| Tai
Chi Chuan with Simon Evans |
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| When
we met him in Pizarra one sunny morning in June, Simon Evans was performing
Tai Chi Chuan (or Tai’Ji Quan to be more correct) in the garden.
A picture of coordination, concentration, controlled power and total
liquidity of movement, he surprised us with his mild and unassuming
manner as he spoke to us later over a spot of lunch on the spacious
hotel veranda as we gazed across the valley at the beautiful range
of mountains on the horizon. Simon explained that the word Chi means energy, the object of the exercise being to channel energy to achieve both physical and mental balance. “Contrary to many people’s misconceptions, Tai Chi is a combative martial art form,” he said, “you learn to evade and deflect attackers, turning the force of their energy back on themselves.” Simon’s father started his son boxing at the age of 9. “Perhaps as a way of toughening me up,” he laughed. But in time Simon found that he preferred martial arts, which he enjoyed for some time, eventually turning to Tai Chi about 15 years ago. “Tai Chi has both mental and physical benefits,” he said. “I definitely feel healthier and more confident as a result of doing it.” Having had a kidney transplant, Simon attributes his excellent physical condition to this chosen sport. “Of course luck has played a part in my recovery,” he admitted, “but I am sure that Tai Chi has helped me to get better. I do believe that it can have remedial benefits for people with problems and illnesses.” Simon pointed out though that it is a very slow learning process, something that can take years, although the rewards are soon in coming. “The first thing you have to do is learn how to breathe properly. Usually when people breathe in, their diaphragms move upwards,” he said, demonstrating how his own actually moves downwards instead. “I have learned to use my lungs properly,” he explained, “in fact I only breathe in about 4 - 6 times a minute, considerably less than the average person. Tai Chi gives me a feeling of joy deep inside, it makes me feel happier and more healthy.” Simon went on to explain that there is a big difference between strength and power. “You don’t need to be particularly strong for this activity,” he said. “What you need to learn is how to use energy powerfully.” I asked whether it was a male-orientated sport and he said no, that many girls found it an ideal way to learn how to protect themselves. “In fact I think that more girls do it than boys.” And the sword we saw him wielding earlier during his exercises? What was that about? “Well, I did say that it was a combative sport,” he said, “and it is. After mastering the basic forms and movements you can eventually move on to weapons like the sword.” One day Simon hopes to have children of his own and he would like to teach them Tai Chi, hopefully from as early as 3 years old. “All the children in China do it,” he said, “and I think it is a very good thing. The earlier you start learning Tai Chi the further you can go. It can promote growth and harmony in all aspects of your life. It is about health and personal development.” I asked Simon, who works with information technology in England, what his friends and colleagues think of his interest in Tai Chi. “I don’t go out there always trying to promote it,” he said. “Sometimes even if someone happens to mention that they do Tai Chi I may not even tell them that I do it too. Reactions from people can be a little strange at times, although they do usually all just except it. There are a lot of misconceptions, though, one person once said they thought it was something to do with herbs.” “What about older people?” I asked. “Like me. Is it too late for them to start?” “Anyone can start at any age,” was his reply, “and they can enjoy it, but as you get older you start to run out of time and since Tai chi takes so long to learn, you simply don’t have the years left to achieve it. When I reach the end of my life I will still not have achieved even half of it. But there are benefits at any level. You should never be discouraged. I would recommend it to anyone. Next time we meet I’ll show you a few basic movements if you like.” “They would have to be very basic,” I laughed. Simon smiled encouragingly. “The thing to remember is that every journey starts with just a single step.” |
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July
2006
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We
have a lovely selection of holiday accommodation including villas
with private pools, self-catering studios and apartments, bed and
breakfast guesthouses and hotels in this beautiful part of Andalucia,
Spain. |
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