How Many Schools of Taijiquan

Taijiquan has been passed down for a long time and has evolved many schools, including Chen-style Taijiquan, Yang-style Taijiquan, Sun-style Taijiquan, Wu-style Taijiquan and Wu-style Taijiquan, which are known as the "five styles of Taijiquan".

Chen-Style Taijiquan

Chen-Style Taijiquan was founded by Chen Wangting, a famous boxer, at the end of Ming Dynasty and the beginning of Qing Dynasty, who created five sets of the old style, and Chen-Style has been practiced for generations and evolved, and two sets of the new style have been added. After careful arrangement, the speed and intensity of movement, stance and strength are also different. The first way is simple, with more softness and less rigidity, and is mainly based on the use of the four positive forces of "shedding, stroking, squeezing and pressing", supplemented by the use of the four corner hands of "picking, elbows and leaning". The softness of the rigidity, the movement of the qi, the exercise of the entanglement of silk strength, supplemented by the hair strength. The whole body inside and outside, the movement is divided into static and static, a movement of the whole movement, embodying the soft entanglement in the soft, slow, stable characteristics; the second road (cannon pounding) movement is complex, rapid and compact, just more than the soft less, the use of force to "Caijian elbow leaning" as a mainstay to "shed stroking and squeezing the press" as a supplement; the main force is just hair, scurrying, jumping, prancing and flashing the exhibition. It is mainly based on the rigid force, with jumping and leaping, vacillating and flashing, and shaking the feet to send out the force. It is also characterized by the use of rigid force, jumping, prancing and flashing, and the use of vibrating foot force.

The exercise principle and practice method of Chen-style Taijiquan also require that the intention, qi and body are closely coordinated, and that the intention is used to carry out qi, move the waist and spine, rotate the waist and turn the spine, and run through the joints. In the push hands to winding and sticking with the main, "vertical release curving and stretching people end know, all rely on the winding I all rely on", in the paste winding process, the use of: "shedding, stroking, squeezing, according to" and other laws, borrowing power to brake, give up their own from others, listen to the power to understand the power, the power to control the enemy.

Yang Style Taijiquan

Yang Lu Chan, a native of Yongnian, Hebei Province, learned from Chen Changxing of Chenjiagou, Wen County, Henan Province, and developed Yang Style Taijiquan with his son, Yang Jianhou, and his grandson, Yang Chengfu, on the basis of Chen Style Old Frame Taijiquan. The fist way was gradually modified by deleting the movements of vertical jumping, foot shaking, and power generation, etc., which were originally found in the Chen-style old frame, and was revised by Yang Jianhou to be the middle frame, and then gradually designated as Yang-style big frame by Yang Chengfu's repeated revisions, i.e., the Yang-style Taijiquan that is widely popular nowadays.

Yang Style Taijiquan has a simple and concise frame, a strict structure, a neutral stance, smooth movements, rigidity and softness, ease and naturalness, and lightness and composure at the same time. The postures are carried out in a plain and simple manner, and the practice is simple, from loose to soft, and the accumulation of softness becomes rigidity, and the rigidity and flexibility are complementary to each other. As Yang Chengfu said, "Taijiquan is the art of hiding the needle in the cotton and the hardness in the softness". There are high, medium and low stances.

Wu Style Taijiquan

Wu Yuxiang, a native of Yongnian, Hebei Province, at the end of the Qing Dynasty, after Yang Luchan returned home from Chenjiagou, he loved his art and learned Yang's old Chen Style Taijiquan from Yang, and then he learned Zhao Burger's style from Chen Qingping, and after modification, he created "Wu Style Taijiquan".

Wu Style Taijiquan is different from Chen Style Old Frame and New Frame, and also different from Yang Style Large Frame and Small Frame, and it has become a school of its own. Its movements are simple and compact, the stance is small but not too tight, the movements are soothing and smooth, the hand does not exceed the tip of the foot, it does not stick to the body when it closes, and the left and right hands are each in charge of half of the body and do not overstep each other. The rotation of the chest and abdomen is always kept in the center. The footwork is strict, clear, small and flexible, with the toe of the foot first landing on the ground when stepping, and then the foot following the ground to slowly lower the whole foot to a flat surface. The knee of the front leg should not exceed the tip of the foot, and the back leg should not be straight and high. The fist posture emphasizes the starting, bearing, opening and closing, and the movements are consistent and smooth, using the transformation of the internal energy and the "internal qi submergence" to dominate the appearance, "God should be restrained internally", "first in the heart, then in the body", "the heart should execute qi, then in the body", "the heart should execute qi, then in the body". "The heart to perform qi, qi to transport the body, the intention to move with the intention to move qi with the intention to qi, intention to qi, intention to power, intention and power are not differentiated," to achieve the unity of intention, qi and form.

Wu-Style Taijiquan

Wu-Style Taijiquan is famous for its softness, easy and natural movements, continuous and static nature, which is unique and static. Although the frame is small, it has the foundation of a big frame, and it is carried out in a compact and compact manner, and in the compactness, it has its own stretch, and does not appear to be constricted. When pushing hands, it is correct and strict, delicate and ironing, keeping still without moving, and is known for its goodness.

Sun Style Taijiquan

Sun Lutang, a native of Wanxian County, Hebei Province, has been a keen lover of martial arts since his childhood, and learned Xingyiquan from his teacher Li Kuiyuan, then Guo Yunshen, the teacher of Li, and Bagua Palm from his teacher Cheng Tinghua. After many years of study and training, his kung fu was profound. Later, he learned Taijiquan from his teacher Hao Weizhen, who combined the essence of Bagua, Xingyi and Taijiquan, and created "Sun Style Taijiquan" by integrating them into one.

Sun Style Taijiquan is characterized by the following: advancing and retreating, taking a step to follow, retreating and withdrawing. The movements are spacious and round, agile and natural, and when practicing it, the feet are clear, and the whole trip is practiced as if it is flowing in the clouds and water, which is uninterrupted. Every turn to "open" and "close" each other, so it is also known as "open and live step Taijiquan".