Tai Chi is a very powerful Martial Art...it is
in fact, the most powerful of all the Martial
Arts.
Tai Chi Chuan...its rightful name...is an
internal Chinese Martial Art and is often
practiced with the aim of keeping healthy. It
may look like just a lot of waving of hands in
slow motion but it is much more than that. Done
at a much quicker pace it is a very powerful
form of self defence. Medical studies support
the effectiveness of Tai Chi and many doctors
and hospitals advise their patients to take up
the practice.
Tai chi is a 'soft' style Martial Art...an art
applied with internal power...to distinguish it
from the other 'hard' Martial Art forms.
There are many different styles of Tai Chi Chuan...the
most common being the Yang form, which I,
Pebbles, practice. When one learns Tai Chi they
also learn Qi Gong...a set of breathing
exercises also known as standing meditation. You
can't do Tai Chi without Qi Gong, although you
can do Qi Gong without Tai Chi.
The term Tai Chi Chuan translates from the
Mandarin into "supreme ultimate boxing" or
"boundless fist" and may better translate to
"great extremes boxing" with an emphasis on
finding balance between two great extremes. The
concept of the "supreme ultimate" is the symbol
of the Taijitu which many people know as the
'Yin/Yang' symbol...the symbol represents the
duality of the Taoist Philosophy. Tai Chi
evolved from Chinese philosophy and Taoism in
particular.
The Taijitu (Yin/Yang Symbol)
太極拳
Although Tai Chi is typified as something which
is one solo it is also done with partners in
what is known as 'push hands'...this is where
the self defence half of it comes in. Whereas Qi
Gong is known as a standing meditation Tai Chi
is called a moving meditation because the mind
is focused solely on the movements of the form
and this helps to bring about mental calm and
clarity. . The benefits of Tai Chi also include
stress management and traditional Chinese
medicine is often taught to advanced Tai Chi
students in some schools.
The physical techniques of Tai Chi are described
in the classics (a set of writings by
traditional masters) as being characterised by
the use of leverage through the joints based on
coordination in relation, rather than muscular
tension, in order to naturalise or initiate
attacks. The slow, repetitive movements involved
in the process of learning how that leverage is
generated gently and measurably increases and
opens the internal circulation (breath, body
heat, blood, lymph, peristalsis etc.).
The Yang form of Tai Chi is the most practiced
style in the world today. The Yang family first
became involved in studying Tai Chi in the early
1800s. The founder was Yang Lu-ch'an also known
as Yang Fu-k'ui (1799-1872).
Yang Lu-ch'an (楊露禪)
1799 - 1872
Yang studied under Ch'en Chang hsing and began
around 1820. Yang's own form of Tai Chi as a
teacher in his own right became known as the
Yang style, and led to the development of the
other three major styles of Tai Chi, Chen, Wu
and Sun.
Yang Lu-ch'an came to prominence due to him
being hired by the Chinese Imperial family to
teach Tai Chi to the elite Palace battalion of
the Imperial guards in 1850. He carried
this position until his death.
Yang Lu-ch'an passed his art to his second son,
Yang Pan-hou (1837-1890)
Yang Pan-hou
(楊班侯)
1837 -1890
who was also hired as a Martial Arts instructor
by the Chinese Imperial family. Yang Pan-hou
became the formal teacher of Wu Ch-uan-yu a
Manchu
Banner cavalry officer of the Palace Battalion,
even though Yang Lu-ch'an
was Wu Ch'uan-yu's first Tai Chi Chuan teacher.
Wu Ch'uan-yu became Yang
Pan'hou's first disciple. Wu Ch'uan-yu's son, Wu
Chien-ch'uan also a
Banner officer, became known as the co-founder
of the Wu style. Yang Pan-
hou is also said to have taught a student named
Wang Chiao-Yu. Wang taught
Kuo Lien Ying. Juo's method is called the Kuang
P'ing style.
His third son Yang Chien-hou (1839-1917)
who passed it to his sons, Yang Shauo-hou
(1862-1930) and Yang Ch'eng-fu (1883-1936).
Yang Chien-hou
(1839-1917)
Yang Shauo-hou (楊少侯)
1862-1930
Yang Ch'eng'fu
(楊澄甫)
1883-1936
Wu Yu-hsiang
武禹襄
(1813-1880) who also developed his own Wu style,
which eventually, after three generations, led
to the development of Sun style Tai Chi Chuan.
Tai Chi originally had a lot of energetic
jumping, stamping and other movements but Yang
Ch'eng-fu simplified Tai Chi by taking them out
of the form. The original form of Tai Chi had
over 200 parts to it but it has now been brought
down to 24, known as the 24 form. It is this
form which people tend to associate with Tai Chi
these days, although some, including myself, do
learn the original long form.
You can read the full history of Yang Tai Chi on
the Yang family website:
cc
