All You Need to Know About Taiji and Taijiquan

太极 vs 太极拳

Many Chinese learners are fascinated by the mystery of Taiji (also spelled as Tai Chi). Undeniably, the Chinese language has a rich cultural heritage with the wisdom of Chinese ancestors. A basic understanding of the cultural aspect will help you better integrate into Chinese society. In this article, you will know what "太极(tài jí, Taiji)" means as a Chinese philosophical concept, as well as "太极拳(tàijí quán, Shadowboxing)" which is a form of martial art that is influenced by the concept of Taiji.

太极(tài jí, Taiji)

Let's first study the two characters "太极". The first character 太 is made of up two components, which are "大(dà, big)" and "、". The former means big while the latter is a commonly seen stroke called "点(diǎn)", which can mean small in this context. This combination of components gives the concepts of maximum and minimum. On the other hand, "极(jí)" means the extremes. Hence, when these two characters combined to form a word, its connotation entails the extremity of big and small.

The Taiji concept appeared in many Chinese classic texts. In I Ching (《易经》, yì jīng, the Book of Changes), Taiji refers to the great primal beginning of the universe. It is perceived as the fundamental law that defines the nature of our universe, which came from the state of nothingness or oneness to the state of extremity or duality, where Yin and Yang were generated. The Taiji philosophy has guided the way of how the Chinese people think, live, and act.

阴阳(yīn yáng, Yin Yang)

Yin and Yang are two opposite yet complementary forces, they cannot exist without the other. For example, you cannot know what is "明(míng, light)" without knowing what is "暗(àn, dark)". You also cannot understand what is "好(hǎo, good)" without knowing what is "坏(huài, bad)".

Let's look at more Chinese "反义词(fǎn yì cí, antonyms)" that illustrates the concept of duality below:

• 大(dà, big) vs 小(xiǎo, small)

• 美(měi, beautiful) vs 丑(chǒu, ugly)

• 快(kuài, fast) vs 慢(màn, slow)

• 动(dòng, motion) vs 静(jìng, stillness)

• 真(zhēn, real) vs 假(jiǎ, fake)

• 冷(lěng, cold) vs 热(rè, hot)

• 有(yǒu, with) vs 无(wú, without)

• 上(shàng, up) vs 下(xià, down)

• 前(qián, before) vs 后(hòu, after)

• 轻(qīng, light) vs 重(zhòng, heavy)

So, what lesson can we learn from knowing the Taiji philosophy? The Yin and Yang symbol shows us the concept of "无常(wú cháng, impermanence)". Within the white region, there is the element of black. Within the black region, there is the element of white. They exist interdependently and in a constantly evolving state. The day can turn into the night; what does good can, in turn, become bad, just like the old adage "change is the only constant".

Essentially, it teaches us to obey the law of nature and live by maintaining a balance between two extremes. For example, you might wish to become "富有(fù yǒu, rich)" to avoid being "贫穷(pín qióng, poor)" by working days and nights and push yourself to your limits. This extreme pursuit of material wealth may in turn hurt your physical health, your relationship, and your mental wellbeing. Knowing Yin Yang allows us to see things from dual angles and makes us more aware of the decisions we make in life. Extreme measures may lead to extreme results, hence, it is best to strike a balance and not go overboard in anything that you do.

太极拳(tài jí quán, Shadow-Boxing)

Taijiquan, also known as Chinese shadow-boxing, is a form of Chinese "武术(wǔ shù, martial art)" that we often see in Chinese movies. It is based on the Chinese Philosophy of Taiji. The character "拳(quán)" means fist, as this physical exercise requires no equipment except our bare hands.

The purpose of practicing Taijiquan is to improve our spiritual and mental wellbeing, hence achieving balance and improving our quality of life. There is a meditative side to this exercise, which helps to bring calmness and joy to one's life. It does not require one to apply strong force to bring about motions, rather, it emphasizes the coordination of the body, the adjustment of our breaths, and the relaxation of the muscle.

Taiji is a complicated and abstract concept of philosophy. If you wish to know more about this fascinating philosophy, making Chinese friends and learning the Chinese language are the optimum ways to learn Chinese culture and Chinese Philosophy. To know more about how Chinese Philosophy influences the way how Chinese people think and live, sign up for our Chinese classes that introduce you to the cultural aspect of Chinese apart from learning just the language itself. Also, stay tuned to this blog to learn more about Chinese culture and the Chinese language!