T'ai chi ch'uan originated in China and has been practiced there for centuries. Historically it developed from three separate traditions, the first being Chinese martial arts. Though it is no longer common today to learn t'ai chi for self defense, its martial foundation remains important. One simple reason why is if you understand the martial art purpose of a particular move, that move now makes sense and is a lot easier to learn.
The second tradition contributing to the historical development of t’ai chi is the Chinese philosophy of Taoism. T’ai chi movement is based upon the concept of yin and yang. In China the different martial art systems in general were founded upon the different Chinese philosophical systems. Just as it is important to know something about the martial foundation of t’ai chi, so too it is important to know a little about the philosophical concepts it incorporates; otherwise, you will not know how to do the movements correctly.
The third tradition contributing to the historical development of t’ai chi is traditional Chinese medicine. The traditional Chinese model of how your body works is different from that of modern Western medicine. It emphasizes patterns of disharmony in the body’s fundamental substances, one important substance being that of ch’i. Treatment is designed to restore patterns of harmony in these substances. T’ai chi as an exercise for health strengthens the body by regulating its internal ch’i.
What is important to know is that all three of these Chinese traditions share in common the belief that the body contains a subtle, internal circulation system which is referred to in Chinese as “ch’i”. Whereas the Chinese sages and monks developed various meditative techniques to cultivate ch’i for spiritual purposes, the martial artists using the Taoist theory of yin and yang discovered ways to cultivate and harness ch’i to generate power for self defense. These early training methods were later modified as the emphasis shifted from combat to practicing t’ai chi for health. It is this side of t’ai chi, its health benefits, that is most practiced today.