John Ding International Academy

of Tai Chi Chuan Guildford Branch

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.     

JDIATCC Guildford

T: 07812 469133

E: alex@guildfordtaichi.co.uk