Often shortened to t’ai chi, taiji or tai chi in English usage, T’ai chi ch’uan or tàijíquán is an internal Chinese martial art practiced for both its defense training and its health benefits. It is also typically practiced for a variety of other personal reasons: its hard and soft martial art technique, demonstration competitions, and longevity. As a result, a multitude of training forms exist, both traditional and modern, which correspond to those aims. Some training forms of t’ai chi ch’uan are especially known for being practiced with relatively slow movement.
Today, t’ai chi ch’uan has spread worldwide. Most modern styles of t’ai chi ch’uan trace their development to at least one of the five traditional schools: Chen, Yang, Wu (Hao), Wu, and Sun.
The Chen family-style (陳家、陳氏 or 陳式 太極拳) is the oldest and parent form of the five traditional family styles. Chen-style is characterized by Silk reeling (chán sī jìn; 纏絲勁), alternating fast/slow motion and bursts of power (fa jin; 發勁).[1]
Contemporary t’ai chi ch’uan is typically practised for a number of widely varying reasons: health, external/internal martial art skills, aesthetics, meditation or as an athletic/competition sport (sometimes called “wushu tai chi”). Therefore a teacher’s system, practice and choice of training routines usually emphasizes one of these characteristics during training. The five traditional schools, precisely because they are traditional, attempt to retain the martialapplicability of their teaching methods. Some argue that the Chen tradition emphasizes this martial efficacy to a greater extent.[1]
Yang family-style (Chinese: 楊氏; pinyin: Yángshì) t’ai chi ch’uan (taijiquan) in its many variations is the most popular and widely practised style in the world today and the second in terms of seniority among the primary five family styles of t’ai chi ch’uan.[1] [2]
The Yang family first became involved in the study of t’ai chi ch’uan (taijiquan) in the early 19th century. The founder of the Yang-style was Yang Lu-ch’an (楊露禪), aka Yang Fu-k’ui (楊福魁, 1799–1872), who studied under Ch’en Chang-hsing starting in 1820. Yang became a teacher in his own right, and his subsequent expression of t’ai chi ch’uan became known as the Yang-style, and directly led to the development of other three major styles of t’ai chi ch’uan (see below). Yang Lu-ch’an (and some would say the art of t’ai chi ch’uan, in general) came to prominence as a result of his being hired by the Chinese Imperial family to teach t’ai chi ch’uan to the elite Palace Battalion of the Imperial Guards in 1850, a position he held until his death.[3]
Yang Lu-ch’an passed on his art to:
- his second son, the oldest son to live to maturity, Yang Pan-hou (楊班侯, 1837–1890), who was also retained as a martial arts instructor by the Chinese Imperial family. Yang Pan-hou became the formal teacher of Wu Ch’uan-yu (Wu Quanyou), a Manchu Banner cavalryofficer of the Palace Battalion, even though Yang Lu-ch’an was Wu Ch’uan-yu’s first t’ai chi ch’uan teacher. Wu Ch’uan-yu became Yang Pan-hou’s first disciple. Wu Ch’uan-yu’s son,Wu Chien-ch’üan (Wu Jianquan), also a Banner officer, became known as the co-founder (along with his father) of the Wu-style.
- his third son Yang Chien-hou (Jianhou) (1839–1917), who passed it to his sons, Yang Shao-hou (楊少侯, 1862–1930) and Yang Chengfu (楊澄甫, 1883–1936).
- Wu Yu-hsiang (Wu Yuxiang, 武禹襄, 1813–1880), who also developed his own Wu/Hao-style, which eventually, after three generations, led to the development of Sun-style t’ai chi ch’uan.
Yang Chengfu removed the vigorous fā jìn (發勁 release of power) from the Hand (solo) Form, as well as the energetic jumping, stamping, and other abrupt movements in order to emphasise the Da jia (大架 large frame style), but retained them in the Weapons (sword, saber, staff and spear) forms.[4] The Hand Form has slow, steady, expansive and soft movements suitable for general practitioners. Thus, Yang Chengfu is largely responsible for standardizing and popularizing the Yang-style t’ai chi ch’uan widely practised today.[Note 1]
The Wu or Wu (Hao)-style (Chinese: 武氏 or 武/郝氏; pinyin: Wǔshì or wǔ/hǎoshì) of t’ai chi ch’uan of Wu Yu-hsiang (武禹襄, 1813–1880), is a separate family style from the more popular Wu-style (吳氏) of Wu Chien-ch’üan. Wu Yu-hsiang’s style was third among the five t’ai chi ch’uan families in seniority and is fifth in terms of popularity.
The Wu family style (Chinese: 吳氏 or 吳家; pinyin: wúshì or wújiā) t’ai chi ch’uan (Taijiquan) of Wu Quanyou andWu Chien-ch’uan (Wu Jianquan) is the second most popular form of t’ai chi ch’uan in the world today, after the Yang style,[1] and fourth in terms of family seniority.[2] This style is different from the Wu style of t’ai chi ch’uan (武氏)founded by Wu Yu-hsiang. While the names are distinct in pronunciation and the Chinese characters used to write them are different, they are often romanized the same way.
The Sun-style (孫氏) t’ai chi ch’uan is well known for its smooth, flowing movements which omit the more physically vigorous crouching, leaping and fa jin of some other styles. The footwork of Sun style is unique, when one foot advances or retreats the other follows. It also exhibits small circular movements with the hand. Its gentle postures and high stances make it very suitable for martial arts therapy.
Short forms[edit]
The Cheng Man-ch’ing and Chinese Sports Commission short forms are said to be derived from Yang family forms, but neither is recognized as Yang family t’ai chi ch’uan by current Yang family teachers. The Chen, Yang and Wu families are now promoting their own shortened demonstration forms for competitive purposes.
Yang Chengfu also developed his own shortened version of the Yang Long Form in order to have it easier to teach to modern students who are busy with modern life. Despite being shortened, Yang Chengfu managed to keep the essentials of the Yang Long form. Correctly taught and practiced, the 108 movement form still retains much of its health and self-defense benefits (the original comprises over 300 movements).
The Chinese government has also commissioned short 16 Forms from each of the five major families recently. Although the 16 Forms have now been taught for some time, the families all presented them as a set to attendees of the First International Tai Chi Chuan Symposium in Nashville, TN in July 2009.[5]
Contents
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Overview[edit]
The term “t’ai chi ch’uan” translates as “supreme ultimate fist”, “boundless fist”, “supreme ultimate boxing” or “great extremes boxing”. Thechi in this instance is the Wade–Giles transliteration of the Pinyin jí, and is distinct from qì (ch’i, “life energy”). The concept of the taiji(“supreme ultimate”), in contrast with wuji (“without ultimate”), appears in both Taoist and Confucian Chinese philosophy, where it represents the fusion or mother[2] of Yin and Yang into a single ultimate, represented by the taijitu symbol .svg){kind=small}
. T’ai chi ch’uan theory and practice evolved in agreement with many Chinese philosophical principles, including those of Taoism and Confucianism.
T’ai chi ch’uan training involves five elements, taolu (solo hand and weapons routines/forms), neigong & qigong (breathing, movement and awareness exercises and meditation), tuishou (response drills) and sanshou (self defence techniques). While t’ai chi ch’uan is typified by some for its slow movements, many t’ai chi styles (including the three most popular – Yang, Wu, and Chen) – have secondary forms with faster pace. Some traditional schools of t’ai chi teach partner exercises known as tuishou (“pushing hands”), and martial applications of the taolu‘s (forms’) postures.
In China, t’ai chi ch’uan is categorized under the Wudang grouping of Chinese martial arts[3] – that is, the arts applied with internal power.[4] Although the Wudang name falsely suggests these arts originated at the so-called Wudang Mountain, it is simply used to distinguish the skills, theories and applications of neijia (“internal arts”) from those of the Shaolin grouping, waijia (“hard” or “external”) martial art styles.[5]
Since the first widespread promotion of t’ai chi ch’uan’s health benefits by Yang Shaohou, Yang Chengfu, Wu Chien-ch’uan, and Sun Lutang in the early 20th century,[6] it has developed a worldwide following among people with little or no interest in martial training, for its benefit to health and health maintenance.[7] Medical studies of t’ai chi support its effectiveness as an alternative exercise and a form ofmartial arts therapy.
It is purported that focusing the mind solely on the movements of the form helps to bring about a state of mental calm and clarity. Besides general health benefits and stress management attributed to t’ai chi ch’uan training, aspects of traditional Chinese medicine are taught to advanced t’ai chi ch’uan students in some traditional schools.[8]
Some other forms of martial arts require students to wear a uniform during practice. In general, t’ai chi ch’uan schools do not require a uniform, but both traditional and modern teachers often advocate loose, comfortable clothing and flat-soled shoes.[9][10]
The physical techniques of t’ai chi ch’uan are described in the “T’ai chi classics“, a set of writings by traditional masters, as being characterized by the use of leverage through the joints based on coordination and relaxation, rather than muscular tension, in order to neutralize, yield, or initiate attacks. The slow, repetitive work involved in the process of learning how that leverage is generated gently and measurably increases, opens the internal circulation (breath, body heat, blood, lymph, peristalsis, etc.).
The study of t’ai chi ch’uan primarily involves three aspects:
- Health: An unhealthy or otherwise uncomfortable person may find it difficult to meditate to a state of calmness or to use t’ai chi ch’uan as a martial art. T’ai chi ch’uan’s health training, therefore, concentrates on relieving the physical effects of stress on the body and mind. For those focused on t’ai chi ch’uan’s martial application, good physical fitness is an important step towards effective self-defense.
- Meditation: The focus and calmness cultivated by the meditative aspect of t’ai chi ch’uan is seen as necessary in maintaining optimum health (in the sense of relieving stress and maintaining homeostasis) and in application of the form as a soft style martial art.
- Martial art: The ability to use t’ai chi ch’uan as a form of self-defense in combat is the test of a student’s understanding of the art. T’ai chi ch’uan is the study of appropriate change in response to outside forces, the study of yielding and “sticking” to an incoming attack rather than attempting to meet it with opposing force.[11] The use of t’ai chi ch’uan as a martial art is quite challenging and requires a great deal of training.[12]
Name[edit]
T’ai chi ch’uan / Taijiquan is formed by the combination of three Chinese characters (hanzi):
| Hanzi | Wade–Giles | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 太極 | t’ai chi | tài jí | the source, the beginning |
| 拳 | ch’uan | quán | fist, boxing |
Despite having a single Chinese spelling, 太極拳, there are two different spellings in the English usage, one derived from the Wade–Giles and the other from the Pinyin transliteration, with the West mostly being familiar with the Wade–Giles, t’ai chi ch’uan. This name is often shortened by Westerners to “t’ai chi” (or “tai chi,” a common misspelling). This shortened name is the same as that of t’ai chi philosophy, sometimes resulting in confusion between the two. The chi in the martial art’s name can also be mistaken for ch’i (氣), especially as ch’iis involved in the practice of t’ai chi ch’uan. The ‘up-to-date’ Pinyin transliteration, tàijíquán, is not subject to such misinterpretation, as the spelling of the hanzi 極, jí is quite distinct from that of 氣, qi. “T’ai chi ch’uan” (including “t’ai chi” and their misspellings) remains the popular spelling used by the general public today. Many professional practitioners, masters, and martial arts bodies (such as the IWUF[13]) write it as taijiquan.
Historic origin[edit]
When tracing t’ai chi ch’uan’s formative influences to Taoist and Buddhist monasteries, there seems little more to go on than legendary tales from a modern historical perspective, but t’ai chi ch’uan’s practical connection to and dependence upon the theories of Sung dynasty Neo-Confucianism (a conscious synthesis of Taoist, Buddhist, and Confucian traditions, especially the teachings of Mencius) is claimed by some traditional schools.[5] T’ai chi ch’uan’s theories and practice are believed by these schools to have been formulated by the Taoist monk Zhang Sanfeng in the 12th century, at about the same time that the principles of the Neo-Confucian school were making themselves felt in Chinese intellectual life.[5]However, modern research casts serious doubts on the validity of those claims, pointing out that a 17th-century piece called “Epitaph for Wang Zhengnan” (1669), composed by Huang Zongxi (1610–1695 A.D.), is the earliest reference indicating any connection between Zhang Sanfeng and martial arts whatsoever, and must not be taken literally but must be understood as a political metaphor instead. Claims of connections between t’ai chi ch’uan and Zhang Sanfeng appeared no earlier than the 19th century.[14]
History records that Yang Luchan trained with the Chen family for 18 years before he started to teach the art in Beijing, which strongly suggests that his art was based on, or heavily influenced by, the Chen family art. The Chen family are able to trace the development of their art back to Chen Wangting in the 17th century.
What is now known as “t’ai chi ch’uan” appears to have received this appellation from only around the mid-1800s.[14] There was a scholar in the Imperial Court by the name of Ong Tong He who witnessed a demonstration by Yang Luchan at a time before Yang had established his reputation as a teacher. Afterwards Ong wrote: “Hands holding Taiji shakes the whole world, a chest containing ultimate skill defeats a gathering of heroes.” Before this time the art may have had a number of different names, and appears to have been generically described by outsiders as zhan quan (沾拳, “touch boxing”), mian quan (绵拳, “soft boxing”) or shisan shi (十三式, “the thirteen techniques”).
Relation to taiji philosophy[edit]
In modern usage, the term 太極,t’ai chi / taiji (unless further qualified as in “taiji philosophy” or “taiji diagram”) is now commonly understood, both in the West and in mainland China, to refer to the martial art and exercise system. However, the term has its origins in Chinese philosophy. The word taiji translates to “great pole/goal” or “supreme ultimate”, and is believed to be a pivotal, spiraling, or coiling force that transforms the neutrality of wuji to a state of polarity depicted by the taijitu.[15] T’ai chi / taiji is thus symbolically represented by a state between wuji and the polar “yin and yang“, not by the actual yin and yang symbol, as is frequently misinterpreted.[1] The combination of the term taiji and quan (“fist”), produces the martial art’s name taijiquan or “taiji fist“, showing the close link and use of the taiji concept in the martial art. Taijiquan does not directly refer to the use of qi as is commonly assumed.[16] The practice of taijiquan is meant to be in harmony with taiji philosophy,[17] utilising and manipulating qi via taiji, to produce great effect with minimal effort.
The appropriateness of this more recent appellation is seen in the oldest literature preserved by these schools where the art is said to be a study of yin (receptive) and yang (active) principles, using terminology found in the Chinese classics, especially the I Ching and the Tao Te Ching.[5]
(Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tai_chi)