Self-Taught Tai Chi - What About Clothes and Shoes?
When you decide to start Tai Chi,
Many people wonder, "What should I wear?" or "Do I need special shoes?"
I think many people are unsure about this.
This time, I will talk based on my own experience of practicing on my own.
Clothing
To put it simply,
any clothing that is easy to move in is sufficient.
In Tai Chi, there are movements like lifting the leg and standing on one foot.
You are standing with a more delicate balance than it looks.
Even if it is not a problem indoors,
you might wobble just from a little wind when outdoors.
Clothing made of somewhat heavy fabric, or tight and stiff fabric,
will subtly slow down your leg movements.
Therefore, the resistance caused by clothing is surprisingly not negligible.
For example, if you wear heavy jeans,
your leg movements will be slightly delayed,
it will be harder to lift your legs,
and it will be harder to maintain balance,
and so on.
Conversely, after you have become a little better,
try performing in heavy jeans.
It is interesting to realize,
just how delicate the force you are using for your performance is.
The loose Tai Chi clothing from China is not just for looks,
but also makes sense
in terms of
ease of movement.
That said,
if you are starting on your own, special Tai Chi clothing is
not essential.
Also, Tai Chi clothing is
not very versatile for everyday life.
My recommendation is,
a T-shirt and shorts,
or,
loose-fitting sweatpants,
is fine.
You can practice sufficiently with this.
I think it is also good to
do Tai Chi in your pajamas
before going to bed.
Tai Chi induces sleep.
However, be careful,
because doing Tai Chi sword before bed
might keep you awake.
Shoes - When practicing indoors
When practicing indoors,
it is fine to be barefoot or in socks.
I personally prefer being barefoot with socks on.
This is because it makes it easier to feel the soles of my feet.
For example,
shifting your center of gravity,
the feeling of the entire sole of your foot touching the ground,
the sensation of the Yongquan point,
and the feeling of your toes
all become easier to perceive.
Shoes - When practicing outdoors
Naturally, you wear shoes outdoors.
In this case,
shoes with soles that are not too hard but soft,
and items with low arch support
are recommended.
I
use ASICS running shoes.
I got them on clearance for about 5,000 yen.
These shoes might look like they have thick soles, but
they are surprisingly flat,
and the arch support is low.
Running shoes
generally have low arch support,
so they go well with Tai Chi.
Moderately soft
Not too heavy
Retains the feeling of the soles of the feet
so they are easy to use.
Conversely,
if the soles are too thick or too hard,
it becomes difficult to feel the soles of your feet.
Kung fu shoes are also a good option.
However,
considering using them for everyday wear as well,
I think soft running shoes or
sneakers are more practical.
I personally don't want to increase the number of shoes in my shoe rack.
Summary
If you are starting Tai Chi on your own,
For clothing, a T-shirt and shorts, or loose-fitting sweatpants are fine.
Go barefoot indoors.
Wear soft sneakers outdoors.
This is sufficient.
Rather than worrying about clothes or equipment at first,
practice a little bit every day.
I believe that is the shortcut to improvement.
(End)
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