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Tai Chi Chuan: Forms
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Besides the above-mentioned five style of Tai Chi Chuan, there is another style called Five-Star Tai Chi. This style was initiated by Wang Lanting, butler of Prince Duan of Yang Luchan who served as Wushu master to Prince Duan. After mastering the Chuan art, Wang Lanting passed it onto Li Ruidong and Si Xingsan. Li Ruidong then absorbed the cream of other styles of Tai Chi to form the Five-Star Tai Chi.
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In addition to improving balance, Tai Chi Chuan strengthens tendons, ligaments, and joints, and has been recommended as a great form of physical therapy for people who have had problems with arthritis or injuries. It is ... an excellent way to prevent future joint problems or injuries.
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As students progress through the Tai Chi form they begin learning Push Hands. At an early level, push hands consists of "sensitivity training." This entails learning to guide one's own energy while becoming aware of another's. One central concept is learning to yield to an attack, redirecting the opponents energy. Push Hands becomes the perfect place to explicate the Tai Chi form, essentially learning how to apply each technique. At a higher level, students participate in two hand freestyle Push Hands, or "combat Tai Chi." This becomes an integral part of learning how to guide and cultivate chi.
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Most of the different schools or styles of Tai Chi have been given the surnames of their founders. The principal schools of Tai Chi that are in existence today are Chen Style, Hao (or Wu Shi) Style, Hu Lei Style, Sun Style, Wu Style, Yang Style and Zhao Bao Style. Each style may have different forms such as the long Tai Chi form, the Tai Chi sword form, the eight-diagram palm, the spear form and the Tai Chi saber form.
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The Cheng Man-ch'ing and Chinese Sports Commission short forms are derived from Yang family forms, but neither are recognized as Yang family tai chi chuan by standard-bearing Yang family teachers. The Chen, Yang and Wu families are now promoting their own shortened demonstration forms for competitive purposes.
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This symbol relates to the constant changes in Tai Chi Chuan from hard to soft, full and empty, open and close ect. Also the "Wu-hsing, the five elements of Fire (Fou), Earth (Tu), Metal (Gin), Water (Sui) and Wood ( Moo) which relate to the five basic stances in the form, Advance(Metal), Retreat (Wood), Look Left (Water), Look Right (Fire) and Central equilibrium (Earth). These are the five characters around the Yin/Yang symbol.
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