What is Tai Chi Chuan

The legendary Taoist monk Chang San-Feng lived during Yuan dynasty (1279-1368 D.C.). He combined the "action and no-action" theory of Yellow Emperor and Lao Tzu with "Book of Changes" concepts of Li, Chi and Hsiang creating what we call Tai Chi Chaun; this is an internal martial art, however its roots sink into the older long life energy exercises that Taoist monks practise in China before Christian era. Among these exercises the most famous was, as today, the so-called Five Animals exercise, a kind of internal work who puts an accent on muscles relaxation, allowing vital energy to move freely and correctly inside human body. Some movements of this exercise are still present into principal Tai Chi Chuan styles, so this art contains the millennial heritage of Taoist energetic tradition, this last one is the foundation as well, of that huge ocean of knowledge that Chinese traditional medicine it is. So we can understand why the Tai Chi Chuan has known all over the world as an effective means to strengthen health and avoiding diseases.
According to Chinese thought, the Chi is the vital energy which permeates and keeps all universes up as well as the source of every being; when we refer to human being the Chi is called "vital energy" .The Chinese traditional medicine teaches us that Chi must flow correctly and without any obstacle along human body´s meridians; when this does not happen inevitably disease arising.
Tai Chi Chuan favours accumulation and correct circulation of internal energy, through execution of smooth, slow, fluid and round movements, helping the trainee to maintain and improving his health. Studying Tai Chi Chuan, we learn a deep discipline present into this martial art and the health strengthening; besides, with this practice we start a great spiritual path that, in a complete natural way, can bring us towards "enlightenment". Tai Chi Chuan, developed to these levels, becomes a real dynamic meditation. Naturally this result is reachable only when movements become so familiar that any conscious effort is not disclosed, and Tai Chi goes on its own. The slow and repetitive breathing rhythm, combined with the flowing movements, becomes the guide to internal quietness; the meditation threshold is reached and then ... just let us go. It is really these "let us go" the whole of Tai Chi Chuan mystic and meditative experience.