What is Tai Chi?

The short answer is that Tai Chi is a Martial Art, and an ancient Chinese exercise for health of Mind and Body.  It began in about the 5th Century in ancient China, where Shaolin priests were visited by a traveling Buddhist monk.  The Buddhist observed the way his new friends were neglecting their bodies and that they and that they were fair game for traveling bandits in the region.  The Buddhist monk introduced the Shaolin priests to Tai Chi for defense and for their physical improvement. 

Fast forward: Chen Wangting, who lived from 1580-1660, was trained in the military and further developed the fighting style of Tai Chi, based on his observations of the Shaolin.  In the early 1800’s, a man named Yang Lu-Chan learned this style from the Chens.  Working with Chen Changxing, Yang furthered the art and ultimately became the father of the Yang Family of Tai Chi, which is the slow, movement meditation style that we practice.  The original Yan Tai Chi included 108 movements, which was modified in the early 1900’s to become the short form or 24 form to teach those beginning.  

Tai Chi initially was a form of self defense that has gradually evolved into a “meditation in motion” martial art form that utilizes gentle, flowing movements to enhance health in the mind and body.  It is an International Martial Art form, which means it focuses on unifying the body and the mind with the intrinsic energy, or chi, found in the body.  The fighting style of Tai Chi, Kung Fu, would be an external Martial Art, similar to more commonly known fighting disciplines such as Karate or Taekwondo.