The Historical Development of Taiji Quan - Research Paper Example

The Historical Development of Taiji Quan Introduction The Chinese art of Taiji Quan is very ancient and yet it still enjoys great popularity in the modern world. It is sometimes referred to in English as “Tai Chi Chuan” or simply “Tai Chi” and is offered as part of the leisure and sports portfolio of many modern gyms and health clubs. This paper traces the origins of Taiji Quan in the stories and legends about its inventor, Zhang Sanfeng who lived in the twelfth century, and examines its fundamental principles and theories. Its connections with Chinese martial arts and to Chinese traditional medicine are explored and a number of modern views and applications of Taiji Quan are analysed, drawing out the benefits it can bring to contemporary practitioners of this ancient art. Zhang Sangfeng and the Origins of Taiji Quan Firm details about the legendary figure of Zhang Sangfeng have been lost in history, but there have been many stories and legends about him, claiming that he invented the art of Taiji Quan and started off a movement that has spread across the globe and down the ages into modern times. Legend has it that Zhang Sanfeng perfected the art of Taiji Quan after carefully observing the behavior of a snake as it waited for precisely the right moment to launch a counter-attack on a white stork which was attempting to eat it (Lee, 1976, p. 15). In the years after his lifetime, followers added many further legends about Zhang Sanfeng’s allegedly supernatural abilities, including claims that he could run several hundred kilometers per day, and that he lived for over 200 years, but these can be put down to over-enthusiastic reporting and a desire to elevate their teacher to the status of a great hero. What appears to be a constant in the writings that have survived, is that Zhang Sanfeng integrated dimensions of ancient Chinese philosophy and medicine into a unified way of life which is characterised by gentle, flowing movements in full consciousness of the interaction of life forces within the human body as well as in heaven and earth. He had been trained in the more military arts of Shaolin Kungfu but his contribution was to step back from hard methods and cultivate a much softer style: “Zhang San Feng was the first master to discard external training methods like hitting sandbags, jabbing palms into granules, and practising with weights, and to emphasize internal methods like breath control, chi channelling and visualization” (Kit, 2002, p. 19) This return to the funamentals of Chinese martial arts philosophy brought back the element of harmony and set up the foundations for a new and less military form of training. Fundamental Principles and Theory of Taiji Quan The ideas behind Taiji are very ancient, and stem from a time before written records were made. The term “Taiji” (or Tai Chi) itself was used in the “Yi Jing,” (Book of Changes) which is thought to have been written down some 2000 years B.C. E., and it relates to “the encompassing state of the universe before the creation of heaven and earth” (Li et al., 2001, p. 148). This notion has at its heart a concept of all movement being circular, and it integrates ideas such as the yin and yang, which are symbols of interlocking opposites such as strength and softness, movement and stillness, etc. This means that practitioners see their movement as being “continuous from beginning to end, and from one posture to the next, in a completely integrated circle” (Li et al., 2001, p. 148). As a Taiji Quan practitioner becomes more adept at the flowing movements of the discipline, more and more difficult exercises are undertaken, so that over a life time, the individual learns to perform feats that appear miraculous to the uninitiated. The traditional Chinese elements of water, wood, fire, earth and metal are linked with the five planets, and in Taiji Quan with the five moves advance, retreat, look left, look right, and central equilibrium (Boedicker and Boedicker, p. 91). The interplay of these movements which in turn creates a set of patterns and metaphors which help a person to grasp complex natural phenomena in a pictorial format. They are not intended to be taken as literal truths, in the way that modern Western scientific theories are presented, but as deeply symbolic patterns which can be grasped only through meditation, study of the ancient texts, and careful training of the human body in perfecting the set exercises that are designed to bring a harmonious mental and physical enlightenment. The inspiration behind many of the positions and movements in Taiji Quan comes from observing creatures and phenomena in the natural world. Animals and birds have adapted to cope with their natural surroundings, and by analyzing how they solve challenges such as catching prey, navigating obstacles, or fending off attackers, Taiji Quan masters have extended the repertoire of movements available to human beings and at the same time created a subtle union with the natural world. Modern masters continue to study the natural world in order to reflect on the eternal truths that can be discerned in the movements of all living creatures. In the modern world, when so many people suffer from stress, living urban lives far from the healing forces of nature, Taiji Quan offers a way back to contact with the fundamental building blocks of life. This practice can be integrated with other kinds of spiritual and religious belief, because there is no element of worship and no affiliation to any organised institution. This makes the practice universally applicable, and an promising avenue for restoring harmony and balance to a person’s life. Taiji Quan and Other Chinese Martial Arts Taiji Quan started out with 13 original postures and over the years accumulated more and more different principal styles, postures and movements and successive masters perfected their techniques. Its origins are in boxing, and it emphasizes the ideal of self defense without the use of any kind of weapons. In ancient China peasants were often at risk in their daily work from wild animals, and this practice was one way to protect oneself from harm. It would be wrong, however, to see Taiji Quan solely as a type of martial art. The religious and spiritual dimensions to its practice that are much more important and the applications to personal wellbeing and harmony building are just as useful in civilian contexts as in military applications. Other Chinese martial arts make use of specialist equipment, and sometimes also special clothing or armour, and some, like Kung Fu, cultivates fast and aggressive movements which require a great deal of physical force, concentrated in specific gestures which have particular meanings and desired effects. The outward focus of these styles is, however, contrary to the inward focus of Taiji Quan. One way of explaining the key driving force behind Taiji Quan is to investigate a related notion of Wu-wei which can be translated as “doing nothing” , “non action” or perhaps more accurately “effortless action”: “It describes a state of personal harmony in which actions flow freely and instantly from one’s spontaneous inclinations, - without the need for extended deliberation of inner struggle – and yet nonetheless accord perfectly with the dictates of the situation at hand, display an almost supernatural efficacy, and (in the Confucian context at least) harmonize with he demands of conventional morality” (Slingerland, p. 7) Slingerland’s analysis of the phenomenon of Wuwei links it with modern notions of the embodied mind, whereby an individual uses powers of concentration and focus to bring physical actions into a smooth and efficient harmony. It is a religious concept, bringing together physical and metaphysical concepts, and in Chinese philosophy it imbues many of the crafts and skills of peasant life. The application of Wu-wei turns a craftsman into a master, and in the legends and stories of medieval China, there are many miraculous feats recorded which come about through the practice of Wu-wei. It is an expression of the Confucian and Daoist notions of “the Way” which is a humble and patient striving for excellence through practice and self improvement. This analysis shows that Taiji Quan is by no means a negative or passive attitude, since it requires years of consistent dedication and training in mental and physical moves. This concept turns notions of aggression and attack upside down, and encourages the individual to use incoming forces as a means of defense, blocking the attack using its own power rather than generating negative energy from within. The ability to act effortlessly, and yet effectively, is the essence of Taiji Quan. Relation of Taiji Quan with Chinese Medicine Taiji Quan shares with traditional Chinese Medicine a deep connection with the natural world. Concepts such as qi are central, though it is difficult to pin down an exact meaning for this term. In the ancient texts it used to be thought of as a fine substance which was present before the cosmos came into being and becomes differentiated as the cosmos took its present form, and then later it came to be seen as a kind of primordial truth, while in later eras this came to be interpreted to mean “breath” or “vitality”, or the life force within the human body as well as in the earth and in heaven (Boedicker and Boedicker, 2009, p. 95).Traditional Chinese medicine takes a holistic view of human beings, seeing mental and physical processes as two sides of the same coin. Acupuncture, with its study of different pressure points works on the same principle, of energy flowing through the body and suffering from blockages which disrupt the perfect harmony of the different organs. Chinese herbs are chosen also with the five planets, and the different natural substances in mind, and they operate according to the same view of the body as having physical and spiritual properties that respond to internal and external forces in predictable ways. Taiji Wuan complements traditional Chinese medicine with equally gentle manipulation of the body, and adds the dimension of movement to encourage flow of the qi and the restoration of harmony. Modern Views and Applications of Taiji Quan Over the centuries, views about the nature and usefulness of Taiji Quan have evolved. In the early days, martial arts applications were uppermost in most people’s minds, but as time has passed “it has become far more focused on the homeostasis of the body’s internal environment. The interaction between mind and body has long been seen as more important than the development of any martial arts skills” (Li et al., 2001). In Western societies there is a tendency for medical practitioners to separate the mind and the body, choosing to emphasize the physical side by treating most conditions with surgery and drugs. The mental dimension is often little understood, and only treated when the patient has a clearly definable mental illness, often with powerful drugs which have significant effects on the body as well as the mind. Taiji Quan has the advantage of being much less invasive than drugs, electric shock, or surgery and it addresses the mental and physical dimensions of a person’s condition both tat the same time. The modern practice of Taiji Quan has some features in common with other philosophies which are equally popular in modern societies. Yoga, for example, which emphasizes body posture and breathing techniques, while Transcendental Meditation emphasizes relaxation and mental discipline. Taiji Quan is different from these methods in that it uses flowing movements to develop good biorhythms. Theories such as Mindfulness stress awareness of the natural world around us and living in the present moment and this is very similar to some of the principles of Taiji Quan. One empirical study investigated the use of Taiji Quan as a treatment for psychosomatic illness, and concluded that it produces physical effects which are similar to walking at a speed of 6 mph and that it has a more calming effect than neutral reading (Jin, 1992, p. 361). Some of this effect may have been due to the higher expectation that participants felt when taking part in the Taiji Quan training, but this can be seen as a benefit on its own. Taiji Quan engages the mind and body together, in a calm and gentle way and in the company of other people, and this can create an improvement in affect that is not possible when a person sits alone and reads a book, or sets out on a walking program. Another study based in Taiwan carried out a proper randomized, controlled trial on two groups of healthy subjects and found that participation in a 12 week Taiji Quan training program resulted in very significant health improvements : blood pressure decreased by 15.6 mg systolic and 8.8 mg diastolic; total cholesterol level decreased by 15.2 mg/dL, and according to STAI evaluation, trait anxiety and state anxiety both decreased as well (Tsai et al., 2003, p. 2003). These positive results are very promising, since they show that a properly administered Taiji Quan training program could cut down the need for expensive drugs and therapy, and bring about improvements in no less three major, and very common health considerations at the same time. This study was conducted in an environment (Taiwan) where Chinese culture and philosophies are already well established and widely accepted and so it cannot show whether a similarly positive effect could be gained in a Western country, where there is perhaps a bigger cultural gap to be overcome. One recent study on 127 college students in the United States compared the effectiveness of Pilates and Taiji Quan with this group, concluding that both interventions had a positive effect on self efficacy, and on sleep quality, although Pilates was more effective in the latter category (Caldwell and Adams, 2009, p. 155). Conclusion The long history of Taiji Quan has witnessed a slow evolution from ancient philosophical and spiritual origins to a military application and then most recently to a very valuable use as a means of treating many of the ills of modern living. There are some aspects of the theory which are still little understood in the West, but the scientific studies shown above have demonstrated real and measurable benefits in the supervised practice of Taiji Quan, for young and old, and for healthy people as well as those suffering serious illnesses. The evidence from randomized and controlled scientific trials has sparked a renewed interest in Taiji Quan even to the extent that it is beginning to be prescribed in the West as well as in Eastern countries as an effective and cost-effective treatment option. The discipline has come a long way and all the signs are that it will be further investigated in the future so that it can be integrated more fully into standard medical practice in the West. The benefits of Taiji Quan lie in its peace and harmony, which is much needed in a world perennially challenged by tension and strife. References Boedicker, F, and Boedicker, M. (2009) The Philosophy of Tai Chi Chuan: Wisdom from Lao Yzu & Other Great Thinkers. Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic Books. Caldwell, K. and Adams, M. (2009) Effect of Pilates and taiji quan training on self-efficacy, sleep quality, mood, and physical performance of college students. Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies 13, pp. 155-163. Jin, P. (1992) Efficacy of Tai Chi, brisk walking, meditation and reading in reducing mental and emotional stress. Journal of Psychosomatic Research 36 (4), pp. 361-370. Kit, W.K. (2002)The Complete Book of Tai Chi Chuan: A Comprehensive Guide to the Principles and Practice. Boston, MA: Tuttle. Lee, D. (1976) Tai Chi Chuan: The Philosophy of Yin and Yang and Its Applications. Santa Clarita, CA: Ohara Publications. Li, J.X., Hong, Y. and Chan, K.M. (2001) Tai chi: physiological characteristics and beneficial effects on health. British Journal of Sports Medicine 35 (3), pp. 148-156. Slingerland, E. (2003) Effortless Action: Wu-wei As Conceptual Metaphor and Spiritual Ideal in Early China. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press. Tsai, J., Wang, W., Chan, P., Lin, L., Wang, C., Tomlinson, B., Hsieh, M., Yang, H., and Liu, J. (2003) The Beneficial Effects of Tai Chi Chuan on Blood Pressure and Lipid Profile and Anxiety Status in a Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine 9 (5), pp. 747-754. Wilms, S. (2010) Nurturing Life in Classical Chinese Medicine: Sun Simiao on Healing without Drugs, Transforming Bodies and Cultivating Life. Journal of Chinese Medicine 93, pp. 5-13. Read More