Relaxation and Cheng Man Ching
Let's examine the importance of relaxation and relaxation through the article written by Tai Chi Chuan instructor Cheng Man Ching. Cheng...
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History of Tai Chi
Beginning
About 3,000 years ago, during the peaceful rule of the Yellow Emperor, the Chinese practiced deep abdominal breathing exercises (Tu Na Kung) and gentle physical exercises (Tao Yin Kung) to improve their health. Written before 1000 BC, the I Ching, or Book of Changes, is at the heart of Chinese wisdom and is a divinatory guide that attempts to rationalize the mysteries of the universe. "Change" itself is considered the most powerful force in the universe and is not "accidental" but the result of the interaction between two complementary forces: Yin and Yang.
From the interaction of yin and yang emerged the Theory of the Five Elements: wood, fire, water, earth, and metal. The famous Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu (604 BC) taught the doctrine of Tao or Naturalism, which taught that we must submit to the ever-changing laws of nature. The movements of Tai Chi are influenced by both the I Ching and Lao Tzu's philosophy.
The first record of Chinese exercises is depicted on a silk scroll found in a tomb. These are usually Tao Yin exercises that mimic the physical movements of animals and have been found to be beneficial to health. The Chinese physician Hua To (200 AD) observed the movements of monkeys, tigers, deer, bears and birds and developed Tao Yin exercises to be synchronized with breathing exercises called the Game of the Five Animals.
Bodhidharma was the first to spread Buddhism to China
Tai Chi has its roots in Eastern philosophies, so when looking at the history of Tai Chi, we should start with Bodhidharma, the Buddhist monk who is credited with bringing Buddhism from Central Asia to China, Korea, and Japan. Bodhidharma was a semi-legendary Buddhist monk who lived in the 5th or 6th century. He is known as the first person to come to China from India or Persia and spread Buddhism. He is known as Dá mó (Tamo) in China and Daruma in Japan. His name means "awakening dharma (bodhi)" in Sanskrit.
Tai Chi tarihi, mistik bir fon görevi gören Wudang Dağları ile efsane, efsane ve gerçeğin bir karışımıdır.
Bu efsanelerin ilk kahramanı Bodhidharma'dır. Ancak birçok araştırmacı bu sanatların izini günümüzden 5 bin yıl kadar gerilere Sarı İmparator Huang Ti'ye ve Çin'in ilk imparatoru Fu Xi'ye kadar götürmektedir. Bodhidharma, bir anlatıma göre Saholin manastırına gelir, ancak içeri alınmaz, dışarıda 9 yıl boyunca uyumadan manastırın duvarına bakar. Sonunda onu manastıra kabul ederler. Bodhidharma birkaç yıl Shaolin Manastırı'nda kalır ve keşişlerin beden ve zihin olarak zayıf olduğunu görür. Fiziksel ve zihinsel gelişimlerini iyileştirmek için yoga tabanlı bir egzersiz seti öğretir. Tai Chi Chuan da dahil olmak üzere tüm Qigong ve dövüş sanatları formlarının temeli olan bir egzersiz sistemi (Shao-lin Chuan) yaratır. Manastırdan ayrılırken de arkasında iki el yazması bırakır. Yi Jin Jing ve Xi Sui Jing. Kas ve tendon geliştirme egzersizi Yi Jin Jing'in kopyaları ve çevirileri günümüze kadar gelmiştir ancak Xi Sui Jing kaybolmuştur.
Lao Tzu, founder of Taoism
To properly address the origins of Tai Chi, we must examine Lao Tzu, the author of the Tao Te Ching and founder of Taoism. Taoism, and specifically the collection of essays in the Tao Te Ching, provides a philosophical foundation for the teachings and movements of Tai Chi. Taoism describes the origin of all things and how departure from this origin causes people to act in unnatural ways and opposing forces. Tai Chi is essentially a physical set of movements through which we can understand wasteful actions, opposites, opposing forces, and how to act in synchrony with ourselves and others (thrusts). A popular way to understand this and translate it as a measure of progress is through the Yin Yang Theory.
There are dozens of theories about where Lao Tzu came from. Some believe it is pure fiction, as “Lao Tzu/Laozi” simply has the honorific meaning of “Old Master/Teacher.” There is even strong evidence to suggest that the Tao Te Ching is a compilation of the writings of several Taoist masters, not just one.
According to one story, Lao Tzu was part of an educated class in central China and became a scholar working in the Zhou royal court archives. This gave him access to the great library of classics amassed by the Yellow Emperor and led to the development of his theories that would become Taoism, or the Way. Lao Tzu never taught formally, but he attracted many students who wanted to learn from him. As the kingdom declined, Lao Tzu grew tired of city life and abandoned his post to travel west and live a solitary life. As he rode through the city gates on his ox, a guard named Yinxi recognized him and begged him to record his knowledge before he left the civilized world. This recorded knowledge became the main documented source of Taoism under the name of the Tao Te Ching. Over the years, this source would form the philosophical skeleton, the spirit, of Tai Chi.
The Book of Changes - (I Ching - Yi Jing)
In the years before the word Tai Chi was pronounced, there were frequent wars between local tribes, and the fighting techniques used in these wars were developed and passed down from generation to generation.
They would watch wild animals fighting and believed that animals had natural talents and skills to fight. The relationship between animal survival and human fighting became part of Chinese culture. Many of their strikes, kicks, and blocks were called tigers, eagles, cranes, and snakes. Since there was competition between neighboring countries and local tribes, it was very important for the Chinese to keep these fighting skills secret. However, it is a common belief that in order to compete and survive in this tough fighting culture, every martial art must have four basic techniques.
kick
hand strike
joint locking
wrestle
The earliest known references to Tai Chi date back to the T'ang Dynasty (618-960 AD), when the movement patterns were practiced by hermits who retired to the mountainous regions of China. The word Tai Chi (太極) means "highest ultimate" and was first recorded in the Book of Changes (I Ching), the genesis text of Taoist philosophy that holds a place in the wisdom of the East. As its name suggests, it is an art that encompasses everything in the vast universe (the supreme) and everything we experience from one opposite to the other (the ultimate).
Zhang Sanfeng, inventor of Tai Chi Chuan
According to historical arguments that intertwine facts and myths, Zhang Sanfeng (Chang San Feng) (1279-1368) was trained by Xu Xuanping, a Taoist monk and poet of the Tang Dynasty of China. Zhang was indifferent to fame and fortune. After refusing official duty and sending his property to his clan, he traveled around China to live an ascetic life. After spending a few years on Mount Hua, Zhang settled in the Wudang Mountains. It was here that he combined the knowledge he gained from “external” martial arts with his knowledge of “internal” philosophies to develop internal martial arts. Zhang Sanfeng was a prolific writer and collected his thoughts in five books!
According to legend, while watching a snake and a bird (always depicted as a crane) fight in the Wudang Mountains, he discovered the potential for victory in yielding instead of constantly attacking. He saw in the movements a constant attack and submission, with no action dominant. He created the first form of Tai Chi Chuan (T'ai chi ch'uan), a set of 72 movements, based on the idea that by yielding one could defeat the unyielding and by remaining still one could cope with all movements. A legendary culture hero, Zhang Sanfeng is credited by modern practitioners with originating the concepts of Neijia (內家); soft, internal martial arts, especially Tai Chi Chuan, and is remembered for his mastery of the Taoist Tao Yin (neigong) principles of the Chán Buddhist Shaolin martial arts.
Tai Chi Schools / Families
From the 17th century onwards, many Tai Chi styles developed and modernized through families in the Wudang region. These families are: Chen, Yang, Wu, Wu (Hao) and Sun. These five different schools (or families) taught their styles to family members. At first, they were a very closed community that guarded family secrets, but over the years they opened up to the outside world.
In the early 20th century, the health benefits of Tai Chi became well known and it took on a new role as a preventive medicine or wellness exercise. In 1956, the Chinese government sponsored the China Sports Committee, which commissioned several Tai Chi masters to create a short form to keep its citizens healthy. This form became known as the Beijing 24 or 24 Form Yang style and is much easier to learn and practice than the 108 Long Forms on which it is based.
The five main styles of Tai Chi are named after the Chinese families that created them and are taught and practiced around the world.
These styles are:
Chen Style by Chen Wangting (1580-1660)
Yang Luchan's Yang Style (1799-1872)
Wu Hao Style (武氏) by Wu Yuxiang (1812-1880)
Wu Style of Wu Quanyou (1834–1902) and his son Wu Jianquan (1870–1942)
Sun Style (孫氏) by Sun Lutang (1861–1932)
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