A man is born gentle and weak.
At his death he is hard and stiff.
Green plants are tender and filled with sap.
At their death they are withered and dry.
Therefore the stiff and unbending is the disciple of death.
The gentle and yielding is the disciple of life.
Thus an army without flexibility never wins a battle.
A tree that is unbending is easily broken.
The hard and the strong will fall.
The soft and weak will overcome.
Lao Tsu
The History of Tai Chi
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ai Chi was developed in ancient China as an outcropping of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. The elements of these three cultures were combined to provide a set of exercises for bringing the body to an optimal condition.
However, not much is known about the origins of Tai Chi since most of its history has been lost as a result of the Cultural Revolution in China (1966-69), during which most books relating to ancient Chinese culture have been destroyed. It is fortunate that during this time some of the masters, among them Cheng Man-Ching, moved to Taiwan salvaging much of this ancient knowledge.
According to Dr Lin it is difficult to provide an accurate history of Tai Chi. The reasons for this are varied. One of the problems is that the majority of Chinese were illiterate even up until the 19th century. Traditionally a master’s knowledge was passed on orally in the family from one generation to the next and only to the sons, because once the daughters were married they would perhaps take this knowledge outside the family. Then came a time when some educated student wrote down the master’s instructions, often without giving his name. At some later stage another student would ascribe these principles to his own master, even if they were not. Even today scholars disagree on the roots and development of Tai Chi.
However, the theories about Tai Chi’s origin are essentially of two kinds: the mythic and humanistic. The mythic approach attributes the art to an inspired sage or immortal, whereas the humanistic one emphasises the painstaking process of cultural evolution.
The most popular of these theories traces its origins to the early 14th century to Chang San-feng. The legend tells how one day Chang was observing a snake and a crane fighting in his garden. He was fascinated by the way the two animals evaded each other’s attacks by using their own natural abilities. This made him realise the value of yielding when faced with a stronger opponent. Chang worked with these basic movements and developed them into a system that became the foundation of Tai Chi. Over the centuries numerous masters perfected Chang’s techniques and developed the Tai Chi forms as we know them today.
However, it was only during the 1920s and 1930s that Tai Chi became popular throughout China and in 1927 when Yang Cheng-fu moved to Taiwan, many of his students followed him. In the same year Cheng Man-ching (aged 26) became Yang Cheng-fu’s youngest student.
It is said that Cheng Man-ching became one of the most famous Yang style Tai Chi masters because he wanted to bring this art to the West in order to spread its health promoting properties.
The Benefits of Tai Chi
In ancient China people practised Tai Chi in order to cultivate an inner awareness of what was happening in their physical bodies. For this reason, Tai Chi is called an “Internal Martial Art”, while all others are considered “External”. Tai Chi consists of a sequence of movements practised very slowly, smoothly, with deep breathing and concentration. Because of this it has also been called a “moving meditation”. Since its movements are very graceful Tai Chi has the appearance of a classical dance. However, let not appearances deceive you, even though it seems easy to perform, it is actually quite strenuous.
Every principle one learns in Tai Chi aims at enhancing both physical health and emotional well-being. Since tension and stress are extremely damaging to one’s wellbeing, one of the most important principles one learns in Tai Chi is how to relax completely. This type of relaxation balances one’s breathing and improves one’s blood circulation, which is one of the body’s most important functions. Furthermore, Tai Chi produces other benefits as well: it provides a balanced exercise for all the muscles and joints, and therefore leads to better flexibility and suppleness, an increase in cardio-vascular activity and improved digestion and metabolism. It also strengthens the immune system, and boosts one’s energy levels. Relaxation and the rebalancing of energy alleviate many stress symptoms such as headaches, body pain, insomnia, high blood pressure, irritability, depression and anxiety. This ultimately brings balance and harmony to body and mind and leads to general well-being.
Besides this, through the regular practice of concentrating on each movement and keeping the mind tranquil, the central nervous system is aided. This is another vital aspect of health, as the efficient functioning of our organs depends largely on the soundness of the central nervous system.
Another aspect of Tai Chi that makes it such a powerful exercise for achieving well-being is that the principles one learns can be applied to everything one does throughout the day. Of course, if one wants to achieve a lasting benefit, it is necessary to practise regularly. The more consistently one exercises and practises these principles, the greater the benefits will be.
The very gentleness of Tai Chi is its greatest advantage, as it does not overstrain the heart. This makes it possible for everyone to perform it, irrespective of age. Most people have the tendency to do less and less as they get older, both physically and mentally, which has a detrimental effect on their health and wellbeing. Dr Lin maintains that even at the age of 90 people can still practise Tai Chi, although they would probably not be able to run 100 metres. In the East there are many masters, as well as ordinary people, who still practice Tai Chi at an advanced age.
Tai Chi Principles
The most important principle you will learn in Tai Chi is called ‘sung’. This Chinese term encompasses three interdependent concepts: (1) complete relaxation, (2) concentration and (3) moving without energy or force. The last aspect seems paradoxical, but is actually the key element of Tai Chi, and will be explained below.
‘Sung’ is vital, because if one is unable to relax, one can’t function properly, and any tension held in the body over a long period of time eventually leads to disease. Let’s look at the three elements:
1) Complete relaxation means that there is no tension anywhere in the body. Tension restricts the flow of energy, blood and lymph to the affected area. Kept up over a long period of time it causes damage that can lead to disease. By being totally relaxed we assist the body’s innate ability to heal itself. In Tai Chi this type of relaxing is called ‘suspending’. The best way to understand this concept is to imagine that a cord is attached to the crown of one’s head on which the whole body hangs, thus keeping every part of the body suspended. After regular practice this idea becomes automatic which confers great benefits to the practitioner. When suspended, a posture can be maintained without using force or tension in the body’s muscles. Suspending is vital, because there is a close interdependence between the spine and the health of the body. For a weak spine affects the whole body. Just like the heart, all the body’s organs have a certain pulsation or beat and in order to perform efficiently, they need a certain space around them, which is achieved when one is suspended. Thus if one’s posture is slumped the organs become cramped and are unable to function optimally. Furthermore, the muscles that attach the organs to the spine will eventually damage the spinal column. Another benefit of suspending, besides keeping the internal organs healthy, is that it aids the work of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems.
2) Concentration is a vital aspect for leading a healthy life. Especially in our fast-paced society it is very easy for the mind to become scattered as there are so many things that claim our attention throughout the day. Consequently, we get into the habit of hopping from one thought to another, and usually end up doing one thing while thinking about something else. This is a major source of stress and is counteracted by Tai Chi practice. Students are trained to concentrate completely on each move they are performing, and as a result of regular practice it automatically spills over into our daily life, and improves our ability to think more clearly and therefore work more efficiently. [Employers are especially happy about this aspect.]
The method taught by Tai Chi to acquire this single-mindedness is quite simple. The student, while practicing, has to keep his attention on the ‘tan tien’, which is a point about 5cm below the navel. This point is believed to be the source of one’s energy and power.
3) Moving without energy, the third element of ‘sung’, sounds quite paradoxical and may be difficult concept to understand. However, it simply means learning how to practise Tai Chi with the least amount of wasted effort, or rather without force. This can only be achieved if one is able to relax completely and to concentrate fully on what one is doing. Most importantly, moving without energy relies on one being suspended.
Another vital aspect of Tai Chi is to breathe correctly. When the breath is relaxed, one is more focused on the present moment and is able to find more effective ways of coping with problems. In addition, when one’s movements and breathing are smooth, the heart, and therefore the circulatory and lymphatic systems can adjust and function optimally. Deep breathing also regulates the respiratory system and helps people suffering from conditions like asthma, bronchitis and emphysema.