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A brief introduction: Modern Tai Chi

In 2021, I had the opportunity to assist sports physician Tobias Block with his book on the training method he developed, Modern Tai Chi by Tobias Block. The book ‘Modern Tai Chi: Only 15 minutes to your healthy life!‘ is now available in English for the first time and is intended as an introduction for beginners. It offers a compact overview of the theory and background of Modern Tai Chi, as well as detailed and illustrated instructions for the figures and movements. I myself have learnt Modern Tai Chi over the past seven years in several classes with Tobias Block and have been practising it regularly ever since.

I use Modern Tai Chi as the third element (along with endurance and strength training) of my personal exercise programme to relieve tension and stress, especially when working from home. I enjoyed being involved in the design of this book, especially as it is the first time that this modernised form of Tai Chi has been systematically prepared for beginners.

What is Modern Tai Chi?

modern tai chi by tobias block
Start now with Modern Tai Chi (Picture: fitcare.training).

What is this movement training all about? Modern Tai Chi by Tobias Block is a form of classical Tai Chi that has been adapted to today’s world and Western thinking. With simple but effective exercises, it is quick to learn and easy to integrate into everyday life as no special equipment or preparation is required.
All you need is a little space and 15 minutes of your time to release tension, improve flexibility and reduce stress with regular practice.

The fact that you don’t need mats or special clothing, and that you don’t have to do it on the floor, is what attracted me to these exercises right from the start. I can easily do them in the office in between times and just close the door for a few moments. But what is so ‘modern’ about modern Tai Chi? Let’s take a quick look at classical Tai Chi to find out.

Classical Tai Chi vs. Modern Tai Chi: The Benefits of a New Training Method

Tai Chi is a form of exercise that originated in Asia and has been practised there for centuries. It comes from the tradition of Asian martial arts and has evolved over time into an art of movement and meditative health exercise. It trains calmness, balance, concentration and endurance through focused, slow and flowing sequences of movement in the natural rhythm of breathing. By balancing tension and relaxation in the body, Tai Chi prevents injury and overexertion, and has positive effects on the nervous system, circulation and posture.

Tai Chi vs. Modern Tai Chi
Tai Chi originally comes from Asia (Stephen at Pexels).

Despite these many benefits, Tai Chi has been slow to spread in Europe compared to other forms of exercise such as yoga. In my opinion, one of the main reasons for this is that classical tai chi is often difficult and time-consuming for us Europeans to learn, because it involves a large number of movements and postures (sometimes up to 76).

At the same time, these are usually introduced with metaphorical images (such as “move like a tree in the wind” or “shake your mane like a wild horse”) which are often difficult for beginners outside the Asian cultural area to translate into the desired practical movements. As a result, many beginners stop learning classical tai chi before they can experience its benefits.

modern tai chi by tobias block
Modern Tai Chi is adapted to Western needs (Picture: fitcare.training).

Tobias Block’s Modern Tai Chi method addresses this problem. Modern’ means that the classical Asian sequences are broken down into structured, logical steps, making them accessible to us Europeans. The simplified set of only nine figures developed by Tobias Block and the central movement sequence based on them also convey all the positive effects of classical Tai Chi. With this condensed method, a sense of achievement can be felt after just a quarter of an hour of regular practice. Equipped with this basic framework, the practitioner can then work on his or her personal goals, such as achieving greater balance, releasing tension or reducing pain.

Get Started Now!

For over twenty years, Tobias Block has been teaching the Modern Tai Chi by Tobias Block method in his classes and one-on-one sessions. With his book, he shows us Europeans a way to apply the health teachings of Tai Chi to our modern everyday lives.

Modern Tai Chi: Only 15 minutes to your healthy life! is now available for the first time in English in print (24.99 Euros) and as an eBook (19.99 Euros) in bookshops and all major online retailers.

More information about the book and Tobias Block’s services can be found at www.fitcare.training and www.moderntaichi.training.

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Transparency notice: The author provided editorial support and book design for the publication ‘Modern Tai Chi’ by Tobias Block free of charge and contributed a foreword. He receives no remuneration from the author for the sale of this book or for this article. Modern Tai Chi by Tobias Block is a registered trademark of Tobias Block in Germany.

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