Below are some pictures of my martial arts gear. I have trained in Sun family Tai Chi. The purple top is one I made for doing Tai Chi, along with the one pictured in the centre and bottom rows (beige with green piping). The righthand picture on the second row (and third row, left) is my Karate Gi. I don't do Karate now though, due to joint problems.
The version of Tai Chi that I primarily do is good for arthritis and various other bone/joint related problems, so that helps a bit.
For more in-depth information about Tai Chi, read the section below the photos.
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As a present for her birthday I made my niece Jamie a chinese top, similar to the purple one featured above:
Brief introduction to Taiji quan (Tai Chi Chuan)
I have studied Sun style taiji for about two years. As of this writing I've not trained for the last year due to losing interest in the philosophical side of things - plus concentrating most of my time on weight training/bodybuilding.
I began with Paul Lam's "Tai Chi for Arthritis" , taught by Trevor Reynaert, of Crystal Tai Chi. Trevor also practices Yang style - both sword (Jian) and the regular unarmed form (Quan). He has also recently learned the 73 form competition style, which is based on the traditional 97 form Sun style.
"Tai chi for Arthritis" is based on the competition form, so many of the original moves from the traditional 97 form remain intact. Some of the moves are tailored towards limited mobility, as many arthritis sufferers often find it painful to make extreme movements (depending upon the type of arthritis that they have). This also makes it a good style of taiji for those with balance problems as the Sun style has "followup steps" which keep help to keep the body more upright.
I tried to teach myself the traditional Sun
style sword (jian) form, which was a difficult process as I had to work
from videos and books produced by Sun Jian Yun, the daughter of Sun Lu
Tang - founder of the Sun style. The latter of which was written in Chinese. I studied mandarin through this period, which helped immensely.
I had hoped to produce a chart showing foot movements and sword positions relative to each other - but it was such an immense task that it proved nearly impossible.
A video of the Sun Jian form (featuring Sun Jian Yun) is also available from various taijii video retailers.
Before practicing taiji, we usually do a form of standing meditation called Qigong.
Qigong (pronounced chee-kung and often spelt as Chi Kung) basically means "breathing skill" - a breathing exercise that is used to first balance the body, and promote the flow of Qi (pronounced chee, often spelt Chi) around the body before doing the form. Qigong can be done as an exercise in its own right, though in our case, we use it as a warm up. We normally spend a few minutes relaxing the body, making sure that the joints are not held in tension and that the breathing is slow, before we do the qigong. Once we have warmed up enough, we then begin to practise the form and learn any new moves that are required.
On the whole, it [taiji] is an excellent way to relax the body and mind, whilst developing coordination and balance - as you become more practiced at it, you realise that you can almost stop at any point and be in total balance without falling over. The moves, regardless of which type of taiji you perform, are always based on a balance of yin and yang. Yin moves are soft and yielding, whilst yang moves are often solid and forceful. Each inward move is complemented by an outward move, and each move has a corresponding breath. The ultimate goal of taiji is to get your qi flowing through the body and to the parts that need it, whilst balancing the yin and yang within.
Further information on Taiji Quan
I begin by explaining the name 'Taiji Quan':
An explanation of my primary pet hate in Tai Chi!
When Westerners started to document spoken Chinese, they looked for a system by which the pronounciations could be written in the Roman alphabet. Unfortunately, the people who devised the most common system (known as Wade-Giles) weren't capable of accurately portraying all of the sounds inherent in many of the Chinese dialects, nor were they capable of representing the tones used (Chinese is a tone based language, if a syllable rises in pitch, it means something different than it would if it were level, falling or falling then rising). Quite a lot of sounds ended up having almost identical spelling, even though they sound different, for example the Pinyin (modern Romanization form, developed in the late 40's) Qi and Ji are both written as Chi. In fact, Qi is pronounced "chee", whilst Ji is pronounced "djee". This may seem minor to some, but when speaking Chinese, it is tremendously important.
A most hilarious example of the importance of tones can be demonstrated thus: Going into a restaurant and asking for Shui (falling) Jiao (falling) would probably get you a slap in the face, as you seem to have asked to sleep with the waitress (it means to lie down with). Asking for Shui (rising) Jiao (falling, rising) will get you boiled dumplings.
Anyway, I digress. Now that you understand that Qi and Ji are different words, but written in the WG system as Chi - I can explain the name of the art.
T'ai Chi Ch'uan is the WG method of spelling the pinyin form of Taiji Quan. Due to this, it is a common misconception that the name Tai Chi implies that you are manipulating Qi (written as Ch'i in WG spelling) - it does not. Saying that the Chi in Tai Chi refers to the Chi energy will make you seem like an ignorant fool to any serious Tai Chi practitioner who knows what they're talking about.
The name Taiji Quan comes from three characters, Tai4 (the 4 denotes that it is a falling tone - see note at bottom for info on tone numbers), Ji2 (rising tone) and Quan2 (rising tone). Tai4 means extreme, excessively, or greatest (with respect to size or quantity). Ji2 means ultimate or extreme (with respect to a limit, or furthest point of travel). Quan2 quite simply means fist (or boxing), and is pronounced choo-en.
In simplified Chinese characters, tai4 ji2 quan2 is written thus:
The uninformed will try to tell people that if they are learning Taiji Quan without any martial applications, that they are learning Taiji - and that the Quan is the martial aspect - this is not only uninformed, but grossly incorrect. The word that comes after Taiji simply implies the weapon being used to perform Taiji, be it Quan (fist/unarmed) or Jian4 (sword, usually slender and pointed). Sometimes people may mention Dao4, which is a scimitar-like sword, or a rather large knife. Either way, if you mentioned Taiji to a Chinese person, without tagging the form of weapon (be it unarmed, or with a sword) - they will not know that you are talking about the spiritual martial art that all Westerners associate with the term Tai Chi.
Taiji (without Quan/Jian etc.) is a philosophical concept, meaning "supreme ultimate" (hence Taiji Quan often being known as supreme ultimate fist) or "extreme limit/pole". What this actually represents is a point of motion or expansion at its limit, just before it transitions into stillness. The opposite of this is Wuji (Wu2 rising, Ji2 rising) which is the extreme point of stillness, just before motion occurs, the nothing-extreme.
These terms are from Daoist (WG Taoist) philosophy, and relate to the state of the universe at its beginnings, and the process of expansion and motion of Qi (WG Ch'i)
From this point onward, I will use the Pinyin spelling of words, to avoid confusion (unless otherwise noted for new words).
Qi
Qi is the universal life-force that exists everywhere, in all things. Qi4 (falling) actually means vapour or breath - it is the 'vital breath' of the Universe. The Chinese say that you can live without food for more than a week, water for a few days, but without Qi, you die instantly.
Qi4 in simplified Chinese script, written thus:
I shall not try to draw parallels with Western scientific concepts, as it is futile to do so (the only Western explanation as to why Taiji Quan works, is that it is good exercise for the joints and enables the body fluids to flow more easily). Now, whilst Qi can flow through everything, it is only stored in living things - and they are born with a limited amount of 'prenatal' or 'pre-heaven' Qi that gets used up as one goes through life. Once you run out, you die.
Many things can cause this Qi to be used up quicker; stress, illness and overexertion are but a few. When most of us exercise, we are using up most of our own energy, and simply allowing it to escape - fruitlessly wasting our original Qi. The aim of Taiji Quan is to allow us to exercise, whilst spreading the original Qi throughout our bodies in order to rejuvenate them, then putting it back where it comes from, so that it is not used up or wasted. We also draw on the Qi that flows around us (postnatal, or post-heaven Qi), adding this to our original pre-heaven Qi for greater effect. The Chinese ideal is that one should strive to live as long as possible by conserving original Qi, then die quickly, without lingering illness. In fact, this is how many of the old Taiji masters lived - to a ripe old age, very active until the end, then dying quickly and painlessly when the time came.
Qi is almost totally intangible and invisible, though through the practice of Taiji Quan and/or Qi4 gong1 (literally breathing skill - a meditation method used in conjunction with breathing to increase one's Qi), one can develop a sense for it, often feeling it as either tingling, heat or a breeze, then later on even seeing or hearing it. Many Traditional Chinese Medicine classic texts tell us that Qi has many forms, in addition to pre-heaven (the lightest, purest form) and post-heaven (the heavier, more physical form) there are also wind, cold, damp, dry and heat. When practicing Taiji Quan however, it is not necessary to think about the type of Qi, as the actions take care of themselves.
What has the martial art got to do with philosophy?
This question is not so straightforward to answer, so bear with me.
At the beginning of the universe, there was only the Dao. No, not a knife - Dao is the 'motion' of all things, the universal pattern and movement that exists in everything. It is higher than the Western concept of 'God', and is non-sentient. Think of the existance as a river, Dao is the entire river, complete with current - yet it does not guide things with a will, and consists of all of the parts in it (in this analogy, we are rocks, leaves, grains of sand etc.). Life goes easier for those people who move with the current, rather than paddle against it.
If you think of Qi as the water in the river, when you do things that cause you to use up your Qi, you are paddling upstream, often causing unnecessary effort. When you paddle gently downstream, or even sit still, you will still move with the current, but with little or no effort (at very little expense to your Qi). Taiji Quan is based on this philosophy, moving in the manner that the Dao operates (fluidly, slowly and gently) you get the dual benefit of relaxation and exercise.
Anyway, back to the beginning of the universe.
The state that the universe started off in was Wuji - extreme stillness. This created the potential for everything to exist (what is the opposite of nothing? Everything.) - so suddenly, the big bang happened. The motion of the universe expanding out to its growing limit is Taiji. One day this will stop, and the process will reverse and start again (physics supports this notion in the big Crunch).
When the universe began, in this stillness the Qi that permeated it was unified pre-heaven Qi. It had not differentiated into different types, it had a 'neutral charge' so to speak. The Qi moved apart and differentiated into Yin and Yang Qi (equivalent of positive and negative. There is no absolute for Yin/Yang, they are simply relative opposites that cannot exist separately.)
Once the Qi had differentiated as much as possible, this became the Taiji state - the combination of Yin and Yang in varying proportions led to the creation of all matter in existence. More on these ideas can be found in the Dao De Jing (Tao Te Ching) philosphical text.
Taiji Quan (I will refer to it simply as Taiji from here onward) is a representation of this transition, but within the human body.
When you begin in the Wuji state (standing still) your Qi is undifferentiated, and unified throughout the body. As soon as you intend to move, the Qi starts to separate and differentiate, and you enter Taiji (movement). As the motion of the body is normally balanced, the Yin and Yang Qi thus formed will move through the body, the Yang Qi going to the parts that are moving outward, forward, upward and to the right. The Yin Qi enters those parts that are still, or relatively speaking, inward, backward, downward or to the left.
Normally, during Taiji, you are balanced, yet you never cease to move. The only time that you come back to stillness and balance is at the end of the form - when the body reverts back to a state of Wuji - in the Sun style, signified by Yin and Yang being brought together, then returning to the source of Wuji.
Recycling Qi
As you perform Taiji, you normally begin by drawing Qi along channels known as Meridians, which run through the body. They all connect to an area known as the Tantian (WG Dantien, pronounced Dan-tyen) which is a couple of inches below the navel, and is the source of a person's original Qi. We draw this Qi out of the Tantian, and through the intent and motion, take it along the meridians throughout the body. The motions and subsequent polarization of the Qi cause it to flow like an electric current - as this is original Qi (pre-heaven) that is moving through the body, as opposed to the regular post-heaven Qi, it rejuvenates the body and acts to flush out the system. Returning to the Wuji state at the end of the form causes that Qi to return to the Tantian, rather than shooting off out into the environment and being wasted.
Sun Style Taiji
Sun style Taiji Quan is deeply entrenched in Daoist philosophy. Master Sun Lu Tang (the founder of the Sun style) trained with Daoists for many years, and also studied the Yi Jing (I Ching, book of changes). Being a master in two other disciplines of Neijia (internal school of martial arts), Xing Yi Quan (form-mind/intent boxing) and Ba Gua Zhang (8 trigram palm) he combined these arts together along with Taiji Quan, to create his own style.
Many of the moves in Sun style Taiji have obvious links to Xing Yi and Ba Gua - yet some of the more philosophical aspects, such as how it relates to Yi Jing, are not so obvious. Each of the moves is usually a combination of components, the first 8 of those components relate to Trigrams (groups of 3 lines, some broken, some solid) from the Yi Jing, and represent directions and angles of movement, whilst the last 5 components relate to the elements:
Each move has usually one of the 5 elements and one (or two) of the 8 trigrams - forming a complex weave. Understanding this is not absolutely necessary, as anyone practicing Taiji will get benefit from it - but for those wanting a deeper understanding of the origin of the postures and their uses, it gives a much greater appreciation of the form.
The theory of the components is best used when performing Tui Shou (Push Hands) which is a form of sparring. The elements are used to work out which move to use in order to defeat your opponent. Element theory goes something along these lines (and is the same sequence that we use for five element Qigong practice to build up our Qi before beginning Taiji).
Earth (stability) supplies ore, from which we get
Metal (expansion/contraction, horizontally) cools, upon which forms
Water (rising/falling) which evaporates, rises and falls to the ground allowing
Wood (circulating rising/falling) to grow, which then dies and provides fuel for
Fire (expanding/contracting vertically on both sides) which in turn creates ash and forms
Earth...
That is the 'creation' cycle of the elements. In addition to this is the controlling cycle (used in push hands, this is the cycle by which one works out how to control the opponent). The control cycle skips one element each time.
Earth controls by damming Water
Water controls Fire by raining on it
Fire controls Metal by heating and melting it
Metal controls Wood by cutting it
Wood controls Earth by binding it (roots)
The controlling cycle doesn't seem to have much use in Qigong, however - as the purpose of Qigong is usually to increase one's Qi, rather than decrease it.
Conclusion
Regardless of how much theory you learn, the only way to improve your Taiji is to practice it regularly and increase the fluidity of motion. Act without hesitation or thought, and the benefits increase. Even after doing the same form for just over a year, I seem to constantly have little revelations about it that increase my appreciation for it many times over. The Sun style of Taiji may seem daunting at first, but it is one of the deepest forms of Taiji in existence - there are always new ways to look at it and appreciate its beauty and motion.
For students of the Sun style, I have a series of documents in the Files section of the site that contain lists of moves in each of the forms for reference.
Notes
Tone numbers;
Putting a number after the end of a syllable in Chinese (there are four tones in Mandarin, plus one neutral) dictates how it is pronounced. 1 represents a high, level tone. 2 represents a mid level, rising tone. 3 represents a mid level, falling, then rising tone. 4 represents a high level, falling tone and either no number or a 5 represents a soft, natural speech tone. The little marks above the words in the chart also represent them in a graphic manner.
Where you see WG inside brackets, indicates that the spelling in those brackets is in Wade-Giles romanization.