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Taijiquan (Tai Chi Chuan), known today in the Western world for its slow tempo and graceful movements, is practiced by many people worldwide. It is unfortunate that, because of its association with Daoism and metaphysics philosophy as well as traditional Chinese medicine and breathing exercises, Taijiquan, today, is primarily practiced as a moving meditation by many practitioners in the West as well as in China. Many people, practitioners and non-practitioners alike, are unaware that Taiji (Tai Chi) is not only a valuable health exercise, but that the original intent of the creator of this exercise was to develop a complete martial arts system. The practitioners' unawareness of the actuality of Taijiquan as an effective health exercise as well as an in-depth internal martial arts training can be explained in terms of Taijiquan's evolution and practice.
According to Chinese cosmology, Taiji (Tai Chi) refers to the state of the universe from which Heaven and Earth, Yin and Yang are born. A classic poem of Taijiquan (Tai Chi Chuan) states that Taiji is infinity. It is created from no limit. It involves dynamic and static movements, the mother of yin and yang. In movement, it separates; in stillness, it combines.
Popular Legend
There are many varied stories of the origin of Taijiquan. One popular tradition asserts that a Daoist monk of the late 15th century, Zhang Sanfeng, a legendary Daoist hermit from Wudang Mountain, developed the Taijiquan principles by combining Daoist theories with traditional boxing methods, thus creating a new set of exercises now known as "taijiquan" on Wudang Mountain. This Zhang Sanfeng legend can be viewed as having three phases: Written Records
Extant records however, clearly trace the history of modern Taijiquan to the Chen family village (Chenjiagou, literal translation, "Chen Family ditch, gully, ravine") of Henan province in central China. The history of Chen Style Taijiquan can be traced even further back to back to the legendary founder Chen Bu (1368? - ????), a scholar and martial artist originally from Shanxi. He trained the village in a style that predated Taijiquan, which allowed Chenjiagou to bring peace to the region. The Chen family immigrated to Henan province in 1374.
Chen Wangting (1600-1680): Creator of Taijiquan
It was there in the mid 17th century that Chen Wangting, a Ming Dynasty officer who was a warrior as well as a scholar, developed the boxing skills that would later be named Chen-style. He was considered to be the ninth-generation descendent of Chen Bu and was credited as being the creator of the Chen Fist, broadsword and spear arts. From his lifetime of researching, developing, and experiencing martial arts, Chen Wangting invented Taiji as a means of training warriors in a healthy, well-rounded manner. Inspired by the Taiji principle combined with his knowledge and experience of Chinese medicine, Chinese Daoist and metaphysics philosophy (e.g., Laozi, Zhuangzi), and most importantly, the various contemporary martial arts systems, Chen Wangting created Taijiquan to be a comprehensive martial art with the most effective and complete system for training a warrior both internally and externally. Taijiquan is, in its essence, Taiji principles manifested and expressed through a superb martial arts system. There are basically two empty hand Chen Taiji forms today. The first form is softer with varying speeds and power while the second form is harder and faster.
These skills were used for self-defense by the villagers, and were kept a closely guarded secret within the village. The art was passed solely on to succeeding members of the Chen family. However, stories of the villagers' martial prowess spread rapidly. After five generations of secrecy, an outsider was finally able to learn the family fighting skill from a 14th generation practitioner.
Chen Changxing (1771-1853): Taught Chen Family Taiji to Yang Luchan
Chen Changxing (1771-1853), the fourteenth generation Chen patriarch, was the first to teach Chen Taiji to an outsider, Yang Luchan, who came to Chen Village for the sole purpose of learning Taiji. He came in the guise of a servant and secretly observed the villagers practicing the art. Yang Luchan (1799-1872): Formulated Yang Style Taiji
When Chen Tehu died, Yang Luchan was dismissed as a servant. He returned to Yungnien County, his birthplace, and took up residence in the Taihe Chinese herb store, which was owned by his former master, Chen Tehu, in a building that was owned by the Wu family (of which Wu Yuxiang was a member). There, Yang Luchan began to teach martial arts for a living. Wu Yuxiang's younger brother recommended Yang Luchan to the emperor that Yang Luchan teach Taiji to the imperial court. Wu Jianquan (1870-1942): Formulated Wu Style Taiji
Wu Jianquan's father, Quan You (1834-1902), a Manchurian official, learned the Yang style big form from Yang Luchan and the Yang smaller form from his son, Yang Banhou. Yang Banhou's style was described as more compact and less expansive (i.e., Xiao Jia) in comparison with the Yang styles practiced by Yang Luchan and Yang Chengfu. Quan You taught his son the smaller form. When one of Yang Luchan's students founded the Beijing Physical Education Institute, he invited Wu Jianquan and the Yang brothers Shaohou and Chengfu to teach there. The Yang brothers taught the Yang big form and Wu Jianquan taught the smaller form. Both forms underwent revisions and the Yang brothers stopped teaching the smaller form. After some time, Wu Jianquan moved to Shanghai and established his own style. The sons of Wu Jianquan, Wu Gongyi (1901-72) and Wu Gongzhao (1903-84), spread the Wu style to Hong Kong and Indochina. In 1935, Wu Jianquan established what is now the Jian Quan Taijiquan Association in Shanghai. When he passed away in 1942, his eldest daughter, Wu Yinghua (1907-1996), and his son-in-law, Ma Yueliang (1901-1998), became director and deptuy director of the association, respectively. Their eldest son, Ma Hailong, is the current director.
Chen Youben
(dates of birth and death unknown): Simplified form
Chen Youben, a cousin of Chen Zhangxing, initiated the new Chen style. The postures were as big as in the old Chen form, but Chen Youben took out many of the postures that were difficult to perform. The Chen family called it the simplified form. One of his best disciples was his nephew, Chen Qingping.
Chen Qingping (1795-1868): Formulated Zhaobao Taiji
Chen Qingping was a member of the fifteenth generation of the Chen family, and was the nephew of Chen Youbeng. Chen Qingping did not teach Chen Changxing's old style or his uncle's new style, but a style that he himself invented: the circular style or Zhaobao style, named for the town where he lived with his wife's family. This style was smaller and slower than the old style. After a set of basic postures were learned, one could use them as a base upon which to add more and more circular movement, from simple to complicated, and leading to very difficult techniques.
Wu Yuxiang (1812-80): Formulated Wu Yuxiang Style Taiji
Wu Yuxiang was a scholar and a physician. He learned the old Chen style, Da Jia Yi Lu (Big Frame First Form), from Yang Luchan. Unsatisfied with his teaching, Wu journeyed to become a student of Chen Zhangxing, but stopped at the village of Zhaobao where he learned that Chen Zhangxing was an old man and near death. Zhaobao was where Chen Qingping was teaching, so Wu became a student of Chen Qingping and learned Xiao Jia (Small Frame), aka Zhaobao Jia. After a few months, Wu received word that his elder brother Wu Shenching had discovered a copy of Wang Suoyue's Tai Chi Chuan Treatise in a salt shop. So Wu Yuxiang left Zhaobao to rejoin his brother. Eventually, Wu Yuxiang wrote his own works on Taiji and developed his own style. One of his best students was his nephew, Li Yiyu.
Li Yiyu (1831-92): Taught Hao Weizhen Wu Yuxiang Style Taiji
Li Yiyu was a physician and the nephew and student of Wu Yuxiang. He wrote several works on Taiji including "Essentials of Practice of Postures and Joint Hands", "Five Word Formula", "Secret Formula of Casting and Discharging", and "A Brief Introduction to Taijiquan." He rarely accepted students, but he did teach his close friend, Hao Weizhen. In 1881, Li made three copies of a collection of works including Wang Suoyue's Taijiquan Treatise, some of his uncle's works, and his own writing. He kept one copy, gave one to his younger brother, and gave a slightly abridged copy to Hao Weizhen. These copies have been preserved, but are rarely translated into English.
Hao Weizhen (1849-1920): Taught Sun Lutang Wu Yuxiang Style Taiji
A student of Li Yiyu, Hao Weizhen became sick while visiting Beijing in 1912. Sun Lutang let him stay at his home and cared for him. When Hao recovered, he taught Sun the Wu Yuxiang form of Taiji.
Sun Lutang (1861-1932): Formulated Sun Style Taiji Sun Lutang was an accomplished martial artist who studied the Hsing-yi and Bagua martial arts for many years. When he was about 50 years old, he learned the Wu Yuxiang form of Taiji from Hao Weizhen, and achieved mastery in that art as well. He created his own form of Taiji, by adding aspects of Hsing-yi and Bagua. |
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Chen Fake (1887-1957): Formulated Chen Xin Jia Taiji Chen Zhangxing's great grandson. He practiced thirty times a day. In 1928, when he was invited to teach in Beijing, he was still practicing 20 times a day. In his later years, he revealed the original Chen old style Tai Chi form to people outside the Chen family. He revised the old form slightly in an attempt to popularize it.
The 5 Main Styles of Taijiquan Summarized
The art of Taijiquan is divided into five main branches/styles... Taijiquan Today/Health Aspects
In later years, with the advancement of firearms, the function of martial arts on the battlefield gradually became obsolete. Yang Taijiquan with its slow tempo and extended, graceful and circular movements has become the most popular Taijiquan form in the world today. Taijiquan has become the health exercise, a valuable health exercise, to enhance longevity in old age. It has had remarkable success as a curative among such health conditions as neurasthenia, neuralgia, hypertension, heart disease, tuberculosis, arthritis, and diabetes due to its deep regulated natural breathing, and relaxed frame of mind. It also improves the musculoskeletal functioning ... the slow soft movements and careful body weight shifts strengthen the various muscle groups while conditioning the tendons and ligaments of each joint, making them more resilient, less prone to injury. The range of motion of each joint is increased. The continual awareness of the weight shifts aids a person to develop body awareness and balance, leading to seemingly effortlessness movements of the Taiji form and serenity in everyday life. The Essence of Traditional Chen Taiji
Many forms of Taiji, in having diluted its martial aspects, has lost its original essence over the generations. Chen Taiji, however, has seen the least amount of change as a martial art. Through its meditation and silk-reeling "spiral" exercises, Chen Taiji still offers one of the most complete systems of qigong, or internal training for health promotion and martial arts. It facilitates efficient breathing to increase oxygen uptake, reduces blood pressure, slows the decline in cardiovascular power, increases bone density and joint strength and range of motion, promotes greater body strength and flexibility, reduces mental and physical stress and improves body alignment and awareness as part of its martial arts health training.
Because the public is familiar with the slow and gentle Taijiquan forms suited for the elderly practitioners of the art, Chen Taiji, until very recently, has been perhaps the least known of the major Taiji styles in the West; and, with its intense focus, release of power, and stomping, is scarcely recognized as Taiji.
Traditional Chen Taijquani, with its original principles and essence retained, provides training first through the cultivation of the original "qi" (i.e., qigong, literally vital energy training). Through intensive practice, the "qi" can then be manipulated and manifested through various kinds of "jin" (internal power or energy, e.g., the eight energies ... peng, lu, ji, an, cai, lie, zhou, kao). In Traditional Chen Taiji, when the "jin" is issued and executed externally, it is frequently issued through smooth connected spiral and circular movements similar to the movement through which the yin and yang extremes meet, rotate, and regenerate from each other within the Taiji circle.
The "jin" issued through these spiral and circular movements is termed chansi jin, literally, "silk-reeling jin", which is considered one of the most distinctive features and characteristics in the practice of Chen Taiji. In traditional Chen Taijiquan, when the "jin" is issued and executed externally, it is frequently issued through smooth connected spiral and circular movements similar to the movement through which the yin and yang extremes meet, rotate, and regenerate from each other within the Taiji circle. The "chansi jin" or "silk reeling force" is very difficult to describe in words. It involves a spiraling, twining motion, originating from the "dantian" (center of the body) that is coordinated from the whole body's movement. This spiraling movement is exceptionally good in promoting the smooth flow of blood and is of great benefit for the joints. With its smooth circular movements ("silk-Reeling" exercises) contributing to the cleaning of the acupuncture channels and collaterals, Taijiquan has improved the functions of the skeletal, muscular, lymphatic, and digestive systems.
Because of Chen Taijiquan's complex basis of knowledge and pragmatism in its development, the traditional Chen Taijiquan training system is comprehensive and solid, incorporating for example, qigong, empty-hand form practice, silk-reeling exercises, basic energy training, push-hand exercises. As one can see, the practice of Chen Taiji is not "unsubstantial" nor "shadowy". It requires a tremendous amount of perseverance, patience, and discipline from its practitioners. It can still be practiced by individuals of all ages.
A person must have a clear understanding of the essence of Taijiquan in order to practice its authenticity. For generations, the practice of Taijiquan has been intentionally or unintentionally compromised. It has frequently been considered as a slow-moving health exercise with graceful and somewhat insubstantial movements. In recent years, it has also been utilized and modified as a "relaxing" exercise or meditation that helps to "transcend" one's mind. This is not to say that Taijiquan does not have its place in these practices. On the contrary, Taijiquan has been proven to be very effective and successful in these areas. However, for a person to fully benefit from this ancient but valuable traditional Chinese martial art, he or she must understand the essence of Taijiquan and realize that it was created to be a comprehensive and practical martial art and should be practiced as such. Only then can a person, to quote a Chinese phrase used by Taiji masters of older generations, a phrase that my teacher, Chen Qingzhou freguently says, "One must 'chi ku', literally, to 'eat bitter'. . . . to persevere under discipline." It is then and only then, that a practitioner can achieve the highest level of proficiency in the practice of Taijiquan.
I hope that this short treatise on the history of Taiji will inspire in you the desire to learn and practice Chen Taijiquan, the primogenitor of all the Taiji (Tai Chi) styles. Although it is a martial art, one can still practice traditional Chen Taiji for its health benefits with the understanding that discipline and practice is still part of the equation, as with other exercises, to obtain maximal health benefits. ----------- Debbie Au
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Taiji (Tai Chi), is an ancient philosophical term symbolizing the interaction of yin and yang (opposite manifestations of the same forces) in nature. The term "Taiji" literally translated as "Grand Ultimate" or "Extreme", first appeared in the Yi Jing, the Book of Changes. The Han Dynasty Scholars who studied the Yi Jing chronicled that Taiji arises from the motionless and undisturbed Yuan Qi, literally "Original Energy". When the Original Qi starts to move, yin (female or negative energy) and yang (male or positive energy) come into being (begin to flow), evolving from Taiji. Taiji is considered the primary force, the originator of all things created between heaven and earth. It is believed by the Chinese Daoist and metaphysics philosophers that "yin" and "yang" exist in all things and in every facet of life. Let's look at some examples with opposite relationships: the moon is tai yin (the grand yin); the sun is tai yang (the grand yang); females are yin, males are yang; night is yin, day is yang; north is yin, south is yang; soft is yin, hard is yang; descending is yin, ascending is yang; inhaling is yin, exhaling is yang. Traditional Chinese medicine has also applied the yin and yang theory to the study of human physiology and anatomy ... meridian channels have all been classified and labeled as either a yin or a yang channel. Consequently, when yin and yang are in ultimate balance and have regenerated from each other, life is then continually created. To take it one step further, when one cultivates and nurtures one's original "qi", one is cultivating and nurturing one's life.
Quan (Chuan), "fist",
in Chinese, is frequently used as a suffix to label most Chinese martial art styles, e.g. Shaolinquan, Yong Chun (Wing Chun) quan, Yiquan, etc. Chinese martial arts can be separated into two distinct schools, internal and external. The latter school is perhaps more familiar to western culture, i.e. Bruce Lee's Gong Fu (Kung Fu), Shaolin Gong Fu (Kung Fu). 
Taijiquan (Tai Chi Chuan),
literal translation, Grand Ultimate Fist, frequently referred to as Shadow Boxing, is without doubt the most popular of all internal styles in the West. It is a Chinese internal martial art rooted in the skillful interaction of yin and yang, a style whose creator incorporated the Taiji (Tai Chi) principles into its forms and exercises. The theory of the style is based on these dialectics and uses pairs of contradictory but at the same time complementary terms like "solid-empty", "hard-soft", "open-close", etc. In essence, Taijiquan is Taiji principles manifested and expressed through an exceptional martial arts system. Taijiquan incorporates antitheses, i.e., yin and yang, the hard and the soft, the advancing and the retrieving, the fast and the slow, the waxing and the waning, etc. Initially, Taiji was practiced as a fighting form, emphasizing strength, balance, flexibility, speed, and the use of the mind as opposed to unnecessary or brute force. Through time it has evolved into a soft, slow, and gentle form of exercise which can be practiced by people of all ages, characterized by stillness, slowness, agility, and lightness.
