Tai Chi (Taiji), or T’ai Chi Ch’uan (Taijiquan), is a martial arts style developed in China in the 12th Century by Zhang Sanfeng. It is practiced as a form of meditation, as a hard and soft martial art, and as a means to create longevity of health.
The name is directly translated as “supreme ultimate fist” with “Chi” being a translation of the pinyin “Ji,” rather than “Qi” which is often written as “Chi” in western languages (meaning “life energy”).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tai_chi_chuan
This first basic series of moves is a basic warm up of energy, very similar to a basic Qi Gong form:
With any style documented on this site, these videos are meant to give a resource to begin a student in the direction of studying the Martial Arts. It is important to seek out a teacher, or a practice partner, to progress further in your studies. It is hard to get the same amount of instruction from even the best video. The greatest teacher will always be the one in your life. Until you are able to find the free time and energy to pursue an instruction, videos and books can give you a great start.
Tai Chi is taught around the world, if you are living in a major city (or even in a small town) you may be able to find morning practitioners in a local park. This would be a great way to learn, as it is free, outside, and typically with a large group.
Additional Resources:
http://www.everyday-taichi.com/
http://frank.mtsu.edu/~jpurcell/Taichi/tc-links.htm
Thumbnail Image By 迷花不事君 (http://cc.nphoto.net/view/2008/10424.shtml) [CC-BY-SA-2.5-cn], via Wikimedia Commons
Jack Wagner is the Editor of The Free Independent-Sun. Born in Sonoma, California and currently residing in San Francisco, Jack set up The Free Independent-Sun on July 4th, 2009, after sleeping in and not making his usual trip up north for his hometown festivities. He figured he'd do something revolutionary to make up for it. In the Summer of 2010 Jack registered Seraf Media with the City and County of San Francisco as a Sole-Proprietorship. He is dedicated to articulating the finer points of the Revolution in order to bring about a Global Renaissance and Abundant World Economy. He also isn't afraid to get his hands dirty transplanting succulents. 
