"No leaps, no high kicks, no
running. The feet always firmly on the ground...movements intrinsically
beautiful and at the same time charged with symbolic meaning. Thought taking
shape in ritual and stylized gesture. The whole body transformed into a
hieroglyph, a succession of hieroglyphs, of attitudes modulating from
significance to significance, like a poem or a piece of music. Movements of
the muscles representing movements of the consciousness...It's meditation in
action; the metaphysics of the Mahayana expressed not in words, but through
symbolic movements and gestures."
...... Aldous Huxley from
Island
The story of Tai Chi begins with its founder Chang San-Feng,
a Taoist hermit who is variously reported as having lived either during the
Sung (960-1279) or the Yuan dynasty (1271-1368). According to legend, one
day while strolling through the forests surrounding the Wu Tang mountains in
China's Hubei Province, Master Chang witnessed a snake engaged in combat
with a crane. Master Chang was impressed with the skillful way the snake was
able to dodge and counterattack the larger, more powerful crane. That night,
so the story goes, the art of Tai Chi Chuan came to him in a dream.
A more likely explanation of Tai Chi's origins lies in the
conjecture that Master Chang, if he existed at all, combined certain
fighting movements together with other movements designed to increase
internal energy in the body to create a new system which became a physical
manifestation of Taoist philosophy.
Tai Chi Chuan (or T'ai Chi Chuan, Taijiquan) is a
slow-motion, moving, meditative exercise for relaxation, health and
self-defense. Originally from China, Tai Chi has gained enormous popularity
in America and throughout the rest of the world for its health benefits.
Like a precious diamond, Tai Chi has many facets. As a
health exercise it has no equal. As a martial art it can be devastating. As
a physical manifestation of Taoist philosophy, it engages the mind to
reflect upon the rhythms of nature and seek accord with them. As a stress
relieving therapy, it leaves the practitioner refreshed and centered, ready
to face whatever difficulties their day or their life may bring. It has been
said that whoever practices Tai Chi diligently, twice a day over a period of
years, will attain the pliability of a child, the health of a lumberjack and
the peace of mind of a sage.
History and Development
The Tai Chi Chuan form has been handed down for
generations through different families, since its
creation by the legendary Taoist master Chang San-Feng during the Sung
Dynasty (960-1279 C.E.). There are many different
accounts of the origin of the form, or kung chia. The most common
of which is that he once spied a snake and crane fighting and
copied
the soft, coiling motion of their movements. The form
he developed consisted of only thirteen postures, corresponding with the
eight trigrams of the I Ching (Book of Changes) and the five
elements. The lineage after Master Chang is not
precisely clear, but it does lead to a man named Chiang Fah. Chiang taught
his form to a man named Chen Wang-Ting, who is
recorded as practicing Tai Chi prior to 1644. His
descendants still practice the form their family developed, which is
characterized by its emphasis on silk-reeling
techniques (Chan-Ssu Chin), low stances, and periodically fast movements.
The Chen family's Tai Chi remained a secret for five
generations, not to be taught to anyone outside of the
family.
Later
on, during the 1800's, Chen Chang-Hsin (1771-1853) broke this tradition and
taught his family's style and secrets to an earnest
student named Yang Lu-Chan (1799-1872). The Yang
style, as we know it today, was standardized by Yang Lu-Chan's grandson,
Yang Cheng-Fu (1883-1936). It consists, at its longest
account, of 128 postures and is characterized by large
leaning movements, "peng" or "ward-off" energy, and the slow, even pace most
people associate with Tai Chi.
The Yang family masters had a famous lineage of students
who created the other major styles of Tai Chi Chuan,
which include the styles of Wu, Hao, and Sun. Although each style
has its own particular "flavor" and they appear different in their
external performance, they all keep to the principles
laid out centuries ago by Chang San-Feng.
Yang Cheng-Fu had one student by the name of Cheng Man-Ch'ing
(1901-1975) who became the greatest master of his
time. With his master's permission, he shortened the form to 37 postures and
made it the most popular of all the forms practiced today. Cheng came
to the United States to
teach
and took on students of all backgrounds, which is one
of the reasons his particular form is so popular today.
Most people know it as the Yang Style Short form, but it has even
earned its own name in some circles as Cheng's Tai Chi
Chuan. His form is characterized by its upright spine, "lu" or "roll-back"
energy, and the its powerful softness.
Tai Chi Chang Chuan
The traditional Tai Chi Chang Chuan, otherwise known as the tai chi fast
form, is a rare fist form that is absent in almost all the tai chi schools
throughout the world--the reason being pretty obvious. The form consists of
the combination of slow & fast movements. The uniqueness of the fast form is
that of the fa-jing techniques in the fast parts of the form. Moreover,
there are other unique postures that are absent in the slow form. Therefore,
the fast form is not a faster version of slow forms that one often sees in
other schools. The whole form is done with "power" throughout, from the
beginning to the end, & that includes the slow parts as well--thus, making
it extremely difficult to understand the internal principles of the form.
The fast fist form along with the long form, the dynamic pushing hands, san
sau, weapon forms, chi gong, & the solo exercises, completes the system of
the traditional Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan.
Tai Chi Chuan for Health
This is not a system for building up muscles. By perfecting the movements
one learns both coordination and relaxation of the entire body. The
resulting control leads to a very high degree of physical proficiency. The
general level of performance of everything you do is improved. With better
breathing and better circulation comes better health.
Tai Chi Chuan for Serenity
Mind and body are indivisible. Control of both is essential so that they may
act in harmony. Tai Chi Chuan has been called "meditation in movement". When
the movements have been well learned, there is a noticeable increase in
one's powers of concentration. This training teaches one to have an open
mind. Since a relaxed state is absolutely necessary before you can learn the
movements properly, all stress and tension must be left behind.
Styles of Tai Chi
Chen Style of Thai Chi
There are two principal traditions of Tai Chi in the Chen Family. In
both cases the traditions were a combination of the Tai Chi that was taught
to the Chen Family by Chiang Fa with the traditional Chen Family Cannon
Pounding (Pao Chui) art which had derived from the Shaolin Temple tradition.
One school of Tai Chi, the so-called Old Frame of Chen Tai Chi
developed from Chen Chiang-hsing (who taught Yang Lu-chan) and his student,
Chen Gen-yun. His student Chen Yan-xi taught Chen Fa-ke (1887- 1957, the
foremost exponent of this style whose students are responsible for its
spread.
The New Frame of Chen Tai Chi developed from
Chen You-heng, another student of Chiang Fa and developed via Chen
Chung-sang to Chen Xin [a.k.a Chen Pin-sang] (1849-1929), the foremost
latter- day exponent of this style .
The Old Frame Chen Style of Tai Chi bears a close resemblance to the New
Frame Chen Style and also to the Zhao Bao and Hu Lei styles. Apparently it
is not based on the classic '13 postures' which are central to the Yang and
Wu Styles of Tai Chi and so it varies considerably from them.
Sun & Wu Shi Style Tai Chi
Both of these traditions have their origins with Wu Yu-xiang
(1812-1880) a student of both Yang Lu-chan, the founder of the Yang Style of
Tai Chi and Chen Ching-ping (or Chen Qing-ping) who taught Zhao Bao Tai Chi.
Wu Yu-xiang had only one prominent student, his nephew Li I-yu (1833-
1892) who, in turn passed his art on to Hao Wei-chen (1849-1920). One of his
students was his son, Hao Yue-ru (1877-1935) who continued to teach the Wu
Shi (or Hao) style of Tai Chi.
Another of Hao Wei-chen's pupils was Sun Lu-tang (1860-1932) who had
already studied Hsing-I Quan with the master Kuo Yun-shen and Pa
Kua with master Chen T'ing-hua. He combined elements of all three of
these teachings to create the new Sun Style of Tai Chi Chuan.
Yang Style of Tai Chi
Yang Lu-chan was born in 1799 in Yung-nein in the prefecture of
Kuang-p'ing in the province of Hopeh in China. There are several versions of
his early life. One maintains that his family were farmers but his father
soon noticed an interest in his son in martial arts. He arranged for lessons
for him from a teacher named Liu. Yang Lu-chan soon mastered all his teacher
could teach him and wanted to know more. Liu told him about Tai Chi Chuan,
the secret of the Chen Family, but said that it was impossible for outsiders
to learn the form.
Undeterred Yang Lu-chan set out for Hui-hsing in Hunan province
where he managed to get employment as a servant in the household of Chen
Chai-kou. At this household there was a famous teacher of Tai Chi, Chen
Chang-hsing who was teaching the form to the young men there. Yang spied
on them and at night practiced what he had seen.
After some time Chen Chiang-hsing happened to see him practicing
one evening and realized the excellence of his technique. He decided to
break with the tradition of secrecy and invited Yang into the school. Other
accounts of Yang Lu-chan's early life claim that he came from very poor
circumstances and was a bonded worker in a pharmacy before coming to Chen
Chang-hsing's attention.
In any case, after some period of study, so great was his mastery of the
form that Chen dismissed him and Yang returned to Yung-nein to teach martial
arts. Later, one of his students Wu Yu-xiang, recommended that he go to
Beijing to propagate the art. Yang eventually established a school of Tai
Chi there, although not without some difficulties. In time he taught Tai Chi
to the Imperial court and became known as 'Yang the Unsurpassed'.
Yang Lu-chan had three sons: the first Yang Ch'i died in
early youth. His other two sons, Yang Pan-hou (1837-1892) and Yang
Chien-hou (1842-1917) both continued to study and practice Tai Chi with
their father, although perhaps not as diligently as he would have liked. One
account claims that after his death an outstanding student Chen Hsui-feng,
proclaimed himself the head of the Yang Family school and split with Yang's
son's. In time, however, the two factions were reconciled.
Yang Pan-hou apparently became a very adept practitioner of Tai
Chi, however he found few that he could work with. He had three students
Ling Shin, Wan Ch'un (or Wang Kiu-yu) and Wu Quan-yu (or
Wu Chuan-yuck). The first left no students, the second taught only Kuo
Lien-ying. The third Wu Quan-yu taught Wang Mou-chai and
Ch'i Ko-ch'en as well as his son Wu Chien-chuan. The latter,
dissatisfied with the Yang style created his own style called Wu Style
which he taught to his son Wu Kung-yi and Cheng Wing-kwong who
carried on the Wu Style. Consequently the Yang tradition died out on this
side of the family.
Yang Chien-hou also had three children. The eldest Yang Shao-
hou (1862-1928) [also known as Yang Chao-hsuing]. He had one son Yang
Chen-sheng who he taught his art to. The second son Yang Chao-yuan
died early in youth. The third son, Yang Cheng-fu (1883-1936) [also
known as Yang Ch'eng-pu and Yang Chao-ch'ing] is in large measure
responsible for the popular transmission of the Yang Family Style to many
people in the east and west.
Known as 'Yang the Invincible' he had four sons; the eldest Yang Chen-
Ming (also known as Yang Shou-chung); the second Yang Chen- chi;
the third Yang Chen-tuo; and the fourth Yang Chen- kuo. He
also had a number of outstanding students including Wu Hui-chuan,
Chang Yin-lin, Tung Ying-chih, Hu Yuen-chou and Chen
Wai-ming.
Chen Wai-ming taught Tai Chi in Shanghai in the 1930's and 40's
before the revolution. He had four senior students to whom he passed on his
innermost secrets and teachings. One of these was
Lee
Shiu-pak who after the revolution found himself in Hong Kong and began
teaching Tai Chi there. Later on he emigrated to Canada and settled in
Montreal where he established a school. His various students in Eastern
Canada have gone on to carry on his and the Yang Family tradition.
Wu Style Tai Chi Chuan
The Wu Family style of Tai Chi originates with Wu Quan-yu, a student of
both Yang Lu-chan, the founder of the Yang Style of Tai Chi, and his son,
Yang Pan-hou. He was Manchurian by race and worked as a bodyguard in the
Imperial Court in Beijing. Because of his skill in it and his renown, he did
much to popularize Tai Chi Chuan
It is said that the smaller movements and more restricted style of the Wu
Form (in comparison with the Yang Style) has its origin in the elaborate and
restrictive clothes of the Imperial Court. In order to be able to practice
combat in this apparel the movements of the original Yang Style had to be
modified somewhat.
For many years there was no differentiation between the Yang and Wu
Styles. There was close contact between the two families and, for instance
Wu Jian- quan and Yang Cheng-Fu would practice Push-hands together.
Quan-yu taught the style to a number of students, including his son Wu
Jian-quan. He, in turn passed his teaching on to his son Wu Kong-yi and
students Ma Jiang-bao and Cheng Wing-kwong from whom many of today's Wu
Style students descend.
What is Tai Chi Chuan?
It is an exercise discipline known throughout the Orient for many
centuries. The movements are based mostly on circular motion and flow at a
smooth even tempo, making for perfect balance as the weight of the body is
shifted from one side to the other. If practiced carefully it will bring
about a high level of body control. This in turn results in greatly
increased powers of mental concentration. To practice the art you need
nothing more than the floor space of an average room. Tai Chi Chuan teaches
how to conserve and increase your energy flow. For this reason it is
suitable for people of all ages. When practiced properly, one is less tired
at the end of a session than at the beginning. It is indeed a wonderful
tonic for the mind and body.
History and Origins
Master Wu Chuan Yau (1834-1902) was the founder of Wu Style Tai Chi
Chuan. He was a Manchurian member of the Imperial Guard in Beijing. He
learned Tai Chi Chuan from the founder of Yang Style, Master Yang Lu-Chan.
His area of specialization was neutralization. His eldest son, Master Wu
Chien Chuan (1870-1942) was the second master of Wu Style Tai Chi Chuan. His
influence on the development of the Wu Style was very significant. Master Wu
Chien Chuan modified the forms taught to him by his father. He utilized a
narrower circle and created many new ways to apply the form in a practical
manner.
In 1924, Master Wu Chien Chuan, along with colleagues, Xi-Yiu Seng, Yang
Shoa Hoa (Yang Shou Hou) and Yang Cheng Fu founded a famous martial arts
school. This had an important effect in the practice of Tai Chi Chuan as it
became available to the general public for the first time.
Master Wu Chien Chuan moved south to Shanghai in 1928. There he was
appointed to the Board of Directors of the Shanghai Martial Arts
Association. Subsequently, he became the supervisor of the Tai Chi Chuan
section of the famous Ching Wu Sports Association. In 1935, my great
grandfather established the first Wu's Tai Chi Chuan Academy in Shanghai.
Master Wu Kung Yi was the eldest son of the third generation. He was
instrumental in establishing Wu Style Tai Chi Chuan throughout the Orient.
In 1954, Master Wu Kung Yi responded to the controversy started by the
newspaper in Hong Kong regarding the validity of Tai Chi Chuan as a martial
art by agreeing to accept a challenge to fight another style of martial art.
He put only one restriction on the match - that the proceeds of it be
donated to charity. The contest of the two different styles of martial arts
intrigued thousands who came to view it. Wu Kung Yi was fifty-three at that
time, twenty years older than his opponent. It soon became apparent to the
committee overseeing the fight that the opponents were not mismatched and
that the contest was a serious one indeed. At the completion of the second
round, they ended the fight by voting it to be a draw. Master Wu Kung Yi had
clearly demonstrated Wu's Tai Chi Chuan as a formidable style of martial
art.
This website actually instructs you step by step in the Wu Style
Form of Thai Chi .... pretty cool!
http://www.wfdesign.com/tc/
A
Note on Translation: A proliferation of translation methods
over the last century has given rise to a number of different spellings of
the same words. Some examples are Tai Chi, Tai Chi, Tai Chi Chuan, Taiji,
etc. For the sake of consistency, on this website, unless an exact spelling
is required (as in a title, quote or organization) the apostrophes are
generally eschewed in favor of whole words.
