Today, inside and outside China, there are many people teaching Taijiquan and there are millions of people who practice it daily. If asked, however, why Taijiquan is called Taijiquan, many of these people could not come up with a proper explanation. Some might answer that it is because of its slow movements; although it is true that slowness is one of the characteristics of Taijiquan, Taijiquan is not called Taijiquan simply because of the slowness of its movements.
Why do I raise this question? Because Taijiquan is a treasure of Chinese culture, a gem of traditional martial arts. Today it is also a health-maintenance exercise practiced world-wide. One can think of it as an art a person is involved with daily for one's whole life. It is necessary to find out why it is called Taijiquan, and whether what one is practicing is the real Taijiquan or not? Is this important?
Generally, the names of things are clues to the true nature of the things themselves. If the name is not correctly explained and does not have a clear definition, it is difficult to come to a true understanding of what the named actually is. The issues that we are discussing would be confusing and not easy to clarify if we skip over the meaning of Taijiquan's name, since the purpose of having a name is to help us gain an understanding of the true nature of what the thing is. Otherwise, for example, people might mistake glass for diamonds. Since this art is called Taijiquan, we obviously need to find out what Taiji is and the relationship between Taiji and Taijiquan.
First of all, "fist" in Chinese is called Quan, and it means a kind of martial arts, such as Taijiquan, Shaolin Quan, Tiger or Dragon Quan, White Crane Quan, etc. The origin of the word Taiji lies in Daoist culture. Taiji is based on the idea that "Taiji came from Wuji". Wu means "none", Ji means "extremity". Wuji literally means "no extremities," or "no limitations". In Daoist thought Wuji describes the state of the original Chaos. This Wuji Chaos represents a state of hazy vastness with no limitations of space or time; it is a dim state where neither Yin nor Yang is clarified. Our present Universe or Cosmos came out of this Wuji Chaos. Compared with the Chaos our Cosmos has certain limitations of space and time, even though from our human point of view it seems that the Cosmos is nearly infinite in space and time. In the Cosmos, the "myriad of things" are divided into Yin and Yang, negative and positive, day and night, male and female, etc. Taiji, the beginning state of the Cosmos, the time when Yin and Yang began to separate; that is the real meaning of Taiji. In Chinese Tai means "greatest," Ji means extremity. Taiji means the "greatest extreme" in both space and time. Because it is very large, it still has adjectives to describe it, and therefore has limitations. Whereas Wuji has no extremes, or no limitations, and neither space nor time can be described; therefore it is called Chaos.
Taiji in Western philosophical terms corresponds to cosmology. In the Wuji-Chaos state, owing to the influence of some intelligent force, there was a big explosion that formed the Cosmos and all the celestial bodies. Scientists today refer to this grand event as the Big Bang. This phenomenon that scientists of today discovered corresponds to the ancient Daoist saying, "Taiji came from Wuji" When we say it was an "intelligent force" which caused the big explosion that produced all the celestial bodies in the Cosmos, readers might wonder why I use this phrase. I do so based on the observation that the original explosion resulted in specific orbiting movements of the celestial bodies that were created. As examples: the moon orbits the earth; the earth orbits the sun, and all of the planets in our solar system move in an orderly, even, and steady manner around the sun. We can propose, therefore, that this phenomenon has not occurred due to chance. As a point of reference, look what happens today when a building undergoes controlled demolition. Of course, the workings of the Cosmos are more complex and advanced then the ones in this kind of demolition; this is one reason that I posit the existence of an intelligent force.
However, we are not discussing astrophysics in this article. Rather we are talking about a physical exercise that is based on the movements of the celestial bodies and the relationship between these movements and the term Taijiquan and its meaning.
Taijiquan is a product of the ancient Chinese sages and their observations of the steady, continuous, and circular motions of the celestial bodies. It was created as an exercise to benefit one's health as well as to be an art of self-defense. As a martial art it is sophisticated in its philosophy, physiology, and dynamic combat aspects. The movements in this kind of martial art must be similar to the regular rotational movements of the sun, moon, and earth: circle after circle, soft and continuous, without stops or abrupt changes, with Yin becoming Yang and Yang becoming Yin in a continuous process of interchanging. When one part moves, none of the other parts stop. Since it mimics the regular and cyclical movements of the celestial bodies it is compatible with the concept that our human body is a microcosm of the Cosmos; as the exercise coordinates these movements of the Cosmos, it is therefore called Taijiquan.
Referring to the practice of Taijiquan, at first we stand still in a nonmoving state, getting ready to begin; this is called the Wuji Posture or Wuji Stances. Then we begin to move, and at once we start to move with slow cyclical nonstop motion, right and left, up and down, forward and backward. Our hands, legs, body begin to divide into Yin and Yang, and therefore this is called practicing or playing Taiji.
From the above, we can sum up with the following specifications and conclude that if a martial art is named Taijiquan it should abide by them: 1. The exercise as a whole must consist of circular movements. 2. These circular movements must resemble those of the sun, moon, and earth: slow, relaxed, continuous, in a circular fashion without any stopping or chopping (except at the beginning and the end and also the "crosshands" posture used as connections between parts.) 3. These circular movements must consist of circle after circle, circles that connect circles, with top and bottom parts moving together, following each other; when one part moves no other part stops; all parts move in a coordinated way as a whole. 4. Within these circular movements the Yin and Yang components must carry on an unhalting interchange. Yin softly turns into Yang and then Yang softly turns into Yin without any abrupt changes , as depicted in the Taiji diagram. 5. These circular movements must take Lao Tzu's (Lao Zi) maxims as a guiding philosophy: "Concentrate the mind and breathe softly like a child... With extreme softness gallop freely in the extreme hardness of the world." The exercise must contain extreme softness like that of a child. The softer one is, the more abundant one's life force; therefore the movements must not show the least bit of hardness. The main purpose of Taijiquan practice is for gaining rejuvenation and good health.
What follows is the history of Taijiquan that has been orally transmitted from generation to generation. Taijiquan originated with the Daosit priest Zhang Sanfeng in Wudang Mountain. From him went to Wang Zhongyue, who passed it on to Jiang Fa. Jiang Fa passed it on to Chen Changxin in the Chen Village. Then Chen Changxin passed it to Yang Luchan. Chen Changxin wrote in his autobiography of how he got his skill from his Sifu, Jiang Fa. In this autobiography he narrated the history of Taijiquan as described above. He said that he did not derive his skills from his family, which they claim. (Jiang Fa was buried in the Chen Village burial grounds disgracefully, without a formal tomb.) There was a different martial-arts routine that came from Chen Pu, first generation of his family, named Hong Quan . Hong Quan is an external martial art. As an external martial art the routine often displays hardness.
The real Taijiquan is an internal martial art, the routine never showing any hardnessbut only soft circling, and it belongs to the Wudang orthodox school. In China, Shaolin and Wudang are the two most famous martial-arts schools. People wonder how Taijiquan can prohibit showing any hardness and still be an effective martial art, and also why so few people who practice Taijiquan have any real Kung Fu. To answer these questions we must first understand that Taijiquan is a rare gem of the traditional Chinese martial arts, and there are some secrets behind it. The art has nearly been lost, and truly to grasp it one must study with a real successor (and not every successor has real Kung Fu) of the Wudang orthodox school. Then one can get to know what real Taijiquan is and why it is an internal martial art of high skill. One will then understand the saying in the Taijiquan Classics, "From extreme softness one can then attain extreme hardness."
Zhang Sanfeng was a remarkable Daoist immortal who was reborn in his coffin during his own funeral ceremony. Hearing loud noises coming from the coffin, his disciples opened it to discover him alive. When the emperor of the time heard this story he sent people to investigate. After this, the Wudang mountains and school became famous, and the emperor sent 300,000 laborers to rebuild the Wudang Daoist temple and also sent monks to worship Zhang Sanfeng for the next ten years. All of this, including the story of Zhang's rebirth, has been formally recorded in the official history of the Ming Dynasty
The Taijiquan Classics contain all the important theories of Taijiquan, which nobody had ever stated before. At the end of the Classics it says, "This treatise was left by the grand-ancestor Sifu Zhang Sanfeng, the purpose of which is to let all the heroes of the world gain rejuvenation and longevity, and not just for the trifling purpose of fighting skill." In the middle of the Qing Dynasty, Yang Luchan mastered Taijiquan Kung Fu and then went to Beijing where he defeated all challengers and became widely known as "Invincible Yang." Thereafter, Luchan and his son and grandson and their excellent martial-arts skills madeTaijiquan famous in China and subsequently the rest of the world.
After one has digested and understood the above information, we can say the following: If movements lack continuity and circularity, they are not similar to the motion of celestial bodies and therefor the exercise is not real Taijiquan and should not be called Taijiquan. Zhang Sanfeng said in the Taijiquan Classics, "There should be no deficiency, no excess and no hollows, no pauses or sudden chopping." This indicates that in Taijiquan's soft circular movements there should not be any movement that is not circular, nor should movements be sometimes fast and sometimes slow. This also indicates that the circular movements should not have any stops. Since alternating slow and fast movements would mean discontinuity and unevenness, this kind of motion would obviously be different from the smooth, even, and circular orbiting of the sun, moon, and earth. Therefore, when one quickly launches a punch or other strike or loudly stomps on the ground, this would cause the routine's circular movements to be other than smooth and even, and the Taijiquan practitioner would not be following the above Taijiquan principles. One should make corrections promptly. If, however, any of these phenomena-quick punches, loud stomping, sometimes fast, sometimes slow movements, sudden chopping or abrupt halting - are not the results of practitioners' mistakes but have been choreographed into the routine, then it is definitely not true Taijiquan. It is not consistent with the Taijiquan principles of having "no deficiency, no excess and hollows, no pauses or sudden chopping." If one part moves and all other parts do not follow and do not move together harmoniously as a whole- for example, if the top moves and the bottom does not follow, as when the upper part launches a punch but the leg and waist do not move in coordination with the punch - then this is not following the Taijiquan principle of when one part moves, all parts must move in coordination. If this occurs to a Taijiquan practitioner, he or she should make corrections immediately. However, again, if this kind of movement is a fixed part of the routine, then this routine is not real Taijiquan it should not be called Taijiquan. This is also true for when the movements are not circular and continuos, circle after circle, one circle connecting with another. If the movements are not continuos, with the Yin component changing into the Yang component and the Yang component changing into the Yin component, and with substantial and insubstantial not differentiated, then these movements are not following Taijiquan principles. For example, in the Taijiquan movement of "Wave hands like clouds," the correct method to practice is with the lower body in a "riding-horse stance" and with the hands moving continuously in a circular motion from right to left and from left to right. At the same time, the legs and feet move synchronously and alternatively, relaxed, with the body weight continuously coordinated with the hands' soft circular motion. This is upper and lower parts mutually coordinating, Yin and Yang, substantial and insubstantial, interchanging non-stop; when one part moves no other parts stop. That is real Taijiquan.
For example, if one is practicing a Taijiquan movement with the "riding-horse stance" and does not constantly shift body weight from one side to the other but fixedly sits with the weight in the middle in a "dead riding stance" with the body weight equally supported by both feet while the hands are very active on the top, then only the upper part is moving while the lower part is not. This is obviously counter to the principles of Taijiquan. The reasons are as follows: The feet are not differentiated as to Yin and Yang, substantial and insubstantial components. Rather, both feet are supporting the body's weight equally. That is double weighting or "double substantial." When the feet are not differentiated into substantial and insubstantial components, one is not following the Taijiquan principle of distinguishing between Yin and Yang. When the practitioner is in a fixed "riding-horse stance" and the body's weight is on the two feet and fixed equally, and when the lower body does not move according to the movements involving the upper body, this is not following the Taijiquan principle of when one part moves, all parts move together. In the Taijiquan Classics it says, "It is rooted in the feet, controlled by the waist, and manifested in the hands. Beginning from the feet, through the legs, waist, and hands -- all should be one unit." When the body's weight is fixedly supported by the two feet equally, there is no connection between the weight in the feet and the weight in the hands. This is in complete discord with this unity principle of Taijiquan. If a routine has any of these phenomena -- double-weighting, top and bottom not coordinated, only one part moving while the other parts are not moving -- then obviously this kind of routine is not real Taijiquan and should not be called Taijiquan. In a routine if there is a sudden vigorous movement, like launching an explosive strike to show hardness and strength, this action will break the smooth, even, and circular Taijiquan movement. It is also completely opposite to Lao Tzu's philosophy of "soft like a child," and "from extreme softness." If a routine has this kind of movement displaying strength and hardness, obviously it violates these principles. Of course this is not real Taijiquan and should not be called Taijiquan.
The last and most important point has to do with the breathing. As stated before, Taijiquan is the crystallization of the observations of ancient Chinese Daoists regarding the connection between the natural workings of the human bodies and of celestial bodies. In order to make this clear, we need to spend a little more time explaining this concept. Ancient practitioners of Daoism understood that removing oneself from an environment to one without any external interferences in order to practice and meditate yielded great benefits to the body. They also understood that in sitting meditation it is better to breath in a way that is deep, tranquil, slow, and soft. Therefore, Lao Tzu, in his Dao De Jing ( Tao Te Ching ), said, "Can we concentrate the mind to breath softly like a child?" Over the years, practitioners realized it is better to do some physical movement after long hours of sitting meditation to prevent the body's Qi from stagnating. This is what people often refer to as "Dynamic and static training." How to practice this "dynamic" or physical movement? Ancient Daoist practitioners learned the secrets of longevity by studying how the world around them was naturally regulated. They found the best methods resulting from their observations of the celestial bodies, including the cyclical movements of the sun and move. Therefore, there were many Daoists writings that recommended using this information. For example, one of the eight immortals, Lu Dong Bing, in his famous " Hundred sentences poetic article," said, "Observe the grand Dao of heaven {regulation of the universe, cycles of the sun and moon} and follow the operation of heaven." (Dao in Chinese means " the way" or " the road, " and it refers here to natural regulation or law.
Anciesnt Daoist practitioners discovered that the phenomenon of the crescent moon sometimes pointing up and sometimes pointing down is an example of the slow and even movement of Yin and Yang components interchanging. They manipulated their own bodies to imitate this kind of movement; They also found that the slow and even circular movements were better coordinated by using the deep, tranquil, and lengthy breathing commonly associated with sitting meditation (some Daoist practitioners even adapted the phases of the moon to sitting meditation techniques). So, too, early Taijiquan philosophy influenced practitioners to coordinate their breathing with the movements.- The method of coordinating breathing rhythms with Taijiquan movements is not practiced by many people today, as it is difficult to practice properly without making mistakes. Without correctional transmission it can cause practitioners harm and lead to negative results. At the beginning of Taijiquan Classics it states, " Once one starts to move, the whole body must be nimble. The breath should surge dynamically and the mind should be concentrated in the interior." This refers to the breathing rhythms being coordinated with the movements.
An alternative method is to not pay attention to the breathing. The emphasis is on smooth, even, circular movements with the mouth held as if closed and also as if not closed. Eventually the breathing will then become slow, even, and tranquil and by itself will naturally become coordinated with the movements. This method is coordinated with the movements. This method is beneficial to health with no negative result to the practitioner and is, therefore, the most common technique employed by people practicing Taijiquan today. It is not recommended, however, to have any strong, powerful, and abrupt stopping or chopping in the routine to interfere with the tranquility of the slow relaxed breathing, or any other kind of sudden movement that doesn't harmonize with the unified, relaxed, circular motions. If one practices Taijiquan regularly in this way, it will provide plenty of health benefits to the practitioner. One notable result is sweating; during Taijiquan practice sweating occurs without raising the heart rate and causing exhaustion. If one incorporates these Taijiquan principles correctly - when one part moves no other part stops, the whole body moves harmoniously, the breathing is slow and even - this will cause the blood to circulate smoothly to all corners of the body, bringing tremendous benefits to our physiological systems.
After one has digested the above information, one will understand that when practicing Taijiquan, if the upper portion of the body moves without the lower portion in synchronization, or if one throws sudden punches, then all of these movements not only violate the principles of when one part moves no other part stops the upper and lower parts must always move in a coordinated way but these movements also violate the principle of breathing "softly like a child." When one throws a quick punch one must inhibit the breath in order to punch. This movement obviously violates the breathing principle of "concentrating the mind to breathe softly like a child." Also, movements that are sometimes slow and sometimes fast will cause the inner breath to be uneven and not smooth, relaxing and tightening alternately. This inhibits and restricts smooth breathing and violates Lao Tzu's philosophy of "concentrate the mind to breathe softly like a child." All Chinese martial-arts practitioners understand the significance of breathing. It is said among the Chinese martial-arts community, "externally, practice to train the tendons, bones, and skin; internally, practice to train the breath." If one understands that Lao Tzu's philosophy of "concentrate the mind to breathe softly like a child" is the tenant behind Taijiquan's breathing principles, then one will have an easier time understanding the true Taijiquan founded by Zhang Sanfeng and differentiating it form other practices that create irregular breathing rhythms. If any routine contains any of the above irregular movements, it is not real Taijiquan and not part of the orthodox Wudang school.
After we understand all of the principles involving Taijiquan as discussed above, we should be able to tell what is and what is not real Taijiquan. Next, I would like to discuss two more issues relating to this topic. 1. Push-hands Exercise. There are people who believe that push-hands exercise exists solely in Taijiquan. This is not true and sometimes misleading. One can observe push-hands training among many other Chinese martial-arts systems. Push-hands is a true martial-arts training method for developing martial skill. it is not a decisive factor in determining whether the martial-art is Taijiquan or not. Therefore, today we see many participants in push-hands tournaments compete without any real understanding of Taijiquan. 2. Kung Fu and skill. There are people who might ask how one can practice Taijiquan according to incorrect principles and yet still develop some Kung Fu skills. Of course, if one invests the time, one should expect some results. However, We are on the topic of what real Taijiquan is and not on the topic of how one can gain Kung Fu skill by training in any martial-art. If one spends time practicing Taijiquan that is not real Taijiquan, then the Kung Fu skill one attains might not be Taijiquan Kung Fu skill. Actually, experienced Taijiquan practitioners undertsand that the power and skill that result from Taijiquan are different from those resulting from external martial-arts. The emphasis of this article is on how to differentiate what is Taijiquan from what isn't; therefore, further discussion on the topic of why Taijiquan is called internal martial-art, and the difference is between internal and external martial-arts, needs to be dealt with in a separate article.
In summary, after one has trained the body to perform slow, soft, and circular movements modeled after those of the sun, moon, earth, and other celestial bodies, with the guiding principles of circle after circle, circling connecting circling, cycling movements that are continuous, without excess, deficiency, or hollows, and without any abrupt stopping or sudden chopping, then the upper and lower parts of the body should follow each other and also, within the movement, substantial and insubstantial should be differentiated with Yin and Yang constantly interchanging. When one part moves no pother part stops and all parts move in a coordinated way, harmoniously as a whole. At the same time, the breathing must follow the principles of being even, soft, deep, tranquil, and long. When one fully understands the above principles then one can easily judge what the real Taijiquan is. Strictly speaking, not any style of martial-arts should freely name itself Taijiquan and one should not simply trust it by it's name alone - or else glass might be confused with diamonds.