The histories of Tai Chi Chuan often seem vague and mystical. Many books and internet sites attempt to remove Taijiquan (a modern spelling of T’ai-chi Chüan) from its violent historical roots, preferring instead to clothe the vibrant and colorful Zhang San Feng in the grey robes of the Sage. Such bland suggestions or proclamations, be it accidental or deliberate, should insult the reader. They muddy the reality of Taijiquan.
Motivations, at first, seem kind. People, generally, seem to seek some peace of mind, ease of body, and contentment of spirit. Certainly, in an age of unprecedented, phenomenally technological and barbaric warfare, the desire for local and global peace is necessary and nice. I am merely concerned that deception and lies, both accidental or deliberate, promote neither peace nor understanding. I propose that peace-seekers wage war, and war-mongers seek peace.
Yes.
The nice have become foolish, the ruthless turned harsh and sadistic. But I digress as I generalize. In Tai Chi Chuan, we see our art depress it’s intense spirit into a spirit lacking in power, brimming with fantasy. And in some of America’s New-Age Tai Chi Practitioners, we discover weak souls, hoping for peace, clinging to fantasies of self-defense, and craving some kind of healing experience. But these Taijiquan practitioners are too lazy to work and too sloppy to fight.
In real Taijiquan, we fight first. We wake up! We empower our nervous system with Yang-ness. We saturate our tissues with relaxation and integrated structure. We seek balance, not by lazy sloppiness but through tension-integrity. The stress that we promote in Qi-gong standing or in Tai Chi drills develops our capacity to cope with various forms and many angles of aggressive energies. We therefore develop a capacity to cope with all kinds of stresses, from workplace mania to intense crime.
Practitioners who claim that “Tai Chi has evolved beyond the need for violence” lack the knowledge about the Form and its origins. They lack the knowledge about the training system and the structures of Qi-gong. Taijiquan’s history sits in violence and forever remains violent. Tai Chi Chuan allows individuals to evolve spiritually, only because it comes from these dark histories. It radiates power in it’s explosive Fa-Jing energies, and it continues to help people draw strength through the inner vibrance of electrical shaking. It creates health and healing by creating confidence and strength to live through and beyond violent scenarios. What health and healing can come without the self-confidence of the warrior?
Sifus, masters, or instructors might proclaim that the virtuous, soft, and energetic properties of Tai Chi begin, emanate, or end with softening. Such teachers do not know Tai Chi Chuan. Others spout the virtue of “pushing” an attacker away using modern, competitive push hands. But that conclusion radiates ignorance about our Supreme Martial Art. Behind these conclusions might also lurk the bloated ego. Teachers, sifus, and masters who push their students 10 feet and proclaim vague, mystical powers might believe their own words. Such instructors might also grow to believe in their own Sainthood. Be careful what you call them.
Know the truth. Tell the truth. Live the truth.
Be your own Master.
April 29th, 2008 at 10:16 pm
I learn quite some novel concepts of Tai Chi Chuan that I heard of the first time, even though with my background and influence of Chinese culture til college graduate. I agree most of them after living and working in US over 15 years.
Have those points verified by historian or Chinese philosopher? or promoted by World Taiji Boxing Association?
April 30th, 2008 at 9:34 am
The overall concepts in the article are my own; the peculiar bits of history are more widely described. Some of the best in-depth examination of Tai Chi histories you’ll find in Paul Brecher’s books or in Yang Family Secret Transmissions.
Which concepts are novel to you?
Adding Yangness to the process of Taiji is necessary at some point.
Beginning classes that I teach include both yin and yang explorations: the form provides yin-ness, the pushing hands -combat style- offers us a taste of yang.
Advanced practitioners do different things with yin and yang, and have more complex explorations. But without yang - no yin.
May 1st, 2008 at 12:04 am
I grew up in Taiwan where the Wushu education in school were almost none. (Un)Fortunately, there are very rich tradition of martial art novels in Chinese literature, every growing child has experience of staying up and reading all day & night, lying in stillness and practicing mentally.
“Taijiquan’s history sits in violence and forever remains violent.”
This is the boldest statement I ever read. Thought the traditional TaichiChuan masters are mostly taoists, and believers of I-Ching, one of the oldest of the Chinese classic texts. I could not associate the philosophy of Lao-tzu, chuang-tzu with violence.
Like every layperson of Wushu, I gain knowledge by browzing the web. Maybe I can search in library, see if can find good materials.
I enjoy reading your thoughts based on your real experience of daily practice in long years. Also, the videos at another site I watched yesterday are fun and helpful.
May 7th, 2008 at 4:53 pm
I don’t know of a great memoir of Yang Lu-ch’an that will detail his attitude and life events. Much of what I can gather is a bit piecemeal, but check these out…
Wikipedia’s detail of Chinese history of the TaiPing Rebellion lists it among histories deadliest conflicts.
Yang Lu Ch’an lived from 1799 to 1872. Taiping Rebellion 1850-1864, Panthay Rebellion 1856–1873, and Dungan Revolt 1862–1877…during which, from 1850 until his death, Yang Luchan taught Taiji to the elite Manchurian guards.
Violence was part of life for China; it’s hard to say how violent Luchan was…but one can draw conclusions based on his position in the Imperial hierarchy.
Finally, for a sense of Lu Ch’an’s attitude, I quote Paul Brecher “there was great pressure for…a picture of Yang Lu Chan, the creator of Tai Chi. In reality Yang Lu Chan looked a lot like his son Yang Pan Hou but Yang Pan Hou had a very serious and intense countenance. So they decided to base the photo of Yang Lu Chan on his grandson Yang Shao Hu’s expression which was more serene instead” (p. 36, A Martial Arts Journey Part Two - China).
July 25th, 2008 at 10:52 am
Many records state that Chang San Feng was a taoist sage, but many records also show that taoists had to fight violent battles numerous times for various purposes over time. Can it be said that his being a taoist sage is an effective allusion to gentleness in his 13 postures(as he calls his art in classics said to be written by him)?
Even in his classics he says to flow like a river, I know many rivers and they are every bit as violent as they are gentle.
The very term Tai Chi comes from taoism and can be read as the ultimate manifestation of yin and yang combined, in the promulgation of this philosophy how can there not be a place for violence and it’s antithesis? The tao gives rise to all things, violence being no exception, but in the grand ultimate all things harmonious. Violence should not be left out, or over emphasized, if we use the tao as a guide.
Hisotry records that Cheng-Fu saw the demise of the practicality of martial arts in military conflicts in china wherein the gun became dominant. The emphasis that he passed on was much less combat oriented than that of his family before him which had made a living, and even a survival under the Manchurians due to martial arts being illegal for the general public to practice at the time, for 3 generations.
WTBA Taijiquan appears to come from the generation just previous to Cheng-Fu. When Chien-Hu, his father died many students of his were placed under Cheng-Fu, many rejected this and left, it is likely that Chang Yiu-Chun was among those whom left. A review of the old Lu-Chan form shows it to be quite a bit like that of Shao-Hou type forms and seems particularly combat oriented. Cheng-Fu’s tai chi if it is authentic will not have the same capacity for violence, but will allow the potential for the development of a great deal of skill. Cheng Man Chings student William Chen went on to fight in tournaments and develop a more violent aspect than his teacher who did not have free fighting applications practices, while William Chen did. Another CMC student TTliang later sought out and added Luchans San Shou drill, as well as adding push hands from other various teachers (Wang Yen Nien etc) to improve the art he learned from Cheng.
In my own practice (Chen Wei Ming) I was told about and practiced several applications for violence in moving push hands (3 steps back and forth type) but have found some of CMC’s decendant groups to often have very little emphasis upon violent aspects. I suspect this type of approach reflects the abridged nature of Cheng Man Chings time with Yang Cheng Fu, as well as Zhan Qin Ling. Perhaps tai chi’s approach to violence is all too often, like so many of its forms, incomplete. who am I to say
July 25th, 2008 at 11:03 am
Zhang San Feng is often said to have had a big beard, that doesn’t sound very Chinese does it?