Can you get a good work out from Tai Chi?

Please don't flame! I'm not trying to insult anyone, I just know very very little about Tai Chi, so I thought I would ask. I've been doing Tae Kwon Do for about 4 years, but I'm really worried about my knee. I hurt it back in high school and while its really not that bad (just a small twing of pain after a workout) I'm worried that it will be ruined by the the time I'm 30. Tai Chi seems like it may be a good alternative as it would allow me to keep doing Martial Arts, and I've heard its very easy on the joints, plus I think the forms looks very beautiful. But, and again don't flame, can one get a really good work out from it. One of the reasons I like Tae Kwon Do so much is that feeling of complete exhaustion after a good work out. From what I've seen of Tai Chi it seems to be a much more relaxed art. So am I completely wrong here? Anyways I'd love to here from people currently practicing Tai Chi to get their opinions.

Tai Chi is a vrey difffernt workout from TKD. It isn't very good for loosing weight, nor making definition. It does build some muscle, espicially around the knees and in the back. It is a good meditative exercise and many people use it specifically to work on joint problems (read knees and backs) because it can help.

Powerful martial art, different workout.

Yes you can get a good work out from Tai Ji. It may not be the arobic work out you get with other martial arts but given the right instructor and student there is no reason why you would not have a realy great work out with a lot of strength in the legs waist and back.

Hello Kathy If you want a workout try zhan zhuang(standing post) some tai chi masters I know teach it although it's not real tai chi but a form of qi gong,you may find it being taught in a combined tai chi/qi ging class.If you want to take up tai chi but still want a bit more go try chen style or wudong style,these may be harder to find than yang style especialy wudong but they are the more martial of the tai chi schools.

Qui chu ji

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