September 30, 2007

Chen Tai Chi

Summary: The Chen Tai Chi is the most original Tai Chi you can get.

Tai Chi traces its root way back ancient China, as old as the Chinese heritage. It is an ancient martial art that emphasizes speed, strength, flexibility, and balance. While no one was really sure if he exists, it was believed that a Taoist monk Chang San Feng founded Tai Chi Chuan and it originally had 13 postures. But over time various styles surfaced that further developed Tai Chi into a soft and subtle martial art.

However, some stories also talk about Chen Wang Ting as the founder of Tai Chi. He was a soldier and some believe he created the art based on his fighting experiences, his Tai Chi boxing methods - a compilation of different forms of boxing that existed during his lifetime.

There are about a dozen styles of Tai Chi, often carrying trademark postures or attitudes of the families, but only 5 are practiced most commonly today. These are the Yang, Chen, Wu, Sun, and Woo style. All Tai Chi styles, however, are derivatives from the original Chen family style. Suffice to say, Chen Tai Chi is the most original Tai Chi.

It was believed that the Chen Tai Chi got its name from the village where Chiang Fa, the current Tai Chi master, resided. Others argue that since the masters that practiced and developed the art were "Chen"s. But in any case, 2 traditions of Tai Chi emerged from the Chen family. Chen Chiang Hsing developed the Old Frame Chen Tai Chi which was famous during the early parts of china and Chen You Heng started the New Frame Tai Chi which became famous today. The Old Frame resembles closely to the New Frame of Chen Tai Chi but Chen Tai Chi bears, quite contrarily, very few resemblance to the original Tai Chi of Chang San Feng.

Originally, Tai Chi was a secret art taught exclusively within family members but Chen Chang Hsing broke from the tradition to teach Chen Tai Chi to a very talented student named Yang Lu Chan, and from this breach out came the style Yang Tai Chi.

The Chen style was known for its explosive movements of punches, kicks, rolls, and jumps. The emphasis of 'silk reeling' is still present but the Chen style punctuates its form with sudden speed increase in its movements. The Chen Tai Chi uses force more than its Tai Chi cousin, that's why Chen Tai Chi has been referred as the athletic Tai Chi. Those who wish to study a more volatile form of Tai Chi can opt to study the Chen Tai Chi style.