About Taiji

Taiji, short for Taijiquan, (see note on translations, below), is a traditional Chinese martial art rooted in the philosophy of Daoism with more than 3 centuries of history.

Daoism speaks of the yin and yang, the two opposites, of their interplay (these are depicted in the taiji symbol, shown above). Yin and yang are the two main concepts behind taiji, where they take the form of push and pull, heavy and light, substantial and insubstantial. Taiji strives to keep yin and yang in balance.

Daoism also speaks of oneness, and of action through inaction. In taiji, this takes the form of centering the mind, rooting the body, relaxation, and focus.

For example, in Taiji as a martial art, one would not block a strike by using force to counter force, as using yang (strength) to counter yang would offset the balance of yin and yang. A Taiji master would instead gently deflect the blow, rendering it's strength useless.

Also central to Daoism and Taiji is the concept of Qi, the vital energy which flows in the interplay of yin and yang. Taiji seeks to cultivate one's Qi; to concentrate and direct it into one's power.

The Taiji forms we practice are designed to include these principles while gently exercising the body and focusing the mind.

Benefits of Taiji

Taiji has many health benefits for people of all ages. Some more common benefits include:

• Increased Flexibility: Taiji gently and naturally rolls your joints to a full range of motion.
• Correct Posture: In Taiji, one's spine is aligned and straight, with a natural and relaxed posture.
• Improved Balance and Coordination: The slow, measured movements allow you to gain balance, corrdination, and awareness of the body.
• Improved Strength: Practicing Taiji constitutes an excellent, low-impact workout. The postures work all the muscles, especially those of the legs.
• Relaxation and Aerobic Benefits: The deep breathing and fluid movements of Taiji reduce stress, tension, axiety, and benefit the cardiovascular system.

Taiji Styles

There are four main styles of Taiji: Chen, Yang, Wu, and Sun.

• Chen: Chen-style Taiji is the oldest form of Taiji, it originated over 300 years ago. As with most Chinese martial arts, much information about the origin of Taiji is lost in legend. Chen-style Taiji is characterized by variations; fast and slow, high stances and low stances, soft movements and powerful movements.
• Yang: Yang-style Taiji is a sucessor of Chen-style, started by Yang Luchan in the early 19th century. Yang-style Taiji is characterized by a uniform slow pace without pauses and a constant height of stance. Yang-style Taiji is the most common form, as it forms the basis for the standardized 24-posture introductory Taiji form typically taught to beginners.
• Wu: Wu style, also known as Hao style, is an outgrowth of Yang style, also originating in the early 19th century with Wu Yuxiang and his disciple Hao Weichen. Its characteristics include a uniform, high-level stance, with more leaning of the body than in other styles.
• Sun: Sun style is derived from Sun style. Its characteristics include a high-level stance with short and compact movements.

We practice Yang and Chen styles. Caltech's other Taichi Club practices Hao style.

Note on Translations

In this site, the modern Pinyin romanization of the Mandarin dialect is used. Throughout the Taiji literature, many other systems are used, often inconsistently. This is further complicated by the many dialects of Chinese and the fact that once a word has entered common usage it is difficult to change.

Taiji, short for Taijiquan, roughly transliterates as "supreme ultimate fist". The many romanizations and ways of writing Taijiquan include "Taichichuan", "TaiChiChuan", "T'ai-chi Chuan", and "Taijiquan".

"Dao" and "Daoism", which roughly translates as "the way", is typically written "Tao" or "Taoism".

Suffice it to say that for the purposes of this site, all of the above are equivalent. It is more important that you know what "taiji" means that that you know what "tai" and "ji" mean.

Chinese characters form an art all to themselves, and will be inserted as asides where practical and straightforward.