Chinese Gongfu. or Wushu, or martial arts, has been practiced for several
thousand years by people in China for physical training and self-defense. It is
practiced in various types of set exercises, either empty-handed or with weapons.
Taijiquan is a branch of Chinese martial arts with a history of three or
four hundred years. It grew out of the health maintenance exercises of ancient
Taoism combined with the theories of yin and yang and main and collateral
channels. It originated in Chenjiagou in Wenxian County, Henan Province. There
are different schools, including the Chen style, Yang style, Wu style and Sun
style. In this art it is essential that the mind guide the body’s movements and,
at the same time, follow the body’s graceful, gentle and firm movements.