Glossary for Chen Style Tai Chi

Paired exercise in taijiquan and other internal styles. Practitioners, in hand contact, try to unbalance each other and sensitively neutralize the other's pressure.

Training method China

“Field of elixir” in the lower abdomen, in Chinese tradition the store of qi and the body's center of gravity. Japanese tanden.

Anatomy, target levels and striking surfaces China

Division of Chinese martial arts into internal styles (taijiquan, baguazhang, xingyiquan) and external styles, for example Shaolin ones. The boundary is traditional rather than precise.

Classification of techniques, arts and schools China

Chinese concept of life energy, breath and vitality. Ki in Japanese, gi in Korean. In the internal arts, cultivating qi is the main goal of practice.

Physical and biomechanical principle China

Throws and takedowns as one of the four skills of Chinese martial arts: kicks, strikes, throws and locks. They developed on their own in shuai jiao wrestling.

Classification of techniques, arts and schools China

Form of address for a teacher in Chinese martial arts. Sifu in Cantonese, shifu in Mandarin. The characters 師父 mean “teacher father”.

Title and rank China

Form of address for one's own master's teacher, literally “master grandfather”. It belongs to the family hierarchy of Chinese martial arts schools.

Title and rank China

Forms of address for an older (sihing) and younger (sidai) fellow student of the same master. Time of entering the school decides, not age. Similar to Japanese senpai and kohai.

Role in training and bouts China

Chinese martial morality, literally “martial virtue”. A set of principles that master and student should observe so as not to misuse martial arts.

Physical and biomechanical principle China

Chinese martial arts school and training hall, literally “martial hall”. In Cantonese mo gun, in English often kwoon. Counterpart of the Japanese dojo.

Place and space China