T'ai Chi

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Date of Origin: 1391 Country of Origin: China Technique: Hands, Kicks, Throws, Double-Edged Straight Sword

T'ai Chi
What is T'ai Chi

Translated, T'ai Chi means "the supreme ultimate." In Chinese philosophy, T'ai Chi is the mother of Yin and Yang. It is the theory of opposites, the positive and the negative. T'ai Chi is one of the five Chinese accomplishments thought to make a superior person, in addition to painting, poetry, calligraphy and music.

Linking some of the older forms from Taoism and stressing the internal aspects of his exercises, Chang San-feng is credited with creating the fundamental 'Thirteen Postures' of T'ai Chi corresponding to the eight basic trigrams of the I Ching and the five elements. The T'ai Chi classics are generally referred to as: The Theory of T'ai Chi Ch'uan by Chang San Feng (Zhangsanfeng), The Classics of T'ai Chi Ch'uan by Wong Tsung Yueh (Wangzongyue), An Internal Explanation of the Practice of the 13 Postures by Wu Yusiang (Wu Yu Xiang), The Five Words Secrets by Li Yi Yu (Li yiyu), and Summary of the Practice of T'ai Chi Ch'uan and Push Hands by Li Yi Yu.

Practicing T'ai Chi

The underlying theory of T'ai Chi is that the mind, body and spirit must be unified for wholeness and complete health. The emphasis in T'ai Chi is on being able to channel potentially destructive energy (in the form of a kick or a punch) away from one in a manner that will dissipate the energy or send it in a direction where it is no longer a danger. The art is practiced alone in forms, and with partners. The forms include the Long Form, which can take more than a half an hour to complete, and the Short Form, a modified version that can be performed in less than ten minutes.

T'ai Chi's original concepts are still intact today, teaching continuous movement, relaxation, solid stances, a straight body and the movement of chi from inside the body to outside. Each arm protects half the body and the hands never reach farther forward than the toes. Many of these movements are from the natural movements of animals and birds, although the way they are performed in T'ai Chi is slowly, softly and gracefully with smooth and even transitions between them. It is not ordinarily regarded as a practical self-defense system, though the movements have self-defense applications, and practitioners can achieve great power in their techniques.