With its slow motion movements, Tai Chi doesn’t look like a typical fast-paced form of martial arts.
But a martial art it is, said Tri-County YMCA Tai Chi instructor Vicki Elliott-Brown. “It’s a form of martial arts done very slowly,” Elliott-Brown said.
A year ago, the Tri-County YMCA started the Tai Chi for Arthritis & Health class, tailoring it for arthritis sufferers. Elliott-Brown said there are five forms of Tai Chi – Chen, Sun, Yang, Wu and Hao.
The Tai Chi for Arthritis & Health class teaches the Sun form, “Mainly because that has the least amount of extreme movement. This form is approved and supported by the Arthritis Foundation of America,” she said.
The Sun form of Tai Chi helps those with arthritis and fibromyalgia who have muscle and joint problems.
“There are a whole slew of benefits. It’s energetic, yet it relaxes. It relieves pain and stiffness, and it improves relaxation and concentration.”
Elliott-Brown said Tai Chi is an “internal” form of exercise that helps with balance and energy flow in the body.
“It focuses on breathing and is a mind-body form of exercise. It doesn’t necessarily mean that’s it’s easy to do, but this is designed to be very easy to do,” she said.
The Tai Chi for Arthritis and Health is a six-week class offered year round. Once students complete that class they can sign up for an intermediate Tai Chi class.
Elliott-Brown stressed that the Tai Chi class is beneficial for anyone, not just those with arthritis.
“We have people who don’t have arthritis taking the class. It’s for everyone, young and old.”
The Tai Chi movements are designed to be performed in a specific way. “It helps the body to relax and open up so that energy flows freely through the body,” Elliott-Brown said.
A Wisconsin native, Elliott-Brown started studying Tai Chi 11 years ago. “I actually studied Tae Kwon Do. I started practicing that and then learned about Tai Chi from an instructor where I lived. I went, and I loved it. I used to go at six o’clock in the morning,” she said.
Although a Tai Chi practitioner for more than a decade, Elliott- Brown said the martial art “takes a lifetime to master. And that’s the beauty of it. The goal is the journey of learning how to move efficiently and effectively and to free your mind.”
Elliott-Brown also teaches low-impact aerobics, Pilates and a “high-intensity sweatshop” class. She is also a personal trainer.
For more information about Tai Chi for Arthritis & Health or other Tri-County YMCA programs, call 757-0016.
Staff writer Ben Calwell can be reached via e-mail, or by calling 348-5188.
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