About Tai Chi

One remarkable man brought Tai Chi to the world: a man of such extraordinary qualities that he rose from child servant to companion of the imperial family; became the adopted scion and representative of the quintessence of Chinese knowledge at a time when it was forbidden to any outsider; defeated the highest opponents in the land with such paramount skill and diplomacy that they came, un-humiliated, to learn from him; and unlocked for the whole world this most secret of knowledge.

He was a native of the Yongnian District, in Hebei Province. His family name of Yang, meaning ‘poplar tree’, symbolises outstanding morality and uprightness; his given name, Luchan, prophetically, means ‘the dew of profound meditation’. Born into very poor circumstances, as a young boy he was immersed in the Shaolin martial arts, and when he saw a pharmacy owner in his hometown display remarkable and effortless martial skills in dealing with an aggressive customer, he asked to learn from the man. Recognising Luchan’s sincerity and uprightness, the pharmacy owner told him that he was also house teacher to the sons of a great master, Chen Changxin, in his home town in Henan province. He was sent as a servant to the Chen household, where the Chen family art was taught as the exclusive preserve of the clan / family members, only taught in the dark of night within the walls of the family courtyard.

One version tells that for this reason Luchan was not allowed to learn the art, and so he would spy through a gap in the courtyard wall, then practise alone in his room. Eventually he was caught and was ordered to demonstrate what he had learnt against the senior students. Master Chen was deeply impressed by the skill with which he bested them; he chose to reward his genius by teaching him, and so adopted him into the family so that he might learn the secretive family art

Under the tutelage of Chen Changxin, he trained continuously and assiduously for six years, then returned to Yongnian, where he was challenged to a duel and defeated.

He returned to the Chen village for a further six years, returning again to Yongnian during the Chinese New Year, only to be challenged again by a highly skilled martial artist. The match concluded with a draw and Luchan felt he must return for a further six years

This deeply moved Chen, and he decided to teach him the whole of his art.

Luchan was never satisfied with his skill; he continued to study and research until his knowledge and skill brought him great fame. The art he taught, honed and developed by his unrelenting determination to learn to an unprecedented level, now became known as Huaquan (the martial art of neutralisation) and Mianquan (the martial art of cotton-like softness).

Three brothers, scholars of an aristocratic family, invited Luchan to the court at Beijing, where he was asked to become teacher to the princes, and to the Emperor’s personal guards, the Manchu Banner Battalion.

Luchan sought to test his skills against the highest all over the land, travelling extensively. The invitation to be official instructor to the imperial family was humbling to those who were ousted, and he became a target for challenges by would-be usurpers and the embittered old guard; but although he had to endure endless challenges, his mastery was such that he could neutralise any offensive without harming his opponent. He would find a way to defeat the opponent with such invisible grace that the defeat would not humiliate the challenger; and with great delicacy of word he would belittle his own victories to save the face of his foe, in accord with the highest ethical precepts of traditional Chinese chivalry.

He came to be known by the sobriquet of Yang Wudi 'Yang the Unsurpassable'. In the court at Beijing, the art he taught was finally given the name of Taijiquan ‘the martial art of the supreme ultimate’ by a poet who observed a demonstration of Luchan’s ability.