3 Types of Taiji. (from https://patrickkellytaiji.com/taiji/taijitransmission.html)

There is genuine traditional Taiji, 'healing' Taiji or 'gymnastic' Taiji.

In traditional Taiji students progress through a long serious training, which produces true inner evolution, a deep well being and some ability at self-defense based on sensitivity and internal power rather than external strength and speed. The sublime experience of the past great practitioners is passed down, which requires effort from both students and teachers. The teachers have themselves been through such long training previously, with their own genuine teachers.

Secondly there is "healing" Taiji where people practice lightly to feel outwardly better and recover from the pressure of work and daily life. Like modern 'Yoga", there is some external value in this but it does not lead to internal refinement.

Thirdly you may also see "gymnastic" Taiji where all esoteric training is scorned and either beautiful "wushu" postures, or rough fighting movements are trained, perhaps with silk uniforms, sometimes for competition. This Taiji was officially promoted over the last 60-70 years but perhaps has lost the refined subtlety of the original art.

These last 2 methods are typically taught merely as a means of making a living. The lightly trained instructors, easily create new movements and systems which propogate their own simple ideas. These methods may increase attachment to and identification with the body (consolidating the ego). This is a long way from the great purpose of the deep and subtle art of true Taiji.

I [PK] suggest you think twice before investing your time in these last 2 - ask yourself what is really important in your life, then stay true to that and make your choice.

More on taiji history below (Selected excerpts from Chapter 1 of "Relax Deep Mind" by Patrick Kelly below, pdf copy of the latest version for sale here and hardcopy available from us)

WHAT IS TAIJI?

Taiji is an internal style of Chinese martial art, stressing the principles of relaxation and yielding both in application and in daily life. Taijiquan training develops inner strength and harmony through the coordination and relaxation of Mind and body. Externally, Taiji is the art of movement for health and self defence. Internally, Taiji is Raja Yoga, the science of Mind and internal energy or Qi (气). Taijiquan is said to have been created 800 years ago by the Daoist Sage Zhang Sanfeng (張三丰) as a practical method for attaining immortality (enlightenment) through the cultivation of internal energy and Mind. Its principles were formulated 2,500 years ago by Laozi (老子) the founder of Daoism in his book Dao De Jing (道德经) and expressed a thousand years before that in the Book of Changes or Yi Jing (易经). Daoism provides the philosophy while Taiji provides a practical method for incorporating those Daoist principles into practice.

Initial training in Taiji consists of learning to relax the body and quieten the Mind. All movements are circular – on reaching one extreme they return to their source without stopping. This is achieved by using the Will or Yi (意), not insensitive strength. From deep consciousness arises Yi, which moves the Qi. When the Qi moves, the joints extend like blowing into a rubber tube. So the Yi moves the Qi which moves the body. It leads people from the mundane everyday state to a position of inner knowledge, inner calmness and inner power. Quiet concentration relieves mental problems, practising inner calmness most effectively resolves emotional problems, while practising relaxation and energy circulation will alleviate physical problems.

Success in practice requires an attitude of genuine enquiry, patience and perseverance, an openness to practise according to the teaching and a willingness to constantly examine and refine your motives according to your inner conscience. The essence of Taiji is thousands of years old and has been refined by long chains of highly evolved Old Masters. The methods have been well tested over hundreds of years and the benefits, both internal and external, verified by hundreds of thousands of practitioners. To experience the full potential benefits, once begun, Taiji should be thought of as a lifetime practice.

TAIJI HISTORY

More than two thousand years ago, the philosophical concept of Taiji or Supreme Ultimate was developed. It refers to the original manifestation – a differentiation of the unmanifest unity – from which all else arises. The character Tai (太) can be translated as great, grand or supreme. The character Ji (极) means ultimate, infinite or extreme. Together they form a concept which goes back in philosophy well beyond the formation of Taiji as an art based on the martial arts. Taiji is often joined with the character Quan (拳) meaning ‘fist’ so that Taijiquan (太极拳) is used to differentiate the practical art from the philosophical concept. The name Taiji was first given to the art of Yang Luchan (杨露禅, 1799– 1872), according to recently discovered imperial records, by the famous Qing Dynasty scholar Weng Tonghe (翁同龢, 1830–1904). Previously Yang’s art had been typically referred to as Mien Quan (綿拳 Cotton Fist) or Hua Quan (化拳 Neutralising Fist). In his later years Yang Luchan had become so famous that he was often referred to as Yang Wudi (楊無敵, Yang the Invincible).

Following the death of Yang Luchan, his 2 sons, Yang Banhou (杨班侯, 1837–1890) and Yang Jianhou (杨健侯, 1839–1917) along with other senior students continued to spread and enhance the fame of what was to become known as Yang Style Taiji. Yang Chengfu (杨澄甫, 1883–1936), son of Yang Jianhou, recalled that his grandfather Yang Luchan had handed down these words on the history of his art, ”Taijiquan began with Zhang Sanfeng (張三丰) at the end of the Song dynasty (960–1279). He transmitted it to Wang Zongyue (王宗岳), Zhen Zhoutong (陳州同), Zhang Songxi (張松溪) and Jiang Fa (蒋发), who succeeded each other without interruption. My teacher, Chen Changxing (陈长兴, 1771–1853), was the only disciple of Jiang Fa. His art was based on the natural, and its form never departed from the Supreme Ultimate. It consisted of thirteen postures with infinite applications. The movement is in the body, but the influence reaches the Spirit.” In the early 1900s, with the passing of the older generations, Yang Luchan’s grandson Yang Chengfu was chosen as the figurehead for the Yang style and to strengthen the lineage all senior students were asked to bow before him. He formalised the 108 steps of the Long Yang Form.

The Chen style remained mostly within the Chen village and many researchers believe that this branch of the transmission became mixed with the more external local Chen family fighting art, no longer representing the internal art passed on by Chen Changxing to Yang Luchan. One of the last well know Chen masters, was Chen Fake (陳發科, 1887–1957) who spread this branch to Beijing.

Wu Jianquan’s father, Wu Quanyu (吴全佑, 1834–1902), was a student of Yang Banhou, but also learnt directly from Yang Luchan. Wu Jianquan (吳鑑泉, 1870–1942) created and formalised the Wu Style Long Form at around the same time that Yang Chengfu formalised the Yang Form.

In a break from the tradition of the previous 700 years, Yang Chengfu, along with his friends Wu Jianquan and Sun Lutang (孫錄堂), opened their Taiji up to the public in the early to mid 1900s. After that Taiji spread rapidly throughout China, but behind this outer expansion the system of a small inner school within the outer school was retained.

Wu Jianquan’s son-in-law, Ma Yueliang (馬岳樑, 1901-1998) was perhaps the most remarkable Wu stylist left in China. He continued the school of Wu Jianquan in Shanghai until it was closed by events of the ‘cultural revolution’. Ma Yueliang’s interest and teaching in the art of Taiji went well beyond the physical. In the early 1990s he spent time in New Zealand, at one stage as my [Patrick Kelly's] guest. There he hoped to set up a school of internal refinement through meditation and Taiji – but this proved impossible as family commitments forced his return to China. At his invitation I [PK] visited him there, shortly before his death.

Huang Xingxian Lineage

Among Yang Chengfu’s outstanding students who left Mainland China, Zheng Manqing (郑曼青, 1898–1975) taught in Taiwan and USA, Yang Shouzhong (杨守中, 1910–1985) taught in Hong Kong, while Dong Yingjie (董英傑, 1897–1961) taught in Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. It was Zheng Manqing, known in the West as Professor Cheng Man Ching, who probably had the largest influence in the transmitting of Taiji to the West. Beginning in Taiwan and South East Asia, then travelling in the early 1960’s to the USA, where based in New York, he established a large following, teaching according to each students sincerity and potential with little regard for nationality or race.

While most of Zheng’s experienced students remained in Taiwan, Huang Xingxian (黄性贤, 1910–1992) taught in Singapore and Malaysia, while Dr Chi, T. T. Liang, William C. C. Chen, Luo Bangzhen [aka "Benjamin Pang Jeng Lo," Charlie's teacher prior to meeting PK] and Da Liu taught in Europe and North America.

Huang Xingxian (1910–1992) was one of the most accomplished of Zheng’s disciples. He was trained from a young age in the Daoist medical, martial, and spiritual arts as a disciple of the famous Fujian Daoist sage and White Crane master, Xie Zhongxian (謝宗祥, 1852–1930). In his 30’s Huang moved to Taiwan and spent the next decade training under the daily supervision of Zheng Manqing.