For You Who Practice Tai Chi, Can You Understand the Spirit of Tai Chi?
Great Essence
Humility, Confidence, Tolerance, Harmony, Utmost Goodness
01
Humility
Rectitude and Uprightness, Softness with Strength
Tai Chi emphasizes 'concealing and not displaying, nourishing vast righteousness'.
Tai Chi focuses on 'touching, sticking, and following, yielding and then attacking, seizing the initiative after the enemy's weakness, and using surprise attacks.' It highly values 'softness', seeking change within 'softness', discouraging proactive aggression. In combat, it also emphasizes 'seizing opportunities and taking advantage of momentum', meaning maintaining a dominant position through change. Emphasizing uprightness and serenity, it aligns with the concept of 'one's body with righteous energy.'
In modern society, with rapid development, people increasingly value 'returning to nature' and 'returning to simplicity', and the authentic Tai Chi is conducive to maintaining a positive, confident state for the human body and spirit.
02
Confidence
Rectitude and Uprightness, Softness with Strength
Tai Chi is not simply about softness, nor is it about weakness; it's about embodying strength within softness, combining softness with firmness, embedding needles within softness, and achieving ultimate flexibility before ultimate strength. In combat and martial arts, it focuses on 'circularity overcoming straightness', 'transforming before attacking', and 'seizing opportunities.' It emphasizes uprightness and serenity, aligning with the concept of 'one's body with righteous energy.'
The modern society's emphasis on 'returning to nature' and 'returning to simplicity' aligns perfectly with the authentic Tai Chi, which helps maintain a positive, confident state for the human body and spirit.
03
Tolerance
Broad-mindedness and Moderation
'Tolerance' is the ideal state of human society and the healthy development of the human body. 'Yin and Yang in harmony results in the flourishing of all things.' Tai Chi emphasizes 'seeking roundness, embracing vastness, and being tolerant' with a broad and expansive outlook.
Tolerance facilitates openness. Tai Chi's system is inherently open. This openness allows it to absorb the essence of all martial arts schools, continuously enriching and strengthening itself, ultimately maximizing the potential for drawing nourishment from China's traditional culture and perfecting itself.
04
Harmony
Yin and Yang Balance, Harmony and Coherence
'Harmony' is the ideal state of human society and the healthy development of the human body. 'Yin and Yang in harmony results in the flourishing of all things.' Here, Confucianism's 'Doctrine of the Mean' has a significant impact on Tai Chi. Confucius advocated 'the Doctrine of the Mean', emphasizing 'harmony, moderation, and balance'; Tai Chi also prominently features 'the Middle', emphasizing 'rectitude and serenity', 'using both soft and hard', 'finding balance', and 'combining movement and stillness'. This is also connected to Traditional Chinese Medicine's holistic and comprehensive views, as well as its approach to diagnosis and treatment.
05
Utmost Goodness
Water-like Qualities, Shaping Form
Tai Chi emphasizes 'the highest goodness is like water, following form naturally', which is a dynamic balance. Tai Chi teachings include 'the spirit as the commanding general, the body as the driving force.' This means guiding movement with intention, guiding energy with intention, integrating intention, movement, force, and breath in a unified manner. It can be summarized as 'three adjustments' (adjusting the body, adjusting the heart, adjusting the breath), 'three integrated cultivation' (combining movement and stillness, inner and outer cultivation, spirit and body cultivation), and 'three harmonies' (inner and outer harmony, form and spirit harmony, heaven and earth harmony)—ultimately leading to
a philosophical view of harmony between humanity and nature;
an ethical view of harmony between people;
a holistic view of the body's inner and outer harmony.
It is a state of utmost goodness and beauty.
