About
Tai Chi & Its Founder
T’ai Chi Ch’uan (also spelt Taijiquan) is an ancient Chinese form of exercise which benefits the lives of its practitioners in a number of ways :
Stress/Anxiety Relief
The reason why Tai Chi is so beneficial is because its founders incorporated many aspects of traditional Chinese culture into it.
Principles of Chinese medicine, philosophy, self healing and energy development, self defence and meditative methods are all included in the practice of Tai Chi. Tai Chi is a powerful form of Chi Kung (Qigong).Tai Chi concentrates on developing softness, relaxing the mind and body to rediscover the source of health in the human body.
Tai Chi 37 Movement Form (Saturday 8-9:30am)
Although shorter than many other T’ai Chi forms, Professor Cheng’s 37 movement form contains all of the deepest principles and teachings of classical T’ai Chi and Chi Kung. Perfect for all ages and levels of experience.
Tai Chi Foundation Exercise (Tuesday 10-11:30am)
Classical exercises that contain all the principles and practices of T’ai Chi. Devised by masters of the art and taught to inner door students, these exercises improve
fitness, cultivate internal energy and develop a calm and relaxed body-mind. They can be practiced without having to learn the T’ai Chi form, though they do
complement form practice.Chang San Feng
Chang San Feng was a famous Taoist sage who lived approximately 700 years ago. He was a part of the monastic community at Wu Tang Mountain and inventor of the Wu Tang school of physical culture. He was known as an alchemist, Taoist immortal and the inventor of Tai Chi.
"Aside from being a wise sage, Master Chang is also known as the Father of the 'Grand Supreme Fist', Tai Chi Chuan. Chang discovered that most Wu Kuen, that is to say martial forms, were too vigorous and relied too heavily upon the physical strength.
It is told that Master Chang, ever observant of Nature, once witnessed a combat between a snake and a bird. The noise of this contest had disturbed the Master's devotions, and venturing forth from his modest hut, he witnessed the bird to attack the snake. At each pass, the bird fiercely pecked and clawed at the snake, however, the reptile through suppleness and coiling of his form, was able to avoid the attacks and launch strikes of his own. The bird in his turn circled and used his wings beat the snake aside when he struck. Master Chang contemplated upon this experience. That night, as the Master slept, Yu Huang, the 'Glorious Jade Emperor', visited Chang in his dreams and instructed him, teaching him the secrets of the Tao that the bird and the snake innately knew.
The next day, Chang sprang up from his sleep, wide awake and inspired by his Celestial Visitor, immediately set about to create a new Martial Art form that relied upon Internal Power, or Chi, at its root.
This art held as its foundation the Truth that 'yielding overcomes aggression' and 'softness overpowers hardness'. In honor of his divine influences,
Chang called his art Tai Chi Chuan, the 'Grand Supreme Fist'. For this, Master Chang is know as the progenitor of the Wu Tang Ru (schools), so named because they come from Wu Tang Shan (mountain).
These are the Internal Arts, which are juxtaposed to the External Arts, such as Shao Lin Chuan, which relies upon the physical mastery of the body and development of great strengths.
- John Hancock, The Mythical Life of Chang San Feng.
