Tai Chi Clothes and Clothing

In contrast with many fitness classes or sport options, Tai Chi has minimal clothes and clothing requirements. Loose, comfortable pants and top, with flat-soled shoes is all that is needed to practice a routine.

Loose clothing ensures freedom of movement in every direction, while flat shoes are needed for balance and grip on the floor or ground.

You can read some good advice for tai chi shoes here.

Golden Lion insists that students wear flat-soled supportive shoes in class and never bare feet, both for safety and in accord with Traditional Chinese Medical principles which regard some points on the soles of the feet to be of key importance in health; therefore they must be protected from impact and from cold.

Within class, you are encouraged to use a simple uniform: loose blue pants, with a white t-shirt carrying the school’s logo, and runners.

The uniform is an aspect of demonstrating respect to the school, the teacher and oneself. It reminds students that everyone in the class is there with the common goal of learning. By setting aside our every day clothing, we prepare ourselves mentally for the class.

Instructors have a special uniform in the form of coloured silks. Made of flowing silk, in a variety of colours, it immediately identifies an instructor. Made in traditional style, the pants are loose, but gathered at ankle and wrist. With a mandarin collar and cross-over buttons down the length of the jacket, it reinforces the Chinese heritage of this noble art.

Traditional Clothing for Competition

Below is a description of the requirements for competition uniforms.

1. A long sleeves jacket with a Chinese-style upright collar is worn, it has seven toggle-like cloth buttons down the front. The length of the jacket should not exceed the performer’s middle fingertip when the arms are straightened and hanging down.

2. Bloomerlike sleeves are gathered at the cuffs;

3. Chinese-style pants

4. The uniform can be of any material but it is most commonly made of silk, in any colour, which must be the same for both jacket and trouser;

5. Trims are 1 cm in breadth for the whole garment, they may be of a different material and in a single different colour.

6. Shoes or runners are of course mandatory.

But there is always another side to the shoe story. Click here to read a nice little story, an old classical story, about training shoes and a tai chi master.

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