• AS A DEFINITION
• AS FOR THE NAME: TAI-CHI CHUAN OR TAIJIQUAN
• INTRODUCTION
• THE FORM
• THE CHARACTERISTICS OF TAI CHI CHUAN
• THE TAI CHI CHUAN STYLES
• PHILOSOPHICAL CONCEPTS WHICH SUSTAIN THE TAI-CHI CHUAN THEORY
• TAOÍSM AND THE ORIGIN OF TAI CHI CHUAN
• THE CHI (QI)
• THE TAN-TIEN (or dan tian)
• INTERNAL MARTIAL ARTS
• NEI-GONG
• QIN-NA
• TUI-SHOU

  
  

AS FOR THE NAME: TAI-CHI CHUAN OR TAIJI QUAN

In the west, it is known as ´tai-chi´, ´tai-chi chuan´, ´tai chí chuan´´, ´´taiji quan´´ ´´taijiquan´´etc. and it is translated as ´´ shadow boxing´´, ´´supreme boxing´´, ´´supreme fist, ´´Supreme fundamental combat´´ etc. The phonetic transcription is ´´tai ji quan´´ and corresponds to 2 words.

The second word ´´quan´´, is literally ´´fist´´, although it is understood as ´´boxing´´ when we talk about martial arts.

As for the first word, ´´taiji´´ it is composed in turn by 2 terms.

´´tai´´ meaning ´´the highest, greatest, the most remote´´, ´´the most adorned or highest in dignity´´, ´´extremely´´ and ´´too much´´

´´ji´´ which means the ´´highest point, ´´the peak´´, ´´pole´´, ´´the highest possible grade´´; ´´extremely´´ (yes, it also has this same meaning as ´´tai´´). Among these meanings, perhaps the most appropriate would be that of ´´pole´´, in the sense that it gives the idea of a certain limit or extreme point.

One possible, literal and simple translation would be ´´the extreme polarization´´, although going a bit further, we would note that ´´the limited´´ is in fact in the I CHING, which describes that when a situation is at its peak or extreme, it converts to its reverse. (When we throw the coins, when 3 yang or yin lines appear, the contrary is noted).

taiji/tai-chi symbol

The taiji/ tai-chi symbol ´´taiji´´ refers to this ancient Chinese symbol whose origins could be dated back to I Ching or the Book of Changes which consists of the yin element (represented by the colour black) and the yang element(represented by the colour white) and equal proportions which are mutually complementary. Also, every element consists of, at the same time, a small portion of the opposite element: within yin (black) there is yang (white) and vice versa. This is a dynamic symbol which is in constant rotary movement and constant shifting.

The concept of ´´taiji´´ is a philosophical term which has to do with the polarity of the opposite poles called ´´yin´´ and ´´yang´´. Through time, it alludes the changing and the extreme opposites are in perpetual movement and balance where everyone of them gives rise to the contrary when reaching the peak. This concept can be applied to whatever field of knowledge or practise and is valid for the entire universe, except for the ´´state of Tao´´ where the unification of duality is achieved. It can be observed in anything, people or situation etc. like, through time, oscillating between the ´´yin´´ and the ´´yang´´. For example, when a person is born as a baby, he is in the extreme opposite of an old person reaching death. We would include the baby in the ´´yang´´ field and the old person in the ´´yin´´. A storm that lifts waves in the sea to 7 metres high would be ´´yang´´ while a calm day without wind where the sea is peaceful would be ´´yin´´. It is observed that ´´yin´´ and ´´yang´´ do not necessarily correspond to ´´yin´´= something ´´negative´´ and ´´yang´´= something ´´positive´´. Therefore, the name taiji quan refers to the boxing that practices the ´´taiji´´.