太
极
拳
极
拳
Origins of Tai Chi
In ancient China, word-of-mouth was the main
method used to pass on cultural heritage and
traditions. This was certainly true of the of the
martial arts, and until the eighteenth century the
secrets of Tai Chi Chuan were closely guarded
and only shared between members of the same
family.
Because of the oral tradition and secrecy, the true
origin of the art is uncertain and this has given
rise to many myths about its creation. The most
famous of these is that of a Taoist sage named
Chang San Feng, who was said to have lived
around the time of the Sung Dynasty (960-1278).
Chang San Feng had relinquished his official role in Government and become a
wandering hermit in search of enlightenment, when one day he was disturbed in
his meditation by a commotion. He got up and discovered a crane and a snake
fighting, but curiously neither creature was gaining the upper hand, each using
softness and circular motions to counter the other’s attack.
Fascinated, he began to develop a system of movements based on what he had
seen, incorporating them into his daily routine. Before long, Chang San Feng
had integrated his knowledge of Taoist meditation and breathing into the
movements and adapted the martial aspects to form a new type of exercise
system that had never been seen before. It is this holistic system of exercise
that is now known as Tai Chi Chuan.
traditions. This was certainly true of the of the
martial arts, and until the eighteenth century the
secrets of Tai Chi Chuan were closely guarded
and only shared between members of the same
family.
Because of the oral tradition and secrecy, the true
origin of the art is uncertain and this has given
rise to many myths about its creation. The most
famous of these is that of a Taoist sage named
Chang San Feng, who was said to have lived
around the time of the Sung Dynasty (960-
Chang San Feng had relinquished his official role in Government and become a
wandering hermit in search of enlightenment, when one day he was disturbed in
his meditation by a commotion. He got up and discovered a crane and a snake
fighting, but curiously neither creature was gaining the upper hand, each using
softness and circular motions to counter the other’s attack.
Fascinated, he began to develop a system of movements based on what he had
seen, incorporating them into his daily routine. Before long, Chang San Feng
had integrated his knowledge of Taoist meditation and breathing into the
movements and adapted the martial aspects to form a new type of exercise
system that had never been seen before. It is this holistic system of exercise
that is now known as Tai Chi Chuan.
