Long ago, maybe before the consumer internet, I saw a video claiming to showcase people who studied tai chi as a fighting art instead of just exercise. It was a lot of being able to follow the other person's movements to the point that "Fighting a tai chi master is like wrestling with an empty jacket". There was also a demonstration where a master pushed a student's middle finger back using an open palm. No matter ho…
If you can find a competent instructor from a lineage that preserved the fighting applications of tai chi, you can see some pretty interesting grappling and joint-locking techniques. It's not all snake oil. One example (Yang-style tai chi): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kp2jWeaKrqI
Tai chi reduces blood pressure better than aerobic exercise
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Re: Tai chi reduces blood pressure better than aerobic exercise
#102Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Likewise, "chai tea" is a perfectly fine name for tea made in the style of the people whose word for "tea" is "chai". In India, chai specifically means tea with milk. It’s not just any “tea”. It’s fine to use, but not entirely accurate.
Yes, and if you go to a coffee place in the US and ask for a "chai tea", you'll get a drink made with black tea, spices, and steamed milk.
So the usage is all over the place.
Re: Tai chi reduces blood pressure better than aerobic exercise
#103Earlier quoted context omitted.
Pedants* like you. Everyone knows what chai tea is referring to. In the same way they understand what naan bread is.
> Everyone I suspect that if we venture into the streets of an American city and interview random passers-by, fewer than 10% will know that "chai" is a word that already means "tea".
Re: Tai chi reduces blood pressure better than aerobic exercise
#104Earlier quoted context omitted.
Chai means (Indian) tea with milk. It’s a borrowed term in English that already includes the meaning. Just like you don’t use “yoga exercise” in English because yoga already means a form of exercise. Or the usage of “karma” in English. You don’t say “karma fate”. You might want to revisit who’s incorrect.
Yes, loanwords don't operate consistently when brought from one language to another. That does not mean that one way they work is "wrong" and the other way is "right", it just means language is complicated. You're the one coming here and telling people they are wrong. Edit: Like in Italian Latte just means milk, but in English it means an espresso with steamed and then frothed milk on top, what would be called a capp…
Re: Tai chi reduces blood pressure better than aerobic exercise
#105Earlier quoted context omitted.
In this case, I would argue that it does. "Sahara" means "desert", but "Sahara Desert" is still the proper name for that place. "Naan" means "bread", but it's also the name we use for the kind of bread originally made by the people who speak the language where "naan" means "bread". Likewise, "chai tea" is a perfectly fine name for tea made in the style of the people whose word for "tea" is "chai". Languages do this a…
> Likewise, "chai tea" is a perfectly fine name for tea made in the style of the people whose word for "tea" is "chai". In India, chai specifically means tea with milk. It’s not just any “tea”. It’s fine to use, but not entirely accurate.
Citation needed with the part of India referred to here.
Re: Tai chi reduces blood pressure better than aerobic exercise
#106I'm deeply skeptical. Sure, your blood pressure is not going to be low while you're doing aerobic exercise. If you do a lot of aerobic exercise consistently, your heart will get bigger and stronger, with a lower resting rate. That will bring your pressure down. It's not uncommon for endurance athletes to feel unusually lightheaded when standing up because of the low blood pressure and slow heart rate.
Both his resting pulse and blood pressure are so low a nurse examining him (for what later turned out to be allergies) once thought he was dying and brought the hospitals cardiologist running while having someone else call the heart surgeon!
I'm honestly not sure his exercise regiment is even healthy, it's a bit on the extreme side, but I doubt tai-chi can bring down anyone's blood pressure as low as his!
Re: Tai chi reduces blood pressure better than aerobic exercise
#107Earlier quoted context omitted.
Yeah, here are some more videos. Some of them barely need to breathe in the direction to drop a fully grown man. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8uZVyq4NIc There are some ancient arts that are unbelievably powerful. We have forgotten breath techniques that allow you to survive in space and travel backwards through time. It is said that some of the great warriors of the past practised these techniques. How could Davi…
The word sling also refers to a weapon used to thow projectiles. https://youtu.be/6irNkhLdApk
Re: Tai chi reduces blood pressure better than aerobic exercise
#108Earlier quoted context omitted.
I tried to learn some tai chi long ago and found that it is not possible to perform tai chi correctly if you are thinking about anything, including thinking about performing tai chi correctly. And "not thinking about anything" is exceptionally hard.
I've noticed the exact same effect from playing the guitar.
1. You use conscious part of your mind to slowly doing isolated drills with good control and understanding of every detail. On this step conscious part controls process and unconscious part of mind is being trained by observing the drill and outcome.
2. unconscious part of mind is now trained, and you can disable conscious part which will make result better, because unconscious part is better in contoling motor functions.
Re: Tai chi reduces blood pressure better than aerobic exercise
#109Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Likewise, "chai tea" is a perfectly fine name for tea made in the style of the people whose word for "tea" is "chai". In India, chai specifically means tea with milk. It’s not just any “tea”. It’s fine to use, but not entirely accurate.
> In India, chai specifically means tea with milk. Citation needed with the part of India referred to here.
> Masala chai is a popular beverage throughout South Asia, originating in the early modern Indian subcontinent. Chai is made by brewing black tea (usually CTC tea) in milk and water and then sweetening with sugar. Adding aromatic herbs and spices creates masala chai, although chai is often prepared unspiced.[2][3]
Re: Tai chi reduces blood pressure better than aerobic exercise
#110Earlier quoted context omitted.
Yes, loanwords don't operate consistently when brought from one language to another. That does not mean that one way they work is "wrong" and the other way is "right", it just means language is complicated. You're the one coming here and telling people they are wrong. Edit: Like in Italian Latte just means milk, but in English it means an espresso with steamed and then frothed milk on top, what would be called a capp…
How is chai tea used differently in America then? If I ask for it in a coffee shop, I usually get chai (tea) with steamed milk, which is exactly what the original usage is.