|
|
When most people think of taijiquan (tai chi chuan), the first image that comes to mind is one of individuals moving in slow, peaceful silence, their minds and bodies in a state of meditative relaxation. The powerful strikes and skillful parries of “Yang the Unsurpassable,” the foremost martial artist of Beijing in the mid-19th century, are a far less common association. Yet taijiquan (tai chi chuan) is no less a martial art than a systematic method for promoting health, relaxation, and meditative calm.
In the United States today, the “civil” aspect of taijiquan (tai chi chuan) (health, meditation, and relaxation) has generally been emphasized. Indeed, some practitioners have completely neglected the martial aspect of the art. Yet this reveals more about the preferences – some would say the errors – of modern practitioners than it does about the limitations of the practice. For taijiquan (tai chi chuan) explicitly aims to balance the civil and martial aspects of human existence, developing both to their highest potential simultaneously. Even for practitioners who are not primarily interested in building martial skills, focusing exclusively on the civil aspects of taijiquan (tai chi chuan) is contrary to the spirit of the art. In the words of Yang Chengfu, the turn-of-the-century martial arts genius from whom many of today’s most popular taiji forms are descended: “Learning self-defense applications is indispensable in taijiquan (tai chi chuan). Students who are primarily interested in exercise must also study applications.”
Continue reading “The Martial and the Civil in Yang Style Taijiquan” »
By Scott M. Rodell
Originally published in Inside Kung-Fu magazine and republished in the Ultimate Guide to T’ai Chi, 2000
 Master Wang executes ji (press) Circa 1965 Yang Lu Chan is undoubtedly the most well known Chinese martial artist in the world. The story of his obtaining the secret art of taijiquan in the remote village of ChenJiaGou and his fame as “Yang the Unbeatable” (Yang Wudi) are common stories amongst taiji players the world over. Yang Lu Chan’s reknown comes as little surprise when we consider that the art he created – Yang Style TaijiQuan – is the most popular form in the world today and is practiced all around the globe. What is more surprising is that he made a little known Chinese family art into a common exercise practice in America in less than one hundred years.
The familiar story of Yang Lu Chan being challenged by the Emperor’s Head Guard presented him with the opportunity for lasting fame overnight. It also offered ruin as quickly if he lost. Yet to prevail would not mean peace, for the Imperial Guard would have lost face and could never have let the Yang family rest. The Master reasoned the only way out, preserving his reputation as “Unbeatable” yet avoiding retribution, was to fight to a stalemate. To do this Yang felt a fighter’s skill must be three time greater than his opponents. History records that the bout did indeed end with a draw.
Continue reading “Yang Family Taiji Quan – The Hidden Tradition” »
…On Taiji Quan:
- Scott M. Rodell, Taiji Notebook for Martial ArtistsScott M. Rodell, Chinese Swordsmanship: The Yang Family Taiji Jian Tradition, Seven Stars Books & Video 2003
- Barbara Davis and Chen Weiming, The Taijiquan Classics: An Annotated TranslationYang Chenfu, Translated by Louis Swaim, The Essence and Applications of Taijiquan
- Benjamin P. J. Lo and Martin Inn, tr., Cheng Tzu’s Thirteen Treatises on T’ai Chi Ch’uan, North Atlantic Book, Berkeley,1985.
- T. T. Liang, T’ai Chi Ch’uan For Health and Self-Defense, Philosophy and Practice, Vintage Books, New York, 1977. An excellent plain language versions of the classics along with Master Liang’s commentary and important ideas in Taiji Quan.
- Benjamin P. J. Lo and Robert W. Smith, tr.,T’ai Chi Ch’uan Ta Wen, Questions and Answers on T’ai Chi Ch’uan, North Atlantic Books, Berkeley, 1985.
- Wolfe Lowenthal, There Are No Secrets, Professor Cheng Man-ch’ing and his T’ai Chi Chuan, North Atlantic Books, Berkeley, 1991. A wonderful introspective view on personal development in Taiji Quan and Cheng Man-ching.
- Wolfe Lowenthal, Gateway to the Miraculous: Further Explorations in the Tao of Cheng Man-Ch’ing
- Wei-Ming Chen, Barbara Davis, tr., Taiji Sword, North Atlantic Books, Berkeley, 2000.
- Stuart A. Olson, tr., The Wind Sweeps Away the Plum Blossoms, Principles and Techniques of the Yang Style T’ai Chi Spear and Staff, Bubbling Well Press, Winnipeg, 1985
- Wang Yen-Nien, Yangjia Michuan Taiji Quan, The Yang Family Hidden Tradition of Taiji Quan, 2 vols. (form and appilcations), private edition, Taipei, Taiwan, 1993 & 1997
- Douglas Wile, tr., T’ai-Chi Touchstones: Yang Family Secret Transmissions, Sweet Ch’i Press, Brooklyn, 1983. The only English translation of important Yang Family treatises. Continue reading “Recommended Reading” »
Only the spelling. There are two major systems for the Romanization of Chinese characters. The older Wade-Giles system transliterates the three Chinese Characters for this art as T’ai Chi Ch’uan. This is often misspelled without the appostropies, which are used to indicate the “T” is pronounce as a t and not a d, for example. The more contemporary pinyin system transliterates these three characters as taijiquan. This system has the advantage of not confusing words such as qi (energy) with the ji in taiji, which are written ch’I and chi in the Wade-Giles system, simply by forgetting to use the appostrophy.
The pinyin system has been the internationally accept system for many decades now and is the standard for international organizations, libraries, etc. the short hand, Tai chi, is a bit of a misnomer because it simply refers to the Chinese symbol we know as the yinyang symbol. The quan in taijiquan literally means fist of martial art. Taijiquan means the art based on the ideas of alternating yin and yang, yield releasing power etc.
Yen Nian Daoguan, Taipei, Taiwanymti.orgAmerican Yangjia Michuan Taijiquan Associationwww.aymta.orgL’amicale du Yangjia Michuan Taijiquantaijiquan.free.frInstitut de Pratique des Arts Chinois Traditionnels – Strasbourg, France Continue reading “Other Taiji related websites” »
|
