Tai Ji Quan (also known as Tai Chi) is the most widely practiced martial art in the world. Famous for its ability to enhance health and relaxation, it was invented by Taoist philosophers who noticed that in nature, softness often overcomes hardness. Accordingly, they invented an art based on yielding and neutralizing an opponent's force. The slow, circular movements of Tai Ji strengthen all parts of the body and improve flexibility, coordination and balance.
Master Liu is proficient in a number of Tai Ji styles. The following styles are offered at the school:
Wu Dang Tai Ji Quan
Legend has it that the basis for Tai Ji Quan was created by Daoists on
Wudang mountain, as a development of Daoist health
exercises and self defence techniques. The swordplay in this particular style of Tai Ji
was specifically developed for the Liu He Men tradition
by General Li Jing Lin, also known as 'The Magician of the Sword'. This particular style of Tai Ji is unique
in that the origins for the style are still unknown, hence the name Wu Dang Tai Ji Quan.
Chen Style Tai Ji Quan
Most styles of Tai Ji Quan today can be traced back to Chen Wang Ting, a
general during the Ming Dynasty. After the fall of the Ming and the establishment of the Ching Dynasty,
Chen returned to the Chen village and created his own style of boxing, which was then
continiously practiced and developed by his family until it
became Chen Style Tai Ji Quan as it is known today. This style of Tai Ji
Quan has a stronger martial appearance than most other styles of Tai Ji,
combining slow, flowing and strong,
explosive movements (Fa Jin).
Tai Ji Quan
Beijing Tai Ji Quan
In order to be able to easily access the performance Tai Ji Quan
practioners in competition, the Chinese Sports Committee brought
together a number of experts in each style of Tai Ji in order to a
create a central standardised style. The result were a number of forms
that contained the essence of each
major style of Tai Ji, such as
the a 24 Movement Form, a shortened Yang style form, and the 42 Movement
Form, which contains elements of Chen, Yang, Wu, and Sun
styles. As these forms were designed specifically with accessibility in
mind they are much shorter and easier to remember
than the much longer traditional forms. As such, forms from the Beijing
standardised set are often the most popular ones to learn for beginners.
Tai Ji Push Hands
Push hands practice is an excercise that occupies the space between solo
forms and free sparring. It is a two man exercise
which allows practitioners to test and develop their skills in
sensitivity to opponent's energy, structural
alignment and yielding.