Is Tai Chi worth it?

I got a catalog in the town I live in offering a Tai Chi class.

Will it help me be more centered and focused?

Yes, it will definitely help you be more centered and focused. It has been practiced for thousands of years so there must be some truth to it. I visited Hong Kong a few years back and every morning at the local parks there were about 30 people going through the motions - it was pretty cool to watch.

It will... Learn it. Definitely worth it. But make sure that this is a legitimate class. As in, make sure the teacher knows what he/she is doing.

Thanks for the nod Sensei!

Yes, Tai Chi (also taijiquan but with the same pronunciation) has an amazing number of benefits that include centering and focus of the mind. However it should also be explained that any intense undertaking in the martial arts will also improve centering and the mind. I definitely advocate Taijiquan, since I also teach it, but you should always do what you love. Experiment with the Tai Chi class that you've seen listed, and decide for yourself. If you want to find out more about Taijiquan research the internet and look at some youtube clips.

There are five major styles in practice for the most part:

1. Chen
2. Yang
3. Wu
4. Wu (Hao)
5. Sun

The oldest of these is Chen and was created in the late 1600's by Chen Wang Ting, 9th generation patriarch of the Chen family. It doesn't mean however that Chen is superior. This can only be determined by the instructor, their skill level, their knowledge, and their lineage (make sure it is verifiable). Do your research well, try out the instructor, and hope for the best. Please try to be wary of any instructor who may have learned from videos. Good luck!

First you want to know what type of tai chi they are teaching. Tai chi is great for making yourself feel better and is a great internal martial art that can be used effectively if you are being taught the right style. You can see a lot of old people doing tai chi because of its health benefits because its an internal style that can help your chi flow

Tai Chi Chuan is one of the most deadly arts you can study.

The reason why it's effectiveness in combat is questioned is because of how it was originally taught to foreigners.

All of the original intent was left out and you just learned the forms "for health".

Originally Yang Lu Chan learned all or some of the good stuff and taught it to his students. And maybe some of them passed it on to one or two close students.

By the time it got to the western world, it was a health building exercise.

The original art was Chen Family Boxing. I don't think it was even called Tai Chi Chuan for a while yet.

There is a Chen Style Senior Level Instructor on this forum that can further explain. He should be here soon.

Tai Chi Chuan is a good art like many others. The real question is not if it is a good art. The real question is how knowledgeable and experienced is the instructor. Like all martial arts and all teachers in general there are really great ones, fair ones and really bad ones.

Go visit the classes and decide after a good investigation.