FROM WORK IN PROGRESS  Copyright © John Bracy 2008

On the origin of Tai Chi

According to Professor Douglas Wile, although the origins of Tai Chi as a martial art are controversial, he suggests that there are four ways that one can determine the origination of the art: 1) Through analysis of postures and forms, (2) Training techniques, (3) internal "soft" style combat strategies, and (4) links to Taoist philosophy and legend  (see Wile, p. xv) Disregarding the legendary and fanciful, if evaluated from the standpoint of postures, the art can be traced to General Chi Chi-Kuang's sixteenth century boxing classics, postures adopted by Chen Village boxers in the seventeenth or later centuries.

However, if viewed from the point of view of "internal training and soft strategy" which describes principles of stillness overcoming movement and reversing the principles of Shaolin," although superficially mentioned earlier, these were first described in detail by Huang Tsung-Chi who lived until near the end of the seventeenth century (Noteworthy, Huang's son, who received transmission from his father, stated that he abandoned the practice and transmission was terminated.) (Wile, p. xvi)  The first detailed description of an art linked to Taoist alchemy and traditional medicine is provided by Chang Nai-Chou  (Chang Naizhou) in the late eighteenth century. Although not similar in appearance to known Tai Chi forms, Chang describes an internal art that emphasizes "slow movements during training, sticking to the opponent, concentrating and circulating the chi." For the purpose of the present chapter which discusses internal changes within the mind and body of the practitioner, an additional way of dating Tai Chi, that of a "soft art" practice that induces specific mind body state of the practitioner is used. It will be demonstrated that such an approach resulting from dual person practice developed in the late eighteen century and is apparent in the writings of Wu Cheng-Ching.    

Internal martial arts understood as inward instead of external focus

Recent translations of nineteenth century Tai Chi texts suggest that what I call internal principles in partner practice were first defined by Yang Tai Chi stylist, Wu Cheng-Ching. Described by martial art researcher Douglas Wile, was as "an active participant in the formulation of theory,"[i] Wu authored the training manual, Treatise on Boxing, In Treatise, Wu emphasizes the importance of developing "inner skill" (nei kung) in order to interpret force (tung chin)[ii] and defeat the opponent  Significantly, Wu describes an approach to martial art training "concerned with "internal skill" and not with the "external form" and includes what Wile calls the "earliest description of push hands practice." 

According to Wile, Wu, a primary architect of Tai Chi theory, provides the first description of Tai Chi two person exercise as well as invaluable clues to the thinking of founding masters of the internal martial tradition. Detailing his theory of tung chin, "interpreting force"* and development of nei kung "inner skill" which makes interpreting force possible, Wu explains, "if you are unable to develop inner skill, how can you interpret the opponent's incoming force?"

* Note, where Dr. Wile translates tung chin as "interpreting energy," due to reasons which will be clear shortly, and so as not to confuse the word chin (force) with chi (energy) I translate tung chin as "interpreting force."

[CONTINUED] 

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[i] Wile, Douglas, Lost Tai Chi Classics from the late  Ching Dynasty p. 41

[ii] Wile p. 41-42