What is T'ai Chi Ch'uan?

T'ai Chi Ch'uan is a Chinese martial art practised slowly. The name combines the primordial principle “the Supreme Ultimate” with the word for “fist” – an emblem of an art of movement that rests on inner harmony rather than brute force. What looks like a calm sequence of movements is more than a system in which every posture has an application, every shift of weight an intention and every turn a reason.

T’ai Chi Ch’uan – Tai Chi, Taiji or Taijiquan for short – is the usual name for this internal martial art; in English it is sometimes called shadow boxing or meditation in motion. The slow, fixed sequence of movements is called the form.

It's not just about moving harmoniously. Tai Chi is a path of practice with a form, principles handed down in writing, and an inner execution that brings body, soul and mind into harmony and accord. Practised correctly, Tai Chi is able to bring a person back into accord with the immaterial plane.

A martial art that finds its strength in calm

Tai Chi is one of the so-called internal martial arts of China.

The movements are slow, coordinated, harmonious, round, flowing, gentle and connected to one another. The body remains upright and relaxed. Every movement originates from the center of the body and is not forced by external force.

The defined sequence of movements – the form – consists of individual positions and transitions. At every moment it contains applications from both attack and defence.

Wu Wei – acting without forcing

In Daoism, the Tai Chi path is often associated with the principle of Wu Wei – “acting through non-action”. This is in no way meant as passivity. Rather, the upright posture is what makes the principle possible: the mind leads, the energy follows, and the movement arises in the body without any doing.

The body learns not to work against itself. Movement increasingly arises from relaxation, alignment and inner clarity.

What regular practice means for balance, posture and inner calm is on Why Tai Chi?

The connection to Daoism

Tai Chi is deeply connected to the Daoist tradition. There are many Daoist principles; a small selection follows: the idea of Yin and Yang describes the interplay of apparent opposites: calm and movement, strength and relaxation, stability and change. Ziran stands for the spontaneous unfolding of one's own nature: organic growth, authenticity without a contrived façade, and trust in one's own inner rhythm. The Dao denotes the unnameable ground of all being: the origin of the world, the hidden order of the cosmos and the eternal process of change.

These principles do not need to be understood first. They become tangible through practising Tai Chi.

Origin and history of Tai Chi

The exact origin of Tai Chi cannot be clearly determined historically. Many stories and legends accompany its creation.

A well-known tradition tells of Zhang Sanfeng, a Taoist master from the Ming period, who is said to have been inspired by observing a fight between a snake and a bird.

However, the first confirmed traditions come from the Chen family in the 17th century. The Chen style developed from this tradition. In the 19th century, Yang Luchan founded the Yang style, which is now most widespread worldwide.

Over time, other styles emerged from the various family traditions, such as the Wu style. I myself teach only the Yang style in the lineage of Cheng Man-ch'ing and Fu Zhongwen — not the Chen style and not the Wu style.

A path that begins with the first movement

Tai Chi begins with simple movements. The path arises in repetition.

It is not a path made in haste.

If you would like to take the first step: I teach Yang style in in-person groups in Northern Hessen. The current course locations and dates are on their own page, as are the prices and the free trial class.