History of World Tai Chi Day

HISTORY OF WORLD TAI CHI DAY

Today is World Tai Chi and Qigong Day, celebrated at 10 a.m. local time in cities around the world on the last Saturday of April each year.

History behind World Tai Chi Day

While this global celebration has been ongoing since 1999, it now takes place in hundreds of cities across 80 countries and on six continents worldwide. Historically, it was initiated in Kansas City in 1998 by Bill Douglas and Angela Wong Douglas, co-authors of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to T’ai Chi and Qigong, who subsequently founded the international aspect of the event.

This event features exhibitions of Tai Chi forms and Qigong exercises in local parks and public areas. Details of this can be found at WorldTaiChiDay.org.

Qigong

Tai Chi’s emphasis on breathing has given rise to the motto “One World, One Breath.” Qigong, or chi gung, translates to “life energy cultivation,” emphasizing breathing, movement, and awareness exercises that enhance mobility, balance, and immunity by stimulating various circulatory systems. Separate but closely related is tai chi, also known as t’ai chi.

Tai Chi History

Tai Chi is often translated as “supreme ultimate”; the addition of the word chuan or ch’uan introduces the martial aspect of the art as “supreme ultimate boxing”.

Wudang Mountains

Tai Chi differs from other popular Chinese martial arts, such as Kung Fu, in the following ways.

• Traditionally, Kung Fu originates from the Buddhist Shaolin Monastery in northern China and is considered an external, or hard, martial art.

• Tai Chi, although derivative in some aspects, is typically categorized under the Taoist Wudang tradition and is considered an internal or soft martial art. The popular Chinese legend claims that a Taoist hermit named Zhang Sanfeng originated the art while living in the monasteries of the Wudang Mountains.

Indeed, it has been said that Kung Fu is the long-term cultivation of Chi through hard work. Kung Fu is Chinese for “hard work.”

It is extremely difficult to trace the origins of Chinese martial arts forms. They have been shrouded in secrecy by the various schools and families that retain the traditions, and there is a certain amount of deliberate obfuscation. While the practice of Tai Chi in America can be traced back approximately 100 years, its origin in China dates back centuries. Some trace it back to the 12th century, but it’s difficult to document before the 17th century. Tai Chi Chuan appears by that name in literature in the mid-19th century.

Health Benefits

Tai Chi and Qigong are often associated with Traditional Chinese Medicine. Harvard Medical School has been researching the effectiveness of Tai Chi practice in physical therapy and its response to various debilitating illnesses, such as Multiple Sclerosis. It has also been used to increase mobility and balance for those suffering from Arthritis.

Practice of Tai Chi

Single whip

Tai Chi is sometimes called ‘kung fu for older folks,’ and indeed, the first time I saw it practiced was in Hong Kong’s parks early in the morning, by older people. Of course, it is not limited to that age, but older people do benefit in several ways. The movements are low-impact and less percussive than those in hard martial arts, emphasizing breathing, movement awareness, relaxation, de-stressing, stretching, and balance.

Practice starts with stretching exercises, then moves to temple exercises, which combine short, atomic movements of blocking, warding off, evading, striking, and kicking. This progresses to longer forms that can comprise movements of 12, 24, or 48 postures or more, strung together. The atomic elements of temple exercises are combined into longer, molecular forms. They differ among the five traditional schools of Tai Chi and may be faster or slower, harder or softer, or more or less martial.

Popularity of Tai Chi

The 24-posture simplified form of Tai Chi Chuan, also known as the Beijing 24 Form, was popularized by the Chinese Sports Committee in 1956. It can be done in 6 minutes or slowly in 20 minutes. More complex versions of the form range from 88 to 108 postures. Historically, it was strongly promoted by the People’s Republic of China and is the best-known in China and around the world. When you see Tai Chi practiced in films, it is usually the beginning of the Beijing Form. Tai Chi demonstrations are often included in Chinese New Year celebrations.

In addition to open-hand movements, Tai Chi may also incorporate traditional Chinese weapons in stylized forms, including the gun (long bo staff), jian (straight sword), dao (broad sword), and qiang (folding fan).

I’ve been practicing Tai Chi for over 13 years.

Bill Petro, your friendly neighborhood historian
billpetro.com