The most widespread story of the beginning of Tai Chi Chuan is that of Chang
San-Feng (1279-1368 AD). The legend states that Chang San-Feng one day heard a
noise outside his house, going to his window he observed a snake with raised
head, hissing at a crane in a tree. When the bird flew down and attacked with
his beak, the snake turned away and attacked the crane's neck with his tail.
Stabbing again and again, the crane was unable to land a solid blow. The snake
twisting and dodging was always out of reach. From this Chang San-Feng learned
the value of yielding in the face of strength.
Studying the movements of the snake and crane, other wild animals and natural
phenomena, and taking what he learned, Chang San-Feng devised Tai Chi Chuan.
Movements such as Cloud Hands, Snake Creeps Down, and White Crane Spreads It's
Wings are vivid examples of natures' lessons. It is obvious that many years of
observation, meditation and transformation were spent by Master Chang San-Feng
in giving birth to Tai Chi Chuan.
Other influences on Tai Chi were ancient Chinese health exercises and
meditation. Tai Chi Chuan was used by monks to compliment meditation in Chinese
monasteries.
The five primary styles of Tai Chi Chuan are Chen, Yang, Old Wu, Wu, and Sun.
The Yang style is the traditional form from which many other Tai Chi Chuan forms
were taken. Tai Chi Chuan went through several alterations as it was passed from
master to student. Some alterations were so divergent that they were
recognizably different. This is how the Wu Style and Sun Style systems were
created. Even with-in the recognizable forms of Tai Chi Chuan, slight
differences occurred which further divided even the five main styles.
Charles Riley studied and taught with Da Liu for five years at Columbia
University's Teachers College and at The Cathedral School Of Saint John The
Divine. Da Liu was a noted author and one of the pioneers teaching T'ai Chi
Ch'uan in the USA. He authored 7 books on Taoism, Chinese Culture, T'ai Chi
Ch'uan, Meditation, and the I Ching. In 1924, he began his study at 18 under Sun
Lu-Tang, founder of the Sun School, Kiangsu Province.
Later during the Japanese occupation he was forced to leave and went to the
Southeast provinces. In Szechwan Province, he studied with a number of masters
at Ch'ing Cheng Mountain's Taoist holy place. In Shanghai, Master Liu studied
under the great Taoist Master, Li Li-Chou. Yang style Tai Chi was part of
his practice. It was at this time Master Liu went from practicing
Sun to Yang style.
When the Communists took control of China, Master Liu and other great masters
such as Cheng Man-Ching fled to Taiwan, where they could continue to practice
Tai Chi and Taoism in freedom. Master Liu then moved to New York City.
Later, Cheng Man-Ching followed and stayed with Da Liu until he was able to
start a school of his own.
Master Liu's and Master Cheng Man-Ching's forms are similar though they had
different teachers. Da Liu's Yang style teacher was Li Li-Chou. He was the
president of the Shanghai Tai Chi Association and Cheng Man-Ching was their Vice
president. Cheng Man-Ching learned from Yang Chen FuHe.