Mountain Tae Kwon Do School

The origins of t'ai chi are obscure. There are reports that it was being practiced some 5000 years ago, and ancient Chinese drawings depict monks performing movements that look similar to t'ai chi. Some accounts of its origins describe the founder as a monk and kung fu student at a monastery in China in the thirteenth century. After witnessing a fight between a bird and a snake, the monk noticed that the snake managed to avoid the bird's attack using swift, but subtle movements; from these observations he developed the art of t'ai chi. Newer theories credit a Chinese general who, in the seventeenth century, improvised t'ai chi by combining martial arts with theories of traditional Chinese medicine.

T'ai chi was influenced by the idea of Tao, which means "the way" or "the path," described by the Chinese philosopher Lao-tze. His philosophy, known as Taoism, stresses that humankind must attain harmony with nature and the universe. When in perfect harmony, things function effortlessly and spontaneously, according to natural laws. So, too, the body operates by the same principles. "When people are alive," Lao wrote, "they are soft and supple. When a plant is alive, it is soft and tender." T'ai chi practitioners believe that the qualities of softness and suppleness can be developed by cultivating the life force, chi, that flows through the body.

T'ai chi is both a self-defense strategy and, more commonly in the West, a gentle exercise technique. In Chinese the words "t'ai chi chuan" mean "supreme ultimate fist." Normally, this art is practiced as the sun is rising. According to Chinese philosophy, nature's chi flows most strongly at dawn.

T'ai chi consists of a series of postures performed in sequences. Known as forms, they vary in complexity, with some involving 18 postures and others more than 100. Students move from one posture to the next in a flowing motion that resembles dance. While not as physically demanding as Tae Kwon Do, t'ai chi takes a long time to master.

T'ai chi stresses breathing and meditation along with strength and flexibility training. Fundamental to t'ai chi is the notion that a life energy circulates along channels in the body, known as meridians. T'ai chi movements circulate this energy, thereby stimulating different organs of the body. For this reason, some Chinese physicians prescribe t'ai chi to help patients recover from illness.