As we enter a new era, the usage frequency of the two terms "Taiji" and "Tai Chi Chuan" is increasing. Their domestic and international dissemination and global response have played an indispensable role in promoting national fitness, advancing international exchange, and carrying forward Chinese culture. They have become one of the most beautiful cultural symbols of the Chinese nation.
Exploring the reasoning behind this, people cannot help but ask: what is Taiji? What is Tai Chi Chuan? Following the trajectory of Chinese civilization's development, how should we standardize, systematize, and even industrialize this cultural heritage? The author has been fascinated by Tai Chi for over twenty years and has gradually gained some understanding, which I respectfully present here for everyone's sharing and for experts' correction.
What is Tai Chi Chuan
The term "Taiji" originates from "The Book of Changes (Yi Jing)·Appended Statements": "Yi has Taiji, which generates the two principles (yin and yang); the two principles generate the four images; the four images generate the eight trigrams." Taiji refers to the origin from which all things are derived. In the Northern Song Dynasty, Zhou Dunyi inherited this thought and wrote "Explanation of the Diagram of Taiji." In the Southern Song Dynasty, Zhu Xi believed that "the principle of heaven, earth, and all things is Taiji." Sun Yat-sen once used "Taiji" to translate the Western term "ether," believing that Taiji (ether) is the root of the material world. Taiji is so small that there is nothing within it, and so large that there is nothing beyond it — profound and vast.
Taiji is the sum of contradictory elements that constitute things, a synthesis of Chinese classical philosophy, standing on the cornerstone of yin and yang — the classical philosophy of China. Tai Chi Chuan draws upon the cosmic ontology view of "Wuji generates Taiji" from the Taiji theory. At its primordial state, it embraces the original unity and is formless and substanceless. Thereafter, yin and yang change, movement and stillness blend, emptiness and substance interact, advancement and withdrawal occur freely, opening and closing follow an orderly pattern, and the mind is calm like water yet moves without wind. Simple bodily language manifests a thousand phenomena; each posture and movement fully demonstrates its basic characteristic — roundness.
The core value of Tai Chi Chuan can be simply summarized as: a martial spirit rooted in combat techniques, a self-healing efficacy with fitness as its function, and moral cultivation with culture as its soul. It integrates the multiple functions of martial arts, philosophy, and health preservation. In the long river of history, it stands uniquely while resonating with the times. In the process, it cultivates essence, qi, and spirit, nurtures character and thought, and pursues rhythmic artistic conception and the Way. Throughout history, all practitioners, without exception, follow this principle. Regardless of which level one has reached, each is a beautiful scenic view. The deeper one enters the realm, the more one can feel its exquisite beauty and infinite mystery.
The core essential of practicing Tai Chi Chuan is relaxation, entering tranquility, and using intent. It requires a long-term process. In ancient times, there was a saying "ten years of Tai Chi, yet one cannot leave the door," which has its reasoning. Relaxation to the extreme without collapse, pure tranquility without drowsines, intent focused without fixation — this requires long-term practice and experiential understanding. Practicing relaxation, practicing tranquility, and practicing intent is practicing the ultimate (Taiji). The ultimate is the process of approaching truth. Practicing Tai Chi Chuan is practicing the ultimate; the great Way is extremely simple.
Tai Chi Chuan is "Taiji + Quan (fist/boxing)." Taiji is the ancient Chinese sages' description of the evolution of the universe's great Way. Non-existence gives rise to existence; Wuji generates Taiji. One generates two (yin and yang); two generate three (heaven, earth, and human); three generate all things. One yin and one yang constitute the Way. Taiji is the endlessly living great Way of the universe.
Tai Chi Chuan embodies philosophy, science, medicine, and martial studies.
Philosophy: Yinand yang mutually support, yin and yang balance; yin and yang are independent, yin and yang are opposite; yin contains yang, yang contains yin; yin and yang have mutual roots, yin and yang mutually transform. The philosophical principle of Tai Chi Chuan completely aligns with and inherits from materialist dialectics.
Science: The cornerstone of Taiji is yin and yang. Binary systems developing into AI theory and technology evolve into networks, becoming the technical support of modern society. Yinand yang in Taiji philosophy are of the same origin as binary systems. That yin does not depart from yang, and yang does not depart from yin — to what extent does this align in principle with modern physics' frontiers of quantum entanglement and quantum mechanics?
Medicine: Traditional Chinese medicine is profound and vast. TCM emphasizes regulation — what does it regulate? It regulates the balance of yin and yang. Tai Chi Chuan most emphasizes the balance of yin and yang. Long-term correct practice of Tai Chi Chuan can prevent pre-disease, regulate pre-illness (sub-health), and treat existing disease. Benefiting health is the fundamental reason why Tai Chi Chuan has swept the world and gained widespread popularity.
Martial Studies: All martial arts in the world are based on strength type without exception. Only internal martial arts, only Tai Chi Chuan, takes wisdom as the soul. Tai Chi Chuan emphasizes using the small to defeat the large, the weak to overcome the strong — this is the martial study.
Where Did Tai Chi Chuan Come From
No civilization's emergence falls from the sky. Where did Tai Chi Chuan come from? In terms of dynasties, there are theories of the Tang, Song, Ming, and Qing. In terms of figures, there are theories of Wang Zongyue, Zhang Sanfeng, Chen Wangting, and Yang Luchan. Tai Chi Chuan is rooted in China's vast land, with a long history like a river embracing hundreds of streams, all along gathering numerous tributaries, and finally achieving great success. Following the context of history, there is generally the theory of the "Five Ancestors": Yi Ancestor, De Ancestor, Medicine Ancestor, Military Ancestor, and Technique Ancestor.
"Yi Ancestor" refers to the three sages: Fuxi, King Wen of Zhou, and Confucius. Fuxi opened heaven with one character and drew the eight trigrams. King Wen of Zhou deduced the Book of Changes and calculated the sixty-four trigrams. Confucius wrote the "Commentaries on the Book of Changes." Tai Chi Chuan draws upon the core thought of the "Three Changes" (Change, Simplicity, and Unchanging) of the "Book of Changes." The "Ten Principles" of Tai Chi Chuan (yin and yang, emptiness and solidness, internal and external, hardness and softness, movement and stillness) take the "Book of Changes'" yinand yang as their cornerstone. Therefore, Tai Chi Chuan honors the system of the "Book of Changes" as the "Yi Ancestor."
"De Ancestor" — none other than Laozi and Zhuangzi. Laozi Li Er wrote the "Tao Te Ching," founding the Daoist school. Zhuangzi inherited and promoted Laozi's core thought of "the Way follows nature." Tai Chi Chuan draws upon the core thoughts of "valuing softness" and "the Way follows nature" from the "Tao Te Ching," forming Tai Chi techniques and thinking of relaxation, tranquility, and intent. Gradually, it develops the "wonderful realm" of using softness to overcome hardness, spiritual transformation and non-action. Therefore, Tai Chi Chuan should honor Laozi and Zhuangzi as the "De Ancestor."
"Medicine Ancestor" honors Qibo. Qibo engaged in dialogues with the Yellow Emperor to produce the "Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon." The "Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon" is the foundational work of TCM theory. Its core thought is the unity of heaven and man, emphasizing that health preservation should follow nature, not violating the timing of heaven, and responding to the changes of the four seasons: spring birth, summer growth, autumn harvest, and winter storage. Tai Chi Chuan fully draws upon the core thought of the unity of heaven and man from the "Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon," following the patterns of heaven and earth, taking the Way of yinand yang, and following the images of nature — plain and measured, with proper bearing and presence. Therefore, Tai Chi Chuan honors Qibo as the "Medicine Ancestor."
"Military Ancestor" reveres Sun Wu as the pinnacle. "The Art of War by Sun Wu" is the earliest extant military book in China and also the earliest military work in the world. It is revered by the world's military circles as the "Sacred Canon of Military Studies." Its author Sun Wu is honored by the world as the "God of War." Tai Chi Chuan draws upon the core thoughts of "cautious warfare" — "one who knows warfare is the master of the people's lives and the main figure for the nation's security or danger" — and "know the enemy and know yourself, and you will fight a hundred battles without danger" from "The Art of War by Sun Wu," establishing the "cautious warfare" thought of seeking peace and that "if the enemy does not move, I do not move." This achieves the realm where one person does not know me (the spiritual person's clarity), and I alone know the person (the clear person's understanding). People called Tai Chi master Yang Luchan "Yang the Invincible," vividly illustrating the practical combat value of Tai Chi Chuan. Therefore, Tai Chi Chuan honors Sun Wu as the "Military Ancestor."
"Technique Ancestor" begins with Zhang Sanfeng. Zhang Sanfeng observed a fight between a magpie and a snake, comprehended the principle of waiting at ease for the fatigued, and using stillness to control movement. He first created "Wudang Soft Boxing," naming it "Taiji." Therefore, Tai Chi Chuan honors Zhang Sanfeng as the "Technique Ancestor."
To summarize, the conclusion is already clear: Taiji, Tai Chi Chuan, and Tai Chi culture are Chinese cultural treasures, born alongside Chinese civilization, dependent on the sources of the Five Ancestors, flowing for thousands of years without end, continuously flourishing without decline.
Where Will Tai Chi Chuan Go
What is the development direction of Tai Chi Chuan's future? Where will it go? Observing the development course of Tai Chi Chuan, it has walked out a lineage of family tradition, professional tradition, and industrial inheritance. From this, we can judge and study the future development direction and path of Tai Chi Chuan.
During the long primitive society and slave society, Tai Chi Chuan was still in a rudimentary state — rough and scattered, far from standing out from the chaotic state. Entering feudal society, humanity welcomed the cold weapon era. The Tai Chi technique, relying on its superb combat function, was highly revered, but also became closed and conservative, passed down generation after generation as a family secret, revered as "family tradition."
In modern and contemporary times, the combat function of Tai Chi Chuan suddenly lost its market. Out of survival needs, Tai Chi masters left their homes and went out into society. Represented by Yang Luchan, they entered Beijing and the princely mansions, opening a new stage of establishing schools and teaching disciples, spreading Tai Chi and teaching the art became the "profession" of Tai Chi masters.
In contemporary society, Tai Chi Chuan has shifted from primarily combat function to primarily fitness function. With the implementation of the Healthy China strategy, traditional methods such as establishing schools and accepting disciples can no longer satisfy the people's beautiful demands for strengthening the body and maintaining health. Tai Chi and a large number of other national arts urgently need innovative inheritance methods.
First, establish and develop the theoretical disciplinary system of Tai Chi Chuan. Introduce professional Tai Chi cultural research institutions or organizations, gather and cultivate specialized talent. Through the practice and research of Tai Chi Chuan, clarify the connections between Tai Chi Chuan and many disciplines such as philosophy, medicine, Yi studies, aesthetics, military strategy, and psychology. Explain this ancient cultural project clearly using scientific means and express it in modern language, allowing more young people to understand it, recognize it, and love it. In 2010, Handan University introduced Tai Chi culture into higher education, establishing a specialized major for scientific inheritance. This is undoubtedly a milestone event in the development history of Tai Chi Chuan in China. In 2018, in view of the vigorous development of the Tai Chi culture major at the college, Handan University was approved by the Ministry of Education as the "National Chinese Excellent Traditional Culture (Tai Chi Chuan) Dissemination Base." This honor is unique to Tai Chi, ranking 11th among the first batch of 55 universities, entering the national first square for inheriting Chinese excellent traditional culture together with Peking University and Tsinghua University, which ranked first and second. In 2020, invited by the South China Sea Fleet of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, the "Sailor Tai Chi Chuan" was created and compiled; in 2022, nearly 200 teachers and students from the Tai Chi Culture College of Handan University went to the South China Sea Fleet to carry out comprehensive training and dissemination.
Second, strengthen brand building of Tai Chi Chuan, requiring more professional operation and more modernized and international perspective, further creating and expanding brand influence, and deeply excavating brand potential. Professional competitions, international exchange, martial arts schools, film and television works, network dissemination — multiple parties exerting force — creating a new upsurge of Tai Chi Chuan worldwide, shaping an influential Tai Chi cultural brand in the new era.
Today, only with industrialization can a cultural form achieve healthy and sustainable development, and Tai Chi Chuan is no exception. Tai Chi Chuan already has a huge consumer group and broad consumer market worldwide, with broad development prospects. Advancing the substantiation, professionalization, and industrialization of Tai Chi Chuan movement is imperative. In the future, the inheritance of Tai Chi Chuan will form a huge emerging industry. "Taiji +," "+ Taiji" will become the mainstream business formats of the Taiji industry. As necessary links in forming the Taiji industry chain, "talent + products + capital + market + N" will play an increasingly large role in the entire industrial development system.
The urgent priority is to integrate government, university, and enterprise resources, strengthen government guidance and policy support; university cultivation and scientific inheritance; enterprise intervention and capital support — only then can we research and develop more and more characteristic Tai Chi cultural products, better satisfy people's demands for high-quality Tai Chi products, and provide strong momentum for carrying forward Tai Chi culture.
Following this path, our career prospects are broad, with limitless world. Our core strategy can be summarized as: scientific inheritance stands up, creating and compiling Tai Chi studies; international dissemination goes out, benefiting humanity; social promotion goes down, benefiting the people; industrial development comes alive, sustainable development. To realize this blueprint, we will focus on three tactical objectives: creating and compiling the "Tai Chi Studies" theoretical system, founding the China Tai Chi University, and fully promoting Tai Chi Chuan's entry into the Olympic family.
Taiji treasure — originating from China, integrating into the world, benefiting humanity.