T'ai-Chi-Ch'uan, shortened to Tai Chi or Chinese shadow boxing, is an internal martial art developed in the Chinese Empire. In the People's Republic of China Taijiquan is a popular sport in a mostly simplified form and in the city parks you can see thousands of people practicing their movements in the morning hours.

About the aspect as Martial arts and self-defense, Taijiquan is often viewed as a general system of movement theory or as gymnastics, which is very beneficial to health on the one hand, and personal development and development on the other meditation can serve. Especially in the West, the martial arts aspect often takes a back seat to these aspects.

At the center of practicing Taijiquan is usually a so-called form, a clearly defined sequence of movements of successive, mostly flowing movements. A form is made up of several images or individual movements. Many forms are therefore named after the number of their pictures, for example the 24-picture form (Peking form) or the 37-picture form. The longest shapes can have over 100 images.

The execution of the form can take anywhere from a few minutes to an hour and a half, depending on the number of images and the speed at which it is executed. Taijiquan forms are usually performed slowly and calmly, but can vary widely depending on the style, shape, and experience of the practitioner.

Because of its close connection to the philosophical Daoism comes in Taijiquan as in all internal martial arts the concept of Qi important meaning too. By practicing Taijiquan, the practitioner should be increasingly able to perceive and ultimately control the Qi. Many practitioners describe Qi as a kind of flow of energy that can be circulated in the body.

The Qi should on the one hand serve to maintain health and body control and on the other hand be applicable in combat.

The West likes to try to explain the nature of Qi. For some it is a purely subjective sensation that arises when practicing, others understand it to be an increased sensitivity and body control, for still others it is an energy that cannot be grasped by the Western world, which produces physical effects and takes the place of combat can be used by muscle power.

The 10 basic rules

The following ten basic principles of Taijiquan are ascribed to Yang Chengfu (1883-1936) and should be adhered to when practicing:

• Keep your head up to expand your mind
• Loosen your elbows so your shoulders sink
• Chest and back should be relaxed
• Loosen your waist
• Distribute the weight correctly (fullness / emptiness)
• Bring your upper and lower body into harmony
• Your movements should flow
• Connect the mind to the body
• Use Yi (intention, intention), not raw strength (muscle strength)
• Find calm in movement and movement in calm
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• Taiji is in the Daoism a synonym for the very highest active principle and difficult to translate because there is no corresponding term in the German language. It is usually represented by the symbol opposite, which shows the harmonious interplay of the forces Yin and Yang. Quán means "fist", in connection with fighting techniques it is used when fighting with an empty hand, i.e. without weapons. A possible translation of Taijiquan would be: Martial arts based on the principles of Yin and Yang.
• Historically, the name Taijiquan has been in use since the beginning of the 20th century, before that other names were used for the martial art.
• In 1956, the Beijing form with 24 pictures was officially introduced in the PRC. This shape is based on the Yang style. Building on this, a form with 48 images was developed in 1976, which also incorporates elements from other styles. In 1989 the form with 42 images was created as a newer form of competition. It clearly contains elements of different styles. In the same year, a Yang-style competition with 40 images was presented. Since 1999 there has also been a Yang-style shape with 16 and one with 10 images.