Tai Chi Chuan
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Tai Chi Chuan (Supreme Ultimate Fist), Taijiquan, or more commonly known as Tai Chi, is a martial art created in China from the 15th to 19th centuries. It is said to be derived from the system of styles and forms developed by the Chen and Yang families in the 1820's.
This type of martial art is an internal style, which not only teaches self-defense but also aims to give the practitioner longevity and good health. Tai Chi Chuan is an internal art because it involves deep relaxation or "softness" in the musculature, to distinguish its theory and application from that of the external martial arts styles which use a degree of tension in the muscles.
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History
According to legend, Tai Chi Chuan has its origins in the thirteen postures created by Chang Sanfeng, a Daoist monk who (if he ever really existed) lived in either the early 14th or early 15th century on Wudang Mountain, famous for its many Daoist temples and a Shaolin monastery. The postures are based on the eight trigrams of the I Ching, a book sacred to Daoists. Tai Chi Chuan, like many Chinese internal styles, is associated with the religion of Daoism.
Chang passed the art on to Wang Zongyue, who turned the postures into the forms (taolu) of Taijiquan. Wang passed the art on to Chiang Fa and his students, the Chen family. Chiang Fa, the Chen family and their students (the other families) went on to create all the major and minor styles of Tai Chi Chuan (about a dozen in all).
Styles and Families
Each of the five main styles of Tai Chi Chuan is named after the family who created it: Chen, Sun, Wu, Wu-Hao (or Wu Shi), and Yang. The style of the Lee family includes the art of Feng Shou in its training. There was also once a "Southern" style of Taijiquan which disappeared, perhaps in the time of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912), when the Shaolin Monks and Chinese martial arts were persecuted. The details of this Southern style are lost, though scant records indicate it was not too different from surviving styles of Taijiquan. Tai Chi Chuan done purely for its health benefits and stripped of all self-defense training is usually referred to as Tai Chi, to distinguish it from the martial art.
Training and Techniques
Tai Chi Chuan teaches students to generate speed and power from body mechanics and qi rather than muscle tension, so that students always fight from a relaxed state. Defense consists mostly of dodging attacks while standing in one place. All styles of Tai Chi Chuan hit primarily with palm-strikes and other open-hand techniques, as well as knees and elbows. Dim Mak, Chin Na, pushes, sweeps, medium and low kicks are also employed.
A training technique common to all styles of Taijiquan is tui shou, or "pushing hands," which involves two students literally pushing each other's bodies or arms. This training is said to improve a student's sense of timing, leverage, balance, and positioning, all of which must be developed for a student to use the art effectively. There is also "chi shou" which involves two students using only hands to force the opponent away. This excercise teaches students how to counter attacks and to re-direct the energy of the attack back at their opponent.
There are several weapons forms featuring sword, staff, and lance.
Health Benefits
Tai Chi is well known for its slow motion movements and is often seen exercised by groups of people each morning, usually in parks and other such open spaces. Tai Chi teaches people to be mindful of the forces and balances within them and how these processes affect them, how these processes are present in others and how a person should consider his/her behavior and attitudes towards others. In simple terms, a Tai Chi follower should maintain harmony within him/herself and towards others in order to acquire a long and healthy life.
