Catégorie Famous styles in Wushu.
3rd March 2005by netmonk.
This article describes Taiji Quan (or Taichichuan) and its differents styles
The word Taiji first appeared in Books of Changes of the Zhou Dynasty. The essay says: "Where there is Taiji, there is a peace and harmony between the positive and the negative." Taiji means supremacy, absoluteness, extremity and uniqueness. Taiji Quan takes its name for the implication of superiority. Taiji Quan gots its name when Shanxi secular wushu master Wang Zongye used the philosophy of the positive and negative from the Book of Change to explain the principles of the boxing. There are different opinions on the origin of the Taiji Quan. Some thinks it was created by Zhang Sanfeng, of the Song Dynasty(961-1279), while others believe it was created by Han Gongyue and Cheng Lingxi in the Liang Dynasty(502-557). Still others say that it was created by either Xu Xuanping or Li Daozi of the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Yet all propositions cannot be proved from authenticate records. According to the research of Wushu historian Tang Hao, Taiji Quan was first exercised and practised among the Chen family members at the Chenjia Valley which is located in Wenxian Country in Henan Province. The earliest choregrapher of the Taiji boxing was Chen Wangting who both was a scholar and a martial artist. Chen combbined his knowledge of ancient psychological exercices; the positive and the negative philosophy described in the Book of Change and chinese medical theory of passages and channels of blood, air flow and energy inside the human body with the exercies and practice of Wushu. he absorbed the strong points from various schools and styles of martial arts of the Ming Dynasty, especially the 32-moves Qi Jiguang style boxing(long style boxing)l to form the school of TaijiQuan. After years of dissemination, many styles of Taiji Quan were created, the most popular and widespread are the following fives styles :
Chen-style Taiji Quan
The Chen style Taiji Quan falls into two categories, the old and new frames. The old frames was created by Chen Wangting himself. It had five routines which were also known as the 13-move boxing. Chen Wangting also developed a long style boxing routine of 108 moves and an cannon boxing routine. It was then handed down to Chen Changxing and Chen Youben, boxers in the Chenjia Valley who where all proficient at the old frame. The present day Chen style boxing boasts of the old routine, the cannon routine and the new routine. The Chen style Taiji boxing is the oldest form, all of others styles of Taiji Quan having derived from it either directly or indirectly.
Yang style Taiji Quan
The originator of the Yang style Taiji Boxing was Yang Luchan (1800-1873), from Yongnian in Hebei Province. Yang went to learn Taiji boxing from Chen Changxing in the Chenjia Valley as a boy. When grown up, he returned to his native town to teach the art.To suit the need of common people, Yang Luchan made some changes, and dropped some highly difficult moves, such as force irritating, broad jumps and foot thumping. His son shortened the routine which was further simplified by his grandson. The grandson’s form of the Yang style Taiji boxing was later taken as the protocol of the Yang style boxing. Because of its comfortable postures, simplicity and practisability, this form has become the most popular routine for exercise and practice. The Yang style Taiji boxing feature agreeable movements and actions combining hardness, softness and naturalness. When practising, practitioners should relax to form softness which transforms into hardness, this combining the hard and the soft. The Yang style Taiji Quan is divided into three sub-routines, namely high posture, middle posture, and low posture routines, all with comfortable and agreeable movements and actions
Wu style Taiji Quan
Wu-style Taiji boxing was created by Quan You (1834-1902) who lived at Daxing in the Hebei province (now under Beijing municipality). Quan You was of the Manchu nationality of China. He learnt Taiji Quan from Yang Luchan and lated followed Yang’s second son Yang Banhou to study short program. Quan You was known for his ability to soften his movements. Quan’s son Jianquan changed his family name to Wu as he was brought up as an Han national. Wu Jianquan (1870-1942) inherited and disseminated a style of Taiji which is comfortable and upright. His style is continuous and ingenious and because his routine does note require jumps and leaps, it spread far and wide among common people. Since this style of Taiji Quan was disseminated by the Wu family, it became known as the Wu-style Taiji boxing.
Wu Yuxiang style of Taiji Quan
Wu Yuxiang (1812-1880) was the creator of another style of Taiji Quan. A Yongnian resident in Hebei, Wu Yuxian learnt the ABC’s of Taiji from fellow provincial Yang Luchan. In 1852, Wu Yuxiang went to work for his brother at Wuyang. On his way to Wuyang, he learnt the new routine of Taiji Quan from Chen Qingping and mastered it. At his brother’s home, Wu Yuxiang got hold of a transcript of Wang Zongyue’s On Taiji Quan. So upon returning home, Wu Yuxiang delved into the book and practised the principles stipulated in it. Wu eventually wrote Ten Essential Points of Martial Artist and Four-Word Poetic Secrets of Taiji: Apply, Cover, Combat, and Swallow, which has become the classics of Chinese wushu writing. The Wu Yuxiang style of Tiaji features compactness, slow movement, strict footwork and distinguishes between substancialness and insubstancialness. The chest and abdomen are kept upright while the body is moving around. The outside movement of the body is initiated by the circulation of air flows inside the body and inner adjustements of substancialness and insubstancialness. The two hands are in charge of their respective halves of body- one dones not infringe upon the other. The hand never goes farther than the foot. Li Yishe(1832-1892) son of Wu Yuxiang’s sister, inherited the Wu Yuxiang style of Taiji. He wrote about his experience of practising Five Words Essentials, The Secret to Relaxation: Lift, Guide, Loosen and Release, and Essentials of Taiji Movements and Actions. In the first year of the Republic (1911), Hao Weizhen (1849-1920) from Yongnian County taugh the Wu Yuxiang style of Taiji in Beijing, and later in Nanjing and Shanghai
Sun style Taiji Quan
The initiator of the Sun-style Taiji Boxing was Sun Lutang(1861-1932) from Dingxian county in Hebei province. Sun was a master of Xingyi Quan (Free mind animal imitating boxing). In 1911, he followed Hao Weizhen to learn the Wu Yuxiang style of Taiji, He later created the Sun style of Taiji boxing, by blending the cream of the Wu Yuxiang style of Taiji, Xingyi Quan and Bagua Zhang. The feature of the Sun style Taiji is that practitioners advance or retreat freely with quick and dexterous movements, which are connected with each other either in closing or opening stances when the direction changed.
Beside the above mentionned five style of Taiji boxing, there is another style called Five Star Taiji. This style was initiated by Wang Lanting, butler of Prince Duan of The Qing Dynasty. Wang Lanting learned Taiji from Yang Luchan who served as Wushu master to Prince Duan. After mastering the boxing art, Wang Lanting passed it onto Li Ruidong and Si Xingsan. Li Ruidong then absorbed the cream of other styles of Tiaji to form the Five Star Taiji.
The Chanmen Taiji Quan or Buddhist Taiji Quan which is popular in the area of Pingdingshan in Henan province, was developed by monks in the Shaolin Temple according to the Infinitely Merciful Dharani Scripture. by the end of Qing Dynasty, it had also absorbed the best of the martial arts practised by followers of Taoism and Confucianism, As it was first created by Buddhist monks, it was called Chanmen, or Buddhist Taiji Quan.
To further popularize Taiji Quan among the people after the establishment of the People’s Republic of China, a simplified set of the Yang style Taiji Quan was compiled in 1956, by dropping the repeated and difficult movements, The simplified set consists of 24 forms. In 1979, the Chinese State Physical Education and Sports Commission absorbed the strongest points from the Chen-style, Yang-Style, and Wu-Style Taiji, as well as Taiji Wushu, to form a popular, 48 form Taiji Quan.
Although different style and form, all Taiji boxing routines require their practitioners to be tranqul, calm, relaxed but concentrative. In Taiji Quan the spine is the pivot around wich the body moves. Forces and energy should be generated from the spine and waist before reaching the arms and legs. The movements are executed slowly, continuously and softly, but hardness is implied by softness. Substancialness should be distinguished from insubstancialness. Practioners are required to breathe regularly and smoothly. The inner strengths and energy shoudl be exuded through external movements and actions. The theory of Taiji Quan was developed when Wang Wongyue wrote his On Taiji Quan. Taiji Quan theories matured with later writings of the Thirteen-form Frame, Thirteen Postures, Secret of Thirteen Stances, The Essentials of Martial Artists’ Ballad, Taiji Combats and Five Word Essentials. As mentioned earlier, The Taiji Quan has health enhancing and disease curing functions. This is largely due to its effect on brain function. Practising Taiji enables part of the cerebral cortex to enter a protective inhibition so that partial rest is possible while other parts are excited. As a result brain function can be improved and rehabilitated through conscientious and exercices and practices of Taiji Quan. Various chronic diseases resulting from the malfunction of the nerve system can thus be cured or ameliorated