| Tai Chi, as it is usually called in the west, or | | | | Chen village to make a Chen Chang Xing, the |
| Taijiquan, or Taiji Chuan, as it is also sometimes | | | | head of the family and holder of the Chen style. |
| known (precise translation from Chinese is difficult | | | | As Xing was too old to fight his eldest son took |
| because the language is so different) traces its | | | | the challenge, and was badly beaten. The |
| roots back to a Taoist master called Zhang San | | | | challenger then asked for the master, but his |
| Feng (or Chang San Foong). After completing his | | | | disciples tried to prevent Xing's disgrace by saying |
| kung fu training at the Shaolin temple Zhang San | | | | that the master was away. |
| Feng took himself on a retreat up the famous | | | | The challenger, however, decided that he would |
| Wudang mountain to continue his Taoist quest for | | | | wait for the master to return. It was then that |
| immortality. While there he witnessed a fight | | | | Yang surprised everyone by taking the challenge |
| between a crane and a snake. Inspired by this, he | | | | himself and beating the challenger, restoring the |
| set about modifying his Shaolin kung fu to create | | | | glory of Taijiquan. Because of this Yang was |
| softer and more flowing system which | | | | pardoned for his crime of stealing the families |
| emphasised chi training and meditation. | | | | secrets by watching them train, and was allowed |
| To do this he incorporated his Shaolin qi gong | | | | to go out from the familiy village and practice and |
| training with his martial arts, and drew inspiration | | | | teach Taijiquan openly. He travelled all over China |
| fromt he animals he had seen. This new kind of | | | | to make friendly challenges against all of the kung |
| kung fu was called the Wudang 32 Patterns Long | | | | fu master - and using Chen Taijiquan he defeated |
| Fist, and is generally thought of as the first of the | | | | them all and became known as the Invincible |
| 'internal' schools of Kung Fu which combine the | | | | Yang. Although the Yang style is attributed to him |
| energy cultivation of Qi Gong / Chi Kung with the | | | | as the one who brought it out of the Chen family |
| external forms of kung fu. Internal, or 'soft' kung | | | | it was actually his grandson Yang Deng Fu who |
| fu styles begin with gentle, flowing and soft | | | | modified the Chen style and created what is now |
| movements, emphasising harmony, health and the | | | | known as the Yang style. Yang style Tai Chi is |
| cultivation of chi; in the early stages of learning | | | | sometimes known as 'big frame' Tai Chi, because |
| one of these styles it can be hard to see how it | | | | it of its large sweeping and open movements, |
| has anything to do with fighting at all, but it is a | | | | wide stances, and general tendency to make the |
| mistake to think that they are not effective as | | | | practitioner open and expand themselves in its |
| martial arts. Although it may take many years for | | | | practice. Yang style is excellent for health and |
| a student of one of the internal scholls of kung fu | | | | fitness, and as a combat art is geared towards |
| to reach the level where they can apply what | | | | big powerful moves that would probably suit a |
| they have learned in a combat situation, when | | | | large, strong, 'big framed' person. |
| they do so they are devastatingly powerful and | | | | Wu Yu Xiang established the first of the two Wu |
| very effective. There are a number of internal | | | | styles (pronounced with different pitches in |
| martial arts style in existence today in addition to | | | | Chinese but with the same translation in English), |
| Tai Chi, such as Bagua Zhang and Xing Yi Quan. | | | | after learning from two Chen style masters. This |
| It is very rare to see this original wudang style | | | | style is sometimes differentiated from the other |
| practiced now, so I will move on to look at the | | | | Wu style in English by using the full name of its |
| later styles which are still popular today. | | | | creator - Wu Yu Xiang. This style has many |
| The Wundang style was passed on to Wang | | | | similarities with the Yang style but with more |
| Zhong Yue, then Zhang Song Xi, and then to | | | | compact movements and with some of the large |
| Chen Wang Ting, a scholar-general of the late | | | | sweeping forms replaced with faster and more |
| Ming Dynasty. It was this man who founded the | | | | direct movements. There are also less of the kind |
| Chen style Taijiquan, which is one of the most | | | | of low stances that can be hard work for the |
| popular styles practiced today. Compared to the | | | | legs and joints, and so has a more relaxed feel |
| later forms of Tai Chi, which continued the | | | | that is more suitable for the elderly. |
| movement away from the original Shaolin kung fu | | | | The second Wu style, initiated by Wu Chan Yu is |
| basis towards the 'softer' approach, Chen style | | | | concentrates on balance (of different aspects of |
| Tai Chi is fairly hard and fast, with a noticable | | | | Tai Chi rather than physical balance!) and harmony. |
| resemblance to Shaolin kung fu. | | | | Then, finally, Sun Lu Tang, at the beginning of the |
| The next development was to the Yang style, a | | | | 20th century, combined Wu style tai Chi with two |
| transition attributed to Yang Lu Chan. Up until this | | | | other internal martial arts styles - Bagua and |
| point the sectrets of Taijiquan had been closely | | | | Xingyi, to create the Sun style of Tai Chi. Sun Lu |
| guarded by the Chen family, who kept it just for | | | | Tang wanted to take the best bits of all three of |
| themselves. There is a famous story about how | | | | the internal martial arts he had studied and put |
| Yang Lu Chan was able to learn the Chen style | | | | them together to create a new martial art. The |
| and spread its teachings: Apparently Yang had | | | | most noticable benefit of these additions is the |
| practiced many different styles of kung fu and | | | | advanced footwork of Bagua, which allows its |
| was eager to learn the Chen style that he had | | | | practitioner to change stances quickly and in an |
| heard about; he was so eager, in fact, that he | | | | elusive manner. |
| gave away his families estate and worked as a | | | | Thus the main forms of Tai Chi today are Chen, |
| servant in the Chen household. While working | | | | Yang, Wu, Wu and Sun styles. Although there are |
| there Yang secretly watched the family train and | | | | substantial differences between these Tia Chi |
| practiced what he had learned at night for many | | | | styles the basic principles are still the same, as are |
| years. Then one day another master came to the | | | | many of the methods. |