Tracing Tai Chi

Tai Chi Chuan is derived from Taoism which believes in tranquility of mind and improvement of temperament. Tai in Chinese means ‘Great’ and Chi denotes 'ultimate energy’. The practice of Tai chi, therefore, generates energy and vitality through movement by using the

Taoist practice of harmonizing positive and negative forces (the Yin and the Yang) into transcendental peace.

Tai Chi is the life force behind good living and is as relevant to modern lifestyle as it was in ancient times.

The earliest stories about Tai Chi dates back to the 12th century in the legend of Chang San Feng. While one version state that Tai Chi originated in his dream of a contest between a snake and a crane, another tells the story of Chang San-Feng studying the fierce fight between the snake and the crane as a contest of opposites in dynamic harmony, like Yin and the Yang of nature.

The practice of Tai Chi has come down to the present through three major family traditions. Chen, Yang and Wu.

The original Tai Chi Chuan form called the "Chen" style was passed to a family named Chen in Honan Province. Chen style was a combination of soft and explosive power techniques. It was practiced in the Chinese Shaolin Temple since the Fifteenth Century.

The Chen clan kept Tai Chi Chuan a secret practice for fourteen generations, passed down only through families and loyal students. It was forbidden for anyone to teach it outside the family. All other common Tai Chi styles were later derived from the Chen style.

The centuries old tradition of the Chen Tai Chi secret was finally broken in the end of the eighteenth century.

A young man named Yang Lu-Chan was then working as a servant in the Chen family. Yang Lu-Chan was intensely interested in the Chen clan's secret of self-defense.

He spied upon them whenever they practiced Tai Chi and retained the knowledge within him to practice when he was alone. One night Master Chen caught Yang Lu-Chan practicing. But he was so impressed with Yang’s talent and dedication that instead of punishing him, he broke a four hundred year tradition and made him a student.

When he was finished apprenticeship, Yang Lu Chan returned to his village to practice and teach his distinctive style of Tai Chi Chuan. His fame took him to the Royal Palace to teach Tai Chi Chuan which gradually spread the Yang style further symbolized in its smooth and even-flowing tempo.

The Yang style is the most common traditional style of Tai Chi Chuan practiced today.
While Yang Lu Chan was teaching Tai Chi Chuan at his hometown, he had a disciple named Wu Yu Xiang. Wu Yu Xiang went on to develop his skill further to learn the Chen form of Tai Chi from Chen Qin Ping.

Once he finished his training he created the Wu Form Tai Chi Chuan, an unique agile and flexible form, which was a combination of both the Chen and the Yang styles.
The Sun Form Tai Chi Chuan was created by Sun Lu Tang who learnt the art from Hao Wei Zheng, a Wu Form Tai Chi Chuan master in the early 20th century.

Sun Lu Tang created Sun Form Tai Chi Chuan from The Eight Diagrams Palm, Xin Yi Chuan and Tai Chi Chuan.

Tai Chi: Why chi flow is critical and how getting chi flow is easier than you think

Many folks who practice Tai Chi today have never developed chi flow and therefore do not know what chi flow is. They may have heard about it or seen it in movies but sadly many have not actually experienced it first hand for themselves. Most people who practice Tai Chi today are just practicing this rich art at a very basic level.

To many, it is just a gentle, therapeutic exercise for old people. Tai Chi has much to offer and can be practiced at many levels for different purposes.

Being able to generate chi flow is critical as it not only allows one to be healthier, but it also allows a smaller person to defend himself against a much larger attacker. If a person who does not know how to generate chi is attacked by a larger and stronger opponent, he will be severely disadvantaged, as he will be depending solely on his martial arts skill to defend himself.

Unless he is extremely skilled, he will most likely have a hard time defending himself. However, if he knows how to use his chi and have some internal force, he will be able to neutralize his opponent no matter how big or strong the opponent is. This is why knowing how to develop one’s chi is important if one of your objectives of learning Tai Chi is to be able to defend yourself against a larger person. Even if learning Tai Chi as a martial art is not one of your objectives, being able to generate a chi flow will transform your level of Tai Chi to a much higher level.

Unless your aims of learning Tai Chi are very modest, being able to get a chi flow is critical to your advancement in this ancient art.

Getting a chi flow is easier than you think and can be achieved in days or at the most weeks. To do this, you must learn from a master who has this ability.

Although, you can also learn Tai Chi to some degree from videos and books, nothing beats learning first hand from a qualified teacher. If you do not have a qualified person supervising you and you decide to learn on your own, you may develop bad habits or do something that is not appropriate. Then, you will have to unlearn and this may impede your progress, as you would have already developed certain bad habits and patterns of learning.

For example, if you want to learn to drive a car, you must learn from a qualified instructor. Although you can read books and watch a video on how to drive a car, learning on your own may be harmful. Similarly, if you want to become a dentist, you have to go to a school where you are taught by trained professionals.

If you had a toothache, would you dare go to a ‘dentist’ who has never gone for formal training and only learned from books and videos? Obviously not.

After finding a qualified teacher, getting a chi flow will usually only take days or weeks. You will be taught how to relax your whole body, how to breathe using special breathing techniques and the correct Tai Chi postures, stances and movements.

At a more advanced stage, you will also be taught how to generate and move chi with your mind.