I will take a leap and say that pretty much everyone has heard of Tai Chi. Fewer have heard of taijiquan. A number of Instructors and/or Masters maintain that “taijiquan” is the correct term and not Tai Chi. Technically Tai Chi Chuan is TaiJi (or Taijiquan) and vice versa. You may ask: what’s in a name? One of the issues is the translation from Chinese to English. As well, there are many dialects of Chinese. Confusing at best! And over the years, there have been numerous translations of similar words or even the same words.
When we, or a group of people, are practicing “traditional” Tai Chi (I will use this term for now), we are practicing a martial art! Why is that? Because the movements were originally designed with martial or combat purposes in mind. Can you speed up the movements in order to use them for self-defense? Absolutely, some of them. However, not all of them would be effective in combat or self-defense.
Now, let’s add to the confusion. There are programs popping up everyday that claim they are faster to learn and easier to learn than “martial” Tai Chi. That certainly may be true, but we need to ask: is there a benefit to a faster and easier to learn program? For want of a better term, I will call these non-traditional programs “hybrids”.
Why Tai Chi/Taijiquan Principles?
People are attracted to Tai Chi’s (Chuan, Quan) slow, flowing movements, and sequence of postures. Tai Chi will definitely improve one’s balance, flexibility, coordination, relaxation, health, and overall well-being. Are these benefits valuable? Yes!
However, “traditional” Tai Chi was never about learning a series of physical exercises. That being said, many instructors and practitioners spend years learning “forms” without understanding the principles that govern these movements. We, (myself included) refer to this choreography. In other words, this is how we should move! But why? So here’s the bottom line: When the principles are removed, the form is not Tai Chi, it is choreography.
Authentic Tai Chi is built on a “foundation of principles”. An instructor (and practitioner) should have some understanding that these movements are governed by biomechanics, intention, breathing, awareness, much more. While the principles were “originally developed within the context of martial arts”, they are also a blueprint for “physical health, mental discipline, energetic development, and personal growth”.
Let’s examine a few of the benefits of principles: improved posture, balance, body awareness, coordination, flexibility, etc. The principles also teach concentration, focus, emotional regulation, and patience. The body is harmonized while Qi circulation is improved. The practitioner learns about the pinciples of complementary opposites “rather than contradictions.”
Tai Chi is much more than a pretty or impressive, graceful form. What matters is what is going on inside the body, mind, and spirit. When the principles are incorporated, the form becomes transformational and part of a lifelong journey. Once these principles are internalized, everything changes.
What are the so-called hybrids teaching?
Let’s consider these “new” exercise programs calling themselves “Tai Chi” or simplified forms of Tai Chi. It is not unusual that the essential and/or fundamental principles are removed. Most claim to be health related- okay! At times, the advertising claims to treat specific health conditions and even “weight loss”. They don’t contain any martial aspects. Have you noticed that they usually do emulate some of the postures and forms of different Tai Chi styles? That’s where the similarities end. So what is being taught? Some are teaching Qigong? If it truly is, then call it that. Others teach a low-impact exercise form. And don’t even talk to me about the “infomercials” and their outrageous claims. Talk about confusing! Personally, I teach several traditional Tai Chi (oops! Taijiquan) forms and I get tired of people wanted to register for my class in order to lose weight just by Tai Chi walking!
You’re confused?? Think of how a potential student feels when searching for a class/instruction and they search “Taiji” they will get a few hits. If they use “Taijiquan”, they will probably get less hits. However, if they type “Tai Chi” they will get millions of hits.
How is anyone without experience or a strong background in Tai Chi (Taijiquan) able to understand the difference. Then there’s the problem of too many choices! Sounds crazy but bear with me. I recently read an article asserting that we have “too” many choices (according to the author). Do you agree? Maybe.maybe not. But one thing is for sure. We have many more choices in almost everthing than we did 2, 3, or even 4 decades ago. Is that a good thing? Maybe or maybe not!
I had a “drop-in student” last year tell me she was a “Tai Chi” instructor. When I inquired a bit about her experience, history, and type of form she was teaching, she informed me that she made up her own. No certification! No training! No fundamentals! No principles! What she did was attend one or more actual Tai Chi classes and adopted the postures she happened to like and taught them! Wow! Buyer beware!
So what’s the bottom line here?
Tai Chi today is more often taught for it’s health benefits rather than martial/combat training. Therefore, “quan” is often dropped because it means “fist”. Therefore, we more frequently use the blanket term: “Tai Chi”. Does that change anything? Not really, other than to indicate that the focus is on well-being and/or health rather than self-defense or combat. I do believe that any experienced Tai Chi Instructor should at least have a working knowledge of, and be able to explain, the martial application for some (if not most) postures that instructor is teaching.
Let’s revisit the “hybrid” classes calling themselves Tai Chi. Can they be of benefit to a student’s wellbeing and/or health? Perhaps. And is it wrong that they make these programs available and accessible to students, who for one reason or another cannot access or practice traditional Tai Chi? Absolutely not! However, if they don’t contain the underlying theory, techniques, principles, and/or philosophy of traditional Tai Chi (or Taijiquan), they are NOT Tai Chi nor should they be using Tai Chi in their advertising.
Bottom line: This is the world we live in today!
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