What Are the Secrets Behind Moving Slowly in Tai Chi?

Tai Chi is a martial art renowned for its slow, deliberate movements. But why is the fundamental form practiced so slowly, especially for beginners?

Although faster forms exist, the slow form is essential for mastering Tai Chi’s principles and techniques. Here’s why moving slowly in Tai Chi is crucial.

Such as “sinking the chest and raising the back” and keeping a sense of relaxation. However, as one progresses one will notice that the slow form may facilitate understand the jin.

What is jin? Jin is the force, and as per the classics the most fundamental jin, is the one that rises from the feet and is controlled by the waist and released out the hand or fingertips.

As you release excess tension and balance the forces in the body when doing the form. Then one can begin to understand how the jin moves from the lower to the upper.

Connecting the body as one.

And this is the secret to the slow form in tai chi. If you add the practice of Zhan Zhuang and maintain the same state when doing the slow form, this will accelerate ones understanding.

Besides jin from the context of force originating in the feet, there is also ting jin – “listening energy”. Which when doing the solo form would mean the state of awareness of the body and mind. The more in tune, the better the ting jin – the ability to listen.

This then leads to dong jin, understanding energy. The ability to understand through listening of how the jin rises from the ground. Due to adhering to the fundamental tai chi principles.