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Yang style
taijiquan
We teach Yang style taijiquan and have a comprehensive
syllabus in place.
Taijiquan means...
Taijiquan literally means
-
"martial art that uses the yin/yang
principle in combat".
Taiji is supreme ultimate (yin/yang).
Quan is fist
(combat/martial art).
The name is commonly translated as 'supreme ultimate fist'.
Pronunciation
'Tie jee chwan'.
4 styles
There are 4 traditional styles of taijiquan: Chen,
Yang, Wu and Hao.
Taijiquan is not
tai chi for health
Faced with a major health crisis in the 1950's, the People's
Republic of China turned to Yang style taijiquan for a solution.
They wanted a form of exercise that could be
performed by students of all ages.
The simplest way to achieve this was to remove
the more demanding fitness component
and the kung fu (combat).
Most modern tai chi classes are
teaching an Art that an old person could cope
with... By definition this cannot
conceivably be a
martial art.
Yang style has something of the
feeling of 'killer energy' about it; it is more martial in appearance.
A
spectator can see the applications of the movements when they watch the
form.
(Master Xu Shu
Song)
Yang the
Invincible
The Yang style of taijiquan was developed by
the kung fu
legend
Yang Lu-chan. Yang Lu-chan's nickname was 'Yang-the-Invincible'.
He is famous for teaching his taijiquan to the
Manchu Emperor's elite
palace
guards.
Advanced
Taijiquan was designed to be an
advanced kung fu method.
It cultivates whole-body strength, whole-body
movement, fluidity and whole-body power.
The muscles do not tense up and the student remains calm and
composed.
Secrecy
The combat methods
and
principles
behind taijiquan have been a well-kept
secret
in
China for hundreds of years.
Even today very few people understand how to use taijiquan as a
martial art.
Internal martial art
Taijiquan is an 'internal martial art'. What does this mean?
Internal martial arts are quite different to
mainstream martial/fighting arts.
They utilise a much more sophisticated
way of moving and
defending yourself that doesn't involve
punishing yourself physically at the same time.
The internal martial arts require the student to make a
mental effort as well as a
physical effort. Consequently, these Arts appeal to a
different set of people
than many other martial arts.
Concrete skills
A common feature in taijiquan classes is the look of surprise on students'
faces the first time they get a taste of how effortless taijiquan can be.
The skills are taught on the basis of body
mechanics, not some mysterious
channelling of qi...
Use your head
A clear, sharp mind
is cultivated in taijiquan.
The faster your mind can move, the faster your hand/body can move.
Slow motion?
To quote The Tai Chi Classics: "If the
opponent's movement is quick, then quickly respond; if his movement is slow,
then follow slowly."
Some of the training methods (i.e. form) are
slower
than normal speed;
this is to develop strength, accuracy, balance and control.
Combat is fast.
Kung fu is thousands of
years old and is a highly developed system of martial art. The student who
locates a good kung fu school will find the training thorough and
challenging. Kung fu skills, which have been refined over centuries, are not
learned easily or quickly. The sincere student, however, through hard work
and dedication, will not be disappointed with the results.
(Adam Hsu)
13 authenticity combat essence FORM internal jing neigong power principles quan syllabus the Tao why? yang
Page created 11 January 1993
Last updated
21 November 2018