ABOUT TAIJQUAN

ABOUT TAIJIQUAN

Taijiquan/Taiji (or Tai Chi Chuan) is an internal cultural or martial art and is the Chinese path to mental, physical and spiritual fitness.

There are 5 Classical theories of Taijiquan/Taiji, which are said to have been developed as far back as the 9th century. There are many theories of exactly who and when the 5 classic theories were originally developed, however, even with all of the research done to find out, none of the theories have been proven and its foundation is still an open question in the history of Taijiquan.
We do know however, that this much loved internal martial art found its more recent beginnings in the 16th century, by Chen Wangting - who is known as the father of Taijiquan. Yang Luchan who was trained by the Chen family later made Taijiquan popular when he started teaching it in Beijing.

Taijiquan arrived in the Western world in the early 1900s and has enjoyed increasing popularity throughout the decades. The practice of Taijiquan is not to meet force with force, it is to recognise that softness is stronger than hardness and that flexibility overcomes strength.

Taijiquan is part of the rich cultural heritage of China. It is an art in whose slow and gentle movements embody vigour and force. As a Chinese saying aptly puts it, “Inside the cotton fist is hidden a needle”. Its technical, physiological and mechanical qualities all have a philosophical basis. 

STUDYING TAIJIQUAN

For students, the guidance of a good teacher and discussions of the skills and techniques with friends are necessary, but the most important thing is persistent and untiring practice. Indeed, there is nothing like practice, and students of taijiquan, men and women, young and old, will get the best possible results if they keep at it all year round.
 
There are five main schools of Taijiquan that are recognised in China today:

Chen: This is the oldest known form of Taijiquan and the closest form to martial arts.

Yang: This is the most popular form of Taijiquan. Driven by the Communist Government in China in the 1950s as a health exercise, during which the Chinese National 24 Form was developed in 1956. In 1998 Taijiquan top Masters developed the new international Taijiquan Training Syllabus, which is taught by Shifu Peter Warr.

Wu, Wu/Hao, Sun: These forms of Taijiquan mainly practiced in China, where they remain very popular.

All forms of Taijiquan are beneficial to their student’s health if practiced on a regular basis. Taijiquan regulates blood circulation, whilst refreshing and stimulating the body without causing exhaustion. It also helps to relieve symptoms of stress, tension, bad circulation high blood pressure, migraine, stiffness of the joints and back pain. With regular practice of Taijiquan also helping to strengthen the immune system.

Typically elements of a Yang style Taijiquan class will include; Dao Yin: These are gentle stretches to warm-up the body, remove toxins from joints and ligaments and to open acupressure points. Qigong: To correct diaphragm breathing and posture alignment to enhance the body’s performance, and assist the internal organs to function properly. Taijiquan: Following the International Taijiquan Training Syllabus to help students achieve a steady progression through the levels of Yang Style Taijiquan.

TAIJIQUAN TRAINING SYLLABUS

The Taijiquan Training Syllabus includes:

Yang style hand forms: 
  • 8 Posture
  • 16 Posture 
  • Chinese National 24 Posture 
  • BCCMA 24 Posture 
  • 32 Combined Form (4 Schools)
  • 42 Combined Form (4 Schools - IWUF Competition Form) 
Taijiquan-Yang style sword forms:
  • 16 Posture
  • 32 Posture 
  • 34 Combined Form (4 Schools)
  • 42 Combined Form (4 Schools - IWUF Competition Form) 
  • Traditional Yang style B/Sword Wu Dang Taijiquan Sword
Shifu Peter Warr also teaches the following styles of traditional Taijiquan: 
  • Sun, Yang and Chen style
  • Xingyiquan (5 element fists, 12 animal styles)
  • Push hands - Shuai Jiao
  • Kung Fu
  • Tan Tui
  • Self-defence  
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