What is Tai Chi? The classic states: “Tai Chi is born from Wu Ji, the mother of Yin and Yang.” Wu Ji represents stillness, silent and motionless; Tai Chi represents movement, responding and following the flow. Movement arises from stillness, Wu Ji gives birth to Tai Chi. Tai Chi is the martial art of Yin and Yang, with only two forms in its techniques: the interplay of emptiness and fullness. The Book of Changes states: “One Yin and one Yang is called the Dao,” meaning that all things are interdependent and complementary, and Tai Chi is no exception. The practice of Tai Chi involves opening and closing, storing and releasing, with emptiness and fullness interchanging, mutually rooted; its application involves following and resisting, moving in harmony, embodying the principle of mutual opposition and assistance. They are both opposing and unified; within this unity, Yin and Yang are like the North and South poles of a magnet, even when divided into the smallest parts, they still contain both poles. Yin and Yang cannot be separated; Yang is not purely Yang, as a white fish has black eyes; Yin is not purely Yin, as a black fish has white eyes. Yin can transform into Yang, and Yang can transform into Yin. The Tai Chi classics state: “Emptiness and fullness should be clearly distinguished; where there is one, there is the other, and everywhere there is this one emptiness and fullness.” Tai Chi footwork is divided into empty and solid; even the solid foot that bears weight still has aspects of emptiness, just like the black eyes in a Yang fish and the white eyes in a Yin fish.
So, where does the true meaning of Tai Chi, established by our ancestors, lie?
1.The True Meaning of Tai Chi – Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
Tai Chi is an internal martial art, characterized by simple postures, profound effects, ease of practice, and alignment with the Dao, following the natural way. Its mental approach emphasizes intention over force, using the mind to guide Qi, and relying primarily on stillness and tranquility, focusing on spiritual cultivation, strengthening willpower, enhancing wisdom, and emphasizing disease prevention and longevity, suitable for all ages and genders, allowing everyone to practice throughout their lives.
Since the rise of combat, performance, and competition, all martial arts have become dangerous and extraordinary, valuing difficulty and capability, gradually losing the true meaning of health cultivation. The classics state: “What is the ultimate purpose of intention? To prolong life and maintain youth.” The ultimate purpose of Tai Chi is to prolong life and maintain youth, yet some descendants, in their quest for novelty, create their own factions, complicating the styles, and some even misunderstand the true meaning of Tai Chi, hastily establishing their own schools. Tai Chi is an internal martial art, primarily focused on the mind and Qi, with the aim of spiritual cultivation. It not only aligns with the principles of the Book of Changes but also resonates with the teachings of Mengzi on Qi cultivation, connecting with modern science. So, what is the basis for practicing Tai Chi?
2. The Classics are the Soul of Tai Chi
The foundation of practicing Tai Chi lies in the classics. The classics are the soul of Tai Chi, the lifeblood of Tai Chi, serving as its guiding ideology and theoretical foundation. The essence of Tai Chi is contained within the classics; there is no falsehood, no deception. As long as one diligently follows the principles outlined in the classics, one can absolutely master it. If one does not value its guiding role, does not respect its authority, and does not adhere to the rules of the classics, one is sure to go astray. Some people, due to a bit of education, become subjective, overly confident, and enjoy showing off in front of others, yet they have not grasped what Tai Chi truly is, and they act on their own accord. Such individuals, in the face of the classics, find it difficult to avoid the error of subjectivism. Interpretations of the classics vary widely. Logically, the classics are written by those who possess deep internal skill; only those with profound internal cultivation can understand their profound meanings. Understanding them solely from a literal perspective is inaccurate. Those who guess correctly will progress quickly in their internal cultivation, their bodies becoming supple, joints relaxed, Qi and blood flowing smoothly, and blood vessels softening, leading to longevity; those who guess incorrectly will diverge from the principles of Tai Chi, their internal progress slowing, their techniques becoming slippery, and they may even stray into external martial arts. The harder they practice, the more obsessed they become, moving further away from Tai Chi, their bodies becoming stiff, Qi and blood stagnating, and diseases increasing. Once one mistakenly enters the path of force, the road to softness and flexibility is blocked, and the development of insight, wisdom, and inspiration becomes impossible, leading to a path of confusion from which one cannot extricate oneself. Therefore, I advise all practitioners to choose their path wisely and select enlightened teachers. The classics are the crystallization of the wisdom of our predecessors in martial arts, containing profound connotations, serving as the theoretical basis of Tai Chi, and embodying its essence. The ancients elevated the accumulated skills of several generations to a theoretical height, writing the classic texts to enlighten future generations. The path to mastering Tai Chi can only be achieved by practicing according to the classics.
The theoretical treasury of Tai Chi is extremely rich, including classics, treatises, manuals, maxims, explanations, methods, essentials, and sayings, among which Wang Zongyue’s five classics are of utmost importance, including: “Tai Chi Treatise,” “Thirteen Postures,” “Thirteen Posture Practice Song,” “Essential Sayings for Practitioners,” and “Practitioner’s Song.” These are the core of the classics, guiding generations of practitioners, and all other maxims and sayings are based on them. Regardless of which school or faction one practices, as long as one practices Tai Chi, they cannot be exempt. What the classics leave us is an eternal system of martial principles characterized by softness and flexibility, a complete system of Yin and Yang transformation, which cannot be taken out of context or rigidly interpreted, but must be understood through the practice of internal cultivation. When the essence of the thoughts of ancient sages flows through our veins, a healthy body and an open mind are the highest tribute to the classical classics. These cultural heritages have been passed down for thousands of years; if they were not scientific or lacked unique characteristics, they would have long been eliminated.
So, what should the thinking approach of Tai Chi be like?
3. Tai Chi is Reverse Thinking
In the eyes of ordinary people, the decisive factors in martial arts combat are strength and speed; thus, people pursue great strength and quickness, using strength to overcome weakness and speed to defeat slowness, which is common knowledge. Tai Chi, however, is just the opposite, advocating softness, slowness, and the principle of overcoming hardness with softness, using intention rather than force. It emphasizes winning with weakness, overcoming great strength with small strength, using four ounces to deflect a thousand pounds, and controlling movement with stillness. This is the philosophy of Tai Chi, a counterintuitive theory, a reverse thinking of ordinary people. Tai Chi does not pursue strength and speed, but it does not fear them either; rather, it values softness and slowness. Of course, the softness of Tai Chi is not the fragility commonly understood; it transcends mere strength. Within the appearance of softness lies immense power, like water, which is soft yet unyielding. We believe that Tai Chi harbors tremendous energy within its softness, and through this practice, one can achieve speed without haste and strength without force, becoming extremely soft and then extremely strong. The most vigorous life force in the human body is akin to the state of a newborn, and the most vital cells in the body are undifferentiated stem cells, indicating that the more primitive something is, the stronger its life force. Physically, the almost non-existent atoms contain far more energy than chemical energy, and chemical energy exceeds mechanical energy. The reverse thinking of Tai Chi, winning with small against large, overcoming hardness with softness, and defeating strength with weakness, must be realized in practice; without focus, perseverance, insight, and wisdom, it cannot be achieved. Through long-term practice of softness, lightness, and steadiness, one must invest effort and thought into the aspects of softness, lightness, agility, and non-force to gradually comprehend some of the principles of Tai Chi. Using great strength to overcome small strength, taking the initiative to strike first, and using speed to defeat slowness are common knowledge; Tai Chi represents a great wisdom that transcends common sense. Without changing one’s thinking perspective, without the willpower to transform oneself, and without altering the habitual reliance on force, one’s understanding will remain at the level of ordinary knowledge. How can one master Tai Chi philosophy without understanding Tai Chi?
4. The Differences Between Tai Chi and External Martial Arts
Practitioners of Tai Chi know that Tai Chi is an internal martial art. Tai Chi master Zheng Manqing once said: “External martial arts often sacrifice the body for technique, while Tai Chi nourishes life through technique.” There is an old saying in the martial arts community: “Internal training focuses on Qi, while external training focuses on muscles, bones, and skin,” which succinctly clarifies the differences between internal and external martial arts.
1) The Intent of Practice is Opposite
External martial arts often emphasize strength and power, with vigorous movements and many jumps and difficult techniques. “Learning astonishing skills to serve the royal family” is often predicated on utilitarian motives, such as defending the home and country. Tai Chi excels in softness and the integrity of whole-body strength, employing cat-like steps and silk-reeling techniques, focusing on internal Qi training, primarily for self-cultivation. The practice emphasizes relaxation and stillness, aiming to open the meridians, activate stagnant Qi, and promote smooth microcirculation. In action, it embodies the principle of yielding, willingly taking a step back. Practicing Tai Chi in a relaxed and tranquil manner nourishes internal Qi, cultivates emotions, and promotes longevity.
2) The Methods of Practice are Opposite
External martial arts prioritize developing great strength and ferocity, seeking to increase one’s own power and speed, focusing on offensive techniques or defensive techniques that include offense, aiming to strike vital points of the enemy. Speed must be quick, strength must be great, and actions must be fierce, often even exceeding one’s limits. Tai Chi, on the other hand, is a practice that does not rely on force, emphasizing the utmost softness and tranquility, seeking stillness within movement, executing techniques slowly and gracefully, like clouds floating or cat-like steps. The intention is not directed outward but is inwardly focused, allowing internal Qi to sink, nourishing the internal organs, relaxing the joints, and activating Qi, with the highest state being extreme softness. Movements are light, round, and agile, like flowing water. In summary, the goal is to minimize one’s own strength and practice according to bodily sensations.
3) The Application of Techniques is Opposite
External martial arts are characterized by proactive offense, seeking the enemy’s vital points and weaknesses, charging in fiercely, striking hard, and exerting all effort against the opponent, focusing on offense. This method is essentially a combination of techniques and inherent strength. Tai Chi does not initiate offense but waits for movement in stillness, yielding to the opponent, using the principle of four ounces to deflect a thousand pounds, employing internal strength that is soft yet powerful, focusing on self-defense. To understand the true skill of Tai Chi, one must listen to the wind and rain from the balcony, calmly observing the path of the rivers and lakes.