!

I would recommend this to anyone, for drumming or for your health.

[smoggrocks]

tai chi is groovy stuff. i did it a long time ago and really enjoyed it. i didn't realize it qualified as a 'real' martial art till i saw a friend of mine going through some offensive moves. pretty incredible.

martial arts overall are very transforming. i'd love to give wing chun a try some day.


congrats on your discovery, and welcome to the cafe!

[jokerjkny]

wing chun??!??!?!  holy crap, Smoggy, you'll be out bouncing the bouncer!  :o

but yea, tai chi does amazing things in sync'ing up your mind, body, and "flow".  my granddad's blood pressure is lower than mine!  also, amazing how it improves your video game play, too.  ;)

[taterocity]

I practised tae kwon do for years and only recently made the switch the tai chi. And, WOW, does it make a difference. My balance is improved, my awareness of my upper body movements has increased (since all I thought for a while was kick, kick, kick :) ). Tai chi is definitely something all drummers, heck, all muscians...No, everyone! should explore. The benefits, especially when taken to life-threatening-situation speed, are incredible.

[vanguard]

whoa...   I didn't realize this was a drummer thing... hmm...

I wonder if I should look into this after I get my piano lessons over with..

[gifford1986]

don't quit piano.  it helps with all instruments (In my oppinion).  perhaps you could just cut back a little.  I need to do this Tai Chi thing as well.

[iluvatars_dog]

Just wound like to back up what just been said about the great marital art of tai chi chuan. It has help me greatly to bring on my drumming. One great thing thatââ,¬â,,¢s it a great aid in learning to relax, letting the tension flow out the body.
Also what style are you guys studying, I myself have been learning tradition yang style.
My teacher places a lot on the marital side of the art, its great thing to do just for heath as well as a lot of older people has found. But the martial side it worth exploding as well, my teacher regular sparres with other martial artes of other style including karate who seem to have great problems in dealing with the tai chi fight style
As there is a lot of push hand freeform sparring. Plus weapons staff drills,so you get a good work out as well.

[Feej]

I'm looking for something to help me with my general well being this year and was wondering about Tai Chi.

I am a slightly "larger" guy (but not huge) and was wondering if this would help me get a bit fitter and also help me get off my blood pressure medication.

It also sounds like it might help my playing as well.

Any thoughts?

[TamaDrummer]

I have always held a good respect and interest in the martial arts, and I have wanted to try Tai Chi for a while, but unfortunetely, there is no one in my town that teaches it.  When I move for college, hopefully I can find an instructor.

[Robyn]

Feej, I did Tai Chi for a while years ago. There was a guy in my class, early 50's I think, who did TC 2x a week. He didn't change anything else about his lifestyle--didn't eat differently, didn't exercise anymore than the 2x a week classes. After a year he'd lost a bunch of weight--can't remember how much. He'd brought in his old belt to show us and when he put it on and pulled it out in front of him, it stuck out about a foot from his belly. He said he felt a lot better too.

I ride (horses) a lot, and I find that has a lot of similarities to drumming--feel, timing and balance are very important, being able to use all your limbs independently w/o really thinking about it, w/ the added benefit of having to work w/ a (very large) living being who might have different ideas from yours forces you to learn to adjust. I ride bareback most of the time in the winter and that has really improved my balance.

robyn

[Filipe]

Wow, some enthusiastic reports eh, is it really that life-changing?
You got me interested heh

[diddle]

I was in China recently and was surprised at how popular TC is there, especially with the older folks.  In fact, I was awakened at 0430 hrs by some guy (who must have been at least 70 years old) practicing TC outside the hotel on the river banks.  He was standing on one foot making a loud 'HEEEEEeeeeeehh' sound, projecting his voice across the river.  Later I went for a walk and came across a group of 60+ people practicing TC with swords using very slow motions.  I was impressed at how ballanced they were.  Evidently not only is it good excercise but it helps to clear & focus the mind.... so they tell me.

[phantompong]

I was in China recently and was surprised at how popular TC is there, especially with the older folks.  In fact, I was awakened at 0430 hrs by some guy (who must have been at least 70 years old) practicing TC outside the hotel on the river banks.  He was standing on one foot making a loud 'HEEEEEeeeeeehh' sound, projecting his voice across the river.  Later I went for a walk and came across a group of 60+ people practicing TC with swords using very slow motions.  I was impressed at how ballanced they were.  Evidently not only is it good excercise but it helps to clear & focus the mind.... so they tell me.

I'm a Chinese Singaporean and tai chi is a very popular form of exercise among old folk here. Take a walk around any mid-sized park in the morning and chances are there will be at least a few people, mainly senior citizens, practising tai chi. I myself have not tried it, however.

[Bart Elliott]

Anybody feel very old after the previous post?  ::) ROFL

[Louis Russell]

Anybody feel very old after the previous post?  ::) ROFL

I felt very old before that post!   ;D

[Shane Stylianos]

Maybe after some more time spent in Tae Kwon Do, I'll give Tai Chi a whirl (though, my wife wants me to try yoga!).  I've noticed an improvement in myself just by doing the Tae Kwon Do, and would heavily recommend just about ANY Martial Art to drummers.  I think the drumming/musician will help with timing of the moves, and learning the moves will help with body movement for drumming.

[David Jung]

I studied Shotokan Karate while in college a bazillion years ago...wished I had kept up with it, but I always ended up with an incredible lower back pain after the class.  In retrospect, that was probably the cancer starting in on my spine.

I wonder what the overlapping percentage is for martial arts and drummers (or musicians in general)...perhaps similar to the overlap between programmers and musicians (a left/right brain thingie).

--David