What Is Taijiquan?

Trying to explain the art of Taijiquan is, in many ways, like trying to grasp the essence of Yin and Yang — the two halves of the famous Yin-Yang symbol from which the art takes its name. The legendary Wang Zongyue 王宗岳 (Qing Dynasty, 18th–19th century), credited with writing the Treatise on Taijiquan — arguably the most important text on the subject — begins with the following line:

If these words sound enigmatic and mysterious, then you already sense something of Taijiquan’s essence — an art that is subtle, layered, and never fully grasped at first sight.

Known in the West as simply Tai Chi or Taiji, Taijiquan is a profound and ancient Chinese martial art that has evolved into one of the world’s most widely practiced forms of moving meditation. Born as a method of combat and self-defense, it has, over the centuries, transformed into a practice centered on gentle, low-impact movements, deep breathing, and the cultivation of internal energy, or qi. In many respects, it can be seen as a form of Qigong — yet its roots remain firmly in martial discipline.

From Battlefield to Health Practice

The precise origins of Taijiquan are lost to history. While legend attributes its creation to the mythical Daoist monk Zhang Sanfeng, the earliest documented practices point to Chen Village and nearby Zhaobao Village in China’s Henan Province — regions historically shaped by hardship and conflict, and fertile ground for the development of sophisticated martial systems.

Today, the many styles of Taijiquan can largely be traced back to five traditional schools: Chen 陈, Yang 杨, Wu (Hao) 武, Wu 吴, and Sun 孙.

In the early 20th century, masters such as Yang Chengfu, Chen Fake, and Sun Lutang began to promote Taijiquan for its health benefits — a movement that quickly spread across China and beyond.

The Grand Ultimate Fist

The name Taijiquan (tàijíquán 太极拳) translates as “Grand Ultimate Fist” or “Taiji Boxing.” It reflects the deep philosophical roots of the art, drawn primarily from Daoist and Confucian thought.

At its heart lies the concept of Taiji — the cosmological principle from which the dual forces of Yin and Yang arise. Represented by the familiar taijitu (yin-yang symbol), it expresses the interplay of stillness and movement, softness and firmness, yielding and advancing.

Taijiquan is a living embodiment of these principles. It follows the Daoist ideal of wu wei — effortless action — and the martial truth that softness can overcome hardness. Rather than meeting force with force, the practitioner learns to yield, absorb, and redirect energy.

Practicing Taijiquan

Training often begins with a taolu — solo routines of slow, deliberate, and continuous movements. These sequences train posture, alignment, breathing, and awareness, while also containing martial applications within their elegant forms. The slow pace allows for refinement, improved circulation, and a deeper connection between intention and action.

Traditional practice also includes:

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Taolu, The Taijiquan form

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Pushing Hands

Though often seen as slow and gentle, Taijiquan remains a complete martial system. Many styles preserve faster-paced forms and explosive techniques, revealing its combative side — strikes, locks, throws, and sweeps — all guided by the same principles of yielding, redirection, and balance.

When Wang Zongyue wrote, “Taiji is born from Wuji. It is the pivot of movement and stillness, the mother of Yin and Yang,” he was not simply describing a martial theory — he was pointing to the origin of all change and balance. In Taijiquan, every posture, every transition, is a reflection of this truth: movement emerges from stillness, and stillness is found within movement.

To study Taijiquan is to enter into this cycle. Over time, the boundary between the martial and the meditative fades. The practice becomes not just a way to defend oneself or preserve health, but a method of perceiving the world — of understanding how opposing forces are not in conflict, but in harmony.

In this way, Taijiquan is more than a martial art. It is a mirror, showing us that the rhythm of yielding and advancing, of soft and firm, of empty and full, is the same rhythm that moves the heavens, the earth, and the human heart.

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