Author: Charles Zhang
Why did I choose Tai Chi as my first martial arts to play around with? First of all, the movies, kung fu fictions like the series written by Louis Cha (Jin Yong) and Tai Chi Master (1993) played by Jet Li, form an idea in my head that Tai Chi soars above the common techniques, and even kung fu itself to assert its ideas into even a spiritual way. It’s mysterious and alive.
When I was little, I lived in a city with great accessibility to parks. Take a walk in the break of the day especially with the mist; makes everything more refreshing. At the same time, I’m not a lone stroller, there are lot things going on in the morning. One of them is people practicing Tai Chi. They gather at the same place by the main route I took every morning so it’s hard to miss. Just look at them. When they move, they move like falling waters and waving silk. At times I get lucky because they will have group practices preparing for city competitions. Almost every year in our city newspaper, just in a small section, it says “Congratulations Again to Qiao Kou Tai Chi Team.” I feel proud, because I feel like part of them, seeing them do their warm ups, push hands, and sometimes even chit chat with them. However, there’s something greater than being part of them and that’s when seeing them during their competition days. I see the most amazing art in the break of dawn.
They wore their white silk cloth with the leading person in red, and when they move, boy, they look amazing! Soft like wisps of clouds with steadiness like the sitting rocks on a thousand-year mountain. Smooth like the early morning dews running down the green leafs, leaving the soothing sounds with rhythm; springy like the ripple in the mirroring lake, letting the drizzling fall with movement. There are no more sounds of bird chirping nor the fresh breeze lying around, nor the aura of light embracing around you; it’s only a sense; the sense of Tai Chi, mysterious, and alive…
