Most Westerners probably think of the martial arts as violent, physically demanding forms of exercise which require many years of commitment in order to attain any kind of proficiency. With all of the heightened images of kung fu presented in Western cinema, it's no wonder that the idea of taking up a martial art can be intimidating to any normal person who is unable to split a brick in two with a bare-fisted punch. This is a shame really, because within daily physical and psychological rigour there are undoubted benefits. Also, the idea that you need to spend all day, every day training to make any physical or mental gain is not necessarily true; this all depends on the martial art you choose to take up. Everyone knows about the hard martial arts such as kung fu, but not everyone is quite so aware of its softer cousins. Many people have heard of taijiquan and qigong, even if they're not completely familiar with their practices, but these 'soft' martial arts have many benefits too. So why not give one a go? You might find the martial arts are more accessible than you first thought.

1) Taijichuan

In China, the best way to see the practice of taijiquan is by visiting a city park in the early morning. Each morning, all over the country, leagues of people descend from their apartments to their local park or square in order to perform taijiquan and other exercises. The slow, graceful movements of taijiquan are unmistakeable. It is a gentle, low-impact exercise which combines ordered arm and leg actions along with relaxed breathing. Some people practice alone and others in groups, and one of the great things about the activity is that it really can be done in a way to suit your needs. Taijiquan needs little space and no special equipment, the only true requirement is a little time set aside for you and your body to work together.

Thanks to its growing popularity in the West, taijiquan has been the subject of many academic and medical studies carried out by university researchers in the U.K., the U.S. and Hong Kong.  These studies have shown that even 30 minutes of taijiquan a day is beneficial for both physical and mental well-being, and that it's more important to practice the activity over a long term as part of a daily routine than it is to perform hours of taijiquan every day. For someone completely new to the technique, it's easy to wonder how such light movement can have any physical benefits at all. However, because of the way in which the different stances and steps are performed, when performed correctly, taijiquan has even been found to be more effective than walking for strengthening the muscles in the legs. In fact, it can take time for new participants to build the strength needed to maintain the different postures and positions. Daily practice will work on your balance and core stability. Not only this, it has been shown that taijiquan can help lower blood pressure, prevent depression, and mediate stress. Great news if you're living in a bustling Chinese metropolis.

2) Qigong

Taijiquan is essentially only one form of qigong, a set of practices focussing on breathing and movement in order to build strength and energy in the body. There are said to be more than 3,000 different forms of qigong, so it seems that knowing which form to follow could be quite confusing. Bearing this in mind, it's best to start with one of the most common forms, such as the Baduanjin, or 'Eight Pieces of Silk Brocade', which is a set of eight simple movements that only takes around ten minutes to complete. That said, not all forms of qigong involve the gentle, graceful movements we so readily associate with taijiquan. In fact, some forms of qigong appear vigorous by comparison, while in others the movements are so subtle that the body barely appears to be moving at all.

But here bodily movement is not the aim; rather, the aim is to encourage the movement of qi, or energy, through the body, which can be a difficult concept for some Western minds to grasp. Last year the American Journal of Health Promotion analysed the data from 77 separate studies into qigong and found strong evidence of the practice's health benefits. They ascribed its effectiveness to hormonal releases in the brain brought about by the self-regulatory, mindful state of the practice. This might make more sense to some than the healing power of qi.

Regardless of how it works, qigong has been proven to improve strength and balance as well as the health of your heart and bones. Regular practice has also been shown to increase quality of life and self-efficacy by reducing levels of stress and giving a more balanced, brighter outlook. There are further claims that qigong can improve sleep, warmth, digestion and that it even makes the skin clearer, but these are yet to be confirmed by medical studies.

3) Zhan Zhuang

Zhan zhuang is a practice used in taijiquan and qigong as well as other martial arts. Literally it means 'pole standing' and, in a sense, this is exactly what it entails. In order to practice zhan zhuang one must stand still, with knees slightly bent, and allow the body to relax. Of course, it sounds slightly ridiculous – what could possibly be the benefit of standing still? Well, once you have assumed the correct posture and have begun to relax, often the body will begin to jitter and shake. Standing still is far more difficult than you think.

The truth is, we never stand still in our daily lives, never truly still, and because of this zhan zhuang exercises our muscles in a way we often neglect. Though zhan zhuang has yet to be tested in any medical studies, the practice has been used by taijiquan and qigong practitioners for centuries, and often forms part of kung fu training as well. Those who practice the technique claim it can help strengthen posture, improve coordination and balance, as well as regulate metabolism and sleep patterns.

Where to learn and practice

In China, all of these activities are practiced widely in public places, but there are also taijiquan and qigong centres in most areas which offer courses in each discipline. Prices vary from centre to centre, and city to city. You can also often find courses available at most fitness clubs and gyms.  Once you have built up some experience with an instructor and learned the stances and movements, you will be able to practice by yourself, or even join your Chinese neighbours in your local park each morning.

Warning：The use of any news and articles published on eChinacities.com without written permission from eChinacities.com constitutes copyright infringement, and legal action can be taken.

Keywords: Soft Chinese Martial Arts zhan zhuang soft martial art taijichuan soft martial art qigong soft martial art martial arts to keep healthy in China