Chinese Martial Arts

Chinese martial art styles are often considered to originate in different families, however, the styles are very different. In terms of techniques and methods, we can distinguish the following styles:

• External Styles:

These are also called “hard” styles. There are a large number of hard styles and they are typically associated with practicing of hard strikes and positional stability.

• Internal Styles:

These are called “soft” styles based on the conception of so-called inner force. These styles use as much as possible adjustments and changes to the forces exerted by an opponent. Outwardly, internal style postures do not look very strong but they are surprisingly efficient.
There is no strict division between soft and hard styles. Each style combines the qualities of both hard and soft styles and depends also on the level of the fighter’s technique.

Traditional Internal Styles

• Xingyi
• Bagua
• Taijiquan

These styles differ in the level of softness. Taijiquan is considered the softest one and is sometimes compared to a “rubber” ball.

Taijiquan Development

• Taijiquan history is wrapped in many misty legends

Each taijiquan style has its own legends that are preferred, either to show the importance of the style itself or to facilitate its ideas and principles. For example, a Yang style legend considers its founder to be the13th century monk, Zhang San-feng, who supposedly united Taoist ideas with Shaolin martial art techniques.

• Modern history is better-known and substantiated.

In spite of this, opinions on taijiquan vary considerably, which often results in misunderstanding and pointless rivalry.

• Commercialization

Taijiquan martial art knowledge, its quality and presentation are in the process of permanent transformation. All these aspects are affected by both historical development and the current demand. Taijiquan and other Chinese martial arts were promoted in the mid-20th century with the aim of presenting Chinese culture and health. At the same time, the very substance of martial arts - their martial aspect - was suppressed in China. Subsequently the expansion of taijiquan globally resulted in diversification, simplification, and especially in enormous commercialization of this originally rather complex martial art system.

Taijiquan Styles

Best known taijiquan current styles:

• Chen
• Yang
• Wu
• Wuu

The styles are named according to the families who founded each particular style. Nowadays the most well-known styles are Chen and Yang. Their differences consist in emphasizing different aspects in teaching and techniques that ideally should raise the beginner to more advanced martial levels.

Despite the differences, all taijiquan styles should lead in the end to simply one taijiquan. The styles are just different ways leading to the same destination.