Yoshinkai UK - What is Chen Style Tai Chi/Taiji?
Chen style Taijiquan (太極拳） is a martial art and the origin of Taichi from Chenjiagou (Chen family village), Henan province, China. Chenjiagou was a small village surrounded by robbers, so the villagers had to protect themselves.
This style of Taijiquan is said to have been created by Chen Wangting(1600-1680) based on Tongbei quan, the Chen family's traditional martial art, a martial art of Qi Jiguang (戚継光, drawing strongly from Taoist philosophy and Chinese medical philosophy.
The movements of Chen style are both slow and fast, strong and soft. Those movements work physically on body balance, agility, flexibility, strength and the immune system. At the same time, Chen style Taijiquan offers a means of moving meditation.
As one of the traditional Chinese martial arts, Taijiquan develops concentration, while helping to relieve depression and anxiety.
