All in the Family
Tracing the Circle – Weekly Meditations on the Practice
“All in the Family”
Following are summaries of the five major family styles of Taijiquan, as taught by the Daode Wuxue She.
YANG:
Yang is the most popular and widely practiced style of Taiji in the world today. Yang style Taiji is the preferred gateway style for a beginning student because it is a great style for teaching power and structure. Being a large frame form, the clear expression of gestures also makes it the exemplary style referred to when trying to get students to understand archetypical energies in other styles. Master Zhang Luping used to say that Yang style was the easiest one for beginners to develop power. There are many different kinds of Yang style, both long and short. Yang style is a preferable style for someone just starting out whose overall fitness level may be low.
SUN:
Sun style Taijiquan was created by Sun Lutang, who created the style by combining elements of Taiji, Bagua, and Xingy. Sun style is also suitable for a new student; though due to the fact that it does contain other arts within, and is also a small frame style, some of the subtle expressions off the gestures could easily be missed. Combatively speaking, the martial application of Sun style can be used more so “out of the box” than in other styles in a practical sense. Sun style is very lively and quick with active stepping.
CHEN:
Chen style Taijiquan is the oldest of the five major families and is a large and strong style of Taiji; a very expansive and physically demanding form. People who practice Chen style must develop great strength in their legs and considerable flexibility in their joints. The powerful twining actions of the gestures in Chen style, and the complexity of the movements, make this style attractive to those who want a more athletic approach to Taiji. Very often, Chen style is learned only after students have learned other styles.
HAO (WU):
Hao style Taiiquan is a small, compact style of taiji, characterized by a very minimalistic form, which requires total expansion for proper practice. The movements of the Hao style can be difficult for beginners to learn because the subtle internal expression of the gestures would be difficult to perform without a preexisting energetic understanding of the moves in a larger sense. With larger frame forms, it is easier to pass through gestures without full expansion (given that the form itself is already ‘big’). As a result, people who have practiced Yang and/or Chen styles tend to have a greater appreciation of the fine points of Hao style, and can see the large movements of Yang and Chen in the tiny movements of Hao style. Therefore, Hao is not recommended for anyone who does not already have some Taiji experience. Tremendous power can be developed by proper study of this style.
ZHENG :
Zheng style Taijiquan is a variation on Yang style developed by Master Zheng Manqing. This style is perhaps the most widely known style in the United States and is suitable practice by people of all ages and fitness levels. This medium frame style allowed Master Zheng to teach taiji to a larger number of students in a shorter amount of time.