What are the physical benefits of martial arts?

I) Physiological Benefits:

Taijiquan combines the traditional methods of guiding and exhaling, and emphasizes the close coordination between the body, qi, and mind. On the one hand, it can exercise the muscles and relax the tendons; on the other hand, it can massage and exercise the internal organs through the coordination between breathing and movements, so as to achieve the effect of strengthening the body.

Benefit 1: Increase the sensitivity of the nervous system--Taiji practice requires "quietness of heart and determination of mind", and when practicing boxing, the cerebral cortex must be rested (quietness of heart), and the task of coordinating the internal and external organs of the whole body is handed over to the central nervous system (determination of mind) for execution, which strengthens the sensitivity of the nervous system.

Benefit 2: Smooth the meridians, blood vessels, lymph and circulatory system -- Because the time of practicing Taijiquan is not too short, it can make the blood and qi run smoothly, just like the general oxygen exercise. After practicing for a certain period of time, you will notice that there are numbness and paralysis of the fingertips, slight ringing of the joints, pins and needles, abdominal ringing and other sensations. According to Chinese medical theory, this is a reaction to the smooth flow of the meridians. Through the movement of straddling and bending the knees and twisting, the arterial blood vessels are squeezed and relaxed, which accelerates the blood flow, increases the supply of oxygen, and promotes the metabolism of the lymphatic system, which strengthens the resistance of the individual.

Benefit three: benefit three: improve flexibility, muscle power and muscle endurance - taijiquan is mostly slow to go round and arc, with bent legs and half-squatting movement, coupled with the center of gravity alternately changing, running movement and more cradling, arguing, twisting and turning, so that each muscle muscle and muscle endurance can be improved; and with the multi-directional and large-scale activities such as the following potential, The foot stomps and other styles can improve the flexibility of the joints.

Benefit 4: Improvement of cardiopulmonary function--Taijiquan should keep breathing naturally and calmly, and through deep, long, fine, slow and even abdominal breathing, it can increase the volume of air in the chest cavity and increase the number of times of inhaling and exhaling oxygen and carbon, so as to ensure that gases can be exchanged adequately, which relatively improves the amount of oxygen obtained by each organ. Because of the long duration of practicing Taijiquan (it takes more than 20 minutes to perform 24 forms of Taijiquan four times in a row), these aerobic activities can train and improve cardiorespiratory function.

Benefit 5: treatment of chronic digestive diseases - because when practicing taijiquan, the joints, muscles and bones will pull, twist, squeeze and stretch each other, and the internal organs will produce self-massage due to abdominal respiration (abdominal and thoracic); plus the diaphragm's up and down amplitude increases, which is positively stimulating the peristalsis of the intestines; while the tongue is on top of the palate when practicing taijiquan, which is the most important part of taijiquan. When practicing boxing, the tongue on top of the palate, lips and teeth gently closed can increase the secretion of saliva, improve the digestive function.

All in all, after the scientific research of the Chinese and Western countries, it has been confirmed that practicing taijiquan for many years can have certain medical effects on various chronic diseases, such as neurasthenia, hypertension, heart disease, dyspepsia, rheumatism and arthritis, and diabetes, etc. This is an indisputable fact! This is the fact that there is no excuse!

II) mental benefits:

Benefit one: eliminating stress--practicing boxing because of "quiet mind, no distractions", and to be loose, the spirit is only concentrated in the "intention", plus taijiquan itself requires rigid and flexible, breathing and coordination, the amount of oxygen to the organs is relatively high, so after practicing it makes people feel light, stress is eliminated, emotional stability and calmness. Therefore, after practicing, one feels relaxed, stress is eliminated and emotions are stabilized; and because of the smooth circulation of blood and qi after practicing taijiquan, one's spirit is also vibrant, and one's work efficiency is naturally improved. This is undoubtedly a positive help to Hong Kong people who emphasize on efficiency in every aspect, and whose daily life is tense and mentally stressful.

Benefit 2: Recognizing and experiencing the philosophical concepts of Yin and Yang in harmony (Chow Chiu Wo 1996) - Taijiquan advocates harmony between body and mind, not forcing things to be difficult, internal and external compatibility, clear distinction between the real and the imaginary, and a combination of rigidity and flexibility. As the saying goes, "the stillness touches the movement and the movement is as quiet as the stillness", this philosophy of understanding the relationship between Yin and Yang, which is the basis for the creation of the spiritual philosophy of Taijiquan, is the philosophy of understanding the relationship between Yin and Yang, which is the unity of the opposites.

Benefit 3: Recognize the moral concept of not bullying the weak and not taking advantage of the weak to commit crimes--Taijiquan's theory of "giving up one's self to follow others" highlights Taijiquan's unique martial arts spirit of "if people do not commit crimes against me, I will not commit any crimes against them". Taijiquan advocates the use of force to fight force, and the use of small force to win over large force. All the counterattacks are purely in accordance with the opponent's coming trend, and the dexterous movements and smaller force are added to the force, so that the offender will be inaccurate and will lose. Therefore, the real power of Taijiquan can be realized only when it is deliberately violated, and its ultimate purpose is only to "establish oneself in an invincible position", with no intention of harming the other party!

Benefit 4: Understanding the way of cultivating oneself and living in the world--The practice of Taijiquan emphasizes on "neutral, peaceful and comfortable, with a quiet mind and loose body", which is the best motto for us to cultivate ourselves and live in the world. Through practicing taijiquan, students can realize the disadvantages of not being upright: toiling all day long without getting what one deserves. As long as one is "neutral" and does not take the wrong path, one can feel the state of "peace and comfort"; as long as one learns to be "quiet" and leave behind the burden of life's pressures, one can experience the sense of "body relaxation"!