Brief History of the Origins of Tai Chi Chuan

The history of Tai Chi is lost in antiquity.  There have been Tai Chi like arts since at least the Tang dynasty,  and these arts were passed down anonymously until they were either systemised,  or absorbsed into other arts,  or combined,  or new arts base on them arose, or they simply died out.  However,  it appears that cultivators such as the immortal Zhang Sang Feng learnt these arts,  and created their own arts from them.  Although it is not necessarily true,  popular legend attributes origins of the art of Tai Chi Chuan Zhang Sang Feng. 

The fabric and essence of Chinese civilisation is Taoist.  Therefore,  many native arts were regarded as Taoist.  Zhang Sang Feng’s art,  and arts similar to his that were handed down are termed the Wu Tang system,  because of the fame of Wu Tang Mountain as a centre of Taoism.  Zhang Sang Feng was supposed to have lived or frequented that famous mountain.  Wu Tang mountain also has many similar systems of martial arts.  As time evolved,  many arts died out, some new ones arose. 

The arts of Wu Tang Mountain were also transmitted to outside the mountain and came to the Chen village, where the principal art was generally called the Chen Family Cannon Fist (Pao Zhui).  Pao Zhui was influenced,  if not derived from Shaolin arts such as Red Fist (Hong Quan) and Tai Zhu Quan (created by the great martial artist Zhao Guan Yin, first emperor of the Song Dynasty).  Pao Zhui itself was originally composed of at least 6 forms.  Over time of disuse,  only one or two forms remained,  and eventually combined with the Wu Tang arts to become the Chen Style of Tai Chi Chuan,  which is not very popular and perhaps wrongly regarded as the ORIGINAL Tai Chi Chuan. 

While the Wu Tang section of arts was still alive and distinct as a system in the Chen Village,  a young martial artist who heard of the art came to attempt to learn the art.  At first,  he was not accepted,  but after an incident in which he proved his ability and worth,  he was formally accepted.  This young man was Yang Lu Chan,  the founded of Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan. 

At that time, the art was not yet called Tai Chi Chuan. Even after Yang Lu Chan left the Chen village and was working as a teacher of imperial guards, he called his art “Cotton Fist”, which was actually one of the Taoist arts. It was during this time in the imperial palace that a reknowned martial arts scholar who observed Yang Lu Chan in his bouts commented that his art was special and reminded him of Tai Chi – the supreme unmovable pole of the universe, that Yang Lu Chan then re-named his art to be “Tai Chi Chuan”.

Due to his reputation in winning bouts in the imperial palace, Yang Lu Chan was nicknamed “Invincible Yang”, and his fame spread. He was appointed teacher to the emperor’s bodyguards, and some sources say, the emperor and his son as well.

While at the imperial palace, Yang Lu Chan taught Wu Jian Chian who was one of the captains of the imperial bodyguards. Wu Jian Chian later formulated the Wu Style of Tai Chi Chuan which closely resembles the Yang Style.

Yang Lu Chan also taught Wu Yu Xiang, who later went to learn the Wu Tang lineage of Tai Chi Chuan – like art in Chen Bao village which is near the Chen village. The other Wu Style (Wu Yu Xiang) was created from this.

Sun Lu Tang, a famous Xing Yi and Ba Gua master learn the Wu Yu Xiang style of Tai Chi Chuan and created the Sun Style of Tai Chi Chuan.

Thus, all the 5 traditional styles of Tai Chi Chuan were born.

Further Development – Yang Style tai Chi Chuan - briefly

Yang Lu Chan taught his 3 sons, but one son died early. The 2 remaining sons, Yang Ban Hou and Yang Shao Hou taught many students, including their children. Of these, the most popular and famous was Yang Cheng Fu who popularised the art of the Yang family as Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan. Because of this, most Yang Style practitioners belong to the lineage of Yang Chen Fu.

Of the numerous disciples of Yang Chen Fu, the most famous were Chen Wei Ming, Tung Ying Chieh and Cheng Man Ching. Cheng Man Ching acquired skills while practising in Taiwan and became famous. He is survived by many outstanding disciples, of which the most notable were Huang Shing Shyan of Malaysia(Sarawak), William Chen of USA, Tan Ngee Ching of Singapore, and the great fighter Yap Siu Ting of Malaysia. All have produced disciples who are carrying on the teachings. Yap Siu Ting was instrumental in establishing Tai Chi Chuan in West Malaysia. He was survived by students such as Loh Thong Poh (pinyin = Lu Tong Bao) and Sifu Chok (Tok) (pinyin = Zhu Shen Jing).

Written by John Chow, a TCM practitioner, masseur, healer, martial arts and spiritual teacher.

@2000

Unfinished article - to be continued in future.