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Taijiquan (Tai-chi-chaun)

Taijiquan "ultimate or body energy fist" is perhaps the best known of the three internal Chinese styles. The term "Ttaiji" literally means "ultimate" andrefers to the ancient Chinese cosmological concept of the interplay between two opposite, yet complementary, forces (yin and yang) as being the foundation of creation. "Quan" literally means "fist" and denotes an unarmed method of combat. Taijiquan as a martial art is based on the principle of the soft overcoming the hard.  It is commonly just called Tai-chi.

Tai-chi is a combination of traditional Chinese external styles and Taoist principles. Its origins are often attributed to Zhang Sanfeng (a Taoist of either the 12th or 15th century depending on the source) who created the art after witnessing a fight between a snake and a crane. Tai-chi has evolved into many styles: such as Yang, Chen, Old Chen, Big Wu, Little Wu, Sun, and innumerable sub-styles.

All of the various styles of tai-chi that are in existence today may be traced back to a single man, Chen Wangding, a general of the latter years of the Ming dynasty. After the fall of the Ming and the establishment of the Qing dynasty (1644), Chen Wangding returned to the Chen village and created his forms of boxing. Originally containing up to seven forms, only two forms of chen style Taijiquan have survived into the present. The art was only taught to members of the Chen clan until a promising young outsider named Yang Luzhan was accepted as a student in the early part of the 19th century.

Yang Luzhan (nicknamed "Yang without enemy" as he was reportedly a peerless fighter) modified the original Cchen style and created the Yang style of Taijiquan, the most popular form practiced in the world today. Wu Yuxiang learned the art from Yang Luzhan, and a variation of the original Chen form from Chen Jingbing (who taught the "small frame" version of Chen Taijiquan), and then created the Wu style. A man named Hao Weizhen learned the Wu style from Wu Yuxiang's nephew and taught the style to Sun Ludang, who in turn created the Sun style. Sun was already an established master of Xingyiquan and Baguazhang when he learned Taijiquan. He combined his knowledge of the other arts to create his style. Yang Luzhan had another student, a Manchu named Chuan You (or Quan You), who in turn taught the art to his son, Wu Jianchuan (or Jianquan). Wu Jianchuan popularized his variation of the Yang style,  commonly referred to as the Wu Jianchuan (or Jianquan) style. In recent times, there have been many other variations and modifications of the art, but all may be traced back through the above masters to the original Chen family form.

Taijiquan is characterized by slow, graceful movements. It fact, it is frequently practiced in slow-motion. There are 13 main techniques; the 8 hand techniques (ward off, roll back, press, push, pull, twist, elbow, and lean) and 5 directions of footwork (center, left, right, front, and back). Training emphasizes rooting, connecting one's chi (ki, internal energy) with the earth; sensitivity, detecting an opponent's movements before they are completed; and relaxation.

Complete Taijiquan arts include basic exercises, stance keeping (zhanzhuang), repetitive single movement training, linked form training, power training (exercises that train the ability to issue energy in a ballistic pulse), weapons training (the includes straight sword, broadsword, staff, and spear), and various two-person exercises and drills (including "push-hands" sensitivity drills). A hallmark of most styles of Taijiquan is that the movements in the patterns are done quite slowly, with one posture flowing into the next without interruption. Some patterns (the old chen forms for example) alternate between slow motion and explosive movements. Other styles divide the training into patterns that are done slowly at an even tempo and separate patterns that are performed at a more vigorous pace. The goal of moving slowly is to insure correct attention is paid to proper body mechanics and the maintenance of the prerequisite relaxation.

Training exercises may be divided into two broad categories: solo exercises and drills that require a partner. A beginner will usually begin training with very basic exercises designed to teach proper structural alignment and correct methods of moving the body, shifting the weight, stepping, etc. All of the Taijiquan arts have at their very foundation the necessity of complete physical relaxation and the idea that the intent leads and controls the motion of the body. The student will also be taught various stance keeping postures that serve as basic exercises in alignment and relaxation, as well as a kind of mind calming standing meditation. A basic tenet of all internal martial arts is that correct motion is born of absolute stillness. Once the basics are understood, the student progresses to learning the formal patterns of movement that contain the specific movements and techniques inherent in the style.

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