{"id":19,"date":"2019-07-27T22:52:06","date_gmt":"2019-07-27T22:52:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/horaceluong.com\/tc\/?page_id=19"},"modified":"2019-07-28T01:34:25","modified_gmt":"2019-07-28T01:34:25","slug":"tai-chi-history-and-theory","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/horaceluong.com\/tc\/index.php\/tai-chi-history-and-theory\/","title":{"rendered":"Tai Chi History and Theory"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

History of Tai Chi<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    To this day,\nthere are two major beliefs on the origin of tai chi.  The more \u201cmythical\u201d of which is that tai chi\nwas created by a Taoist priest, Zhang sanfeng, who lived during the Yuan and\nMing Dynasty (late 1200s to mid 1600s AD) on Wudangshan, Hubei.  He supposedly created the forms after\nwatching the battle between a snake and a crane.  The round movements of the snake made him a\nworthy opponent to the crane and from this observation, Zhang sanfeng created\nthe martial art with round movements.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
This is a picture I took of Purple Cloud Temple in Wudangshan, Hubei, China. Purple Cloud Temple is one of Wudangshan\u2019s most well known locations because of its rich history and beautiful scenery. There is an old statue of Zhang sanfeng in the entry room to this temple. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Chen Style<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The other belief, dates tai chi to\nbe about 400 years old or so, and originates from a place called Chenjiagou\n(also known as Chen Village).  Unlike the\nZhang sanfeng story, there is written evidence and records to support its\nhistory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

   \nChenjiagou is a small village located in Wen County.  When I had the privilege of training in\nChenjiagou, it was about a three hour bus ride from Zhengzhou.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Chenjiagou literally translates to Chen Family Ditch.  So if you roamed around the village, you\u2019ll find the prominent ditch.  There are several areas along the ditch for people to practice tai chi. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Chen Wangting’s altar in Chenjiagou<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In the late 1600s, a retiring\nmilitary general, by the name of Chen wangting returned to Chenjiagou and\ncreated  what we now call Chen style tai\nchi.  At that point in time, he created\nwhat\u2019s known as laojia or \u201cold frame\u201d. \nSince then, the Chen family has been very creative and came up with some\nbeautiful modifications to the form (e.g., xinjia, xiaojia).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yang Style<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The founder of the Yang style, Yang\nLu Chan, was a servant in the Chen family.  In the evening, he would\nsecretly watch the Chen family practice their art and learn.  When he was\ndiscovered by the Chen family that he was spying on them, the family could have\nvery easily killed him, but upon discovering that his tai chi calibre was high,\nthey took him on as an “outdoor” student.  Eventually he\ndeveloped his own style (now known as the Yang Style) which is quite different from\nthe Chen Style with higher stances coordinated with slower and graceful\nmovements.  Yang did a lot of traveling around China, which would explain\nwhy the style is so popular today.  He became so well known that the\nEmperor asked him to teach his style to the guards in the capital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
While I was training at Chen Bing\u2019s Taiji Academy in Chenjiagou I took one morning to walk around the village and as it turned, across the street from the academy was Yang Lu Chan\u2019s old home!\u00a0 Of course training was important and I didn\u2019t have enough time to stroll through the place, which is a museum now. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Wu (Hao) Style<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Wu Yu-Xiang studied both the Yang\nand Chen style and in the late 1800s he developed his own Wu Style.  It is\nnot a very common form but its style is characterized by using a lot of\ninternal power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Wu Style <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This is a\nrelatively recent style and was created by a father-son team (Wu quanyu and Wu\njianquan) in the early 1900s.  This form is characterized by a forward\nleaning posture and much higher stances than the Yang style.  The current\nname bearer of the Wu style is Hong Kong\u2019s Master Eddie Wu, who was formerly\nbased in Toronto.  He must be one of my\nfavourite tai chi speakers \u2013 very lively, pragmatic, and funny!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sun Style<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Of the five major tai chi families,\nthe Sun style is the youngest.  The founder, Sun lutang was a master in\nXingyi and Bagua quan and was taught tai chi by one of the masters of the Wu\nstyle.  Sun lutang later incorporated elements of Xingyi and Bagua into\nthe form and later called it the Sun Style.  That is why when you compare\nthe Wu style and the Sun style there are so many similarities.  One of the\nmost prominent characteristics of the Sun style is the liveliness of the steps\nand its high stances.  The feet are seldom far from each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My\nteacher, Troyce Thome, co-wrote a very good book on Sun style tai chi: Traditional\nSun Style Taijiquan<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

National Combined Routines<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

   As the demand for shorter and easier\nto learn routines is ever increasing, China created some forms which has taken\nelements from each of the five major families and combined them into new forms. \nOne of the first forms created was the 24-Forms Tai Chi (in 1950s) which is\ncomprised mainly of Yang style forms.  The 48-Forms was created a couple\nof decades later as a competition style.  But the level of difficulty of\nthis form was not high enough so a more difficult form was created – the 42\nForm.  The Yang style has also been standardized to what is now known as\nthe 88-Form.  This form was created at about the same time as the 24 forms\nand is not much different from the old traditional “long” form except\nthat there are a couple of added forms to smooth out some transitions between\nforms.  More recently, several new styles\nhave appeared in the market.  These include the 16-Form and the\n8-Form.  These styles are much simpler to learn because of the low number\nof forms and are designed to exercise both sides of the body (whereas some of\nthe more traditional forms practiced only on the right side) and the other\nadvantage is that there is not as big of a requirement for space. \nMany of us would practice more often if we have the space.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tai Chi Theory<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Why Tai Chi?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So why\nis this particular martial art called \u201ctai chi\u201d?  The origin of the name has a Taoist\nconnection.  When we think of the\nyin-yang, there\u2019s equal yin as there is yang within a circle.  The yin-yang represents polar opposites such\nas male\/female, light\/dark, strong\/weak. \nRemember that the term \u201ctai chi\u201d translates to be the \u201cextreme\nultimate\u201d.  The Taoist call\nthe yin-yang \u201ctai chi\u201d because in nature, the tai chi symbol arises from a\ndisordered state called \u201cwuji\u201d.  However, Nature sorts herself out to yield\nthe extreme poles of yin and yang.    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When\nwe start tai chi, our feet are together and there are no thoughts.  This represents the state of wuji.  Then when we\nstart, we separate our feet and start the intention of movement.  This is the start of tai chi since the yin\nand yang are being defined by our steps and body movement.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"MC900156553[1]\"\/
The Yin-Yang (aka. The tai chi diagram)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When\nwe examine the yin-yang, we notice that there is continual transition from yin\nto yang and vice versa.  If we run any\nline from the edge of the circle through the center to the opposite side, at no\npoint can we get only yang or only yin. \nThere will always be a bit of contamination by the other.  This is also represented by the smaller\ncircles within each side.  The\nsignificance of these observations for tai chi is that we want to achieve\nbalance.  Whether it is for martial art\npurposes by neutralizing a strong opponent, or for health with relieving mental\nstress (yang), the soft movements in tai chi can be used to restore\nbalance.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Body in Tai Chi<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Physiology<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        All joints are kept loose in tai\nchi.  The feet root the body and then the\nwaist pushes the shoulder which then guides the elbow and then finally the\nwrist and fingers.  Make sure that the\nhands don\u2019t move faster than the body. \nAs well, while practicing the form, don\u2019t maximize the extensions.  Remember in the theory that there\u2019s always a\nbit of yin in yang.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Respiration<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        At the beginner level, we want to aim\nbreathing to be long, deep and slow \u2013 regardless of speed of movement.  To some extent breathing may correspond to\nmovement but it doesn\u2019t always workout so it is best to just avoid the\ncorrelation and worry about breathing naturally.  When breathing, let your abdominal muscles\nexpand and contract as opposed to the chest. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Qi<\/strong> or Chi<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Qi or Chi is\nthe term tai chi enthusiasts use for energy. \nThe \u201cchi\u201d in tai chi and \u201cchi\u201d when we refer to energy have very\ndifferent meaning and are different characters. \nIt\u2019s more appropriate to call \u201ctai chi\u201d, \u201ctaiji\u201d\nsince that\u2019s the more correct pronunciation. \nChi, for energy, is pronounced just as it is written (\u201cchee\u201d).  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Qi will flow\nwithin the body with the aid of intent and blood.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Inhaling brings qi\ninto the body while exhaling serves to deliver force. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Back<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Keep the back upright so that the energy\ncan flow continuously and without obstruction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dan Tien (Energy Well)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        The Dan Tien\nis located about three finger spacings below the\nnavel and inside the body.  Regardless of\nstyle, the Dan tien is believed to be the place where\nchi is stored.  When we practice, we want\nto be mindful of this area and therefore we sink our energy to this\nreservoir.  The goal in tai chi practice\nis to collect as much qi as possible.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Essential Tai Chi Principles<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the\ncore of the tai chi theory are roughly ten essential tai chi principles.  The compliance of these principles is what\ndifferentiates tai chi from the other martial arts.  When we practice, we want to unite the\nmind\/intent with chi and physical movement. \nRemember that intent drives chi and chi delivers force.  Despite the physical differences between\nstyles, all styles adopt these principles. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1.       <\/strong>Move slowly and continuously<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Be\nlike water flowing in a river. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2.       <\/strong>Practice with dynamic resistance<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we practice,\nimagine that there is resistance in air and how your body will respond to the\nresistance.  This is the act of using your  mind and intent\nto guide the chi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3.       <\/strong>Differentiate between full and empty (steps in\nparticular)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

4.       <\/strong>Keep an upright posture<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

5.       <\/strong>Keep all joints loose and relax the waist<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nwaist is the origin of power and movement direction.  The lower body must be used to generate\nstability which can only be achieved when the waist is relaxed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6.       <\/strong>Sink shoulders and drop elbows<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nsinking of shoulders will help lower your sense of your centre of gravity and\nallow the chi to flow more continuously. \nKeeping the elbows low is good practice because they become less\nsusceptible to being controlled by an opponent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7.       <\/strong>Relax chest and round back<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By\npulling the chest in, rounding the back, chi can sink easily to the Dan Tien.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

8.       <\/strong>Sink chi to Dan Tien<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

9.       <\/strong>Find stillness within movement<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Movement and stillness\nare yang and yin.  Stillness can be used\nto conquer movement and even in stillness, there is movement.  Why do we practice tai chi slowly?  So that we can achieve \u201cstillness\u201d!  It\u2019s also much more difficult to do it slowly\nsince it takes muscles and patience.  Go\nahead, give it a try!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

10.   \n<\/strong>The\nwhole body should move in synchrony<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 13 Postures<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In an\narticle written by Taoist priest Zhang sanfeng, called \u201cTai Chi Chuan Treatise\u201d, states that there are 13 postures used to\ncreate tai chi (regardless of style).  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

  • Upper body
    • Peng (Ward-off) <\/li>
    • Lu (Roll back) <\/li>
    • Ji (Press) <\/li>
    • An (Push) <\/li>
    • Tsai (Grab) <\/li>
    • Lieh (Split) <\/li>
    • Zhou (Elbow strike) <\/li>
    • Kao (Shoulder bump)<\/li><\/ul><\/li>
    • Lower body
      • Jin bu (advance step) <\/li>
      • Tui bu (retreat step) <\/li>
      • Zuo gu (awareness of the left <\/li>
      • You pan (look to the right) <\/li>
      • Zhong ding (central equilibrium) <\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        History of Tai Chi     To this day, there are two major beliefs on the origin of tai chi.  The more \u201cmythical\u201d of which is that tai chi was created by a Taoist priest, Zhang sanfeng, who lived during the Yuan and Ming Dynasty (late 1200s to mid 1600s AD) on Wudangshan, Hubei.  He supposedly […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-19","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/horaceluong.com\/tc\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/19","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/horaceluong.com\/tc\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/horaceluong.com\/tc\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/horaceluong.com\/tc\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/horaceluong.com\/tc\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/horaceluong.com\/tc\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/19\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":74,"href":"http:\/\/horaceluong.com\/tc\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/19\/revisions\/74"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/horaceluong.com\/tc\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}