Tai Chi History
Tai Chi is an ancient martial art based on ancient principles over 3,000 years old. The art itself stems from China but has influences from India, said to be the birthplace of the martial arts. All Chinese martial arts are said to have originated in the Shaolin Temple where the Indian monk Ta Mo first taught the monks combat exercises to improve their physical well-being.
Tai Chi's Ancient History
The origins of Tai Chi as a complete martial system go back many centuries to a Chinese Monk called Chang San Feng. It is said that while staying at the Shaolin Temple, he was inspired by the spectacle on Wudang mountain of a snake fighting a magpie. Every time the magpie spread its wings to attack, the snake would dodge slightly sideways while maintaining his position and circular shape. Chang San Feng concluded that soft (the snake) will win out against hard, direct attacks and that a circular system of fighting was the most powerful. He is credited with the thirteen movements of Tai Chi that exist in every modern style today.
It is thought that Chan San Feng lived in the 14th or 15th century. However, many scholars dispute his very existence, due to a lack of verifiable historical material. Within the Tai Chi community itself, Chan San Feng is often attributed more mythical status than factual. Nevertheless he is an important figure as he symbolises certain key concepts that defined Tai Chi as a unique system. These concepts fly in the face of conventional combat theory and distanced it from the prevalent Shaolin martial arts of ancient China. The concepts are: defeat strong with soft, overcome speed with slowness and one man defeats many.
Tai Chi's martial foundations may be much older than 800 years for it was in the sixth century AD. that Bodidharma came to visit the Shaolin temple from India. Ta Mo, as he is often called in China, was horrified at the poor physical state of the Shaolin monks who spent many hours each day in silent mediation. He brought with him martial concepts from India that have much in common with Yoga and taught the monks his Eighteen Form Lohan exercise. Over years this was developed into Shaolin Kung Fu and several movements from that form survive today in modern Tai Chi. Ta Mo was said to have inhabited the Shaolin temple in the sixth century.
Chi Gung or Quigong, the system of breathing, present in all Chinese martial arts dates from 1122 BC. The book of changes written some 3000 years ago is the first text to mention Chi energy, the vital force upon which Tai Chi is founded. At this point in time, the study of Chi Gung was mostly of a metaphysical and philosophical nature associated with meditation. Throughout the centuries the study of Chi became inextricably intermeshed with the health and the study of martial arts, and today martial Chi Gung experts are known to put on dazzling shows of superhuman physical resistance.