Why Tai Chi Isn’t Fun

Unless you’re into self-torture you do only the things you really have to do, and the rest of the time you do things you think are fun.  You know; you watch your favorite TV show, head over to the pub, play a game, fiddle around in the garden, wax your car… wait someone actually thinks waxing their car is fun?  All right you get the idea.  Why then would anyone who doesn’t like tai chi, do tai chi?

We do the things we do because we feel good when we do them.  Our favorite TV show makes us laugh, sparks our imagination, or allows us to live vicariously through our favorite character.  When we head over to the pub, it’s to hang out with friends or dull our senses so we don’t have to think about our problems.

What about those activities that require skill?  We didn’t start out being good at them did we?  We stuck with them long enough that we developed skill.  Maybe the reason we stuck with them didn’t even have anything to do with building skill, but that reason kept us in the game.  The reason we play these games now is either because we’re good at them or we enjoying being around the other people.

This brings us to art of tai chi.  If tai chi is so good for you, and if it feels so good to do, why don’t more people stick with it?  I constantly hear people say things like, “I really like tai chi, but it can’t do it now because…”.  If they really found it that fun, wouldn’t most people find a way to keep doing it?  They think of it as a chore, something they should do because it’s good for them.

When I talk with people who “used to do tai chi”, they almost always say something about not being all that good at it.  I think a big part of the issue is, most people confuse simple with easy.  Tai chi is simple, but it ain’t easy.  Often, people who have never done tai chi say it looks so easy.  Most people who used to do tai chi say it’s hard.  I believe that more people would stick with it if they could get past the “it’s too hard” stage.  How do the people who stick with it get past that stage, to the stage where they do it because it feels good, and then to the stage where it magically becomes fun?

I think this has a lot to do with finding a school where they can identify with the people.  Every school is different.  Some schools push the students really hard so they’re really sweaty and tired by the end of class; other schools focus more on the social interactions between the students.  If you really think you’d like to do tai chi, find a school that fits what you want, and chances are you’ll find a way to stick with it long enough to develop some skill.

I can hear the gears turning now.  “Let me see if I have this right.  If I torture myself with tai chi for long enough, I learn to like it?  That sounds like my mother trying to get me to clean my room… no I’m not trying to get you to think about me like a mother.

Why do I want you to stay with it?  I want you to stay with it because of what it does for your quality of life.  If you’re younger, tai chi is a great stress reliever and really does help keep you in shape.  If you start young, your quality of life can stay better longer.  If you’re older, tai chi helps you to remain flexible and keeps you in shape, not to mention what it does for your balance and overall state of mind.  So, don’t give up.  Get out there and find a school you like.

I leave you with words to live by from the infamous faux-losopher, Bob Tzu:

A faux-losophy I can live by:

Your thoughts?

John

P.S.  I found this pic here:  http://www.hollowayfoundation.org/off-label.htm

Visit the Tzu here:  http://www.duhism.com/1628/a-faux-losophy-i-can-live-by/

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