The Taijiquan Classics

Book excerpt: Taijiquan is one of the most widely practiced and least understood martial arts in the world. Many people no longer practice Taijiquan as a martial art. Of those who do, few outside of China have had the opportunity to read and understand the Classics of Taijiquan as the canon of the art. If there were scriptures pertaining to Taijiquan, the Classics would be those. Accounting for nearly five-hundred years of the teachings of great masters of Taijiquan, the Classics serve as a fundamental reference for all serious students of Taijiquan. For non-Mandarin speakers, this book is the first complete compilation of the Classics in English, including clear and precise explanations of the essential concepts of Taijiquan. Even for those who are not students of Taijiquan, the Classics provide deep insight into Chinese culture generally, with descriptions of the teachings of Daoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism that have guided a people over millennia. We hope that readers of this material will appreciate the depth of its content and the effort that was required to bring it to the level of clarity provided within.