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Introduction to Tai Chi Chuan
Tai Chi Chuan evolved from a combination of traditional Chinese Kung Fu fighting techniques, body awareness and meditation practices, and Taoist philosophical principles concerning change and the interplay of active ("yang") and passive ("yin") forces in the universe. Harmonizing naturally with the yin and yang in all aspects of your life is believed by Taoists to lead to enlightenment. By unifying these two forces you returned to the original universal state of non-duality. "Tai Chi" describes this state and can be translated as "Supreme Ultimate" or "Grand Ultimate". "Chuan" means "fist" or "fighting system".

Therefore Tai Chi Chuan can be loosely translated as "a martial art in accordance with universal principles of change". Unlike most other martial arts (which rely on speed, power, and aggression to achieve their ends) Tai Chi Chuan uses only a minimum amount of force and effortlessly and smoothly flows back and forth between defensive and offensive movements.

There are three main branches (or "styles") of Tai Chi Chuan practiced today: Chen, Yang, and Wu Style. Chen is the oldest and closest to the "hard" Kung Fu styles from which it originated. Yang (from the Yang-family name, and not the yang of Taoist philosophy) evolved from Chen and softened many of its movements and techniques. Wu in turn evolved from Yang and refined it even further in terms of its ergonomics in order to enhance the flow of subtle internal energy that circulates in the body called chi (even though it sounds the same in English, this "chi" is different from the "Chi" in Tai Chi Chuan).

Each style was a closely-guarded secret and was taught originally only within an extended family or village clan. Because of this, Tai Chi Chuan and other originally-secret fighting systems like Hsing-I and Ba Gua Chuan were called "internal" martial arts. In China, Tai Chi Chuan was well-respected and had a reputation for being incredibly effective. The head of the Chinese Emperor's bodyguard during the Ching dynasty was a Tai Chi Chuan master.

With the eclipse of martial arts skills as a battlefield advantage it became acceptable to teach Tai Chi Chuan to outsiders. The foundation of Tai Chi Chuan is a sequence of postures and movements called the "form". The popularity of various Tai Chi forms (the "Chuan" was dropped from the name) spread like wildfire worldwide. By some estimates there are over 100,000,000 active practitioners - making Tai Chi the most-widely practiced physical activity on the planet. The emphasis shifted to the form's well-documented health and wellness benefits, and away from its martial roots. People of all ages now study Tai Chi as a practice that improves health and promotes vitality.

In recent decades the Chinese government has standardized and shortened the traditional martial arts "long forms" into shorter stylized "competition routines". There are now a growing number of Tai Chi students who practice these routines and train for them as a competitive sport. The 2008 Beijing Olympics will introduce Tai Chi as a demonstration sport, and it will likely be permanantly added to future Olympic Games. Although Tai Chi competition routines require discipline and athletic skill, the moves essentially become a very exacting and refined choreographed dance. They are not informed by the martial applications, and in fact violate many of the postural and energetic principles of Tai Chi Chuan. In short, although they maintain a superficial resemblance, the training methods and goals of Tai Chi competitors are radically different from "traditional" Tai Chi Chuan health practitioners or martial artists.

Most Tai Chi teachers today are unaware of the scope of the full martial art, or do not know or teach the advanced techniques. As you look for a Tai Chi teacher or school you should be very clear about the type of Tai Chi experience that you are looking for:

Health - Many teachers (of widely varying quality) are available to instruct in the traditional "long forms" (along with numerous shorter form variants) . They may also teach related energy-cultivation practices ("Chi Kung": alternatively spelled "Qi Gong"). There are some teachers (especially of the the Yang and Wu styles) who focus on the elderly, and using Tai Chi to improve chronic health conditions such as arthritis, Parkinsons, and even cancer. Regular practice of any proper Tai Chi form will very quickly improve your range of motion, flexibility, coordination, balance, and mental sharpness.
Sport & Performance - Some Tai Chi schools exclusively teach the recently standardized competition routines, and focus on preparing their students for success and winning of medals in various levels of organized tournaments (ranging from local, to regional, national, and international). In addition to the "empty hand" competition routines, there are also ones involving traditional Tai Chi weapons.
Martial Art - The deep knowledge of Tai Chi Chuan can only be passed directly from a Master or his chosen "indoor students" to dedicated practitioners after many years or decades of practice and training. Masters typically pass on Master honors to very few people in the next "generation". Because of it's ambitious agenda, the study of Tai Chi Chuan as a martial art can not be rushed. It undertakes the radical task of rewiring the whole body and central nervous system to move and react in an incredibly sensitive and spontaneous way to any incoming attacks.

In addition to mastering the form, advanced studies involve two-person "pushing hands" drills to develop sensitivity and balance, martial applications of every posture in the form, "rooting" exercizes to develop leg strength and stability, sparring methods that gradually build in complexity and speed, advanced energy projection and absorbtion techniques, as well as extensive training in traditional weapons (such as sword, spear, and sabre). Because of this long incubation period, the Tai Chi Chuan martial artist will at first be at a disadvantage against practioners of the "hard" martial arts with comparable training times. But once his skills gell and come together he can become a very formidable adversary capable of defeating much larger, quicker, and stronger opponents. If you intend to study Tai Chi Chuan, it is imperative that you find a very experienced teacher - preferably a Master or an advanced "indoor student" of a Master who can teach the full body of the art by example (Please also see the extended article on Wu Style as a Martial Art).