Yes- that is true. Tai Chi is indeed practiced at the park in China. Tai Chi does involve slow movements.  Tai Chi can be enjoyed by people of any age group - so people can do Tai Chi until they are very old. But that's not all there is to Tai Chi.

From the image people have above, I often get the following comments regarding Tai Chi-- and FYI - these are misconceptions!

Common Comment #1:

I must get really bored doing Tai Chi -- it look too slow.

I must get really bored doing Tai Chi -- it look too slow. Thanks to the opening of 2008 Olympics in China, I think this "way too slow and boring" image is fading. If you haven't seen the Tai Chi and Wushu Demonstration from the Olympics, please Google it... or visit: http://www.martialdevelopment.com/blog/tai-chi-in-the-2008-beijing-olympics/ 

One way to think of why Tai Chi moves very slowly:

When you are paying attention to every detail of your body and mind movements, you become mindful every sensation and move slowly. It requires your mind to be fluid and clear, your body to be strong and supple to keep the movement fluid while moving slowly. With movements being so slow, you can't depend on using momentum or hide weakness in your body or mind. If you feel bored, it's a great chance to cultivate our mind and practice being present. Feeling bored means your "ego" is in the way of you being present to each movement. Taming your "ego" is a benefit of practicing Tai Chi so you can enjoy your life without constant competition, judgments, and complain about yourself.

Common Comment #2:

It's for old people who can't do other exercise isn't it? (and it's good for people who have arthritis and osteoporosis? -- I will do it when I get there...)

People with arthritis and osteoporosis will benefit greatly from Tai Chi as Tai Chi will clear up built up toxin from the body and increase bone density. However, Tai Chi is not just for people who are old and with physical problems. Tai Chi can also help you to prevent having those physical problems to begin with by keeping your body in the top condition.

The best time to cultivate the wellness energy and strong body is when you are well and strong.

Common Comment #3:

It's kind of like dancing?

When dancer come to Tai Chi class, they generally pick up Tai chi pretty quickly. So there are many similarities between dancing and Tai Chi. Opening up hip, music, being flexible, feeling and expressing come to my mind.

The biggest difference I see is - Tai Chi movements have deliberate martial applications, cultivate chi and designed to use your physiology most effectively with less effort. Unlike dance that can be done for enjoyment, but also as showing to the audience, Tai Chi is more internally driven. There is Tai Chi demonstration, but the most important aspect of Tai Chi is cultivating the internal Chi rather than pleasing the audience. Using "intent" is another big part of Tai Chi that is different from Dancing.

Common Comment #4:

I do Yoga. (underlying comment being... "Isn't it like yoga?")

There are many movements in Tai Chi that if you stop, it looks just like yoga postures. The knowledge of yoga is very helpful to get the body structure to be optimum. Also just like yoga, internal aspect is highly valued in Tai Chi.

Master Zi once explained to me the difference between Tai Chi and Yoga as following. I thought this was very helpful so let me share it here.

In Tai Chi, we use invisible energy and create movements through our intent by molding the energy around us. Because energy is always moving, Tai Chi is constantly in motion. In Yoga, we use our body structure first, and then once the structure is firmly in place, we fill up our body structure by drawing and filling in energy.

Perhaps even some posture looks exactly the same; it feels totally different depending on if I am in Tai Chi mode, or Yoga mode. By practicing both, you will deepen your understanding of your body event more and how your mind affects your body.

Common Comment #5:

It must be a light exercise. Isn't it like meditating?

Meditation aspect is very important in Tai Chi. You need to have uncluttered mind to have uncluttered body. Unlike sitting meditation, Tai Chi requires you to move with combat scenarios. Through various movements, your problem in life or your mind will surface. You will then have a chance to work through those issue using your body and mind. By meditative mind, you may work through your issue through transcending.

In the beginning of Tai Chi practice, your sole focus is to relax and be fluid. Even though this is the case, Tai Chi asks you to use a lot of your leg muscle. People often find muscle that they have been neglecting for years by starting up Tai Chi again.

Once you finish the beginner stage of Tai Chi to relax, you will be going into the stage of cultivating energy. When you are cultivating energy in your body, Tai Chi movements are far from a light exercise as you are being sitting in deeper posture and adding martial applications.