Tai Chi masters belong to different schools of thought, including New Frame, Yang, Old Frame, and Wu Style. They train the body to release stress, calm the mind, and control energy. Tai Chi masters are rare, often have experience in other martial arts, and trace their lineage to Zhang San-feng, who created Tai Chi as a martial art.
A Tai Chi master is a lifelong student of the secrets of the martial art called Tai Chi, and may belong to one of several schools of thought. The main styles that exist today include New Frame Style, Yang Style, Old Frame Style, and Wu Style. Other popular styles include the Zhao Bao style, the Hu Lei style, the Wu Shi style, and the Sun style. To become a Tai Chi master, the student must train the body to release stress, focus and calm the mind, and learn to give in to an attack rather than react forcefully. The Tai Chi master knows all aspects of Tai Chi and has mastered them all.
Tai Chi masters of the past often performed great feats of skill that became legendary, earning them a reputation as a master. Modern Tai Chi teachers commonly compete in competitions and obtain certification from academies and organizations. Tai Chi masters usually also have experience in other forms of Chinese martial arts, such as Wushu or Kung fu. However, Tai Chi requires so much internal work that the main skill of a Tai Chi master is not his ability to fight but his inner calm and control of chi or energy throughout the body.
True Tai Chi masters are rare and hard to find. They almost always began their martial arts studies at a very young age from another teacher. Tai Chi teachers are usually well grounded in Taoist philosophy and are often experts in Push Hands, a form of practice in which two people gently push against each other while maintaining relaxation and balance. The blend of Tai Chi, Taoism and Qigong can make the Tai Chi master a powerful individual in perfect balance and peace.
Many Tai Chi masters trace their lineage to Zhang San-feng, a Chinese student of a Taoist priest during the Yuan Dynasty, making Tai Chi one of the oldest forms of martial arts. Zhang San-feng taught several others his art, and these students created a lineage of Tai Chi masters down to modern times. Zhang San-feng was already 70 years old when he created Tai Chi, and legend has it that he was inspired when he watched the movements of a bird attacking a snake. Rather than a gentle form of exercise, as is often used today, Zhang wanted a martial art that he could use to defend himself as he traveled through China, especially since he was slow and weak. The name Tai chi chuan literally means “supreme supreme fist.”
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