TAI CHI CHUAN

WHAT DOES TAI CHI CHUAN MEAN?

"Tai Chi Chuan" literally translates awkwardly into English as something like

"SUPREME ULTIMATE FIST"

WHAT IS CHEN STYLE TAI CHI CHUAN?

Chen Style Tai Chi is a high-level martial art that satisfies many of the multi-faceted demands of human life. While its primary role is self-defense, Chen Style Tai Chi offers precious wisdom in regards to health and artistic expression by providing an education deeply grounded in kinetics, medical science, physiology, body mechanics, psychology, philosophy, and aesthetics. There are now five main styles of Tai Chi Chuan: Chen, Yang, Sun and the two Wu styles. Chen style is the original parent, the Father of the styles.

HOW IS CHEN STYLE DIFFERENT?

Chen style is characterised by its more vigorous, energetic and uniquely graceful "silk-reeling", spiral, twist-like actions. Also by its contrary gentle/explosive, slow/fast, hard/soft style in its leaps, kicks, skip-steps, blocks, and strikes. And again by its "stamping" and "shaking" like actions. Chen style is ideally suited to younger adults but of course all ages can practise and adapt the movements to as vigorous a level as desired.

WHAT ARE THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF TAI CHI CHUAN?

Reduce stress
Increase flexibility
Improve muscle strength and definition
Increase energy stamina and agility
Increase feelings of well-being
Reducing anxiety and depression
Improving balance and coordination
Reducing the number of falls
Improving sleep quality
Slowing bone loss in women after menopause
Lowering blood pressure
Improving cardiovascular fitness
Relieving chronic pain
Improving everyday physical functioning

Tai Chi Chuan There are several legends.

One of the three legends tells us that by the end of the SUNG Dynasty, 800 years ago a manufacturer of an elixir, by the name of Zhang Sang Fen lived in the Wu Bana mountain.

One night, this hermit dreamt that Xuan Du, the Black Emperor, revealed to him a form of combat through which he had killed one hundred bandits by himself.

Xuan Du was a Taoist divinity linked to the North and to the Polar Star, place to which Tai Chi Chuan is traditionally oriented, and pilgrims often went to the Wu Dang mountain to visit this divinity.

Due to its origin, this art is deemed to be a divine sport.

Zhang Sang Fen Another legend tells us that the same Taoist monk was present during a fight that took place between a serpent and a crane.

The latter was attacking incessantly with strength and decision, while the serpent softly avoided its deathly attacks. Finally, the bird had to give up because its foe's relaxed movements did not offer direct resistance, but allowed to counter attack as swiftly as lightening.

This singular combat inspired Zhang Sang Fen to create a Martial Art which basic principles would be to subdue vigorous movements, substituting them by soft ones, adapting one's own style to the style of the others and to through down a five hundred kilogram weight with four ounces.

The existing historical data seem to indicate that Tai Chi Chuan originated or at least, developed in the province of Henan, within the Chen Family, some eight hundred years ago It is generally accepted that this Chen style, also known as Lao Jia or "Old Structure" is the primary one from which all the others came. Its main characteristic is a mixture of vigorous and soft movements which, in their circular path end up being explosive manifestations of power.

At present, Tai-Chi-Chuan is popular the world over. This is due to the many physical, mental and spiritual benefits obtained through its practice.

YIN / YANG The dual nature of reality.

Yin means the "dark side of a mountain" and Yang means its "sunny side". There are two ways of representing this:

Yin is represented by a black circle or by a broken line _ _
Yang is represented by a white circle o, or a full line ___

In order to understand these terms, let us think that before the Universe came into existence, there was a situation called Wu Chi*, "that which does not have an end".

The Universe was born from this condition, and its name was: Tai Chi** or "Great Last One" or "Great Terminal", that is creation without any movement, a static unit that would give rise to the Yin and the Yang.

From the interaction of Yin and Yang, Pa Kwa and the ten thousand manifestations of the Universe arose.

THE YIN / YANG THEORY:

Yin and Yang are some of the main fundamental concepts of Chinese culture, and as such, they may be found in all of its manifestations: in art, architecture, philosophy, martial arts, and medicine.

CARACTERISTICS: Oposition and Interdependence

 

 

YIN	YANG
Woman	Man
Night	Day
Negative	Positive
Water	Fire
Down	Up
Inside	Outside
Exhale	Inhale
Rest	Activity

 

Ying / Yang express the relationship between opposites, regarding an object or a phenomenon. A relative relationship, because it exists through comparison.

 

Grand Master Wang Xi An & Master John Duval

Master Feng Jian Jun & Master John Duval