T'ai Chi History

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T'ai Chi
The History of T'ai Chi

Little is known about T'ai Chi's early history which may date as far back to the 6th century B.C., however its foundation is credited to the Taoist Chang San-feng, a monk of the Wu Tang Monastery. Records indicate that Chang lived at the end of the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368) and at the beginning of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

Chang San-fen's theories, writings and practices were later elaborated upon by Wang Chung-yueh and his student Chiang Fa. Wang apparently took the thirteen postures of Chang San-feng and linked them together into continuous sequences, creating something which resembles the contemporary T'ai Chi Chuan form.

Chiang Fa taught T'ai Chi to the Chen village on Henan and thus began the first family school of T'ai Chi Chuan. However, some scholars believe that rather than bringing T'ai Chi to the Chen village, Chiang Fa really only discovered the Chen villagers practicing this art. Others maintain that the Chen family's so-called 'Cannon Pounding' (Pao Chui) was a distinct martial art that undoubtedly influenced Chiang Fa's teaching but that it was not the same as T'ai Chi.

Another of Wang's students was Chen Chou-t'ung who established the so-called "Southern School" of T'ai Chi which subsequently disappeared. Chiang Fa continued with the mainstream "Northern" school of T'ai Chi which survives today. The principal styles that exist today are the New Frame Style of Chen T'ai Chi, the Yang Style of T'ai Chi, the Old Frame Style of Chen T'ai Chi, the Wu Style of T'ai Chi, the Wu Shi Style (or Hao Style) of T'ai Chi Chuan, and the Sun Style of T'ai Chi Chuan.

Present Day T'ai Chi

It would be unwise for a present day student to forget the historical fact that T'ai Chi was once a deadly art, jealously guarded by a few families and used for killing. It is within the context of a life or death struggle that the techniques of T'ai Chi were refined over the centuries.

T'ai Chi's place in a less violent, modern society lies in enlarging our understanding of who our "enemy" is. Traditionally, the enemy was an opponent in a combat situation. Today the enemy may be stress, fatigue, or the lack of understanding of oneself and one's body. The same system used then can also be used now to help keep stress from killing or injuring you.

Since the 19th century, the Chinese have understood the immense health benefits of T'ai Chi, and its popularity has grown steadily. T'ai Chi is now practiced around the world. It is one of the most popular exercises today with more than 300 million participants. While all martial arts were designed to increase one's longevity, daily practice of T'ai Chi promotes mental clarity and a healthy body, assists with balance and helps the circulation of the blood.