Tai Chi Equipment: Suit, Pants, Shoes & Weapons

Even though Tai Chi Chuan is a martial art that does not require prescribed equipment, there are unspoken rules of dress. These are followed by enthusiastic students and teachers. During training they wear the special suits made of cotton, linen or silk. Special Tai Chi shoes complete the training outfit

Special clothing in tai chi is not mandatory, but it gives the forms a beautiful sight and at the same time motivates the practitioners. Learn more about this below and what components typical equipment has.

Tai Chi Chuan works analogously to yoga. Practitioners do not need much space or special clothing to practice this fascinating martial art. Accordingly, Tai Chi Chuan followers have the opportunity to perform shadow boxing almost anywhere and without much preparation. Nevertheless, they should make sure to wear comfortable clothing as well as comfortable shoes.

However, martial artists wear silk or cotton suits when training or competing. However, this dress code is not compulsory. In practice, it has been shown that this style of clothing is suitable for practicing the sport.

As already mentioned, the practice is possible without special equipment. This is due to the fact that in China different school taught tai chi. Each teaching school had its own clothing. However, due to the worldwide tournaments, a standardization of the Tai Chi suit came into effect.

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Style of jacket and pants

• Accordingly, the Tai Chi jacket has a stand-up collar and seven rows of hand-knotted fabric buttons.
• In addition, the sleeves can be closed with fabric buttons at the wrist. Thus, the sleeves do not fall to the elbow during arm movements that lead upwards.
• Whereas the Tai Chi pants are wide cut. This makes it possible to practice figures in the straddle. Trouser pockets are not compulsory. However, they have proven useful in practice. During the movements, the exposure of the leg is undesirable. Therefore, the trainees close the trouser leg at the ankle with an elastic band or band.

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Color & Material

• Based on the principles of Ying and Yang, the colors black and white are common for Tai Chi Chuan suits.
• Furthermore, experienced trainers recommend that the clothing be adapted according to the seasons. Tai Chi equipment consists of different materials. In winter, this should keep the trainees warm. The selection is very small for the cold season. In contrast, Tai Chi Chuan followers have a much wider choice in spring and autumn.
• Generally, jackets and pants are made of cotton, linen or silk. Whereas with silk, practitioners should be careful not to wear artificial silk.

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Comfort & Material

Suits that are made of a real silk not only look elegant, but are also comfortable to wear. However, the owners of the silk suits need to take special care in terms of maintenance.

In summer, in turn, exercisers can resort to light and thin pants and jackets. Instead of the Tai Chi jacket, they can put on a short-sleeved T-shirt. By and large, the basic rule is that clothing should be breathable and absorb sweat well. Even though Tai Chi suits are not mandatory, they make the forms and movements look more elegant. Practitioners benefit from a higher charisma with these clothes. Furthermore, the suits are so comfortable and act effortlessly as meditation suits.

Currently, there are no belt examinations or graduations in Tai Chi. However, trainers from the country of origin of shadow boxing are recently eager to introduce duangraduierungen. Some teaching institutions in Germany have complied with this request. However, the majority of followers consistently reject these efforts. There are schools that differentiate between beginners or advanced.

Whereby this difference is self-evident. A person who trains for three years is further along and has internalized the philosophy and goals of shadow boxing more than a student who has only been at it for two months. Students who have been practicing this martial art for a decade are also several steps ahead of those who have not been practicing for as long.

Classic Tai Chi shoes enjoy a great popularity or necessity: because especially in winter, barefoot training is often too cold. Especially since training halls are often low or unheated. These are made of fabric and have a cotton sole. These simple shoes are already available for a few euros and should not cost more than 20€. Some practitioners also wear training shoes with rubber soles or even classic sneakers. A small minority practice this martial art in socks or barefoot.

Tai chi shoes are not compulsory, but they can help in achieving the desired success. Thanks to their construction, they give practitioners a comfortable feel. Practitioners have the feeling of exercising barefoot. At the same time, they protect the feet and provide stable support. In addition, Tai Chi shoes promote the execution of correct movements. There are about three variants:

• Tai Chi shoes, which are made of linen and a firm textile outsole, are only suitable for indoor use.
• The other type, which is composed of cotton and a rubber sole, can also be worn outdoors.
• In addition, breathable leather shoes exist. However, their interior is made of high-quality cotton or linen. The design of leather shoes is also characterized by a breathable hole design. The sole, on the other hand, is made of a high-quality material, cotton and rubber soles are used. Both types of shoes are either white or black.

In Tai Chi, different forms of weapons are used. This includes equipment for defense and weapons for counterattack. Basic exercises for this you can also find in the video.

Armor	The armor called Jia serves as a defensive element. However, this traditional armor has now disappeared from the scene. In retrospect, helmets and bulletproof vests have enjoyed great prestige, but since they were only used in wars, they achieve no benefit in today’s training.
Shield	The shield called Dun was once used on the battlefield. Since the introduction of firearms, however, its importance has steadily declined. The shield is made of rattan and is decorated with an image of a tiger’s head.
Bow	The bow in Tai Chi is called Gong Jian in Chinese. Tai Chi followers used it until the introduction of the firearm.
Throwing coin	Throwing coins are ordinary coins. However, in some models the fighters have ground the edges to turn ordinary coins into dangerous throwing weapons
Staff	San Jie Gun is a three-limbed staff that acts as a long weapon. It is composed of either wood or rattan. It is used in fights in which the opponent uses a shield as a defensive weapon.
Lance	Another long weapon is the lance, whose Chinese translation is Mao. It was once used as a stabbing weapon.
Spear	The spear, which is called qiang, was used in combination with a shield.
Pole weapon	Other pole weapons include the halberd, whose technical term is Da Dao. It had proven itself in practice for slashing and stabbing techniques.
Chicken saber	The chicken saber sickle called Ji Dao Lian was a popular short weapon. It resembles a sword, which has two pointed hooks at the end.
Mandarin Duck Blades	The Mandarin Duck Blade, called the Yuan Yang Yue, also falls into the category of short weapons. It served as a defensive weapon against a variety of opponents. Thus, a fighter could effectively defend himself against multiple attackers.
Fan	The fan called Shan served as an ideal concealed slashing weapon. Its components of bamboo or metal made it a dangerous object.

Update: 2023-05-28 / Affiliate Links / Bilder von der Amazon Product Advertising API