Taichi Chuan which integrates selfdefence, healthcare, disease elimination and moral cultivation, is a precious legacy of Chinese martial arts. It has been well known and widely spread all over the world for its unique patterns of movement and its value of health building.
Taichi Chuan , one of the most important boxing in Chinese Wushu , was established upon the basis of Taoist breathing exercises, appling the theory of Yin & yang, theory of Jingluo, in traditional Chinese medicine .
The essence of Taichi Chuan lies in the diagram of cosmological scheme . Taichi Chuan is famous for its smooth movements and Yin&Yang as its philosophical essence .With rich contents , it is designed not only to attack and defend , but also to cultivate oneself . Therefore, it is a highly valued, health care exercise .

The theory of Yin & Yang turned up in 800 B.C. It didn't contribute its due share to philosophy until the end of the period of the Warring States .Yin & Yang is Tao. They are two opposite sides . According to Taiji , yang grows in mobility and yin grows in immobility . It proved that Chinese traditional medical science took the two complementary interactive forces as the base of human activity . In other words, even nature is the product of the interaction between Yin & Yang .Its theorization , composition and characteristics are all created on this basis . As far as movements and composition are concerned , both of them are linked to Yin & Yang that are opposite, interdependent and mutually restricting. The interaction between Yang & Yin can be seen everywhere ? inactivity and intertia, in hardness and softness, in excess and deficiency. For instance , opposite yet interdependent moves as in the traditional routine of Taichi Chuan, integration Yin & Yang, echoes the application of the Yin & Yang theory in Taichi Chuan .

Chinese medical theory believes that spirit, as a vital matter of life, consist of inborn kidney essence and the essence contained in food and drink we consume everyday. The existence of energy is closely connected with the internal organs such as the kidneys, lungs, spleen and stomach. That is why we say spirit and energy is the bottom line to interpret Taichi Chuan. Taichi Chuan calls for cultivation from both inside and outside, its breathing exercises meeting the demand of supplying and nourishing energy . concentration comses from inborn essence and acquired energy. It is a denotation of life representations including the activities of the brain , the internal organs , the Jingluo and blood. Traditional Chinese medical science views concentration as dominant in human life . Under the influence of health ? care culture, the approach to taijiquan practice goes in two branches. the exercises to benefit the internal organs as well as the exercises to benefit the muscles and bones. Regulation of the brain, the breath and the body enhances as a person's digesting and assimilating ability to achieve luxuriant spirit, sufficient energy and exuberant concentration. To build up one's body by giving concentration practice priority sharply defines its national feature .

How to Learn and Practise Taichi Chuan

First of al , one must not be afraid of difficulties. Since every movement of Taichi Chuan involves simultaneous moving of almost all parts of the body , which follow either acurve, a circle or spine, beginners often attend to one thing and lose sight of another. Meanwhile, Taichi Chuan requires either an empty step or a solid step . In other words , only one leg undertakes the weight of the body most of the time . This makes the practice hard and some people give up after practicing it for a few days. In fact, so long as one has perseverance and learn step by step, a foundation can be laid to make further study much easier.