
Realizing the passion of many young men for testing their strength through fighting and their typical aversion to scholasticism, past masters conceived of a brilliant plan. To save their wisdom from completely disappearing with the passage of centuries, they embedded it in the movements of tai chi.įurther, the belief is that they made the art irresistibly appealing by endowing it with all of the qualities necessary to be a great fighter. Learning to fight, then, necessitated learning all of the Taoist principles - a clever scheme indeed, and one that has worked very well. Whether or not there is any truth to this belief, each move is, in fact, an icon that represents specific ideas. Together the postures form something of an esoteric dance that weaves knowledge and movements together so cleverly that only someone deeply versed in Taoist philosophy can interpret them accurately. Knowledgeable viewers who understand the moves, however, can provide extensive commentaries on both internal healing effects and combat applications. Such commentators can also discuss the philosophical underpinnings of the movements. The names of different moves in tai chi, like the names of the cards in a Tarot deck, are a way of organizing information and describe categories with their own unique purpose.


For this reason, the tai chi moves can be considered icons. When linked together in a complete set of tai chi movements, the icons act as a living library for students to imitate, study, and contemplate. To learn more about tai chi and Taoism, see: Learn of the beginnings of tai chi teachings and how the practice differs from other marital arts on the next page.
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