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Tai Chi is a unique form of “moving meditation” that calms the mind, relaxes the body and strengthens the spirit. Much of Tai chi is practiced slowly and gently, ideal for people of all ages and health conditions. Though most people take up Tai chi for the tremendous health benefits, others are intrigued by the fact the style is actually a highly-effective martial art. Emphasis is placed on cultivating “chi,” or internal energy, as opposed to simply developing muscle mass and brute force. It is this focus on chi cultivation that makes Tai Chi so highly effective for cultivating good health and for developing unparalleled martial arts skills.

If you are taking Tai chi for health and stress reduction, pakua, with its sophisticated breathing, chi kung and circle walking, is a perfect complement to it. If you are interested in cultivating high-level fighting skills, you’ll benefit greatly from the speed and efficiency of pakua regardless of which style you now take.  The Phoenix and Dragon is one of the few schools in the Weddington and Waxhaw area to offer rare classes in authentic pakua. If you want to understand the depths of Taoist philosophy, pakua represents the essence of it.

At The Phoenix and Dragon we adhere to the traditional “three pillar” approach, teaching authentic lineage kung fu styles. The journey is a demanding one requiring self-discipline and dedication, but the rewards are always worth the effort. Tai Chi and Kung Fu are largely meditative arts. As such, we incorporate other forms of meditation into our classes. Yogic standing and seated meditations are a regular part of what we practice at the Phoenix and Dragon.

More than 1500 years ago, the Shaolin monks in China began studying martial arts as part of a lifelong journey towards enlightenment. Recognizing that body, mind and spirit are inseparable, they embarked on three pillars of training. This training included martial arts and qigong to strengthen the body, meditation to clear the mind, and spiritual inquiry to answer the deepest questions of the soul.