Wudang Tai Chi vs. other styles: Taoist Master explains the difference

Master Gu explains the origins of tai chi, and the deep philosophical roots of its ancient Wudang style.
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Thanks for stopping by!

[@SirFrederick]

I like the saying of "the number of Taiji styles is the number of people that do Taiji"

[@spiritualphysics]

👊🏾😎👍🏼 I've studied w/ Chen, Wudang and Yang family masters. Guess what, each is quite sure they got it right whilst the others are just exercising. Why I decided to go old school and just get insight from many rivers running into Tai Chi ocean. 🙏🏼😇🙏🏾

[@C-handle-r]

😂 I do want to learn them all though hahaha.

[@Whiskey_Tengu]

Exactly. None of them "know" they just regurgitate whatever they've been told within their specific school. At Least with BaguaZhang, Kang Gewu did his masters thesis on its origins and the level of research he did, exposed a lot of the fraudulent claims and made up origins other schools claimed. My advice, having studied Yang and Wu Taijiquan, is to steer clear of these family and cultural politics and focus on the art from anyone who can demonstrate actual skill. The skill is more important than the origins

[@henry6451]

Except that this guy described them as being branches of a tree not one superior to another

[@Daoistify]

The debate rages on in China. Two stories include Wudang mountain the other Chen Village. Does it matter to me ? I began practicing in the 1990s and have had many Taiji and Qigong teachers and training including over a year in China. It would take a lifetime to study and master the four or five primary styles. I simply enjoy what I know and not worry about what I don’t know.

[@Whiskey_Tengu]

@@Daoistify exactly my point. Developing the skill is more important than the origins. Knowing the source, will not guarantee one's own development. I found that I needed to touch hands with multiple masters and piece together what made sense and what may have been misinterpreted from one master's understanding to the next. Some masters could demonstrate internal skill, but couldn't articulate themselves clearly at all. Others enjoyed lecturing theory, but couldn't really demonstrate the skill they spoke so reverently of. It's a journey for sure, and no one should be content with only one person's perspective on it. *disclaimer: not suggesting I know it all now and am a Taiji sage myself. Only that I believe I'm training more correctly now after 25yrs than when I first started.

[@seattlevegas66]

Finally... an honest and clear explanation!

[@Quadarix]

Master Gu, it is always a pleasure watching your videos. Great content as always.

[@leikkivaki7909]

Thank you Master Gu 🌸 I am new in Wudang Taoist Wellness Academy and wishing to learn tai chi. I wish the Academy will continue. I have realized so many wonderful things here and hope to see you online soon, Master Gu beach on☯️

[@gabryg1849]

Grazie Master Gu for your alway Gentleness.. A good day and to all your Students🙏

I know some examples from Chinese mountain masters that learn from each other between Wudang and Chen style Gracefully :) of course different type temperament or nature human beings needs and looks different. Only one glass mind set is not enough I think in my humble point of view! Chen style is children of Wudang and war and some Sophisticated kung fu styles. I am very adore your some students. Thanks millions. Dear Master:)

[@OK-otic]

谢谢你。 我现在知道什么做功夫办法了。 ❤

[@teresashank4461]

The Dao follows the nature. The Unity between man and nature. A dialogue of body language between man and nature.

[@saravanankumar7545]

Thank you shifu🙏

[@scandisamurai8899]

Hello from all of us Lee Style practitioners ☯️ 🙏 🇬🇧 🐉

[@fredricclack7137]

👁️Yang; Wu Bin by Fang Wang ☯️

[@pavlentos]

Not really understand a difference between chen and wudan. Tai chi have a basic principles. All another like external view of the movements ,it's just visual differences. In Chen style we also talk with our body, listen what our body talk for us through a movements.

[@Mgh-r]

Hi and thanks ⚘⚘⚘

[@MartialArtUK]

Good content thanks

[@kepheramanjet3244]

I will refute any nay sayers by saying that Zhang SanFeng did create Wudan Taijiquan but he did not call it Taiji. His 13 postures was the frame work combining the Bagua and Wu Xing. Understand that Taiji is the physical manifestation of the Bagua combining with Wu Xing. When one does Taiji and brings the many things or Bagua and Wu Xing into one then one can approach Wuji which is oneness or the void that leads to Dao. Taijiquan when done correctly especially Taiji sword is a Daoist practice that resembles the universe ebbing and flowing like the yin/yang circle. It was used to cleanse the home and environment of pure yang and yin energies, and create balance and fairness. No one is the creator of Taiji except Wuji and the creator of Wuji is Dao.

[@donaldreid4193]

Very few practitioners can actually display internal force and most are just just using angles and levers to basically wrestle the opponent which is fine if that’s what your looking for but it’s not taijichuan

[@jimanHK]

great

[@fredricclack7137]

Every ♂️ ♀️ Taiji Diff!☯️

[@ErraticFaith]

The history is fairly simple. Chen family created Taijiquan during the classical period. It was a put together by a military officer and is a derivative of the grappling arts originally used in the Kingdoms period for [disarmed] combat and survival. A vast majority of these applications are still present in Chen family. The Daoists practiced a derivative of Shaolin exercises, not Taijiquan. In the revolution - most of these Daoists were killed by the rightful ruler the Communist Party, the rest exiled. The modern history is somewhat reformed. As they have state permission to sell a variant to the public with some state members allowed to return in recent decades. It is now in some ways more akin to contemporary Wushu, albeit in a distant manner. It's certainly better for you than sitting on the sofa but for the original aim of combat and high internal development (as per the few Shaolin today practicing legitimate Qigong); it's very far from the original system. The MSS have already said numerous times that the legacy of Taijiquan belongs to Chenjiagou; when commenting here in Beijing. Whenever this comes into dispute we seem to go around in circles with different people. Since the controversy with Xu Xiaodong as well however; it's hard to say why the General Secretary tolerates revisionists. Hopefully it's dealt with in due course.

[@andrewblack7852]

I couldn’t agree more

[@C-handle-r]

What is more akin to contemporary Wushu? Tai Chi or Shaolin? I wanna understand your text but halfway it becomes unclear what you mean.

[@C-handle-r]

@@ErraticFaith That was a lot of text and i think i understand now. Luckily, i already aim to learn to traditional things! First for health, and now i enjoy it so much that i want to learn the applications. (Though i already visualise the applications) I know Yang style now, but also want to learn Chen. I also know some Shaolin, some Xi Yang Mei, some Qi Gong and maybe Ssan Sao. And recent videos have peaked my interest for Baguazhang and Xing Yi. Once thing at a time!

[@ErraticFaith]

@@C-handle-r You can spend a life time on a single one or try some of all like you describe but very few have a clear aim with either approach. Which is why unfortunately I feel as if the era of the McDonald’s Dojo has really only just begun. It’s a little concerning when someone will take something like WTWA as an authority but not an actually publicly credited sports university or people who have attended there and other venues. So the problem is pretty much everyone involved. For me I like to consider time and cost. Most people can’t effectively do several teachers as well as an ordinary life and career. So I want to try and point out how important it is to cut that down and spend both wisely when learning.

[@jonmanilenio]

so if I understand correctly, this guy in the video is saying that taoist or wudang taichi is the original, and the other styles are just branches... but you're saying that chen style is the original, and the others are the branches?