Chuan / Quan – translated as fists, boxing.

Tai Chi Chuan (太極拳) translated into English differently, Tai Chi Chuan, or Tai Ji Quan, which depends on the translation from north or south, both are compatible.

Tai Chi Chuan is Chinese ancient martial art. There are different versions about the origin of Tai Chi Chuan, several different versions carried down from the Tang Dynasty (AD 618 ~ 907 years) Xu XuanPing 许宣平, Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644) 张三丰, the Qing Dynasty (1644 – 1911, Chen Wangting 陈王廷 and Wang Zongyue 王宗岳. There is no sufficient historical data to prove tai chi is created by a specific Master. Tai Chi has been developed and evolved from time to time, from master to master.

According to research of Chinese martial arts historians Tang Hao 唐豪, Tai Chi Chuan traces back to Chen Wangting 陈王庭 (about 1609) from Henan Wenxian Chen Jia Gou Village河南温县陈家沟陈, but there is no conclusive.

Yang style Tai Chi Chuan is created by Yang Lu Chan, who learned from Chen Changxing (1771-1853) the 14^th 十四世陈长兴 generation of Chen at Henan Wenxian Chen Jia Gou.

From generation to generation, descendants passed down from years to years for few centuries. Tai Chi Club is following the lineage of grand master Tung Ying Chieh (1898-1961), who learned from Yang Chen Fu (1883-1936), who is the third generation of Yang Lu Chan (1799-1872).

What is Tai Chi?

According to Yi-King/ Yi-Jing 易經, (ancient Chinese classic) which described ‘The changes from Wu Chi (infinite) (無極) become tai chi (太極), tai chi give birth to dualities (兩儀) (yin and yang 陰陽), yin and yang evolved to four phenomena (四象), four phenomena progress to eight trigrams (八卦; bagua).

(無極; wu chi) is a state of infinite, limitless, boundless, that has no shape and mass, tranquil and calm which refers to the state before the universe was formed.

(太極; taichi) refers to the state before the universe transformed, the universe is transforming, initiation and involution. It is a movement of changing, transforming in utmost, extreme, absolute; this state from unique evolved to duality is mixed, unclear and even chaos.

(兩儀 dualities – yin and yang 陰陽) after the universe formed, it is presented by polarized the duality of Yin and Yang. The nature is clearly presented with Yin and Yang. In Tai Chi Chuan, movements are complementary with Yin and Yang: action (yang), tranquility (yin) or vigorous (yang), softness (yin).

(四象 four phenomena) named lesser yin (少陰, shaoyin), greater yin (太陰; taiyin, which also refers to the Moon), lesser yang (少陽, shaoyang), and greater yang (太陽; taiyang, which also refers to the Sun). According to Traditional Chinese astronomy, they are represented by four mythological They are the Azure Dragon (Chinese: 青龙; pinyin: Qīng Lóng) of the East, the Vermilion Bird (Chinese: 朱雀; pinyin: Zhū Què) of the South, the White Tiger (Chinese: 白虎; pinyin: Baí Hǔ) of the West, and the Black Turtle (Chinese: 玄武; pinyin: Xuán Wū) of the North. Each one of them represents a direction and a season, and each has its own individual characteristics and origins. In Tai Chi Chuan this can refer to the directions.

(八卦; bagua – Eight trigrams) consists of the 64 pairwise permutations of trigrams Eight ‘eights’ results in sixty-four hexagrams. These symbols represent the phenomena of quietness and movement of natural, which indicate Heaven, Earth, Water, Fire, Thunder, Wind, Mountain, and Lake. Yi-King Bagua is the concept, which represents ancient Chinese, philosophy, astronomy, geography, culture and thought, the theory also involves martial arts, Chinese music and other aspects.

Before the beginning of tai chi chuan, we keep ourselves in a state of Wu Chi, which refers to a state of calmness, tranquil; there is no agitation, no contact with the outside word, in a meditative state that our body and spirit are united into oneness.

Once transform from wuji to tai chi, the movement consists of duality of yin and yang, changes of full and empty, vigorous and softness.