Shaolin Kung Fu and Tai Chi Chuan

Recently in Dengfeng, Henan—the birthplace and center of Shaolin Kung Fu—a heartwarming exchange took place between Shaolin Kung Fu and Tai Chi Chuan. At the conclusion of the event, Grandmaster Chen Zhenglei, a 9th Duan Tai Chi master, was bestowed a special honor by the Shaolin Wushu Association and appointed Honorary Chairman of the Association to collectively promote Wushu, or Chinese martial arts.

Grandmaster Chen Zhenglei is recognized as one of the highest-ranking authorities in China for his Tai Chi knowledge, skill, and lifetime achievements in promoting the art both domestically and internationally. It is no surprise that he has received hundreds of awards and honorary titles worldwide. However, being named Honorary Chairman of the Shaolin Wushu Association is exceptionally significant and unique, as the Association is considered the highest authority in China for setting standards in Shaolin Kung Fu. This honor is comparable to the United States granting the title of Honorary President to the British Prime Minister.

Sifu Chang Yuan, Principal of Shaolin Kung Fu and Tai Chi in Las Vegas, Nevada, was born in Shandong Province, China. Out of passion for martial arts, he began learning Shaolin Kung Fu at the age of 12, first at the Shaolin Wushu Academy and later at the Shaolin Wushu Center, which is a government-run academy and widely regarded as the premier Shaolin Kung Fu school and maintains a close relationship with the Shaolin Temple. Since 1989, the Shaolin Wushu Center has toured throughout the Americas, Europe, Africa, and Asia and is considered a representative institution of Shaolin Kung Fu. Sifu Chang Yuan is recognized as a 35th-generation Shaolin master. Later, he studied Tai Chi Chuan and became an indoor disciple of Grandmaster Chen Zhenglei in 2018.

Sifu Chang Yuan was not surprised when he learned that Grandmaster Chen had been appointed Honorary Chairman of the Association. Beyond the Grandmaster’s personal accomplishments, Sifu Chang Yuan explains that there has always been a close relationship between the two martial art systems.

Geographically, Dengfeng is about 30 miles from Chen Village (Chenjiagou, 陈家沟), the birthplace of Tai Chi Chuan. Historically, people in this region have been familiar with and often practiced both traditions. Anecdotally, the two martial arts have influenced each other over time.

In 495 CE, the Indian monk Batuo (Bhadra, 跋陀) came to China to spread Buddhist teachings. The Chinese emperor built the Shaolin Temple for him to preach Buddhism. Thirty-two years later, the famous monk Bodhidharma (Damo, 达摩) arrived at the Shaolin Temple and observed that many monks were physically weak and unable to maintain focus during meditation. To address this, he developed two supreme Qigong practices: the “Muscle Tendon Change Classic” (Yi Jin Jing, 易筋经) and the “Bone Marrow Wash Classic” (Xi Sui Jing, 洗髓经), which were used to restore health and vitality. Gradually, Kung Fu practice became an essential part of the monks’ self-cultivation and self-defense.

Shaolin monks became renowned for their exceptional martial skills. Armed primarily with long staffs, they famously saved Li Shimin (李世民), who later became the first emperor of the Tang Dynasty (618–907 CE). Emperor Li granted the Shaolin Temple special permission to establish a Martial Monk division. Throughout its long history, Shaolin martial monks collected, adopted, and developed a vast array of martial techniques, including bare-hand forms, animal forms, weapons, sparring, soft and hard-style Qigong, joint-locking techniques (Chin Na, 擒拿), Light Body Skill (Qinggong, 轻功), and more. Sifu Chang Yuan estimates that Shaolin Kung Fu contains over 1,000 techniques, making it an immense and complex system. Very few people master the entire Shaolin Kung Fu repertoire.

About four hundred years ago, General Chen Wangting (陈王廷) selected time-tested martial techniques suitable for both health cultivation and self-defense. He refined these movements using Tai Chi Yin–Yang theory and the Chinese meridian system, thereby creating Tai Chi Chuan. As a result, Tai Chi Chuan is both a martial art and a healing art.

Generally speaking, Shaolin Kung Fu is considered an External Martial Art (Wai Jia Quan, 外家拳), relying primarily on muscular strength, skeletal structure, and momentum to generate explosive offensive and defensive power. It features fast movements, rapid punches, powerful kicks, high jumps, and crouching steps. Much of Shaolin Kung Fu is trained as single-purpose techniques rather than long continuous sequences, focusing on blocking, striking, takedowns, punches, and kicks.

Tai Chi Chuan, on the other hand, is classified as an Internal Martial Art (Nei Jia Quan, 内家拳). It is characterized by softness, fluidity, and continuity. Strict attention is given to proper body alignment to achieve minimum effort with maximum effect. Chen-style Tai Chi Chuan includes four fundamental bare-hand routines: Old Frame Routine One (Lao Jia Yi Lu, 老架一路), Old Frame Routine Two (Lao Jia Er Lu, 老架二路), New Frame Routine One (Xin Jia Yi Lu, 新架一路), and New Frame Routine Two (Xin Jia Er Lu, 新架二路). In recent years, new routines have been created, such as the 56 Competition Form, the 18 Form created by Grandmaster Chen Zhenglei, and the 19 Form created by Grandmaster Chen Xiaowang. These routines are choreographed from the core movements of the four traditional routines.

As the oldest Tai Chi style, Chen-style Tai Chi Chuan was developed as a highly effective martial art. Practitioners in Chen Village used it to protect their properties and lives from bandits, warlords, and even during the Japanese invasion in World War II. They also created their own weapon forms, including single and double straight swords, single and double broadswords, long staff, sticks, double maces, spears, and more as well as Push Hands (Tui Shou, 推手), the Tai Chi sparring system.

To many martial artists, Shaolin Kung Fu and Tai Chi Chuan appear very different. However, Sifu Chang Yuan points out that the two traditions share important fundamentals. For example:

• Tai Chi Chuan emphasizes Silk Reeling (Chan Si Gong, 缠丝功), while Shaolin Kung Fu uses Roll-In (Gun Ru, 滚入) and Roll-Out (Gun Chu, 滚出).
• Both insist on not overbending the elbows (Qu Er Bu Qu, 屈而不屈) and not fully locking them (Zhi Er Bu Zhi, 直而不直).
• Both stress the External Three Harmonies (Wai San He, 外三合) and Internal Three Harmonies (Nei San He, 内三合).
• Both systems train Lifting Qi (Ti Qi, 提气), Condensing Qi (Ju Qi, 聚气), and Sinking Qi (Shen Qi, 沉气).

Sifu Chang Yuan further explains that Shaolin Kung Fu also includes Soft Boxing (Rou Quan, 柔拳), which consists of several routines emphasizing softness and fluidity and closely resembles Tai Chi Chuan.

In recent decades, Chinese television stations have hosted martial arts tournaments featuring various Chinese martial arts, and occasionally inviting Muay Thai, Judo, and Taekwondo practitioners to compete. At times, Shaolin Kung Fu has prevailed; at other times, Chen-style Tai Chi Chuan practitioners have won championships.

Sifu Chang Yuan reminds us that both Shaolin Kung Fu and Tai Chi Chuan are powerful martial arts. Beyond combat effectiveness, they elevate martial practice to philosophical and spiritual levels. Through dedicated practice, practitioners cultivate calmness, balance, and inner peace.