Sie sind auf Seite 1von 6

History of Taijiquan

Many people are fascinated with the mystical taiji (Tai Chi) legend of the Taoist
monk, Zhang Sanfeng, who allegedly invented taijiquan (Tai Chi Chuan) through
dreaming about or observing a fight between a snake and a crane in Wu-dang
Mountains. Although there were historical implications and various
circumstantial factors involved in the popularity of the Zhang Sanfeng legend, it
is, for the most part, human nature to enjoy and believe in legendary stories. As
filmmakers continue to make films with this half-legendary and half-fictional
character, Zhang Sanfeng, based on the stories written by famous Chinese
martial arts novelists such as Jing Yong, this legend will continue to live for
centuries. People always enjoy passing on this kind of legendary story to future
generations like the legends of King Arthur and Robin Hood.

Most of the practitioners' unawareness of Taijiquan being an effective health


exercise as well as an in-depth internal martial arts training can be explained in
terms of Taijiquan's evolution and practice. After years of research and study of
historical documents by Taiji practitioners and scholars, it is now believed that
most of the major styles of Taijiquan currently practiced (e.g., Chen, Yang, Wu
as in Wu Yuxiang, Wu as in Wu Jianquan, Sun) were all derived, directly or
indirectly, from Chen Family Taijiquan. Their origins can be traced back to a
small village located in Henan, China, with the name Chenjiagou, literally, Chen
Family Ditch.

Chen Wangting (1600-1680), a warrior, a scholar, and a ninth generation


ancestor of the Chen family, invented Taijiquan after a lifetime of researching,
developing, and experiencing martial arts. A born warrior and a master of martial
arts, Chen Wangting served the Ming Dynasty in its war against the succeeding
Qing Dynasty. Because of the political turbulence, natural disasters, and human
calamities during his time, Chen Wangting's ambition was not fulfilled. In his old
age, Chen Wangting retired from public life and created a martial arts system
based on his family martial arts inheritance, his own war experiences, and his
knowledge of various contemporary martial arts styles. In his creation of
Taijiquan, Chen Wangting combined the study of Yi Jing, (i.e., "Scriptures of
Changes"), Chinese medicine, theories of yin yang (i.e., the two opposing yet
reciprocal energies generated from Taiji, expressed in taijiquan as the hardness
vs. the softness, the substantial vs. the insubstantial, etc.), the five elements
(i.e., metal, wood, water, fire, earth), the study and theory of Jingluo (i.e.,
meridian circulation channels along which the acupressure points are located),
and methods of Daoyin (i.e., channeling and leading internal energy) and Tuna
(i.e., deep breathing exercises). A poem written by Chen Wangting in his old age
evidenced the significance of the Daoist methods of cultivating one's energy and
body in Chen Wangting's reclusive life, "...Once bestowed upon with imperial
favor and grace but all in vain, I, now old and feeble, was accompanied only by
a scroll of 'Huang Ting' (i.e., a Daoist scripture detailing methods of Daoyin and
Tuna) by my side...". In addition to these ancient Chinese internal theories,
medicine, and Daoist methods, scholars (e.g., Hao Tang, Liuxin Gu) had also
discovered that the boxing art created by Chen Wangting contained names of
twenty-nine postures of the thirty-two postures recorded in Qi Jiguang's Quan
Jing Jie Yao Chapter (i.e., Chapter on the Quick and Outlined Scriptures of
Boxing, Scroll 14) in Qi's Ji Xiao Xin Shu (i.e., New Book of Illustrated
Recordings on Effectiveness). Moreover, besides the connection between Qi
Jiguang's Quan Jing Jie Yao Chapter and Chen Wangting's bare-hand forms, all
the long spear posture names mentioned in Qi Jiguang's Chang Bing Duan
Yong Talk (Talk on Long Weapon in Close-Contact Use, Scroll 10) in Ji Xiao Xin
Shu could also be found completely incorporated in the posture names of the
Chen Family Spear Set. Therefore, after other popular theories--some fabricated
for political or self-expedient purposes--regarding the origin of Taijiquan, e.g., the
Zhang Sanfeng legend, the Wang Zongyue (whose Taijiquan Lun, i.e., Taijiquan
Theory, was frequently quoted as one of the classics in the study of
Taijiquan)/Jiang Fa theory, etc., have all been refuted and found either
unsubstantiated historically or contradictory chronologically with historical facts,
scholars had concluded that Chen Wangting was the one who created and
developed totally new and different boxing and weapon set movements,
postures, and applications in his own martial arts system possibly with the
inspiration of the names from Qi's book, which was in turn a digested record of
names, forms, and postures from many martial arts schools in Qi's time (Tang,
H. & Gu, L., 2004). In this unique and unprecedented martial arts system, Chen
Wangting created and invented seven sets of empty-hand forms, a long fist form
of one-hundred-and-eight postures, one Paochui (i.e., Canon Fist) set, push-
hand techniques for two people, and training methods for spear, saber, sword,
truncheon, jian, spear-thrusting for two people, and long-pole (Gu, L., 1983;
Chen, Q, 2002).

Chen Changxing (1771-1853), the 14th generation Chen patriarch, was the first
to teach Chen Taijiquan to an outsider, Yang Luchan (1799-1872). Vowing to his
master to never teach Taijiquan to the public or use its name, Yang was finally
taught the Chen family martial art. He later traveled to Beijing and became
known as "Yang the Invincible." True to his oath, Yang formulated his own
Taijiquan form based on Chen Family Taijiquan's first form (Lao Jia Yi Lu) and
became the founder of Yang Taijiquan. Another possible reason for Yang Luchan
to formulate his own Taijiquan form might be due to the fact that during those
days, the Yang family was employed by the Manchu rulers of the Qing Dynasty
to manage the practice and teaching of war. As Manchus were considered the
oppressive foreign rulers by the people in their sovereignty (i.e., the Han
people), the Yang family probably decided to teach the Manchus only the boxing
form, but not the boxing methods nor its applications. Manchus were taught to
be soft as cotton so they would not use Taiji to attack or kill. Direct Yang family
members and close disciples, on the other hand, were secretly taught both the
hard and soft aspects of Taiji. Yet, the soft taiji form started to gain its popularity
and gradually Taiji was recognized and associated with the soft form while
people in Chen Village continued to practice both the soft and the hard forms.
It's also uncertain when the name "Taijiquan" was given to this Chinese martial
arts system. It's very likely that there was no name for Taijiquan when Chen
Wangting initially developed this martial arts system because he meant to pass
it down to his descendant. It is common for a Chinese family to develop their
own style of martial arts. These arts then become known as the style of the
family. Chen Wangting didn't know the martial arts system he created would one
day become one of the most popular health exercises in the world. The name
taijiquan was given later possibly because this unique martial arts system was
created based on the principles and theory of Taiji, "Grand Ultimate or Extreme"
– yin and yang reaching the ultimate balance and regenerating from each
other. Today there are five major popular styles evolved and developed with
individual variations and transformations from the original boxing art created by
Chen Wangting (Gu Liuxin, 1983; Chen Qingzhou, 2002):

1)Chen Style: Various Chen styles--including Da Jia (Big Frame), Xiao Jia
(Small Frame), Lao Jia (Old Frame), Xin Jia (New Frame), etc.--are continued to
be practiced by Chen Family descendants and disciples. It is generally
characterized by fast-slow, soft-powerful, and up-down spiral movements with
jumping, punching, and qin na. It contains two basic empty-hand forms. The first
form is soft and slow, also known as Yi Lu (First Form), while the second form is
powerful and fast, also known as Er Lu (Second Form) or Pao Chui (Canon
Fist). The Da Jia system, which Chen Changxing taught to his descendants and
students, is commonly referred to as "Lao Jia". A modified "Lao Jia" system,
which Chen Fake and his second son, Zhaokui, taught in Beijing, is known to be
the seed of Xin Jia (of the original Da Jia). The modified "Lao Jia" system (Xin
Jia) has more obvious coiling, spiraling, and large circular movements when
compared with Lao Jia, which has a more direct martial arts approach with
smaller and more subtle circles. Currently, the Xin Jia system is still undergoing
the process of being modified and changed. Chen Zhaopi, a nephew of Chen
Fake, insisted on maintaining and preserving the original postures and
sequence of the Lao Jia system and passed this unmodified system to his
students and descendants. One of his disciples, Chen Qingzhou, has taught the
Lao Jia system unchanged and without any influence of Xin Jia. However, his
other disciples including famous Chen descendants such as Chen Xiaowang
and Chen Zhenglei also learned Xin Jia from Chen Zhaokui.

2)Yang Style: It is characterized by slow and even expansive tempo movements.


This style was developed by Yang Luchan based on Da Jia Yi Lu (Big Frame
First Form), which he learned from Chen Changxing. This "unchanged" Da Jia
system which Chen Changxing taught Yang Luchan and his descendants are
commonly referred to as Lao Jia (Old Frame). It is known that Yang Luchan and
his sons never taught Er Lu (Second Form) openly to the public; rather, it was
passed down only to Yang's own family descendants and a few close indoor
disciples.

3)Wu (as in Wu Yuxiang/Hao): It is characterized by a small and compact frame,


soft and slow tempo with upright postures and the tailbone tucked forward. This
style was developed by Wu Yuxiang also from Da Jia Yi Lu (Big Frame First
Form), which he learned from Yang Luchan, and from Xiao Jia (Small Frame),
which he learned from Chen Qingping (also known as Zhaobao Jia). Hao
Weizhen of Wu Taiji lineage later taught Sun Lutang, who developed another
branch of taiji styles, which is now called Sun Style.

4)Wu (as in Wu Jianquan): It is characterized by gentle and slow movements


like the Yang style, but with tight, compact, and apparent leaning postures. This
style was developed by Wu Jianquan, who learned from his father Quanyou.
Quanyou, a Manchurian, learned his taiji from both Yang Luchan and his son
Yang Banhou, whose style was described as more compact and less expansive
(i.e., Xiao Jia) in comparison with the Yang styles practiced by Yang Luchan and
Yang Chengfu.

5)Sun Style: It is characterized by a high stance with fast paces and a unique
dexterous, tight, and compact style. This style was developed by Sun Lutang
based on the Taiji he learned from Hao Weizhen and his earlier Xingyi and
Bagua training.

For generations, the practice of Taijiquan has been compromised to the extent
that it has lost its original essence. Of the major styles practiced today, Chen
family Taijiquan continues to offer the most complete training system including
qigong, empty-hand forms, silk-reeling exercises, push-hand practice, weapon
sets, etc. It has gone through the least amount of change as a martial art and
preserved most of the training methods as well as some of the most unique
training tools (e.g., Taiji ruler, Taiji sphere, etc.). Therefore, although a person is
not required to be athletic in order to learn Chen Taiji, patience, consistent
practice, and time commitment are essential for a Chen Taiji learner to truly
benefit from this ancient internal martial arts system. Beginning students usually
start with Yi Lu, qigong, and silk-reeling exercises to help them establish a
strong foundation and to prepare them if they wish to continue and further
pursue the martial aspects of the system. It is hoped that through the promotion
of Traditional Chen Taijiquan, the public will again recognize Taijiquan not only
as a health exercise, benefiting both mental and physical health, but also a truly
valuable Chinese martial arts system.

Das könnte Ihnen auch gefallen