An e-mail came in, which had a question and some follow up information sent by Joe from Long Island. I want to share it with you because I feel it is a contribution to our knowledge of Tai Chi. It is information which may be important to some of you and which I never would have given you, as it is experience beyond any which I have had with weights, because I have never been a weightlifter at this level. And the news is a good for any of you who are interested in Tai Chi and afraid to take the advice given to Tai Chi practitioners, to forsake weightlifting to become relaxed enough for Tai Chi.

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This is in response to the article on Weightlifting and Tai Chi.

Joe from Long Island writes:

For the past three months, I have not pursued any weight lifting. Instead, several times per week, I do some calesthetics such as pushups. I don't get the next day muscle soreness that I got from weight training, nor the lactic acid buildup and pump.

I have found that if I do the Tai Chi every day, my muscles are full, and vascularity has actually increased. In the past, a three month layoff would cause my muscles to decrease dramatically. Though I'm sure there has been some muscle loss, it is not dramatic.

However, I have found that if circumstances prevent me from performing my tai chi regimen, within hours, my muscles are smaller, softer and flat. However, after returning to my schedule, a fullness returns.

I have absolutely no idea what any of this means, but thought you'd find it interesting.

Joe, it goes against some of what I have been taught too, but experience is the best teacher in this matter. Sooo, keep on practicing, and apparently the muscles will take care of themselves.

In Tai Chi,
Bill

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William C. Phillips began his study of the martial arts in 1965. He currently holds a 7th degree black belt in Karate, and a 5th degree black belt in Ju Jitsu. He began his studies of Tai Chi in l967, studying with Prof. Cheng Man-Ch'ing from '70-'75. He became the most junior student ever to become a teacher in Cheng Man Ch'ing's New York school, the Shr Jung. Sifu Phillips became interested in the field of holistic health in the early 1970's, when a lifelong allergy problem was alleviated with Chinese herbal medicine. Since then, he has studied widely in that field as well. Sifu Phillips is available for seminars, lectures and demonstrations. He has produced two very successful Tai Chi DVDs, and is currently working on a book on Tai Chi form and a third DVD.For more information...

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