The Lineage of the various Tai Chi Chuan styles is sometime murky, sometimes easily seen. What is of high interest, however, is the way Tai Chi Chuan is altered by each generation of students. One would think that the principles would be true, and nothing should ever change, but change is the only constant in this world.
Mythically, Tai Chi Chuan was invented by a Zhang Sanfeng in the twelfth century. This is probably not true, as history does not support his existence in connection with Tai Chi. He is first mentioned in connection with the martial arts in the 17th century.
Actually, Tai Chi was probably created in Chen village. Chen Wangting was a retired general after the fall of the Ming Dynasty, and he is credited with creating the Grand Ultimate Art for the children of the village. Chen village exists to this day, and the idea that a retired general, tired from combat, would create a slow method for continuing his training in the fighting disciplines rings true.
Yang Lu Chan visited Chen village, and some people hold that he observed the Chen family training in secret, then came forth to save the Chen family during a challenge by a rival master. This sounds suspiciously like the plot from a kung fu flick, or maybe the rumor put forth by one martial arts school to elevate themselves. The real story is probably that Yang saw the Chen family training, trained with them, and then moved on.
Yang taught Tai Chi in Beijing during the latter half of the 19th century. He taught people who were wealthy (nothing wrong with that), but it is wondered if he changed his art to accommodate old men with health problems, and who needed to be treated with delicate hands. At any rate, the deep stances and explosive quality of the Chen system was converted to higher stances and more emphasis on 'emptying the body.'
The next master to significantly contribute to Tai Chi was Wu Chien Chuan. He was from a military family, and he learned the art from his father, who learned from Yang. Wu taught the public, and the stances became even higher, and the movements became softer and even more refined.
The last important person to contribute to the evolution of Tai Chi Chuan was Sun Lu Tang. Sun was expert in Pa Kua Chang and Hsing i, and learned Wu style and blended concepts to create his own style. This was in the early part of the twentieth century.
There have been many other people who have helped Tai Chi become the fantastic art that it has grown into, and this article does not intend to slight them. However, the four masters discussed were the creators of distinct systems, and contributed to the growth of the martial art significantly. The purpose of this article has been to provide you with an outline of tai chi chuan, and a brief knowledge of how Tai Chi Chuan evolved.
Mythically, Tai Chi Chuan was invented by a Zhang Sanfeng in the twelfth century. This is probably not true, as history does not support his existence in connection with Tai Chi. He is first mentioned in connection with the martial arts in the 17th century.
Actually, Tai Chi was probably created in Chen village. Chen Wangting was a retired general after the fall of the Ming Dynasty, and he is credited with creating the Grand Ultimate Art for the children of the village. Chen village exists to this day, and the idea that a retired general, tired from combat, would create a slow method for continuing his training in the fighting disciplines rings true.
Yang Lu Chan visited Chen village, and some people hold that he observed the Chen family training in secret, then came forth to save the Chen family during a challenge by a rival master. This sounds suspiciously like the plot from a kung fu flick, or maybe the rumor put forth by one martial arts school to elevate themselves. The real story is probably that Yang saw the Chen family training, trained with them, and then moved on.
Yang taught Tai Chi in Beijing during the latter half of the 19th century. He taught people who were wealthy (nothing wrong with that), but it is wondered if he changed his art to accommodate old men with health problems, and who needed to be treated with delicate hands. At any rate, the deep stances and explosive quality of the Chen system was converted to higher stances and more emphasis on 'emptying the body.'
The next master to significantly contribute to Tai Chi was Wu Chien Chuan. He was from a military family, and he learned the art from his father, who learned from Yang. Wu taught the public, and the stances became even higher, and the movements became softer and even more refined.
The last important person to contribute to the evolution of Tai Chi Chuan was Sun Lu Tang. Sun was expert in Pa Kua Chang and Hsing i, and learned Wu style and blended concepts to create his own style. This was in the early part of the twentieth century.
There have been many other people who have helped Tai Chi become the fantastic art that it has grown into, and this article does not intend to slight them. However, the four masters discussed were the creators of distinct systems, and contributed to the growth of the martial art significantly. The purpose of this article has been to provide you with an outline of tai chi chuan, and a brief knowledge of how Tai Chi Chuan evolved.
About the Author:
The most significant contribution to Tai Chi Chuan is the introduction of matrixing theories, and the formation of Five Army Tai Chi Chuan. Head over to Monster Martial Arts to find out more. Pick up a free ebook on the home page.
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