Tai Chi Expert

October 7, 1998

Borders.com presents NetCafeLive with Tai Chi expert Dr. Paul Lam who discusses health issues such as martial arts, exercise, and meditation.

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GrinCCC: Welcome to the NetCafeLive, brought to you by Borders.Com(tm) and Talk City, Inc.(tm) Tonight our special guest is Tai Chi expert Dr. Paul Lam. To see who'll be visiting soon, or to read transcripts of past chats, visit our web site at: www.talkcity.com/borders/ Welcome to Talk City, Dr. Lam! With so many fitness regimes out there, what is it about Tai Chi that makes this ancient practice so right today?

Dr. Paul Lam: Tai Chi is unique in many ways. One of the most important things is connecting the mind and the body. So often when we do exercise, watching TV or listening to radio, the mind is not really being used. And quite often you do a mind exercise and you don't use your body either. In Tai Chi we are trying to establish a firm connection between inside and outside, and at the same time you get benefits from better mind and better body. That's the thing that's proving to be so effective. That's why it's so popular! The rough estimate is that about 300,000,000 practice Dr. Paul Lam Tai Chi today. That's a lot of people in China, but it's also very popular in the West.

GrinCCC: Dr. Lam, what's the best way for someone new to Tai Chi to learn the poses and techniques of this martial art?

Dr. Paul Lam: Tai Chi is one of the most famous martial arts. The best way to learn is from a good teacher. What is a good teacher? It's like everything else, you have to try it. Once you start looking into something and start to compare, you'll find what's good for you. I have a series of self-teaching videos, and that is a very easy way to have a taste of it. It's always a good idea to have the live experience of someone guiding you though. The videos are good as a reference - it's good to use all the resources available to you.

GrinCCC: I've seen people doing Tai Chi, and it seems so slow and relaxed. How does this promote fitness without the "sweat" we associate with exercise?

Dr. Paul Lam: I suppose the quickest answer is that you have to try it! Some of my students are world-class athletes, and they don't feel it's that easy, and yet you can adjust it in such a way that people over 80 can manage it. To achieve the pose, and to do it slowly and correctly, you can measure the increased heart rate. And there is scientific proof that it does improve fitness. Remember, it's a martial art. It does more than fitness, it's very effective to help relaxation and concentration. A lot of my older students find it improves memory. It's been proven to greatly improve coordination.

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