Taichi, widely known for its slow movements and quietness, is practiced globally by people from all walks of life. In China though, the stereotype among young people is that Taichi is an outdated sport for senior citizens. But now, some are trying to infuse vitality into the ancient martial art and attract young urban dwellers.

Here in a park in Northern Beijing, elderly residents begin yet another day of traditional Taichi practice. But Taichi can now also be found here, in the Baoyitang gym in the city’s south, where the demographic has an average age of no more than 40. For them, it’s not simply about a walk in the park.

Taichi is the adhesive of their social life, and also helps them in their professional life.

"It’s very different from other sports. Taichi focuses on your heart, and the relaxation of your mind. I think people living in big cities, under a lot of pressure, have a great need for this peaceful break and down time. Taichi gives this to me." Taichi practitioner Zhang Xin said.

But relaxation isn’t the only reason young people are turning to Taichi. 25-year-old Liu Jiayi is a piano teacher at a music institute. Like many of her peers in Beijing, she is quite modern. But that doesn’t undermine her passion for this age-old exercise.

"I’ve learned a lot of combat skills here. As a girl, I never learned these before. Now I can use Taichi to defend myself. Also, there is a lot of interaction here. We share with each other about everyday life." Piano teacher Liu Jiayi said.

Song Jian is the owner of this gym. He’s also a renowned member of the 12th generation lineage of Chen-style Taichi. Song is dedicated to restoring the combat side of Taichi, and says he has a formula for attracting young people to this old sport.

"Young people don’t like Taichi because they think it’s too slow, and it doesn’t fit their lifestyle. What we do is we quickly help them understand, in simple ways, that doing it slow actually brings more power and speed." Song Jian, Taichi master with Baoyitang Taichi GYM said,

Master Song is part of a nationwide movement to modernize Taichi. E-commerce giant Jack Ma, who is also a Taichi devotee, learned it from the same teacher as Song. He has now joined up with Kung Fu star Jet Li to promote the traditional exercise. Their strategy is to simplify the often philosophical teaching, and repackage it with modern business models. And their common goal? To get Taichi to rival Yoga’s popularity among China’s white collar workers.

"We must instill the idea that Taichi is just as cool as Yoga. And I think Taichi is more fun and has more stuff you can explore." Song said.

And for people like Liu, the coolness of the sport incorporates well with her lifestyle.

"When you experience different things in life and you have different moods...it can impact your Taichi movements. So, if you want to improve your Taichi, you’ll have to change your mentality. Balancing your private life, work, social life and family life is just like balancing your body when doing Taichi." Liu said.