Taijiquan - The Genuine Article

(Note: Taijiquan is the Pinyin version of T'ai Chi Ch'uan, which is the Wade-Gilles' version. Pinyin has generally become the preferred method in recent years.)

Having studied, for almost two decades, the original style of Taijiquan, from the actual lineage that can be traced to the first generation creator of the skill, as well as having trained at the very birthplace (Chenjiagou in Wen County, Henan) where the art still flourishes today, it is true and fair to say that the majority of Taijiquan practiced throughout the world today could not be more different. It is almost barely recognizable, as night is from day: at best a diluted version, a pale imitation, and in worst cases an abomination and disgrace. In Chenjiagou, truthfully, there are many children demonstrating greater proficiency in movement, principle, and expression of energy than most of the people I have seen teaching in the West!

I say this as no disrespect to the millions of practitioners in the world that enjoy the health benefits, but to set the record straight, as it pains me how the general public shares a mass misconception of my art. The very mention of Taijiquan provokes reactions from dismissive looks to outright derisive imitations. Original Taiijiquan is actually closer to Shaolin temple gongfu than the slow 'gentle' exercise adopted by senior citizens or the 'moving meditation' embraced by New Agers either performing distorted furtive movements, or else moving lifelessly with the perfunctory 'dead behind the eyes' expression. In China, all ages practice Taijiquan, but in Chenjiagou and Wenxian (the neighboring town) the majority of students attending Taijiquan schools I have seen range from the teens to thirties, and they all train very hard.

While it is indeed a very healthy method of training it is nonetheless one of China's major branches of martial art! It is the internal training (or Qigong - regulated breathing, posture, and relaxation) that bestows health, and it this aspect that has been the one of focus, but true Taijiquan also features explosive punching and kicking, jumping, stamping, sweeping changes in tempo, and low stances.

To fully understand how the image of Taijiquan has degenerated we need to look at the origins, and what has happened since its inception.

Legend has it that Taijiquan was created thousands of years ago by a wandering Daoist monk, named Chang San-Feng, after he witnessed a fight between a snake and crane, or that the movements appeared to him in a dream. However, in the 1930s a martial artist and historian, named Tang Hao, after thorough research, concluded that it was actually created around 400 years ago by Ming dynasty military general Chen Wangting (9th generation Chen family). As chief of the civil troops and a master martial artist he was recorded as having defeated over a thousand bandits. In his retirement he created Taijiquan by combining combat skills from sixteen schools of martial art (including Shaolin), as well as special techniques from respected martial artists at the time, along with internal training (Qigong) for health.

This skill is based upon Daoist Yin/Yang theory of complimentary opposites (hard and soft, fast and slow, firm and yielding, solid and empty, opening and closing etc.). Taiji, being the principle, the mother of Yin and Yang, shows the duality of nature, and explains how everything exists only in relation to its opposite and follows cyclic change. Quan means 'Fist' or 'Boxing' so Taijiquan literally means 'Yin/Yang Boxing' or 'Taiji Fist'. It is for the very reason alone that most Taijiquan we see is all Yin - slow, soft, and gentle, with no duality, no changing, that it should be called something other than 'Taijiquan'. If it is not trained as martial art it should not be rightly called 'Quan'. 'Taiji Qigong' would be more appropriate - energy skill based on Taiji principles.

Traditionally the Chen clan were farmers (still to this day) and bodyguards who provided security transporting valuables across bandit country. They were highly respected for their pugilistic skills. The 14th generation patriarch, Chen Changxing, was the first to teach an 'outsider', Yang Luchan, and accepted him as a disciple. Yang eventually left Chen village, and traveled to Beijing where he became known as 'Yang The Invincible'. There he created his own version, a simpler and softer style, easier to learn and practice. Out went the explosive energies, the deeper postures, and the coiling, spiraling energy essential to Chen Style. This was the birth of Yang Taijiquan, and those exposed to it would have been unaware of Chen Taijiquan at the time as it remained in Chen village, still a closely-guarded secret. When the 17th generation patriarch, Master Chen Fake, arrived in Beijing during the 1920's and demonstrated his skill people did not recognize it as Taijiquan, even though this was the original version!

With the arrival of firearms, Taijiquan's role on the battlefield was rendered somewhat obsolete prompting many masters to conclude that its future lay in health and fitness promotion. Soon, other styles emerged, including Sun and Wu, based either directly or indirectly on the Chen style, and slowly Taijiquan (albeit the other versions) spread across the globe and has continued to grow increasingly popular, with remarkable success as a curative for many illnesses.
While there is nothing wrong with any of these styles, as long as they follow Taiji principles, the main problem with Taijiquan in general is that people are continually looking for ways to make it easier to practice, and the greater majority of Western practitioners actually train hard, with sweat and pain. All we tend to see today is 'Lazy Taiji' or 'Taiji Light'. In every instance that I have come across a group practicing Taiji in a park there is a lot more standing about chatting than actual practice. Many practitioners even refer to themselves as 'players', as if it is all a bit light-hearted. Alarmingly, a great many teachers today do so without qualification or permission, and on the other side of the same coin most prospective students are really not that discerning. Some of those teaching have only studied from a book and little old ladies teaching their church groups etc. are simply not teaching proper skill. I am not even talking about martial art skill here as much as a clear understanding of Chinese movement - upright, solid, and flowing with grace and strength, and 'spirit'.

Thankfully, the Taijiquan that remained with Chenjiagou for generations is now out and gaining more attention and popularity as more people are keen to discover the source. Many foreign students throughout the world travel to Chenjiagou to study for weeks or months, and return. This is a nice way to study - to be fully immersed in it, training with a coach several times a day - but it is not altogether necessary. That said, it is still important to find the right linage and to be aware that there are still many unqualified people out there even teaching Chen Taijiquan, and without proper permission or teachers themselves.

Chen Taijiquan is a complete martial art system unlike others that feature one long form (with maybe one sword form). Chen features two short forms in addition to two long empty-hand forms - one more internal and slower for health and strength, with the second much faster, external and combat-oriented. It also includes several weapon forms such as double-edged straight sword, broadsword, double weapons, spear, staff, and halberd, to name a few. Push-hands is trained to develop the martial skill, and includes sweeps, trips, throws and jointlocking.

Unique to Chen is Silk-Reeling energy, so called as it resembles the action of the silk worm as it spins its thread. This coiling spiral energy links every posture into one continuous flowing form ('like a great river') and emanates from the Dantian (the center - the lower abdomen, from navel to the small of the back), spirals out to the limbs and extremities and returns. Each hand following the waist is twining inwards as the other twines outwards. It is a very dynamic and engaging activity involving the whole body. Practicing Chen Taijiquan produces a feeling unlike any other method I have trained, and it is quite addictive.

Also unique to Chen Taijiquan is the expression of the powerful explosive power called 'fajing'. This issuing energy, the motivational force behind punches, kicks and elbow and shoulder strikes is generated with the force of a tidal wave that crashes and then disperses.

Chen tends to feature much lower postures than others so the Chen student's legs become very big and strong. This trains the bone energy which is the foundation for a healthy body. Training in this manner forges a strong root connection to the ground, so it is not easy to lose balance, especially when pushed, even by much larger opponents.

There is no "holding a ball" posture in Chen Taijiquan, unlike the other styles. I cannot understand how this came to be, other than perhaps in helping the student understand the feeling of 'roundness' that should be achieved. Actually, the whole body is like a ball because of the Dantian, within the body, not outside of it.
If the integrity of the Dantian is maintained and it moves spherically, as it should, then the whole body connected becomes an extension of the Dantian and 'holding a ball" with the arms becomes redundant.

In China, Taijiquan has proven successful as curative for numerous illnesses including chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, tuberculosis, arthritis, ulcers and diabetes, to name a few. In the West studies have shown Taijiquan improves balance and helps with rehabilitation after stroke.

There are several reasons for why Taijiquan is so effective as a health exercise. First, the principle when practicing is to adopt "a serene heart with a concentrated mind". We all know the proven fact that stress is the number one killer and stress lowers the immune system. Training in this relaxed manner causes us to forget our worries and troubles, and our nervous systems come to a state of rest and balance. During practice we cultivate this state of health and vitality, and our sense of well-being and inner peace continues for hours afterwards. So practicing everyday (twice optimally) maintains the health of body, heart and mind, warding off stress-related illnesses. It is estimated that between 40% to 80% of all doctors visits are stress-related. (Master Michael Tse pictured right)

Taijiquan works for health as it is founded on Qigong principles. Relaxation of the whole body, with deep natural breathing, with smooth spiral and circular movements results in opening the acupuncture channels, which is harmonious for the internal body, and improves the function of the digestive and lymphatic systems, and improves the skeleton, bones and muscles.
One major factor contributing to Taijiquan's reputation as a supremely healthy exercise is the fact that millions practice outdoors in amongst fresh air. Air equals Qi, which is necessary for health and well-being This is often overlooked and neglected. Practicing every day indoors with artificial lighting, in air-conditioned rooms (artificial environment) would offer little in the way of health.

Back in 2006 when I visited Chenjiagou for weapons training with my Sigong, Grandmaster Chen Xiaowang, during some 'down-time' my Sifu, Master Michael Tse, turned to me and said, "Only in the cities do people discuss health". I smiled and knew immediately what he meant. In the West people, including the fitness gurus, can be neurotic about health, diet and exercise, alternating and changing these things like fads, desperate not to become ill. Over there in Chenjiagou no-one probably even thinks about it; they just are. The villagers live close to nature (Dao), tending to the fields, training Taijiquan, and spending leisure time talking or playing with friends and family. They all have healthy ruddy complexions, and they all appear robust and vital, Even the senior citizens struck me, as they were unlike most seniors in the West I have encountered: their postures were straight, their faces were youthful and their eyes were extremely bright and alert. So, to really attain the health benefits of Taiji you must live it.

Studying Chen Taijiquan is like studying a university degree. You can learn a few short forms, like taking a few semesters, and that may be sufficient for you, or you can study for many years to learn the entire syllabus. And, in reality, even that is just scratching the surface. I have been studying Taijiquan for a long time and the deeper I go with it the more I realize how much more there is to it know. There is no end to the wonder. You only keep getting better and better and understanding it more clearly. But of course, it is all dependent on what you are prepared to put in to it.

Developing good skill takes time. There is a Chinese saying with Taiji, "Three years small improvement, six years moderate improvement, nine years big improvement". Unfortunately, the Western mentality is to want everything and immediately. The tendency is to want to reach the destination rather than enjoying the journey getting there. Actually, with Taijiquan there really is no end. And there is no way to rush the process.

Many students do not realize or appreciate this and so once they have acquired some basic skill, and mistakenly think that they know it, they leave the class and feel they have no need of the teacher anymore. This is exactly when they need the teacher most, as the teacher is needed to get to the next level. I would estimate that somewhere between 70% to as high as 90% of teachers today fall into this category. A small number only are qualified or granted permission from their teachers to teach. Most think they are good enough and have no-one to tell them otherwise. We all need someone above us to keep us in check. They willingly (foolishly) cut themselves off from the source, which accounts in no small part as to why the general standard of Taijiquan today is so poor. It is because of this aspect of human nature that the skill was only taught to family members for so many generations, as they could be trusted to respect the skill and their teacher. Actually, this is the same for all the traditional Chinese martial art and Qigong skills as, sadly, not that many people can really be trusted with these skills. It is the ones who prove themselves to be good and loyal students that eventually become good masters.
Some people believe that the more teachers they study with the better they will be, but the more respectful and loyal a student proves to be the more the teacher is willing to invest his time and energy bringing him or her up. So, it is all about relationship. The highest level teachers I have encountered (or read about) had only one (maybe two) teachers in any given skill in their entire lifetime. My Sifu, Master Michael Tse only studies Taijiquan from one teacher, Grandmaster Chen Xiaowang (inarguably one of the most prominent masters in the world), who in turn, learned only from his two uncles (Zhaokui and Zhaopi) after his father (Zhaoxu) passed on. Having too many teachers only leads to confusion.
I would also just add that a number of teachers claim to have studied with a renowned and respected teacher (and quite possibly they have) but here is the real criteria - does the renowned and respected teacher claim that person as his student?

If you are seriously considering studying this amazing skill then I strongly urge you to find a qualified traditional teacher with some recognized lineage. Travel far and wide and pay what you must if this is what is needed. Picking merely the closest or the cheapest could cost you dearly in the long run if they have incorrect understanding and no integrity. As the saying goes, "A journey that begins out by a hair's breadth can end up out by a thousand miles!"

I teach in New York and New Jersey, USA and my web site is www.dayanqigong.com

I invite you to view a short clip of my Taijiquan.
Cut and paste the link below in your browser.

http://gallery.mac.com/adam.wallace#100081

I hope you enjoy this clip and enjoyed reading this article, and can appreciate authentic skill. Wishing you joy in practice!