In order to understand fully the history of Tai Chi, it is essential to be aware of key developments thatcaused its evolution.
With the appearance of so many distinct philosophies, Tai Chi can only be a product of its own milieu or fashioned by the times. By examining the philosophy in this manner, the student could be better able to relate it to other practices. This can only enhance the learning experience as the individual learns to relate different parts to a whole. Knowledge, after all, is a gigantic puzzle that must be pieced together not only to aid knowledge but also to make scholarship truly fruitful and appealing.
The groundwork of Tai Chi was laid with the introduction of Taoism in the 6th Century. Researcher and scholar Peter Lim’s landmark researchexamine Taoism creator Lao Tsu’s eloquent diatribe on the need to bend in order to be straight, or yield as a way to overcome. Apparently, these are not mere allegorical claims that apply to an abstract viewpoint. Rather, they point to the significance of specific movements or exercises that can make a person strong. Deeper into Lao Tsu’s thought processes come snippets with Olympic underpinnings proving that by no means was such philosophy owned by the Greeks alone. Lim additionally points to the 6th Century A.D. as the time when Buddhist monk Ta Mo visited the Shao-Lin Monastery and discovered that the monks, for lack of physical recreation, had become unhealthy. He therefore created an 18-point exercise plan, accidentally laying the groundwork for Kung-Fu.
Hua-tu’o included exercises and forms based on the actions of animals. He also emphasized that without exercise, it is inconceivable for humans to maintain excellent circulation and digestive systems. Professed father of Tai Chi, Chang San-feng formulated the thirteen standard postures of the discipline, based on five basic moves originating from the I Ching or the ancient Chinese writings inscribed on bamboo paper.
The practice of Tai Chi now covers the planet, and is practiced not only by the Chinese people but is being implemented in the West as well. Compared with the Western view of exercise, Tai Chi stresses fluidity of motion and taking one’s time, which is the exact opposite of working out in a gym. In addition, it goes beyond being healthy and in its trademark peaceful manner, makes significant inroads to human longevity. Thus to the Western health buff, the best understanding of the doctrine lies in the importance of doing proper warm-up exercises prior to a strenuous workout.
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