The Origin and Genre of Tai Ji Chuan

Tai Ji Chuan originated in the Ming Dynasty. After a long period of spreading, Tai Ji Chuan has formed five schools, namely, Tai Ji Chuan of Chen style, Tai Ji Chuan of Yang style, Tai Ji Chuan of Sun style, Tai Ji Chuan of Wu style and Tai Ji Chuan of Wu style, which is called "Tai Ji Chuan of Five Styles".

Tai Ji Chuan originated from the comprehensive absorption of various boxing methods in Ming Dynasty, especially Qi Jiguang's 32-potential long fist, and combined the ancient techniques of guiding and breathing Qigong with the meridian theory of traditional Chinese medicine and the theory of Yin-Yang and Five Elements of ancient simple dialectical materialism. Tai Ji Chuan is based on the theories of Taoism, Tai Chi and Eight Diagrams, and contains rich China traditional culture and philosophical thoughts.

The word "Tai Chi" comes from the Book of Changes: "It is easy to have Tai Chi, which is the birth of two instruments." "Tai" means big, and "Pole" means the beginning or vertex.

The first sentence in the Illustration of Taiji by Zhou Dunyi, a Song Dynasty poet, is "Infinite Taiji", which means that Taiji is the origin of all things and has supreme, extreme, absolute and unique significance. That's what Tai Ji Chuan meant.

Tai Ji Chuan is a kind of boxing, which conforms to boxing theory and has the characteristics of aggression and skill. The theory of boxing here means that Tai Ji Chuan's movements are in accordance with the laws of attack and defense, which is significant and can produce certain attack and defense efficiency. This is one of the basic differences between Tai Ji Chuan's movements and gymnastics, dancing and guiding.