Tai Chi Chuan (Taijiquan)
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Tai Chi
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Tai Chi Chuan (which means "Grand Ultimate Fist") is usually considered a "soft" style of martial arts. For the most part, its movements are performed slowly and deliberately while the practitioner remains relaxed. Within Tai Chi, there are a number of different substyles, of which we teach Yang and Chen. Yang is the most well-known style and is characterized by gentle, flowing movements. Chen, on the other hand, combines these slower movements with sudden bursts of power.
According to legend, Tai Chi Chuan was developed over 700 years ago by a Taoist monk named Chang San Feng (Zhang Sanfeng). He witnessed a fight between a crane and a snake and saw that the snake was dodging the crane's fast linear attacks with slower circular motions. From this idea of circularity, he developed the style of Tai Chi at the Taoist temple at Wudan Mountain.
Little is known for certain about the history of Tai Chi before the 17th century, but during that century Chen Wang Ting (1600-1680), a ninth generation ancestor of the Chen family, was practicing the art at Chen Jia Gou (the Chen family village). There are those who claim that this is the origin of Tai Chi. It is not known where Chen Wang Ting learned his martial skills (though there are legends). In any case, there is no doubt that he made significant contributions to the art.
In the 19th century, Yang Lu Chan (1799-1872) learned Tai Chi in the Chen village and developed it into his own style, called Yang style. Eventually, Yang Lu Chan was hired to teach his style to the imperial family and their elite guards. This was the beginning of the spread of the art to its current status as one of the most famous martial arts styles in the world.
Our curriculum contains Yang 24, 64, straight sword, and broad sword katas, as well as a broad sword two man set. Also present is Chen 83 and iron fan. The Yin Dagger kata from the White Eyebrow system is related, combining elements of Chen Tai Chi and Pa Kua.
