An examination of the original name of Tai Chi Chuan

The author: Chen Junyan. Regarding the transmission and history of Tai Chi, after in-depth investigation and research by predecessors such as Tang Hao, Xu Zhedong, and Gu Liuxin, it has become basically clear. Despite this, there are still many unresolved issues that attract later generations to continue exploring. For many years, I have been quite interested in this. By proofreading various versions of Tai Chi works, I have found that some issues can be concluded based on the existing materials. The original name of Tai Chi Chuan is one of them. Studying the original name of Tai Chi Chuan is not to belittle the value of Tai Chi Chuan exercise. On the contrary, it is precisely through the research on this issue that we can explore the origin of Tai Chi Chuan and the reasons for its rapid development over the past century. At the same time, it also provides a reference for how to better develop Tai Chi in the future. From the perspective of the development history of Chinese martial arts, Tai Chi Chuan is one of the relatively late emerging martial arts styles. Its representative Yang-style Tai Chi Chuan did not gradually take shape until the beginning of this century. The name of Tai Chi Chuan, which seems to be an ancient martial art, has no less than ten alternative names in various works and transmissions, which is an extremely rare phenomenon in Chinese martial arts. This article attempts to analyze, compare and study each of them one by one, with the aim of obtaining its original name and the brief process of its evolution into Tai Chi. Although many of them are just individual opinions, they are still presented one by one without reservation, for reference in further research and to receive corrections from relevant experts and scholars. I. Alternative names in early Tai Chi books: 1. "Three Times Seven" got its name because it only has 37 postures and is also called "Long Fist". His coaching method is unidirectional coaching. Let the scholar practice one trend proficiently before imparting the next. There is no definite path of boxing. After achieving success, all the postures can be connected and continuous with each other, so it is also called long boxing. (Transmitted by Song Yuanqiao) 2. Xian Tian Quan, also known as Chang Quan. (Inherited from the Yu family of Jing County, Ningguo Prefecture, Jiangnan) 3. The Little Nine Heavens, consisting of 14 postures. 4. The postnatal method (passed down from the Cheng family of Huizhou Prefecture in the south of the Yangtze River, and its boxing techniques were learned from Han Gongyue), with 17 postures, mostly belonging to the elbow method. Although the names of their postures and techniques are different, their applications are the same. 5. Wudang School, or Neijia Quan. The term "Neijia" refers to a cowardly person, and thus it is distinct from the outside world. 6. The 13 forms refer to the 13 methods. 7. Soft fist (commonly known as soft fist), or chemical fist, is because it can resist strong forces. (From Yang Luchan) 8. Cotton Fist. 9. Jiu-jitsu The world is unaware that Tai Chi is regarded as a form of jiu-jitsu. In the first and second examples above, both are also known as Changquan. Judging from the textual description, the boxing style of the first example seems to be quite similar to the Changquan, which was passed down and created by Emperor Taizu of the Song Dynasty. The boxing style of the second example lacks any visual or textual description and can only be regarded as a school of Changquan. The names of the first and second examples mentioned above, "Changquan", are both referred to in "Wang Zongyue's Treatise on Boxing", and it can be affirmed that they have some connection with Changquan, which is now known as Tai Chi Chuan. Example 3: "Cheng-style Tai Chi Chuan..." His boxing style was inherited from Han Gongyue and was renamed "Little Nine Heavens", consisting of 14 postures. It is suspected that it was formed by mistakenly adding one posture to the 13 postures, or there is another inheritance (as the number 14 is not commonly used in martial arts). There is no definite transmission at present. The fourth example of boxing, judging from the written records, is obviously quite different from Tai Chi, so it will not be discussed here. The fifth example of boxing has been proven to be quite different from Tai Chi, although internal martial arts also have similar practice methods of pushing hands. But there is no direct transmission relationship. Examples 6, 7 and 8 all come from alternative names of Yang-style Tai Chi. The 13 Forms is another name for the 13 postures and is the name mentioned in Wang's boxing theory. The 7th and 8th examples originated from the common names used by the villagers when Mr. Yang Luchan returned to his hometown to teach martial arts. This is questionable. Why wouldn't the Yang family tell their neighbors the exact name of the boxing style and let them call it whatever they wanted? There are two reasons. One is that Yang doesn't know the exact name of this fist. This possibility can be proved by the fact that Chen's lazy tying of clothes was mistaken for catching a sparrow's tail. The second possibility is that Yang knew about it but deliberately made things mysterious and followed others' instructions. Analyzing it, this possibility seems more likely. The name that Yang knew should be Changquan. It is the Changquan in "Wang Zongyue's Theory of Tai Chi Chuan". The name of the 9th example comes from the Chen-style system. It can be seen that even in Chenjiagou, the name "Tai Chi Chuan" is very unclear and precise. As a result, in the 2020s, some people still mistakenly thought it was "Jujitsu". Ii. Names of the routines within the Chen and Yang Systems: 1. Chen System: 1.1 Chen-style First Leg Large Circle Boxing (Old Frame First Leg) 1.2 Chen-style Tai Chi Small Circle Boxing (Small Frame First Leg) 1.3 Chen-style Tai Chi Old Frame Second Leg (Cannon Boxing) 1.4 Chen-style Tai Chi New Frame First and Second Leg 1.5 Small Four Sets of Boxing (also known as Little Red Boxing) 1.6 Cannon Hammer (Fifteen Red Fifteen Cannon Moving Boxing) 1.7 General Song of Boxing Postures (108 Postures of Chen-style Tai Chi Changquan) 1.8 Chen-style Tai Chi Small Frame 64 Postures (Head Set of Boxing) 1.9 Tai Chi Thirteen Postures 1.10 Two Sets of Boxing Postures, Four Sets of Boxing Postures, Five Sets of Boxing Postures 1.11 Cannon Boxing (Two Sets of Hammer) 2. Yang System 2.1 Tai Chi Chuan 2.2 Tai Chi Changquan 2.3 Tai Chi Zangquan If the above names are screened out, the colloquial second and fourth sets of Tai Chi Chuan postures, and the names of Tai Chi Chuan that were only used after "Wang's Quan Lun" are deleted, and then summarized, the names of the martial arts with clear meanings. It should be: 1. Big Circle Boxing, Small Circle Boxing (Old Frame One, Small Frame One, Little Red Boxing) 2. Cannon Fist, Cannon Hammer (Old Frame 2nd Route, 15th Red 15th Route Movement Fist) 3. General Song of Fist Postures (Changquan 108 Postures Spectrum) 4. Quan, Changquan (Yang's system) The above 1 is obviously named after the image of (winding method). The Two Cannon Fists and the Red Fist are both long-standing popular boxing styles in the Central Plains region (the Red Fist is said to have originated from Emperor Taizu of the Song Dynasty or was a phonetic transformation at the turn of the Ming and Qing dynasties, metaphorizing the meaning of "Hongwu"). Items 3 and 4 are clearly Changquan. Although the movements of the Two Cannon Raises and the Red Fist are mostly the same as those of the Long Fist, they are clearly derived from other boxing styles, and the names also reflect their origins. Changquan is shared by the Chen and Yang schools, which is in line with the "Wang-style Quan Theory". The original name of Tai Chi Chuan is Changquan. Iii. Existing boxing techniques with different names but the same record: Among the boxing techniques in the Chen-style system, the oldest and most representative one is the boxing technique recorded in the "General Song of Boxing Postures" (108 Postures Long Boxing Manual). Judging from the boxing techniques with exactly the same or similar names, Changquan has many alternative names. The main ones are: 1. Chen Family from Wen County, Henan Province: Changquan (the same). 2. Jiaozuo, Henan Province, Wuji Tongbei Chuan Quan (the same). 3. The Guo family of Hongtong, Shanxi Province, Tongbei Quan (once named after Zhongyi Quan)(the same). 4. Shanxi Changquan (Close to, the names of the 27 spears in the Changquan system and the 36 spears in the Henan Chen family system are exactly the same, which can be confirmed to have the same master-apprentice relationship). 5. Shanxi Chai-style Tongbei Cuan Quan (the same). 6. Shanxi Fu Quan is close. 7. Shanxi Chai-style Tongbei Quan (close) Among them, 7 Tongbei Quan have obvious phonetic errors. Shanxi Guo-style Tongbei Quan has a master-apprentice relationship with Henan Chen-style Changquan. Judging from the completeness and reliability of the Shanxi Guo-style Quan genealogy, the name Tongbei Quan should have been passed down from the Henan Chen-style rather than fabricated. It is not difficult to infer that there are also historical connections between Shanxi Tongbei Chanquan, Henan Wuji Tongbei Chanquan, Shanxi Fu Quan and Tongbei Quan. Iv. The Relationship between Changquan and Tongbei Quan: The relationship between Changquan and Tongbei Quan can not only be confirmed from the above examples but also in other materials. In the early Qing Dynasty, Huang Baijia wrote in "Neijia Quan, the Six Paths and Their Interpretations" that "Youbi has the highest straight arm,..." The phrase "Long arms, a long fist." Although the following interpretation is in reference to a certain rest movement, by referring to the situation where the term "Changquan" is used elsewhere in the article, it can be determined that "Tongbei" is not only the name of a certain movement but also the name of a kind of boxing technique. It is a well-established issue that there is a connection between the back and the arm. In this way, we can draw the conclusion that Changquan is Tongbei Quan, and the example in the third paragraph further confirms the correctness of Huang's note. According to the records, Changquan is a relatively fixed name. The Tongbei (Tongbei) Quan leans more towards the element of folk pictographic naming. V. Research on the Names of Tai Chi Chuan in Tai Chi Chuan Works Today's Tai Chi Chuan works can basically be divided into two major systems: one is the Wang, Wu, and Li system; Ii. The Chen System. Although the works were completed X years later, they all conducted a thorough study of the names of Tai Chi. Although the texts that have survived to this day vary in terms of addition, deletion, transmission and copying, as well as in terms of concealment and subtlety, with in-depth analysis and reference to other materials, the reasons behind them can still be understood. Wang Zongyue: "Taiji is born from the infinite and is the mother of Yin and Yang." The long fist is like the Yangtze River and the sea, flowing ceaselessly. The 13 postures are: tent, stroke, squeeze, press, draw, line, elbow, lean, advance, retreat, look, look, and stabilize. In summary, they are called the 13 trends. 2. Chen Xin: "The world doesn't know. Everyone thinks Jiu-jitsu,..." It can be called Tai Chi. Therefore, this martial art cannot be named with a rigid name, nor can it be named with a soft name; it should be directly named after the nameless nature of Tai Chi. Taiji is born in the boundless. ... Special-shaped ears. When time is nameless, it is called the day of Tai Chi. "The silk winding technique of Tai Chi Chuan is also Tai Chi Chuan, and it is a method of pulling the strings." " "Scholars come on stage to practice boxing..." It is as chaotic as the boundless scene of the great chaos, thus its form is indescribable. It is called the boundless, which is a figurative form. 3. Li Yiyu, "The origin of Tai Chi is unknown. Wang Zongyue has elaborated on its subtlety and ingenuity in detail." Later, it was passed down to the Chen family in Chenjiagou, Henan Province. There were no shortage of people who were wise and enlightened. The above text and the names of the boxing styles that have survived to this day not only suggest but also confirm that the Chen-style boxing style of Henan Province did indeed have a period when it was called "Wuji Tongbei Chuan Quan", and its abbreviation might have been "Wuji Quan". In addition, Li's small preface also indicates the situation where the name of Tai Chi was passed back to Chenjiagou, Henan Province along with Wang's Tai Chi Theory. However, according to the existing materials, Chen Xin mistakenly changed the Thirteen postures into thirteen divisions (thirteen segments) and the routine of the Chen-style Thirteen postures, which proves that the written materials of the Wang-style boxing did not reach Chenjiagou. In Henan, the Chen family has only heard of the names of Tai Chi Chuan and the Thirteen Postures. So in Chen Xin and other Chen-style Tai Chi masters, they could not be certain of the exact meaning of the thirteen postures of Tai Chi, which led to such a misunderstanding. (Chen Xin's work was completed in the 1920s, which was about 70 years after the circulation of Wang's boxing theory.) Six. The time when the name of Tai Chi Chuan Emerged: A review of the materials from the Chen and Wu schools as well as the excavation and collation of martial arts from various regions shows that the emergence of the name of Tai Chi Chuan should not be earlier than the time when Wu Yuxiang discovered the "Wang-style Tai Chi Theory". Although the "Wang Lun" was recorded in books during the Qianlong period, according to the circulation, apart from the systems of Yang and Wu, there are no other circulations. Based on this, it is a relatively correct inference to set the upper limit of the emergence of the name "Tai Chi Chuan" at 1853, while the lower limit might be due to the wide citation of Li Yiyu's handwritten works on Tai Chi Chuan. According to the preface of Li's Tai Chi Chuan written in 188l, the lower limit should be around this time. This also confirms why when Yang Luchan (middle-aged) returned to his hometown to teach Tai Chi, there was no definite name, "Tai Chi Chuan", which later became famous all over the world. Vii. Evolution of the Original Name of Tai Chi Chuan and Other Comprehensive Analyses The original name of Tai Chi Chuan mentioned in this article, as well as the similarities and differences in various regions and periods, and the remnants left by Chen, Wang, Wu, and Li in the study of Tai Chi Chuan, we can draw its original name, along with the process and reasons for its evolution. 1. During the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, Changquan (continued to the present day) and Tongbei Quan (continued to be used in Henan until around the time of the Qianlong reign and still in use in Shanxi today). 2. At the end of the Qianlong reign: Tongbei (Tongbei) Quan (continued to be used in the Chai family of Shanxi today) and Tongbei Cuan Quan (Due to the increasing emphasis on cuan techniques by the Chen family of Henan, the form of the boxing style changed, leading to a change in the name. At the same time, to distinguish it from the original name of the Tongbei Quan, only a few branches have been retained and preserved to this day. Wuji Tongbei Chuan Quan (from around 1853 until the completion of Chen Xin's Tai Chi Chuan illustrated explanation in 1919, a few branches have been retained and preserved to this day) 3. Between 1853 and 1881 Tai Chi Chuan (officially named Tai Chi Chuan only after the spread of Wang's Tai Chi Theory) 4. From Changquan (Tongbei Quan) to the final naming of Tai Chi Chuan, it was a complex and long process. If calculated from the general song of the Tai Chi Classic based on Qi Jiguang's Tai Chi Classic, then this process lasted for about three hundred years. This process involves multiple transformations in both technique and theory, and only then does an internal qualitative change lead to a breakthrough in the outer shell - the elevation of the boxing name. 5. A set of boxing techniques that were not originally peculiar, after hundreds of years of efforts by the inheritors, finally had a resounding and profound name that was hard to fathom due to the extremely outstanding naming in Wang's boxing theory. With the arduous practice and research of the scholars of the Chen and Yang schools of Tai Chi, a new type of boxing style was finally formed. It is precisely because of such an ancient and philosophical name that it has played an immeasurable role in the promotion and development of this martial art. It also finally enabled the ancient Changquan (Tongbei Quan) to break free from its original shell, spread its wings of flight, cross the chasm of time and space, and lay the foundation for today's Tai Chi to go global.