The History of Tai Chi Chuan
Chen Style Tai Chi
Tai Chi Chuan (Taijiquan) has been recorded in formal documents since the time of Chen Wang-Ting. Chen Wang-Ting, a 9th generation descendant of the Chen clan, was born in the Henan province of northern China during the late 16th century. Chen family Tai Chi was kept hidden from the general public until the late 1920's and was taught only to members of the Chen family or to their very close friends.
When Chen Wang-Ting began teaching Tai Chi Chuan it consisted of five routines or sets. Later two additional routines, Cannon Fist and Long Chuan, were added. From generation to generation the art has been enhanced, weapons routines added, and an especially unique method of Pushing Hands devised. Chen Tai Chi is an effective martial art system that has produced many famous boxers. Over the last three hundred years the Yang, Wu, and Sun styles of Tai Chi have emerged and can trace their roots to the Tai Chi Chuan taught by Chen Wang-Ting.
Today, the practice of Chen Tai Chi is to train the body to be a coherent unit by originating all movements from its center and giving circularity to arm and leg movements. This spiraling or "Silk Reeling" movement as it is called is believed to produce Fa-Jing or explosive energy. In time Chen Tai Chi evolved to conform to two different philosophies of practice, where large circles were reduced to small ones and external circles were reduced to internal ones. These different methods of practice became known as "Large Frame" and "Small Frame" Tai Chi Chuan. Chen Tai Chi is characterized by vigorous, energetic yet uniquely graceful actions and by its contrary gentle/explosive, slow/fast, hard/soft style in its leaps, kicks, skip-steps, blocks, and strikes.
Chen Tai Chi is not the slow-motion exercise most often seen in the parks. When placed side by side the Chen style is easily discernable from other forms of Tai Chi. As you learn the routines you gain the freedom to exercise at home by yourself.
Most practitioners find a peace and tranquility that comes from the "mindless", disciplined and graceful coordination that is achieved. At a very basic level the Chen style is useful as an enjoyable way to maintain one's internal and external health. It is an excellent method of reducing the stress and tension of our times and is physically demanding enough for weight control and other physical therapies. For those so inclined there is always the self-defense aspect of the Chen style. Tai Chi, unlike other "External" martial arts, only gets better with the years.
Wu (Hao) Style Tai Chi
Wu (Hao) style taiji quan was developed in China at the turn of the nineteenth century in by Wu Yuxiang and his nephew Li Yiyu. Both Wu and Li were educated men, and belonged to the degree-holding elite class of the day. One of the theories as to why Wu (Hao) style has not become as popular as its contemporaries, such as Yang style or Chen style, was that its founders, in keeping with tradition, would only let descendents practice for their own health and self-defense, but would not let them become professional teachers.Your browser may not support display of this image.
Li Yiyu later adopted Hao Weizhen as his student. It was only after Hao Weizhen's rise to fame that he started teaching his style to the outside world.
In the 1930s, Hao Weizhen's son, Hao Yueru and grandson, Hao Shaoru went south to Shanghai introducing this style of taiji quan into southern China.
In northern China, the style was spread by Hao Weizhen's student Li Xiangyuan. Therefore, the Wu (Yu-Xiang) style is also known in the north as the Wu (Li) style, and in the south as the Wu (Hao) style.
In the 1960s, the famous scholar Gu Liuxin promoted the study of taiji quan and opened the study of the five main styles, Chen, Yang, Wu (Hao), Wu and Sun, to the public at the Shanghai Sports Hall. The teachers there were all famous practitioners of their respective styles. Hao Shaoru, who by then was well-known among his taijiquan peers for his high achievements and talents, was invited to teach the Wu (Hao) style there.
Since the spread of Wu (Hao) style taijiquan, it has evolved into a northern style and a southern style.
Yang Style Tai Chi
Yang Lu Shan (1799-1872) was born in the Ho-Pei province of northern China. He was small and thin but fond of the Martial Arts. At first he learned a thirty-three movement long-form of a hard Shaolin Boxing style. In time, Yang Lu Shan heard of the Chen's Tai Chi Chuan and asked Chen Chang Hsin to teach him. Eventually Chen Chang Hsin agreed. Up to the present day, the Yang style has only enjoyed a history of approximately 150 years; however, Yang style Tai Chi Chuan has already spread throughout the world and is practiced by millions of people each day.
It was largely through the efforts of the first three generations of the Yang family that Yang's Tai Chi has become so popular. The Yang lineage has resulted in the formation of three of the five most popular schools of Tai Chi today; the Yang, Wu and Sun styles.
Yang Lu Shan had three sons, the eldest died during childhood. The second son was named Yang Yu (1837-1892); the third Yang Chian (1839-1917). Both were famous Tai Chi experts and continued to spread Yang Family Tai Chi through-out the countryside. When Yang Lu Shan was very old and people still begged to be his students, Yang Yu took over the role as their real teacher even though later many would people said that they were students of Yang Lu Shan.
Yang Chian was called "Mr Number Three." His father was so strict with his sons that Yang Chian felt extremely exhausted and desperate. Yang Chian planned several times to cut his hair and become a Buddhist Monk, but he never succeeded because he was stopped by other family members. Eventually Yang Lu Shan's sons helped him to train his grandson Yang Chao Chin, also called Yang Cheng Fu, who became the greatest Tai Chi Chuan teacher in China.
It was Yang Cheng-Fu who finalized Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan into the present-day form that is so popular all over the world today. Learning Tai Chi Chuan from his father since early childhood, Yang Cheng-Fu showed great talent and learned very quickly, especially the "middle frame" of the Yang style passed on by his grandfather to his father and uncle. Later, Yang Cheng-Fu combined the two older Yang styles of his grandfather and father, and created a new Tai Chi routine, called the 85 movements.
2603-D S. Memorial Dr.
Tulsa, OK 74129-2601
CALL 918-664-8202
