What is Taijiquan?

Taijiquan 太極拳, sometimes called Tai Chi, or T'ai Chi Ch'uan, is a Chinese martial arts whose origins date back to the thirteenth century.

Tai 太 means "great, ultimate", Ji 極 means "extremes, polar ends", and Quan 拳 means "fists".

The ancient Chinese believe that the natural world can be explained through the principles yin and yang. Duality exists as complimentary opposites and when one extreme is reached, it gives rise to the other.

Taijiquan was developed from older martial art forms by Taoist monks who followed the way ("Tao") of balance and harmony, and wished to employ these same principles in their martial practice. Their efforts gave birth to a form of moving meditation with many uses.