What is T'ai Chi

T'ai Chi and Chi Kung are ancient Chinese forms of exercise that blend physical movement with deep meditative breathing in order to boost energy, cultivate physical and emotional balance, and instill a sense of spiritual and physical well-being. The exercises, movements, and postures that comprise the essence of T’ai Chi have been practiced for thousands of years, and the standard forms of T’ai Chi have been practiced for over four hundred years. Yang Style, codified by Yang ChengFu, is the most accessible of all of the styles, and while Still Mountain teaches a diverse range of forms and styles, the Yang Family Form is the school’s centerpiece.

T'ai Chi and Chi Kung are usually associated with Taoism, with its striving for universal balance and harmony, as well as the Buddhist conception of mindfulness and meditation. Subsequently, T'ai Chi is sometimes known as "Stillness in Motion."

The story of the origins of T'ai Chi are multiple, but the most common is that Chang San Feng, a Taoist Martial Arts Master, was observing a crane attack a snake. With great grace and skill, the snake was able to avoid the relentless strikes of the crane by yielding and evading. The master began to cultivate a martial art that utilized the same grace and skillful means as the coiling snake. Eventually, this evolved into T'ai Chi, which is characterized by its slow, rhythmic motions, and deep breathing. It is a martial art of great beauty, grace, and martial skill.