Don't do Tai Chi, do Tai4ji2quan2 instead!

If you to China hoping to learn Tai Chi, you will probably end up studying something entirely different!

The correct word is 太極拳 • Tai4ji2quan2 which some people translate as Shadow Boxing. Tai4ji2quan2 combines exercise and fighting skills and it contains rich ancient Chinese philosophy. It integrates concepts from several martial arts (武術 • wu3shu4), from 氣功 • qi1qong1, Chinese medicine and from the elements of yin and yang.

If you want to learn Tai4ji2quan2, , say from a teacher, this is what you should say:

我想學太極拳 wo3 xiang3 xue2 tai4ji2quan2

If you would like to practice with a friend or on your own, then say:

我想練太極拳 wo3 xiang3 lian4 tai4ji2quan2

If you just want to "do" some Tai4ji2quan2, then say:

我想打太極拳 wo3 xiang3 da3 tai4ji2quan2

There are several styles of Tai4ji2quan2, most of them named after the name of their founders. One of these is the Yang Style.
I came across the list of the movements that comprise the traditional Yang slow style. I think it would be interesting to use this list to practice some Chinese pronunciation.

This style comprises 81 movements. Let's start with the first 10:

(1) 預備式 • yu4bei4 shi4 • Preparation position
(2) 太極拳起式 • tai4ji2quan2 qi3 shi4 • Commencement of Taijiquan
(3) 攬雀尾 • lan3 qiao1 wei3 • Grasp the bird’s tail
(4) 單鞭 • shan4 bian1 • Single whip
(5) 提手上式 • ti2 shou3 shang4 shi4 • Step forward and raise hands
(6) 白鶴亮翅 • bai2he4 liang4 chi4 • White stork spreading its wing
(7) 摟膝拗步 • lou1 xi1 ao3 bu4 • Brush knee and twist step
(8) 手揮琵琶 • shou3 hui1 pi2pa2 • Play the fiddle
(9) 左右摟膝拗步 • zuo3you4 lou1 xi1 ao3 bu4 • Brush knee and twist step
(10) 手揮琵琶 • shou3 hui1 pi2pa2 • Play the fiddle

It's time stop so you can practice your tai4ji2quan2 movements and your Chinese pronunciation.
Happy learning!

Chinese Martial Arts

(photo) Demonstrating Kung Fu at Daxiangguo Monestary, Kaifeng, Henan. Taken by Ariel Steiner. - Wikipedia Commons


Kung Fu is the prevailing term when referring to Chinese martial arts. Funny enough, the term Kung Fu (功夫 • gong1fu1) actually refers to an individual's accomplishments or acquired skill, which could be in the field of martial arts, cooking, dancing, or what have you. Gong1 (功) means "contribution; achievement" and Fu1 (夫) means "work".
Another term that has become very popular lately, I imagine thanks to the proliferation of Chinese actors and actresses in the hollywood scene, is Wushu (武術 • Wu3shu4). This term is more precise and it does refer to martial activities: Wu3 (武 ) means "martial or military" and Shu4 (術) referst to " method or technique".

Other martial related terms are:

武打 • wu3da3 • Traditional Chinese schools of martial arts
武德 • wu3de2 • Martial Morality
武打片 • wu3da3pian4 • Martial arts movie
武功 • wu3gong1 • martial arts skill
武俠 • wu3xia2 • Chivalry
武俠小說 • wu3xia2xiao3shuo1• Martial arts novel

*Traditional martial arts deal with the study of martial arts not just as a means of self-defense or mental training, but also as a system of ethics. Wu3de2 (武德) can be translated as "martial morality" and is constructed from two Chinese characters, "wu3" (武) which means martial and "de2" (德) which means virtue or righteousness. Wu3de2 (武德) deals with two aspects; "morality of deed" and "morality of mind". The ultimate goal is reaching no extremity or limit (Wu2ji2, 無極) - wu2 • without; ji2 • extreme - where both wisdom and emotions are in harmony with each other.

• Concepts referring to Morality of deed:

• Humility (謙虛 qian1xu1)
• Loyalty (忠誠 zhong1cheng2)
• Respect (尊敬 zun1jing4)
• Righteousness (正義 zheng4yi4)
• Trust (信賴 xin4lai4)

• Concepts referring to Morality of mind:

• Courage ( 勇氣 yong3qi4)
• Endurance (忍耐 ren3nai4)
• Patience (耐心 nai4xin1)
• Perseverance (毅力 yi4li4)
• Will (意志 yi4zhi4)

My favorite Chinese Martial Artists:
Credit: International action-movie star and Hong Kong native Jackie Chan enjoys his experiences on the flight deck during a tour of the Kitty Hawk. USS Kitty Hawk's current mission is to provide a forward presence in the Asia/Pacific region, conduct training and exercises with regional allies, and, as America’s “9-1-1” Battle Group, remain available to respond to emergent national taskings wherever and whenever needed. (Image 021202-N-0271M-011)
U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate 3rd Class Lee M. McCaskill - Wikipedia Commons

Jackie Chan (B. 1954, 成龍 • cheng2long2) - Hong Kong martial artist and actor widely known for introducing physical comedy into his martial arts performances, and for actually doing most of the stunts in his films. One of my favorite Jackie Chan's film is "Who am I". I don't ever remember laughing so hard!

Bruce Lee 李振藩 • His real name was li3 zhen4fan1 although if you look him up in a Chinese dictionary you'll probably find 李小龍 • li3xiao3long2 for his stage name. He was and still is my brother's idol! He is considered an important icon in the 20th century.

And last but least,
Jet Li (B. 1963, 李連杰 • li3 lian2jie2) A five-time sport wu3shu4 champion of China, also an accomplished movie actor. You just have to love him in "Hero" and "Fearless".

* Reference: Wikipedia