The 5 most important types of tai chi

These are the main variants of tai chi practiced as a martial art worldwide.

Tai chi is one of the most practiced oriental martial arts in the world. It is not only a sport, but is also considered a real relaxation technique that, being dynamic, gains thousands of followers every year.

Tai chi has its roots in yoga and Taoism, mixing exercise with philosophy, mysticism and meditation. and with the objective of achieving that the user acquires full harmony and calm at the level of body, soul and mind.

This practice is not homogeneous, having different modalities with different movements, rhythms and suitability according to the age and level of expertise of the practitioner. The following are the types of tai chi we will see the main types of tai chi.

What is tai chi?

Of all the sports of Asian origin, tai chi is undoubtedly one of the best known. Considered as something between a martial art and a relaxation technique, tai chi chuan or tai ji quan represents in China more than just a sport practice.. For the Chinese it is a way to achieve balance between mind, body and soul in an energetic but non-aggressive way, whose literal name means "supreme ultimate fist". Those who practice it claim that it has positive effects on their health, reducing stress and improving flexibility.

Its origins are related to Taoism and yoga and judging by the way it is performed it can be seen as a kind of dynamic meditation, in movement. This is surely what has made it gain so many followers in recent decades, being more entertaining than static meditation but not as strenuous as a high-intensity sport. Despite its popularity, it was not until December 17, 2020 that UNESCO categorized it as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Tai chi is a heterogeneous practice having different modalities based on different principles and with varied therapeutic purposes. It should be said that although it can help the health of those who practice it, this sport is not a medical or psychological treatment, so it does not replace any therapy.However, the degree of well-being that this martial art brings can help those who practice it to be calmer.

Main types of tai chi

The practice of tai chi has five main modalities which vary in their repertoire of movements, postures and exercises which will be recommended depending on the physical condition of the practitioner.

1. Chen tai chi

Chen tai chi bears the surname of its creator. Chén Wángtíng (1580-1660) of Chenjiagou assimilated different martial arts techniques, combining them and giving rise to his own version of the sport called "pao chui" ("cannon fist").combining them and giving rise to his own version of the sport called "pao chui" ("cannon fist"), with roots in the Shaolin martial art of the same name.

As a result we have a tai chi modality consisting of five routines with a total of 108 postures that make it very complex although, if done correctly, the maximum point of relaxation can be reached in just one movement.

2. Tai chi Yang

It is based on the thoughts of Yáng Lùchán (1799-1872), whose lineage has given rise to three prestigious schools of tai chi, and who learned his art from Chen Changxing (1771-1853).

In this modality tai chi tai chi encourages long and calm movements, without changing the rhythm of the breaths or the impulse that is exerted, and is therefore recommended for beginners. and is therefore recommended for very novice beginners and older people. The way it is practiced has hardly changed over the centuries.

3. Tai chi Wu

Wu tai chi is one of the most practiced. It has very similar fundamentals to Yang, but with modifications that have simplified its postures and softer movements.. Its name is due to Wu Quanyou (1834-1902), who was a student of Yáng Lùchán.

During the twentieth century small modifications were made, making it a martial art consisting of 37 movements, ideal for those practitioners who had neither the time nor the patience to learn the long sequences of the more traditional forms. Thanks to its simplicity, the tai chi Wu style is considered the second most practiced form of this martial art.

4. Tai chi Hao

The tai chi Hao is considered to be a variation of the Wu style a variation of the Wu style at the hands of Hao Yue-rua martial arts master who included slow and leveled jumps in the movements, but preserved fast movements of the original style.

There is also the idea that this technique was originally created by Wu Yuxiang (1812-1880), who had two brothers, Wu Dengqing and Wu Ruqing, both government officials.

All three brothers were interested in the martial arts after having learned with their father the techniques of hung boxing from the Shaolin monks. All three studied with Yáng Lùchán, whose sons were cared for by Wu Yuxiang who would introduce into the technique a sequence of small structure.

5. Tai chi Sun

Sun Lutang (1860-1933) combined the fundamentals of the known martial arts of his time, including Xingyiquan and Baguazhang, with the main movements of tai chi.. As in the rest of the modalities of this martial art, Sun contributed his knowledge about the cultivation of Qi (mystical energy) working it to, according to him and his beliefs, achieve balance between body and soul.

This type of tai chi is one of the most recent and differs from the others by the fact that the body acquires a higher position, in addition to the fact that the point of balance does not fall on a single foot but both are placed at an angle of 45 degrees in order to achieve movements of greater flexibility and speed. Between movements there is an open and close transition.

Other modalities

The five previous modalities are considered the most practiced and widespread tai chi techniques in the world, although they are not the only ones. Among the other variations of tai chi we have the Xin Yi, Wu Dang, Zhaobao Taijiquan, Zheng Zong and Hulei styles, which as in the others share the objective of harmonizing body, mind and soul and bring peace and calm to those who practice it.