Martial
Art: Tai Chi (short for Tai Chi Chuan)
Translation: "Grand Ultimate Fist"
Country of Origin: China
Created: circa 1247
Tai Chi is a style
of Wushu so technically shouldn't be listed as a separate Martial Art. However
due to it's popularity we have given it a page of it's own. Tai Chi is the
best known of the "internal" styles of Wushu. The most apparent
difference between this and most other martial arts is that it also brings
health benefits to the practitioner. To gain these benefits you needn't practice
the martial art in its entirety making it accessible to all age groups and
all abilities. Tai Chi is commonly practised slowly in order to develop control,
relaxation, co-ordination, balance and most importantly breathing. On the
surface it seems the gentlest of the Wushu arts yet as the name suggests is
reputedly the most deadly once fully mastered (but then I've heard that one
before). The most popular account of the creation of Tai Chi suggests that
in 1247 a Wushu practitioner at the Shaolin temple, named Chang San Feng,
observed a Stork and Snake fighting each other. He was impressed by their
ability to attack and defend simultaneously and so based on his observations
he created a style of his own. (Perhaps if he'd watched two hippos having
a scrap he'd have invented Sumo). This new style was passed down in secret
through various families for generations until Yang Lu Chan (1799-1872) was
ordered by the Emperor to teach it to the imperial guard. The Emperor had
heard about a chap named "Invincible Yang" who had never lost a
challenge and in those days you didn't disappoint the Emperor. Thus Tai Chi
Chuan emerged out of secrecy and into the public domain. Although it is believed
that the deadlier applications are still kept secret by the original families.
Also written as T'ai Chi or Taiji.