Tai Chi Chuan, Wellness and Chinese Medicine Theory

By Philip A Simpson, L.Ac,.M,Sc.

The practice of Chinese Martial Arts, including the different styles of Tai Chi Chuan and their underlying theories

 has a long history in the Chinese culture. The approximately two thousand different styles and sub-styles of martial

arts that exist today on the Chinese mainland came from the need for the people to protect themselves from wild animals,

as well as from robbers, invading armies and other people who wanted to take food, material wealth or other available

resources. Because of regional and territorial rivalries and the lack of a cohesive police force or standing army to protect

them, the development of fighting skills became necessary for the people’s survival and security.

The various styles of Tai Chi Chuan developed within the last three hundred or so years, which is quite recent in the

Chinese Culture, but all the styles have their roots in martial techniques which have been practiced and proven for millennia.

Another source for the concepts and structure of the Tai Chi Chuan forms that exist today is the theory and practice of

 Chinese medicine. Hua Tuo, who was a famous Chinese physician and surgeon in ancient times, is credited with the

development of a set of exercised calls “Five Animal Play”. This group of exercises mimics the movements of animals

and was thought to increase the health and longevity of its practitioners. Although there is no accurate historical record

 that has survived, it is commonly believed that these exercises have had a direct influence on the Tai Chi Forms that

are practiced in modern times.

There are four main styles of Tai Chi Chuan which are commonly practiced in the world today. These forms are from the

Chen family, the Yang family, the Wu family and the Sun family. There also exist other, lesser-known family styles of

Tai Chi, such as the Wu-Hao style.

The basic premise of all of the Tai Chi forms involves the cultivation of internal power or energy, as well as balance, posture

 and poise. There various styles of Tai Chi usually have some type of a warm-up set specific to that style, a set form or set

of movements done in a specific sequence, and possible a set of closing exercise associated with that form. The major

Tai Chi styles are usually practiced at three different heights of levels of stances taken by the practitioner; low, medium

and high. Low stances are most often adopted by expert practitioners and those studying the art with a martial intent. The

medium and high levels of stance-work are usually adopted by the beginning students and those practitioners who are

middle-aged or older.

The Tai Chi form usually begins with a shoulder-width stance and some sort of deep-breathing exercise. From that point,

the techniques are practiced in a pattern and sequence that is specific to a particular style of Tai Chi. The techniques or

movements that are common to the major styles of Tai Chi include punches, strikes, kicks and throws. In the practice of

Tai Chi movements are generally done in a very slow and continuous manner. The techniques are executed in a particular

order, to form one long form or kata. While other martial arts may have twelve forms, a complete Tai Chi curriculum might

have only four or five forms, including a slow set, a fast or power set and one or two sword sets. By learning the basics of

 a Tai Chi form well, and practicing it frequently, practitioners can learn to lower their stress level and increase their ability

to relax, because the form serves as a type of moving meditation. At the more advanced levels of practice the martial

applications of the Tai Chi Form and its applications become second nature to the practitioner, as well as the ability to use

 these techniques under the pressure of a fighting situation. Generally speaking, students in the U.S. are not taught the

 fighting applications as often as their Asian Counterparts. Unfortunately, this has led to a commonly held belief in the U.S.

 that Tai Chi is not a “true” martial art.

Clearly, the way in which the form is leaned and the depth of knowledge and level of understanding of the practitioner have

 much to do with it’s applicability Chen Fa-ke, a member of the Chen style of Tai Chi in the nineteenth century, was asked

 by a student which style of martial art was the “best”. He told the student that all the existing styles were good, because

 the styles that weren’t so god were no longer in existence.

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