Taiji chuan

In most cities or towns, if you get up early, you'll see people practicing Taichi Chuan in parks, on the sidewalks and open-air areas. Even they are not belong the group of 'crunching tiger and hidden dragon'. Why it is so deeply loved and widely practiced by Chinese people? Let's find out.

 

Tai chi chuan is generally classified as a form of traditional Chinese martial arts of the Neijia (soft or internal) branch. It is considered a soft style martial art a??? an art applied with internal power a??? to distinguish its theory and application from that of the hard martial art styles.

 

Taichi meaning the great ultimate, one of the essential concepts of the ancient Chinese philosophy on the world system, first appeared in the Book of Change. Where there is Taichi, there is peace and harmony between the positive and the negative. Taichi theory holds that everything in the world is composed of two opposing but complementary aspects, Yin and Yang. The Yang is described as masculine in character, active, warm, dry, bright, procreative and positive. While Yin is the female or negative principle in nature, fertile, breeding, dark, cold, wet, secret and mysterious. This theory has been demonstrated in the famous Taichi Chart, which is known as the illustration of the motion of the world, shows symbolically the balance and coexistence of these two energies, Ying and Yang. The black in the chart stands for Yin and the white for Yang. The coexistence of the black and the white fishes in the same circle indicated that the Yin and Yang forces are present in everything.

 

Originating from the roots of classical Chinese culture, Taichi Chuan absorbed a variety of sources including the Book of Changes, Taoism and Buddhism. Taichi Chuan consists of a sequence of for involving every part of the body and executed in a highly stylized yet natural manner. You stand straight but not still. Your body is supple but not limp. Your movements are slow but steady, poised and powerful. After a period of exercising, you can train yourself to be physically as soft as an infant, as resilient as a twig in the wind, sensitive to the slightest pressure on any part of your body, and mentally alert.

 

The study of tai chi chuan primarily involves three subjects. Traditional schools cover these aspects of tai chi practice simultaneously, while many modern schools focus on a single aspect, depending on their goal in practicing the art. These subjects are:

 

Health

An unhealthy or otherwise uncomfortable person may find it difficult to meditate to a state of calmness or to use tai chi as a martial art. Tai chi's health training therefore concentrates on relieving the physical effects of stress on the body and mind. For those focused on tai chi's martial application, good physical fitness is an important step towards effective self-defense.

 

Meditation

The focus and calmness cultivated by the meditative aspect of tai chi is seen as necessary in maintaining optimum health (in the sense of relieving stress and maintaining homeostasis) and in application of the form as a soft style martial art.

 

Martial art

The ability to use tai chi as a form of self-defense in combat is said to be the most effective proof of a student's understanding of the art's principles. The study of tai chi chuan martially is the study of appropriate change in response to outside forces; the study of yielding and blending with outside force rather than attempting to meet it with opposing force.

 

There are many different styles or families of Tai Chi Chuan. The five which are practiced most commonly today are the Yang, Chen, Wu , Sun, and Woo styles. All Tai Chi styles, however, are derived from the original Chen family style. Initially, Tai Chi was practiced as a fighting form, emphasizing strength, balance, flexibility, and speed. Through time it has evolved into a soft, slow, and gentle form of exercise which can be practiced by people of all ages.