Tantric tai chi, perhaps?

Tai chi conjures images of geriatrics moving slowly and silently in parks at the crack of dawn -- it’s strictly for old folks. It all seemed a bit too slow and boring. And OK, I admit it, lacking in eye candy. But when my friend Brian came back from Koh Samui raving about his beachfront tai chi lessons, I was intrigued.

So I decided to give it a go early one Wednesday morning. Instead of going for a run, I boarded the Star Ferry with Brian for Hong Kong Tourism Board’s free tai chi class at the sculpture park by the Hong Kong Museum of Art. The class is meant for tourists, so Master William Ng barked out instructions in English.

As we faced the beautiful Hong Kong skyline, with a direct view of the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, Master Ng led us through a series of breathing exercises, a brief demo and then through ten of the popular 24 forms of tai chi. It was certainly a pleasant, relaxing, almost meditative experience. But a strenuous workout it was not.

With a bit of rebranding, I can see tai chi becoming the next big thing. Everything from the outfits to the music to the teaching methodology could use a makeover to make it a bit sexier and more glam. Plus, the music played during the class was a tad kitsch.

Yoga’s popularity has not only benefitted from celebrity practitioners like Madonna and Sting, but also from teachers modernizing yoga teaching such as Baron Baptiste’s Power Yoga, David Life and Sharon Gannon’s Jivamukti and John Friend’s Anusara. Now imagine Zhang Ziyi as the face of tai chi.

On the way back to Central, Brian and I half-joked that we should start a lululychee brand of tai chi clothing to rival lululemon, the yoga-wear brand. We’ll start with the outfits, train up a few good-looking and inspirational tai chi instructors and get some musicians to trance-up Chinese grooves. That might be the formula for getting the younger set hooked on morning tai chi practice.

Perhaps, we’ll even come up with the 24 forms of tantric tai chi.

Hong Kong Tourism Board's tai chi class

1. Sculpture Court in front of Hong Kong Museum of Art, Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, 8-9am
2. Harcourt Garden, Harcourt Road, Saturdays, 8-9am
No registration necessary; just show up