Tai-chi-chuan
(Larousse), (太極拳 transl.; 太极拳 simpl.) or tàijí quán (in transcription pinyin) or have You Chi Ch’ uan (in Lagging-Gilles transcription) is a Chinese internal martial art. The sinogrammes of the taiji quan are composed of the elements Tàijí 太極 (ridge supreme) and quán 拳 (fist) and often translated by “boxing of the supreme ridge” or “boxes with the shade” because the observer with the impression which the practitioner fights with a shade. Another current translation is “the boxing of eternal youth”, the supreme ridge being able to be translated less literally by “immortality” (the supreme goal). It is a Chinese martial art (Wushu) pertaining to the group of the internal styles, such as Hsing I Ch’ uan and zhang Ringed it).
The taiji quan is often seen by the Westerners like a kind of “gymnastics”. It is indeed about an martial art in the direction where:
- the movements are inherited the martial tradition (dodgings, parades, strike, seized…) ;
- they were worked by the warriors to develop various paramount qualities in the combat such as balance, the calm one, concentration…
- apart from the first sequence taught with the beginners, there are sequences with weapons as well as combat primarily based on pushes.