• Health: An unhealthy or otherwise uncomfortable person may find it difficult to meditate to a state of calmness or to use T'ai chi as a martial art. T'ai chi's health training, therefore, concentrates on relieving the physical effects of stress on the body and mind. For those focused on T'ai chi's martial application, good physical fitness is an important step towards effective self-defense.
  
  
• Meditation: The focus and calmness cultivated by the meditative aspect of T'ai chi is seen as necessary in maintaining optimum health (in the sense of relieving stress and maintaining homeostasis) and in application of the form as a soft style martial art.
  
  
• Martial art: The ability to use T'ai chi as a form of self-defense in combat is the test of a student's understanding of the art. T'ai chi ch'uan is the study of appropriate change in response to outside forces, the study of yielding and "sticking" to an incoming attack rather than attempting to meet it with opposing force. The use of tai chi as a martial art is quite challenging and requires a great deal of training.

Tai Chi is a series of movements; arms, legs, steps and stances that are performed generally very slowly in a natural, balanced and controlled way.

Can anyone practice Tai Chi?
Tai Chi is suitable for people of all ages and levels of physical fitness. The movements can be performed slowly and gently for health and relaxation, or faster and more powerfully for fitness and self defense applications.